Double Face

"DVS shoes!"
(a.k.a. Double Face)

3. Oh dear, Waverly and Lindo are exactly alike! They both criticize each other about how Americanized/Chinese they are! Haha, I thought it was funny when she described "You do not have to sit like a Buddha under a tree letting pigeons drop their dirty business on your head. You can buy an umbrella. Or go inside a Catholic church" (254). Doesn't she know that Buddhism does not go with Catholicism? Aw, I felt sorry for Lindo when Waverly implied, "I'm my own person," and Lindo thought, "When did I give her up?" Somehow, when Mr. Rory is mentioned, I imagine a man with a goatee, wearing a tight black shirt and super tight leather pants. xD The Chinese see parts of their faces as fortune cookies, predicting the outcome of their lives. My mother just told me to squeeze my nose, because if you had big nostrils, money would pour all out. x_O" Thanks, Mom. I find if amusing how Waverly only believes in the Chinese stereotypes, not taking the time to question her own mother about her true past, the real one. Also, it's sort of ironic that Ying-Ying ends up working at a fortune cookie factory, the all-time Chinese stereotype for Americans, and does not know what it is at first. Aw, the "Lindo, can you spouse me?" was a really really really cute/innocent/sweet way to propose to her, even if he did not intend for it to mean it that way. xD I think the Lindo sacrificed her Chinese heritage so that Waverly can have all the advantages and opportunities of an all-American girl. Her heritage is still there, just hidden, deepdeepdeep down inside of her.

4. Waverly talks to Mr. Rory, telling her what she thinks her mom wants. She takes control of everything, implying that she is confident and ready to take anything on. She thinks she knows, but sometimes, she doesn't, which makes her kind of careless and oblivious to the signs that her mother hints at her.

5. I believe the main conflict in the chapter has to be Waverly vs. Lindo (external: man vs. man), because Tan compares and contrasts Waverly and Lindo, how each has become the other, yet totally different, by their facial features, their actions, and their thoughts. This whole chapter was a juxtaposition of Waverly & Lindo and Chinese & American. The ending was sort of open-ended, for the imagination to wonder, but it results in a more positive manner, so the most likely answer to Lindo's thoughts would be: She can never lose her Chinese heritage no matter how hard she tries. It has just been buried by all the Americanized stereotypes of the Chinese. In return, her daughter received all the advantages a true American could receive and now, she has a successful and bright future.

6. In this chapter, Tan was really emphasizing the relationship between American and Chinese, Waverly and Lindo. Her juxtaposition weaved in and out endlessly and fluidly while she taught us many Chinese stereotypes in the American world. It enhanced the conflict between Waverly and Lindo, helping the audience understand how such a problem could arouse in our world today because of our environments.

Emily Huynh, Period 4