In today’s blog, I wanted to be creative by representing myself as another student who will support Shawn Wong’s point that his story, Homebase, is definitely a story about mother and father, at least for the most parts. Personally, I can see that Rainsford’s mother plays a huge role in Rainsford’s growing.
In the story, the author mentioned his mother several times and how much she affects his life. For me, I think the biggest role that his mother plays in Homebase is her influence to Rainsford, especially, within those seven years.
Rainsford admires his father pretty much like a hero and we can see it when he describes his father as his “love and hero” (p.40) On the other hand, another big role that his mother plays in the story is being the only woman that his father loves. Even though Rainsford didn’t actually see it while his father is still alive, he can still feel it from the letters his dad wrote to his mom. He felt exactly how much his father loves his mother when he saw the “Dear Darling” (p.20) in the letter headings, along with the scenario in “The Great Waltz” (p.29) As the most important woman of his “idol”, this could be an addition to the love of his mother.
Rainsford’s mother is being characterized as a very independent, traditional, and strong woman. For instance, after Rainford’s father died, “she did not want to be the object of everyone’s pity, the mother of a fatherless child…” (p.34) Think about it, how hard is that for a Chinese woman to independently raise up her child in a foreign land without the help of anyone? Also, how many women would take all the pain herself and leave as little pain as possible to her son. She supports her husband as a wife and protects her son as a mother.
Mother knew that one day she will leave her son, so she tried to teach him how to be independent and make sure he is ready to face his world at anytime. Rainsford recalled that his “mother taught me[him] how to iron clothes” (p.32) , “she taught me flower business until I was able to assist…”(p.34), “She always let me make those floral arrangements”(p.35), “Three mornings a week she had sent me with the driver…”(p.35) she even taught me how to “shake hands” (p.44) She taught Rainsford from doing household stuffs to operating flower business to meeting with new people.
Rainsford’s mother also strongly influenced his manners and conducts. For instance, she keep saying “cobbler’s son has no shoes” (p.36), and this is a very traditional Chinese story, similar to “Meng Mu San Qian”, the one that I mentioned from my response of “American Born Chinese”. What she have done is more than the above, besides teaching him knowledge, survival skill, manners and conducts, she also arrange him to live with his uncle and aunt after she died (p.34)
Lastly, I personally believe that Rainsford’s mother has a very significant position in his heart. He used his mother to compare with other ladies, such as his aunt. For example, he compares “my[his] aunt is somewhat like my[his] mother.”(p.45) Without his mother, he would have learned a lot of things and that will strongly affects his life now, so I still think his mother plays a very significant role in his life.
Rainsford’s mother is being characterized as a very independent, traditional, and strong woman. For instance, after Rainford’s father died, “she did not want to be the object of everyone’s pity, the mother of a fatherless child…” (p.34) Think about it, how hard is that for a Chinese woman to independently raise up her child in a foreign land without the help of anyone? Also, how many women would take all the pain herself and leave as little pain as possible to her son. She supports her husband as a wife and protects her son as a mother.
ReplyDeleteChao--Yes. Yes! Exactly.
Hi Chao,
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting to see you actually writing from other aspects of this story. I totally agree with you that Rainsford’s mother is acting a big role in this story, even though the whole thing really sounds more “masculinist”. I think his mother has a very unusual and unique characteristic, whatever she has been through is definitely not easy for any woman even nowadays.
Not only her characters are very different, but also her role which is very significant for Rainsford’s childhood. I agree with you that she is a very strong woman; moreover, I think she is always well-prepared with everything, especially, for Rainsford. I like the way that you point out all she had done for Rainsford, from educating him, to giving him real life working experience, to preparing a reliable settlement for him before anything else that she expected to be happened.
I also like the way you link it back to your previous post about the Chinese short story. The quote that you wrote “cobbler’s son has no shoes” (p.36) definitely shows his mother loves him more than herself, she has her own flower store and have no flower for her own during mother’s day. She saves every penny just for Rainsford.
Last but not the least, I totally agreed with Dr. Kulbaga that your statement about “She supports her husband as a wife and protects her son as a mother.” is definitely a whole representation of the role of Rainsford’s mother. Her role is important both for Rainsford’s father and himself.
What’s up Chao!
ReplyDeleteI’m glad that someone responded to the part in the introduction where the student confronted Shawn Wong about his “efforts to legitimize the Asian American masculinist position.” (x) When I first read that part, I didn’t really think one way or the other – for all I knew, the novel did exactly what she described. Looking back on it now, almost makes the reader as frustrated as Wong became. He handled that situation way better than I could have.
Wong asks a good question in that part of the introduction, “If you were a Chinese American novelist […] what do you think you would write or what do you think your job would be?” (x) I think he saw his job as having to relate Chinese American hardships to many things: to himself, to other Chinese Americans and to the reader. With that in mind, his mother is completely impossible to ignore! She represents all the hardships of a Chinese single-mother in her time. The ratio of male to female characters in Homebase only makes her role more important.
There are so many things that a reader can focus on throughout the novel and I became distracted from following the mother closely. That’s why I’m really glad to see you break down all the parts of the novel where she was referenced. I never realized how many details described how she raised Rainsford. Ironing clothes, learning the ins and outs of a business, how to get around the city and introduce himself are all really important skills for someone who will be on their own. Surely these are all things that she had to teach herself too, which makes it all even more impressive.
Nice post!
In this novel, the father and father's record, description, was profound and emotive. Westerners, Chinese people do not want to express their feelings as good, especially between father and son. In ancient times, China's children are afraid of his father, because at that time the society is the strict hierarchy. There is a saying can not go against the wishes of his father. Now social, educational environment is different, the little boy his father as a child tend to their idol, older and began to rebel.
ReplyDeleteMy father was a serious person, very rarely see him smile, but there is one thing, I completely on the Father loves understood, my first home when the plane of delays, but I did not call to notify the parents, they waited at the airport 6 hours, I thought when I saw them, my father would be angry, but my father was in the airport exit on I waved, face smile. After that I only listen to her that his father is still very worried about the investigation kept schedule.