Identitetskonflikt i 'Everyone Talked Loudly in Chinatown'

The story, Everyone Talked Loudly in Chinatown is about a teenage girl named Lin who also is the narrator of the story. In the story she goes through the same things that every teenager does. She falls in love with one, and as in many other stories, it is not possible for them to have a well-functioning relationship. That’s because of her parents. Her parents are Chinese origin and live in Canada, but they will not let their daughter be in a relationship with a boy who’s not from China. Her parents are very strict and rich in traditions and values.

Analytical essay

The main character Lin is a good example of a girl split between the Canadian way of life and her Chinese roots. Trough out the story you get the idea that she doesn't seem too fond of the Chinese culture. It becomes really clear when she tells about her visits to Chinatown with her grandmother “I couldn't understand why they had to be so loud. It seemed uncivilized” (Page 65, line 6-7). As she becomes older, she turns away from her background. “...I stopped going to Chinatown with her were it was too loud... I stopped spending time with her altogether” (Page 65, line 19-20) and finally “I started to play with friends who weren't Chinese” (Page 65, line 21). Her mother isn't very pleased about that, because “She was suspicious of all other cultures”. However, Lin likes the western lifestyle, which especially shows when she describes her old best friend’s mother, who is German “Everything thing was neat and orderly... and her mother was a quiet, pleasant woman who offered me green apples from their tree” (Page 65, line 14-15) in contrast to her own mother “My mother only bought red ones in Chinatown” (Page 65, line 16). That shows some kind of dislike or disappointment towards her mother.