The most interesting aspects of Kingston’s last two chapters is her portrayal of life an immigrant and life as a first generation Chinese American.

I will contrast Moon Orchid’s attempt at cultural adjustment to Brave Orchid’s daughter’s assimilation. Though Moon Orchid ends up “in a California state asylum” (159), I believe she is the most obvious example to use.

A 40s asylum.

This is because her reactions to the ghosts in America truly communicates the confusion that most immigrants who’re unfamiliar with Western culture and custom must feel. Brave Orchid’s daughter is another obvious example, but only because she narrates the last chapter.

Moon Orchid thinks of America as a wilderness with ghosts. There is a high degree of foreignness to everything she witnesses, which is why she “[spends] the evening observing the children” (140) and “defends them, sweet wild animals that they were” (134).
A chinese-american wild animal.


She is curious about objects that appear foreign to her, and describes them in a very simple manor. For example, she describes whisks as “the spiders are spinning with legs intertwined and beating the eggs electrically” (139).

what Moon Orchid equated with spider legs.

On the other hand, Brace Orchid’s daughter was subjected to… strange customs at the hand of her immigrant mother. For example, “she pushed[her daughter’s] tongue up and sliced the frenum” (164). Also, I believe a manifestation of Brave Orchid’s daughter’s frustration with the double life she was leading can be found in her explanation of her paintings: “I spread them out (so black and full of possibilities) and pretended the curtains were swinging open, flying up, one after another, sunlight underneath, mighty operas” (163).

black canvas that Brave Orchid's daughter constantly creates.

Moreover, she has trouble understanding the term “I” in English, because “the Chinese ‘I’ has seven strokes, intricacies” (166). She also has to “invent an American-feminine speaking personality” (172).