No this is not a typo or a pointless title. This is actually a quote from East of Eden in Chinese Pidgin. Pidgin is a simplified and broken down version of a language.In the novel the Trask family hires a Chinese servant named Lee. Lee talks in broken English such as "Got more name. Lee papa family name. Call Lee."
Lee's background is revealed to the reader through the next few sections. At first he appears as a background servant character, yet Steinbeck exposes racism in s subtle way. Lee is a Chinese-American who is born in the U.S. to Chinese immigrant parents. When Lee grew older he went to American university (as he later explains in proper English). Once he graduated and started to interact in the business world with other Americans they did not recognize him as an American or a Chinese man. He was simply an alien. Alienation was not what Lee desired of the world. He returned as a servant who spoke in broken English as a part of "self-protection" and comprehension among other Chinese. He says that Americans do not understand properly spoken English when it comes out of the mouth of Chinese. It is expected by stereotypes that all Chinese must say "Me Talkee Chinese Talk". Lee even mentions that he went to China and was seen as a complete stranger with his "strange" Western ways. In either direction Lee is a stranger representing that humans pick out the differences in one another instead of seeing past it. It is not necessary to stay with one's stereotype. Its just what people sometimes do as protection and unification.
So true--American's DO NOT understand proper English. And this brings up a good point, also, about literature. I remember (so clearly!) reading East of Eden, and really thinking about the characters (and even this point, about Americans vs. proper English). But it never really hit me until I became a teacher (as I said, I read the book long before such a crazy idea even crossed my mind, haha...). So true!
ReplyDeleteReminds me of the Spanglish I grew up with and around and still hear. it's not because we're too lazy/stupid to learn english, but its the most comfortable way to speak. i don't write that way, but i mean if you talk to me you'll hear some bizarre vernacular. i love it, sometimes things just have to be expressed in your native language.
ReplyDeletehaha.... "bizarre vernacular." Indeed!!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds a lot like Thoroughly Modern Millie are you sure you arent talking about Mrs. Meers, Bun Foo, and Ching Ho? I have had this experience too oh dear. well i was at the gym and this rather creepy elderly man with a thick Czechoslovakian accent started rambling to me how to use a treadmill in British English, odd much
ReplyDeleteHonestly I have seen so many black and white films that are racist. Native Americans, Asians, Blacks, and other people for some "odd reason" can't speak properly. It's upseting because I know a handfull of SUNY students from China who speak almost perfect English and it suprises people, but in China they start learning English in 1st grade. I didn't start learning a language untill 5th grade. If anyone should be suprised it is the people in other places because most Americans DON'T take language seriously.
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