Common Struggles

May and Pearl are sisters who live a bourgeois lifestyle full of parties, drinks, and late night adventures. One night in their Shanghai home, their lives changed forever. “I’ve arranged marriages for the two of you,” he says (pg.19). This is the lie their father had told them, but he actually lost a bet and had both May and Pearl purchased. As part of the deal with Old Man Louie, both sisters were to leave to Hong Kong, but eventually they were to arrive to San Francisco with their husbands. May and Pearl both didn’t board the boat they were supposed to, and as a result get a visit from the Green Gang. The Green Gang threatens May, Pearl, and their Mama. 

            When the Green Gang had visited Pearl and May, they already started to experience poverty. Many new faces appeared in their home, so Papa could gain some money. Furthermore, they had lost their servants and their Papa kept only the cook and gardener. As a result of Papa losing all their money, the sister’s diet also changed. They no longer had the luxury of eating meat, they had to eat less exotic meals. However, although May and Pearl experience poverty after Papa lost a bet, they both cope with this new change extremely well. As the sisters experience poverty, Shanghai is at war with the Japanese. The streets are filled with wheelbarrows, dead babies, tourist, and poor people.

            The night after Papa had left his family, May, Pearl, and Mama plan an escape. On the second night of their journey, Pearl and Mama experience yet another hardship. They had arrived to an abandon shack, and had slept to recover from a long day of traveling. In the morning, they get an unexpected visit from a couple of Japanese soldiers, who rape both Pearl and Mama. Mama sacrificed herself, but it was curiosity that leads Pearl to being raped as well. What May does next is shocking, because from the readings she is annoying, stubborn, and spoiled. She gathers all of their belongings, gets a wheelbarrow, and takes Pearl to a hospital that is in the next city. Since she lost both her Mama and Papa, Pearl is all that she has.

            I have also experienced something similar to Pearl and May. My father left my family when I was a child. My mother coped with it extremely well; she worked two jobs to provide for my sister and I. As a result, we also experienced poverty. We often lived in homes that were granted to us from Section 8. As a child I couldn’t really cope with the idea of my father leaving my family, often times I was upset and sad. Since both of my parents were uneducated, I have felt that I should get a college degree. Unlike Pearl and May, who did arrive to San Francisco and lied about Joy being from Sam, I feel that what we have in common is that we are hardworking people. Pearl and May have to adjust to a new life, and both of them grow from these experiences. 

Blog #1 Question #2

Pearl and May live blissfully unaware of problematic situations in the world around them, the girls live in their own fantasy world, they are young, beautiful and have the privilege to enjoy their social status and money. The sisters grew up with wealth, they can’t fathom the everyday struggles of the people living in poverty, they weren’t expected to worry or learn the basic necessities needed to live life on a bare minimum because they were always sheltered and taken care of by their parents. However, their cocooned world, takes a turn for the worst when their father becomes indebted to the notorious green gang, leaving the family ruined. In order to savage something from his errors Mr. Chin offers up his daughters to repay his debt. Pearl and May don’t take this news lightly, they are shocked and angry at their father for gambling their wealth and arranging them marriages, but the girls cannot simply band together and shut themselves in their room until they get their way like they’ve usually done in the past, they have to find new ways of coping with disaster. Feeling trapped they succumb to their father’s will and obediently follow his instructions, still their feelings within gives rise to a new outlook on life; an oppressed and disenchanted view of the world, where they once saw excitement, glimmer and shine they now see depressing, grimy, and ugly sights in their beloved city.

Pearl receives a hard hit when her illusions of a future life with her love, Z.G., were shattered; the man who was supposed to be her savior doesn’t return her feelings. Pearl weeps out of desperation and sadness, and finds comfort in her sympathetic sister’s arms knowing that their bond is so strong that it’ll always bind them together, this moment is short-lived because Pearl decides to endure the hurt and pain on her own, choosing not to express emotion about Z.G. in front of her sister. Over the course of a short period of time, the girls get married and are supposed to be shipped off to America, but World War 2 is just around the corner. They plan to escape the arrangement and flee the region, all while struggling to cope with the fear of the green gang’s threat and survival of the hard times because their money is depleting, and to add to problems they must deal with the consequences that come along when war is about to break out from Japan’s invasion into China. The girls keep to themselves at this point, Pearl is constantly worrying about money for food and her heartbreak over Z.G. and has to endure anxiety, fear, and degradation. May is disconnected from her sister and stays out late at night, when she’s home she only takes naps trying to numb her feelings. Although they try to go out with their friends to try to restore some normality in their lives, they understand they are forever changed. Refugees begin to arrive in Shanghai, bombs are falling onto China and the girls remain disconnected and indifferent to the events that are occurring around them, passively dismissing them because they are near international territory and that the Japanese people dare not attack the British port. Disaster strikes as a day out in the town leads to a near death experience for the sisters, 4 bombs are dropped near them and they are separated by the explosion, they both make it out alive and return home to find out that their father is missing. These events are what shatter the girl’s state of indifference and drive them into a world of fear that eventually leads into an overdrive mode of their survival instincts.

In my lifetime I haven’t been faced with the challenging life or death obstacles the sisters had to deal with, but I’ve had petty obstacles I deal with. For instance, when I feel really anxious about waiting to get my classes I don’t just push it out of my mind like May does, I dwell on it like Pearl, and think of ways to help my situation, in this case I try to distress myself by going hiking to keep my mind off the situation that I cannot control. When I get stressed out with family problems I can depend on good friends to hear me out and offer comfort like May does for Pearl. Sometimes when a situation spirals out of control and I cannot deal with it, I disconnect from the world and act indifferently towards it so I will become immune to the pain and it helps me to push ahead in life.

Question 2 Response

In the beginning of the book, Pearl and May seem to be pretty oblivious to what goes around them, especially the poverty-stricken side of shanghai. Most of this, in my opinion, is because of their social status at the beginning of the book. They make good money as calendar girls, and it is subtly mentioned that their father is well off. However, once faced with problems that cannot be avoided, such as their father gambling away everything they had and selling Pearl & May away into arranged marriages, the beginning of the war between Japan and China (& World War II), and the horrible tragedy of the loss of their mother, it really pushes them to a point where decisions have to be made about their survival. The way Pearl copes is that basically, she makes a decision to move on, to not give up. Giving up would mean not just the end of her life, but of May’s as well, because after the loss of their mother, all they have left is each other.

In my life, I’ve never had to ensue experiences on the level of what the sisters in shanghai girls have had. However, I can relate somewhat to how they cope with it. Of course I’ve had obstacles in my life, but who doesn’t. There were times where I’ve struggled with discouragement from school, the unfortunate passing away of one of my friends from high school, and many smaller deviations from what my plan in life is. My way to cope was to tell myself that I’m not the only one who has had these problems, and that people have gotten through them, which means that I can too. Life doesn’t stop for you, so you can’t stop for it, less you want time to slip away.

response to prompt #2

In the book, Pearl and May experience a transformation from living relatively carefree lives to struggling in poverty and having to fight for their lives.  How do they cope with these changes brought upon by their father's debt and the war?  Have you had to overcome any obstacles in your own life?  Compare the way in which you coped with these experiences to the manner in which Pearl and May cope with their challenges

         In the book, Shanghai Girls, the main protagonists, Pearl and May, lived very carefree and comfortable lives as wealthy-classed Chinese.  They lived in Shanghai, the “Paris” of China, which was on the brink of starting a war with Japan.  They both shared many similar traits, but overall, were completely different in personalities.  Pearl was intelligent, reflective, and played a parental role for her younger sister May.  While on the other hand, May was naive, charming, and beautiful.  Even with so many differences, both of them knew very well how fortifying they were to one another.  They displayed this connection at various parts of the book when faced with adversities.  Their lives turned for the worst when their father, Baba, confessed to them that he had lost all his family’s wealth through gambling; He also admitted to having prearranged a marriage for them as a result of his loss.  Shortly thereafter, as war broke out, their problems only worsened as they faced the struggles of surviving on the streets now as evacuees.  In both situations, they found ways to console one another and hardened themselves to cope through tragic fracases. 

As pampered women, they had luxuries that sheathed them to the real world around them.  They were known as “beautiful girls” who were hired to model for paintings as advertisement adds for various products such as cigarettes.  They were considered to be “modern” and had freedoms that were just recently accepted in Chinese culture.  Pearl and May were educated and in many ways showed superiority even to their own parents.  After having discovered about her father’s debt, Pearl coped with her father’s presence by depreciating him, “Baba leaves the house every morning to look for work, but we don’t encourage him or ask him questions…”(See 41).  They always knew their father was a weak man with little influence over them, “ My father may have a public reputation as an important man, but I’ve always seen him as ineffectual and harmless.  The way he looks at me now… I see him stripped to his core.” (See 22).  Pearl redirected her father’s shame into her strength to safeguard her true family members.  Much like Pearl, I have also redirected negative energy to overcome obstacles.  In a very similar situation, my father would depreciate me for not being the son he wanted me to be.  Just like Pearl kept all her thoughts to herself, I also did.  I constantly reminded myself that I was useful to this world and to always get back up after a fall.

            Pearl’s older sibling love for May was the unwavering force that allowed them to beat the odds.  This was evident as soon as bombs were dropped on Nanking Road.  In the midst of the warzone, Pearl only thought of her sister’s safety, “ My immediate thought is for May. I have to find her…”(See 51).  This is reconfirmed when Pearl thinks to herself, “ All May and I have left is each other.  After everything we’ve been through, our tie is so strong that not even a sharp knife could sever it…” (See 85).  Seeing as how Pearl is the dragon zodiac and May the sheep, it is expected Pearl acts as a guardian for May.  Pearl is naturally invigorated when it comes to matters that involve her sister’s well being.  They see each other as unconditional support, which was their greatest mechanism for managing the hardships life threw at them, “As sisters, May and I share a particular kind of intimacy…”(See 37).  Like May, I too have an older sibling whom I also feel a particular unbreakable bond between.   In contrast though, I am only close to my brother in spirit because I rarely get to see him.  Nevertheless, my brother has imprinted upon me with a sense of permanent positive accompaniment to fuel me during my life’s most difficult moments. 

            Parental love is significant but this book displayed how sibling love can be more substantial.  Having been raised by a family with old-fashioned views, these girls found solace which each other, and with that, the willpower needed to endure even the hardest moments of life.  Having started as sheltered women who were only valued for their facade of a life, they successfully transformed into survivors by remaining together.

response to prompt #1

In what ways are Pearl and May limited by the traditional expectations placed upon them as daughters in Chinese culture?  Why do their parents allow them to ignore many of the cultural expectations that Chinese girls would normally comply with?  How do many of the cultural and social expectations of today's society limit you and those with whom you associate?

In the book, Shanghai Girls, societal traditional expectations in China were being practiced less; though, China was still far from being considered a just society.  May and Pearl were born during Shanghai’s “modern” era, while their parents, still believed strongly in their generation’s beliefs and traditions.   The strain of embracing new, meanwhile juggling the traditional expectations, limited Pearl and May in finding their self-independence.  Primarily, it was their culture that limited them by instilling the idea that women needed to be subservient to men.  Gender norms also dictated that women needed to be presentably beautiful at all times.  All these things together, rendered May and Pearl completely oblivious to the drastic world issues occurring right at their doorstep.  As a result, May and Pearl were desensitized which ultimately, was their greatest limitation set upon them.  

Though, because of May’s charm and beauty, their parents allowed them some form of freedom, “ Later, something strange happened; my parents fell in love-total, besotted love- with their younger daughter.  This allowed us to retain a certain amount of liberty, with the result that my sister’s spoiled ways are often ignored…”(See 6).  Having part-time jobs, also allowed them to disregard the expectations that Chinese girls normally would need to obey, “But once we started making money, they didn’t mind.  Baba took our earnings and invested them, saying that, when we meet our husbands, fall in love, and decide to get married, we’ll go to our husbands’ homes with money of our own.”(See 10).  Again, this quote exemplifies Baba romanticizing the idea that further limited these girls by making them believe typical gender roles for women. 

Today’s social and cultural expectations of people are extremely evident through the media.  Having people exposed to television, radio, or any sort of social media inadvertently affects their sense of self in the world.  One might argue that the there is too much violence or sex in the media; perhaps it is to perpetually subjugate both genders to images, roles, and behaviors society feels a best fit for.  Just like Pearl believed, a vast majority of people also believe that resolute can be found via another person,  “On the ride here, I thought of the different ways he might react.  I considered that he might say something along the lines of “ I don’t believe in marriage, but I love you and want you to live here with me…””(See 30).  The media has mentally ingrained our society, like in China, with the idea of obligatory companionship and gender roles.  It is evident with individuals who I have met that are constantly on their electronic devices seeking self-validation through other people.  I see myself needing more mental freedom in order to be the best person I can be.  Perhaps if Pearl had used her resources more in her favor, she would have suffered fewer letdowns.

 In a society just like ours, where media constantly values appearance more than intellect, these girls invested their energy in the wrong things.  Even though Pearl was a college graduate, she still had not conceived a positive future plan for her own self.  Ultimately, what limited May and Pearl the most, was the society they lived in which revolved around trivial things such as beauty, love, glamor, and other distractions.

Shanghai to Shanglo

Shanghai Girls is set in Shanghai sometime in the 1930’s when it was prospering and lauded as, “the Paris of Asia.”  The economic success was based on its bustling trade ports and the support of a large labor force of predominantly low class citizens. The posh urban settings were surrounded by slums and smaller poorer communities. The novel is narrated from Pearl’s point of view. In the beginning of the novel she is still part of the aristocratic class, so in her alluring description of her Shanghai Pearl briefly mentions the “peasants” as a small feature of Shanghai. We are drawn into the grandeur of the city with Pearl’s description, any mention of the poor is to describe their role in serving Pearl and her family. The callous attitudes towards the poor are attributed to the oppressive hierarchical social system. Pearl and May do not perform any menial tasks including cleaning, cooking, fanning themselves, and are driven around town. They possess no work skills and instead focus on their modeling. Modeling serves not only as a source of income, it also allows May and Pearl to alleviate some restrictions placed on them as women. They believe their wealth and financial independence can save them from living a life like their mother’s. When they are stripped of everything, their entire perception of their world and future is shifted. Pearl and May are no longer a part of the affluent and therefore they lose the awe of Shanghai and it is replaced with a bitter resentment to those with money. Their financial independence is staggered because any money they could accumulate would be used to pay off their father’s debt, they also cannot afford the trappings of the posh and therefore can no longer model. Their descent is expedited by their father arranging their marriages the only thing left deemed of value. Initially Pearl and May refuse to give up their dreams of independence. As the war zone begins to expand they are pressured to live with their husbands as the only means for survival. The journey from China to the United States is an extremely difficult task. Pearl and May had to travel a long journey to flee Shanghai and then endure the scrutiny of Angel Island. Their difficulties highlight the distinction between Pearl, May, and people in different social classes. Those who still possessed their wealth received priority and aid to leave Shanghai, this included many of Pearl and May’s friends who quickly turned their backs when they lost their money. Pearl and May had to walk a huge distance that would extremely arduous especially when they are unaccustomed to walking around the city. Their fair skin and exquisite clothing increase their susceptibility to robbers and upcharge from services needed to escape. Along their journey Pearl also begins to have appreciation for the working class. They receive aid from a women who appears to have little for herself, Pearl and May alter their appearance to mimic those who have lived as working class to alleviate additional attention. When they arrive in Angel Island many of the immigrants are poor and the two live in close quarters with many of them. The women they meet know a lot about old Chinese customs, remedies, food, and the immigration process. These encounters create dissonance in Pearl’s perception of the working class and cause her to introspect her place in the social schema.

I myself have always lived in the lower income class. This has made it more difficult to pursue higher education. Like Pearl and May I believe accumulating wealth may alleviate some social barriers and restrictions placed on me. Pearl and May placed a lot of value in how much their food and cost clothes. The financial stains I exhibit make me value a bargain instead of paying a lot of money for goods. I am able to work, cook, clean, and often utilize public transportation; unlike Pearl and May who needed servants. I also live in a very tight-knit community that supports me, college has expanded and augmented the support I feel from those around me. Pearl and May were isolated and did not understand where they fit into the world. They were not accustomed to living around the poor and they had no one else to support them. The financial strains added to me are not difficult with regards to how I always lived my life. Pearl and May are quickly dropped into the lower class and have little knowledge or skills to cope. Their descent allows them to develop more skills and independence much like I did to pursue higher education.

#1

Blog #1, discussion question #1

              The limitations of the traditional expectations placed upon May and Pearl as daughters in Chinese culture limited their understanding of morality and fragility of the world. While they looked at the socioeconomic elements of their world from the artist and the Japanese student, to the night-soil men and wheel barrel pullers they failed to see how these things affected them. In the beginning of the story the girls have no real concerns in life, only fashion and the fantasies of how they might fall in love with the boy of the dreams. May and Pearl have the same job and make the same money, despite the fact that Peal is far more educated and older. Reading how the two basically lived the same life despite being so different established a limitation on the ability of a female to thrive in a male dominated system. They saw their looks as the only means of survival. They though by being beautiful that they were making the world a better place. They just though that this was the order of things in their society and everyone is doomed to play their role and stay in their place. The arranged marriages demonstrated that they did not have complete control of their lives. Their fate seemed to be only to wait to be arranged for a marriage or wait for their own version of prince charming to rescue them.

              The girls where not complete prudes because in their work they would posed in sexy paintings that are questionable by the traditional standards of the Chinese culture at the time. Still, their beauty seemed to be the only thing they were concerned with. They often shopped to be fashionable whether it be conceptually Chinese or westernized. They saw their lives as a happy fantasy of beauty and high fashion mobilized by the poor ricksaw puller. As seen in the development of the story the two young ladies never acquire any real skills outside of fashion and modeling. I can’t imagine how they felt going from being models and the desires of socialites to prisoners in a foreign country.

              Cultural and social expectations that limit my associations are very complex. For example, I live in Watts which is the polar opposite of Beverly Hills. What is expected of me as a man from Watts? What is assumed about me? What are the expectations by the people I live around as well as the ones I only come in contact with when I am outside of my home turf? Those expectations are far ranging but they are not mine. The expectations belong to outside forces. I never limit my social or cultural experience and the people that I associate with symbolize that. My group of friends and associates are diverse economically and culturally; as a result, my experiences are as equally diverse. I can only conclude that the cultural and social expectations of today’s society only limit the people that are bound by them and I am not.