Response: Question 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.

            Pearl and May undergo great pain and suffering as their socio-economic status plummets and as their world is torn by the war in Shanghai.  In the early portions of the novel, Pearl and May are young-beautiful, upper class Chinese sisters who enjoy spending long nights out in the city. However, both sisters earn small amounts of money by modeling as “calendar girls”. All of their family’s wealth is soon gambled off by their father, which sends them down into poverty. Their father offers the solution to their situation where he suggests that both Pearl and May marry the sons of the man he gambled his money to- Old Man Louie. Pearl and May are distraught and hesitate, but comply anyways. Their predicament only worsens as the war begins to make its way into their city.  They become entangled in an attack and witness the destruction of their beloved city and loved ones.  These traumatic events only act as a segue to one of the most impactful events in the novel; the raping of Pearl and May’s mother.  Every human exposed to such drastic unfortunate events can respond in different ways. Pearl and May have no choice but to continue on their journey.  The answer to the question on how they cope throughout their journey is simple-they rely on  themselves and each other to ensure their survival.

            Pearl and May endure hardships throughout the novel but they don’t rely on anything in particular to get them through their heartache. However, it is an accumulation of all the events that give rise to their courage. When Pearl wakes up in the hospital she mentions that she feels something inside her rise up. Pearl mentions, “Every day since waking up from the hospital I wanted to die, but watching that man sink below the waves, I feel something in me rise up. A dragon doesn’t surrender. A dragon fights fate. This is not some loud roaring feeling. It feels like someone blew on an ember and found a slight orange glow” (See, 82). Pearl mentions that to give the reader a sense of the beginning of her resilience and bravery. Getting hold of the correct mentality is integral to the survival of her and her sister.

            Another tool that Pearl used was her late mothers words of wisdom. Pearl mentions, “ Mamas voice comes floating to me, reciting one of her favorite sayings, “There is no catastrophe in death; once cannot be poorer than a beggar”. (See, 83). This depicts Pearl feels an obligation to something braver and finer than dying.  The usage of Pearl’s mother is definitely one of the ways Pearl and May get through their trials. Also, this parallels my life when I had to cope with a hard situation.

            Although my life has not been anywhere near that of Pearl and May’s, I too had to endure struggles. When my father was diagnosed with an illness, it seemed that my world was coming to an end.  My mentality was very negative, as I had seen many other people lose the battle to such a horrendous disease. It took some time for me to come up with a way to cope with the situation. What helped me keep still were my mother’s words. Just as Pearl used her mother for strength and bravery, I too used my mother to deal the situation. My mother taught me how to be brave in times of difficulties. She reminded to always hope for the best and not to give up on faith. There wasn’t much I could in father’s situation but having the right attitude toward the situation-I learned was essential and necessary.