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American Born Chinese Amelia Character Analysis

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People transform a fraction of themselves every day in hopes to please others and be accepted, but in order to do this it is necessary for one to forfeit their soul because they sacrifice their vulnerability when they become someone else and choose to disguise who they whole-heartedly are. People hope to please others because we yearn to be accepted, but in order to please others, we become who society requires us to be and not who they truly are. In the novel, American Born Chinese, the character Jin changes himself in pursuance of his crush, Amelia. When Jin notices Amelia talking to a man with curly hair, Jin’s thoughts are shown as he gradually decides to adjust his hair to look curly to mimic the man he is jealous of. By Jin’s third thought his face shows that he is certain the only way Amelia will notice him is if his appearance is a certain way (97). At first, the changes Jin …show more content…

When Jin gives himself up in hopes to please and impress Amelia he does so to gain the approval of her because he wants to feel important in her life, like he has an impact on her decisions when in reality Amelia is the one impacting Jin. Amelia has such a colossal influence on Jin, that Jin is willing to forfeit his soul for her to notice him. Plus, in the graphic novel, American Born Chinese, the Monkey King modifies his habits and the manner he rules his kingdom simply because he felt excluded. Due to the fact that the Monkey King was thrown out of a party because he didn’t wear shoes, “the morning after the dinner party the Monkey King issued a decree throughout all of flower-fruit mountain: All monkeys must wear shoes” (55). The Monkey King wishes, more than his life, to not only please other, but for others to want to please him. The Monkey King most likely grew up with everyone always wanting to please him, but as soon as someone looked down on him he became devoted to the idea that everyone would view him as preeminent.

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