~Left of Center --//-- V.1~

Sunday, March 14, 2004

TITLE

There are many types of people in this world; if there weren't a variety of personalities, the world would be a boring place. Authors throughout the ages have realized this and incorporate emotion in their writing. The main characters tell the story and the secondary characters make it interesting. Amy Tan weaves the lives of her characters together so well it is hard to disentangle them from one another. In her books, she accents her protagonist with parallel characters and dramatic foils such as mothers, daughters, husbands, and sisters. The Joy Luck Club and The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan use these secondary characters in those ways to advance the story.

The Joy Luck Club, a compilation of sixteen vignettes, centers on the relationship between mother and daughter. All daughters have difficulty understanding their mothers. Sometimes their personalities collide.

"And that's what she is. A Horse, born in 1918, destined to be obstinate and frank to the point of tactlessness. She and I make a bad combination because I'm a Rabbit, born in 1951, supposedly sensitive, with tendencies toward being thin-skinned and skittery at the first sign of criticism (Tan 183)."

When there are cultural differences, it becomes even harder for mother and daughter to relate to one another. The women in the book see their mothers' Chinese thinking as old-fashioned or wrong. "Chinese people had Chinese opinions. American people had American opinions. And in almost every case, the American version was much better (Tan 214)." Meanwhile their mothers feel their daughters' senses are dulled by American thinking. Neither the mothers nor the daughters can see as the others do and this highlights their own faults in the others' eyes.

In conjunction with foils there are parallel characters. Ying-Ying St. Clair parallels her only daughter, Lena St. Clair. Lena follows in her mother's passive footsteps, believing she cannot control her dying marriage. Her mother sees herself in her daughter and wants to save Lena from her own mistakes. "There is a part of her mind that is a part of mine… All her life I have watched her as though from another shore. And now I must tell her everything about my past. It is the only way to penetrate her skin and pull her to where she can be saved (Tan 274)." Ying-Ying is a tiger and full of life, but that life slowly drains away. She is in a loveless marriage and she lets her spirit wilt and disappear when her first husband, a less than honorable man, dies. Ying-Ying wishes to stop Lena from feeling the pain of losing herself as she once did.

Rose Hsu Jordan and An-Mei Hsu are another model for mother and daughter parallels. Rose is also in a failing marriage. She and Ted, her husband, are clinging to each other out of anticipated calamity.

"In those early months, we clung to each other with a rather silly sort of desperation, because in spite of anything my mother or Mrs. Jordan could say, there was nothing that really prevented us from seeing one another. With imagined tragedy hovering over us, we became inseparable, two halves creating a whole: yin and yang (Tan 125)."

She is losing her voice like Lena is losing her spirit. Rose is infatuated with Ted. She lets herself become a damsel in distress to his hero. Rose lets her husband choose everything, and when he starts asking for her input she cannot remember how to state her opinion. Her mother An-Mei realizes that Rose needs to find her voice again because she too looses her outlook and is bought by a cheap imitation of something could be real. When An-Mei's mother takes her to Wu Tsing's, her husband, house Wu Tsing's second wife gives An-Mei a string of pearls. An-Mei wears them everywhere; they are the nicest item she's ever owned. Or so she believes until her mother shows her the pearls are fake.

"Before I could cry to stop her, she put the necklace under her shoe and stepped on it. When she put it on the table, I saw what she had done. This necklace that had almost bought my heart and mind now had one bead of crushed glass. Later she removed that broken bead and knotted the space together so the necklace looked whole again. She told me to wear the necklace every day for one week so I would remember how easy it is to lose myself in something false (Tan 261)."

And after this, when her mother kills herself, An-Mei knows she had no choice. "There is nothing more to understand. That was China. That was what people did back then. They had no choice. They could not speak up. They could not run away. That was their fate (Tan 272)." But now she knows her daughter can make choices and Rose needs to stand up for herself. Her voice is never truly gone. An-Mei finds hers the day her mother dies and Rose can find hers again too.

Another instance where the use of paralleling occurs is between Olivia and Simon in The Hundred Secret Senses. At first Olivia is attracted to Simon because she sees him as a male version of herself, someone who will know everything she experiences as a result of being half Chinese.

"I spotted Simon in a linguistics class at UC Berkeley, spring quarter of my sophomore year. I noticed him right away because like me he had a name that didn't fit with his Asian features. Eurasian students weren't as common back then as they are now, and as I stared at him, I had the sense I was seeing my male doppelganger."

However, after some time, Olivia realizes that Simon is not the comparable man she thinks he is. "Our love was as ordinary as the identical welcome mats found in the suburbs that we grew up in. The fact that our bodies, our thoughts, our hearts had once move in rhythm with each other had only fooled us into thinking we were special (Tan, 171)." Olivia wonders about their relationship and decides she wants more, but Simon opposes the changes she proposes. She wants to move forward while he is not bothered by the way things are.

A different foil for Olivia is Kwan, her Chinese half sister. They share a father and that is where their similarities end. Olivia is more like their father, overly analytical, prone to sulkiness, with a fondness for salt on fruit. Kwan thinks her English is fantastic when it is not, believes in free anything and everything, shares very personal information openly among family, and wears loud clothes. "In spite of all our obvious differences, Kwan thinks she and I are exactly alike. As she sees it, we're connected by a cosmic Chinese umbilical cord that's given us the same inborn traits, personal motives, fate, and luck (Tan 23)."

Amy Tan uses secondary characters to accentuate her protagonists. They show the main characters in many different lights and parallel their triumphs and anguishes to give emphasis to the story.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @07:39 p.m..

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Friday, March 5, 2004

1)He can really cook can't he?
2)Yeah, although for grilled cheese, I might use the wool setting.
1)That's what I told him.
2)Really? What did he use?
1)Rayon. Silk would have been too soggy. Cotton would have burned it. Fortunately, he consulted me before giving it steam. I was four square against it.

Hee! I love that movie. These too.

A slight weapon malfunction, but everythings okay now, fine, thank you, how are you?
We seem to be made to suffer. It's our lot in life.

You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
My brains, his steel, and your strength against 60 men, and you think a little head jiggle is supposed to make me happy?
When I was your age, television was called books.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @08:09 p.m..

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Monday, March 1, 2004

HEY MINNA!! Watched the Oscars last night, didn't see Angelina's dress, was amazed at how long it was, read in the paper this morning that it was SHORT!, Finding Nemo won, so yay! I'm HYPER (in case you couldn't tell).

Am very glad for you Allison. Don't know who the pixies are but it's great that you have a song! me too! not the same one though. It's by Elvis Costello who played at the Oscars and I NEED the soundtrack of Cold Mountain. I also need the data from our lab. Not like Allison reads this or anything. None of your flopping buggies.

Yay, no math tomorrow. No history either. And it really bothers me that LOTR won 11 Oscars, not so much as Titanic winning the same amount and if you don't agree... up your ziggy with a wa-wa brush.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @08:23 p.m..

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Monday, February 23, 2004

APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people's problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

Hey minna! Stole this from Chrchu's blog. Very few of these apply to me. Let's see what March is. (I was supposed to be born in March.)

MARCH: Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

Wow, these things are not very acurate. Later I'll bold the things that most apply to me. Or y'all can send in suggestions, not.

I hate Pirates! Sorry people, it is a waste of two hours of your life. I did like the part where Orlando Bloom was like "swash, swash, buckle, buckle." For some reason I thought that was hilarious.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @04:58 p.m..

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Sunday, February 8, 2004

I’ve never been frightened of being enlightened
But some things can go too far
Though sometimes I stammer and mix up my grammar,
You get what my meanings are

It’s a still life water color,
Of a now late afternoon,
As the sun shines through the curtained lace
And shadows wash the room.
And we sit and drink our coffee
Couched in our indifference,
Like shells upon the shore
You can hear the ocean roar
In the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs,
Are the borders of our lives.

And you read your emily dickinson,
And I my robert frost,
And we note our place with bookmarkers
That measure what we’ve lost.
Like a poem poorly written
We are verses out of rhythm,
Couplets out of rhyme,
In syncopated time
Lost in the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs,
Are the borders of our lives.

Yes, we speak of things that matter,
With words that must be said,
Can analysis be worthwhile?
Is the theater really dead?
And how the room is softly faded
And I only kiss your shadow,
I cannot feel your hand,
You’re a stranger now unto me
Lost in the dangling conversation.
And the superficial sighs,
In the borders of our lives.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @03:47 p.m..

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Saturday, January 31, 2004

Yay! Writing a paper all on me!!!!!! Not lots of fun. It's actually pretty hard. Last week in English all we did was take personality tests. Most of you out there knew that. I am a triangle, beaver, teacher/server/perceiver, INFJ (introvert/intuition/feeler/judger/somethinglikethat), and my language of love is the "details" one. Now, all you A period people will say, "What detail language of love?" Well, if you were in F period you would know. I have to go finish my paper mow before my mom yells at me some more.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @08:34 p.m..

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Thursday, January 29, 2004

w00t!!!! I managed to pass all the finals that I care about! Those would be chem and english. I know that we took finals a week ago, but we just got a new computer, so I've been deprived of the internet for a while.

yay! Last night we lost wonderfully to Pinewood. NOT FUN!!!!!!!! And now my leg hurts. I'm not even supposed to be online. I need to go do my chem homework. Blah. Ja, minna.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @08:10 p.m..

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Sunday, January 11, 2004

~added~ Thanks Faith, you're a lifesaver, you too Lindsey! you can both be lime cuz that's my favorite. Suzie, I love you too even though you're kind of an airhead. You can be watermelon! I sense a green theme coming on. Oh yeah! Sorry guys, I'm bored and if I don't write crap, I'm gonna rant. And I don't want to do that cuz it messes up the politics of high school. I say screw them anyway, but I'm not feeling controversial tonight.

However there is a major Bee with a itch out there. Just scratch it and get over yourself already!!!!! Don't be so paraniod Ee Vonn, it's not you for once. Sorry, that was harsh. I'll shut up now before my fingers get me in trouble. Just because you're paraniod doesn't mean they're not out to get you!!!!!! ~/added~

Hey minna! I've updated a lot recently. No idea why. I never have anything interesting to say. Today I went ice skating and surprisingly enough I don't suck. It was actually fun. Then my youth group came over to my house and we played Nertz. SO much fun! You have no idea.

Other than that, not much is happening. Normally I'd end with something dumb from scrubs or something slightly deep from... whatever. But today I'm dry so y'all get a Ja.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @07:34 p.m..

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Friday, January 9, 2004

Hey minna! Just in the library updating and finishing my paper. Argh! If only I didn't need the extra credit! Oh, well. Lindsey and Christie you guys need to update! I failed that chem quiz and I haven't done my lit sheet. That's what lunch is for. CRAP! We have that chapel for alumni day before lunch. I hate alumni day. grrr. Okay, I have to go and be bitter now.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @11:30 a.m..

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Friday, December 26, 2003

Hey minna! Merry Christmas. Who cares that it's late? I love vacation. Today I slept in till ten, read fellowship of the ring, tried to read count of monte cristo, went out and bought the abriged version, couldn't read that either, worked out, came home, showered, blogged. And I finally saw a LotR movie in theaters. I want that soundtrack.

Did anyone else notice that there were no TV specials on LotR? I love those. They always make me want to go to New Zealand and be with the sheep! I know, I'm weird. Oh, well. I'll just go watch more Indiana Jones. Completely unrelated topic but whatever. Did I mention that I love vacation?

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @04:57 p.m..

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Monday, December 8, 2003

Hey minna! Just for the record, Ee Vonn if you ask me one more time about what Sam said I will scream. Talk to her yourself. And I'm sorry for telling Ee Vonn what everybody said. (Not like any of you will read this.)

Ah, the drama of high school. It really sucks. If you have issues with someone, why don't you just spell it out? Why do you have to dance around the stupid issue?! Yeah, just call me Aisha. (this was not directed at anyone you paranoid people you)

I would say more, but I don't want my fingers to get me in trouble. My mouth already did that. Well, my tactless nature had a say too, but... moving on! Nothing else to say. Ja.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @09:53 p.m..

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Saturday, December 6, 2003

Hey, minna! I know I haven't updated in forever. I really need to archive too. Whatever.

We just finished the tourney at school, it kinda sucked. People were supposed to work adn then they didn't... yeah.

I'm trying to write that poem for English and I just realized that I HATE writing poetry. Just had to share. I really have nothing else to say. I know, I'm dull. But at least I've updated *cough*chrchu*cough*. Ja!

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @08:23 p.m..

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Sunday, November 2, 2003

Hey minna. Just for your peace of mind Ee Vonn, I deleted that last entry. But I'm still stressing about Chem. Plus I'm sick. Plus my house is freaking freezing cold. Oh, well.

Christie, you need to update! I also need a new layout. I am so bored! I really should go study but... Procrasination is a beautiful thing, even if it is impossible to spell.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @01:09 p.m..

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Monday, September 22, 2003

Hey minna. Just a real quick word on God and the Constitution. I think taking God out of the Gov't is not a bad thing. Think about it. We know God is the one true God, but what if someone's God is Buddah or some other random thing. Then when it says ONE NATION UNDER GOD, what's to stop them from saying GOD is their god? If we just take GOD out of the equation we won't have that problem. Not that we won't still have major issues in the Gov't, but that's another topic.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @05:00 p.m..

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Monday, September 15, 2003

Hey, minna. I know I haven't updated in a while but I'm finally back. We got back from Woodleaf where I learned that C period had an average of 30% on their Chem test. OMG that freaked me out. This means that I probably failed.

I also have to write that paper on Woodleaf for english. I don't feel like doing homework right now. I'm a bum. I know. Everwood starts up again tonight.

Wow, this entry is really boring. Now that I've bored you all to death I will let you all get on with your (equally boring) lives. If you life is not boring, well you wouldn't be reading my blog.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @02:03 p.m..

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Sunday, August 10, 2003

I got this off Sena's live journal and filled it out cuz I don't feel like blogging.

LAST PERSON WHO...
You slept in bed with: Allison Promm after Mexico (and not the gross way you sickos)
Made you cry: myself
You shared a drink with: Jess
You went to the movies with: Not sure
You went to the mall with: Not sure
Yelled at you: uh... coach?
Sent you a text message: don't have
Said they were going to kill you: Not sure

HAVE YOU EVER
Said i love you and meant it? yes
Gotten in a fight: yes
Been to New York? yes
Been to Florida? nope
California? yes
Hawaii? yes
Mexico? Yes
Canada? nope
Danced naked? nope
Got a really bad feeling about something then it happened? yes
Wish you were the opposite sex? YES!
Had an imaginary friend? yes

THIS OR THIS?
Red or Blue? Blue
Spring or fall? fall
Santa or Rudolph? neither
Math or English? neither
What are you going to do after you finish this survey? go eat something
What was the last food you ate? a danish
High School or college? college
Are you bored? very
How many buddies are on? 0
Last movie you saw? A life less ordinary
Last noise you heard? Train
Do you have a crush on someone? nope
What Book Are You Reading Now? The secret life of bees
What is the first thing you think when you wake in the morning? hmm?
How many phone rings you hear before you answer? 2
Chocolate or vanilla? chocolate

YOU..
Sleep with a stuffed animal? yes
Are you a lefty, righty or ambidextrous? lefty
Do you type with your fingers on the right keys? yes
What's under your bed? do you really want to know?
Hair Color: black/brown
Eye Color: dark brown
Glasses/contacts: contacts and glasses at right before and right after i sleep
Current Age: 15
Siblings: 3
Location: Cali
College Plans: far away from my mom
Any Piercing: nope
Best Friends: uh... people
Boyfriend/Girlfriend: nope
Any Tattoos: nope
Hobbies: read, bball
Are you Timely Or Always Late: Timely
Do You Have A Job: nope
Do You Like Being Around People: sometimes...

STUFF
have you ever loved someone you had no chance with: um... no? Have You Ever Cried Over Someone of the Opposite Sex? yes
Do You Have A "Type" Of Person You Always Go After: nope
Ever liked a close Guy/Girl Friend? no, they're my close friend but I don't like them (did you catch the sarcasm?)
Do You Want to Get Married: yes
Do You Want Kids: yes

FAVORITE
Room In house: mine
Type of music: rock
Song: "Alison" by Elvis Costello
Memory: not telling
Color: blue
Perfume Or Cologne: none
Flower: roses
Month: April
Season: fall
Location for dates: none

IN THE LAST 48 HOURS, HAVE YOU:
Cried: yes
Bought Something: yes
Gotten Sick: no
Sang: yes
Said I Love You: yes
Wanted To Tell Someone You loved them, But Didn't: no
Met Someone New: no
Moved On: yes
Talked To Someone: yes
Had A Serious Talk: yes
Missed Someone: yes
Hugged Someone: yes
Had a lot of sleep: no

Oh, yeah, that reminds me... Chrchu, I will send out that survey... eventually.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @02:36 p.m..

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Tuesday, August 5, 2003

BLACK BOX
by Devon Hope

In case I forgot to tell you,
I'm allergic to boxes:
Black boxes, shoe boxes,
New boxes, You boxes-
Even cereal boxes
Boasting champions.
(It's a lie.
I've peeked inside
And what I found
Were flakes.)
Make no mistake,
I make no exceptions
For Cracker Jack
Or Christmas glitter.
Haven't you noticed?
I'm made of skeleton,
Muscle and skin.
My body is the only box
I belong in.
But you like your boxes
So keep them.
Mark them geek, wimp, bully.
Mark them china doll, brainiac,
Or plain dumb jock.
Choose whatever
Box you like,
Just don't put me
In one, son.
Believe me,
I won't fit.

D-Train
by Sterling S. Hughes

He squeezed through the subway doors
a young gun, thirsty for the kind of coke
you can't sip through a straw.
He sized up the passengers,
chose his prey:
a wrinkled old woman at the tail end
of her Geritol years
who fears her own shadow
with good reason.
He lunged at her,
demanded her cash
to replenish his stash
of powdered death.
No one blinked or came
to her aid, at first.
Then, in he beamed.
Light streamed from His fingers,
singed anyone caught without
a robe of righteousness
across his back.
The lack of goodness
in the young gun's heart
was oxygen to the fire, and so
he burned a good long while
before I woke.
The dream stoked my faith
in the judgement and justice
that will come someday
or this afternoon.
Soon. I turn up the collar
of my white robe,
relieved to know
God's got me covered
'cause I'm good,
but not that good.

I love these poems! Some time soon I will post who wrote them. They come from a novel that I just finished reading but I don't remember the title, and um... yeah. Drivers Ed is boring!

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @07:04 p.m..

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Monday, August 4, 2003

Hey, minna. Sorry there's been nothing up for a while. I just archived and the whole thing was doinky. But now it's all good.

Ee Vonn, glad you're coming back to King's but I just found out that Sena's leaving us for doinky San Mateo! Oh well. We'll miss her.

I really need to read my stupid books for english! I hate required reading. It's so boring! Well, the three musketeers isn't that boring... it's just... I don't know what I'm saying. Okay, well it's been fun. I'll blog more later. No I won't. I'll just say that cuz it sounds good. Later peoples.

Azukichan danced to the continual beats of war, peace, and revolution @11:49 a.m..

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