The paradox of Auntie Po
Initially, Mei strongly believes that Auntie Po is bigger than life, and she can protect the logging crew from any form of oppression. However, when tragedy strikes and all the Chinese logging crew are sacked, Mei starts to question the ability and power of Auntie Po. However, despite realizing that Auntie is an imaginary figure in her stories, she accepts that her narratives have played a key role in uniting the people in the camp.
The satire of Mei’s dress code
Mei wears trousers instead of skirts and other types of female's dresses. Ironically, she does not want to associate herself with boys. For instance, the reader realizes that Mei does not a have boyfriend in her childhood, but she only befriends her white female girl. The paradox in this scenario is that Mei puts on trousers in solidarity with boys, but she ignores them regarding friendship.
The irony of the Nevada Logging Camp’s boss
Nevada Logging Camp's boss is a white man who is hypocritical in his actions. For instance, Mei notes that the white boss and her father are good friends. Ironically, the white boss sacks Mei's father alongside other Chinese workers. Consequently, the boss's actions contradict the verbal promises to Mei's father and other Chinese people close to him.
The satire of Mei’s narratives
Mei is depicted as a bright young Chinese girl with oratory skills. The ability of Mei to create an imaginary figure called Auntie Po in her narratives is paradoxical. Despite being naïve and young, she uses her power of telling stories to bring people of all races together. Unfortunately, due to limited opportunities and discrimination, Mei does not go to school to exploit her potential.
