In the American Society Literary Elements

Short Story

Set in the mid-1980s in the United States

It is narrated in first person from Callie’s point of view.

Tone: Suspenseful and anxious

Mood: Uneasy and tense

Protagonist: Mr. Chang Antagonist: Jeremy

The Chang family is struggling to find a balance between their Chinese background and adapting to the new culture they are living in. Mr. Chang’s traditional patriarchal views clash with Mrs. Chang’s more modern perspective. Meanwhile, Mona and Callie are caught in the middle trying to figure out how to fit into both worlds. Furthermore, Booker and Cedric's immigration status poses another challenge for the family as they must decide whether or not to stand up for them. The last incident highlights the tension between Chinese immigrants and wealthy white Americans in American society during this period.

The climax occurs when Mr. Chang and Jeremy get into an argument.

n/a

The mother states "It would be a waste". She is understating the cost and effort required to join the country club as well as her reluctance to do so despite Mona's enthusiasm.

The story includes references to the Fourth of July, a holiday celebrated in the United States, and the Mona Lisa, a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Additionally, there is a reference to the Massif Central, which is a mountain range in France.

“I watched my mother take off her shoes, laughing and laughing as a man with a beard regaled her with navy stories by the pool. Apparently, he had been stationed in the Orient and remembered a few words of Chinese, which made my mother laugh still more. My father excused himself to go to the bathroom, then drifted back and weighed anchor at the hors d’oeuvres table, while my mother sailed on to a group of women, who tinkled at length over the clarity of her complexion.”

Mr. Chang is proud to be Chinese and upholds traditional values but he also tries to fit into American culture by buying a recliner. He embraces his roots as an immigrant in America but he also wants to assimilate into American culture.

The parallelism is shown through the juxtaposition of Mr. and Mrs. Chang’s respective struggles to fit into their new country, as well as their ultimately successful (albeit different) attempts at achieving success within it.

Metonymy: "Don't you all be putting your bug eyes on me" (referring to people's gaze)

“The days were still stuffy with summer, but our window shade had started flapping in the evening as if gearing up to go out.”

In this excerpt, the window shade is personified as if it were a person who was "gearing up to go out."