Metamorphosis: The Growth Of Female Empowerment

In the twenty-first century, the Me Too Movement has become a topic of conversation for the rights of women empowerment. It enables women to establish freedom and independence without the need of a partner. For many, this systematic oppression of patriarchy has lasted for many generations and still continues. As the story portrays a Chinese Canadian family trying to understand the new ways of life, Chercover argues that “the text provides us with a representation of gender immobility within Chinatown Vancouver and allows readers to view the accurate barriers which women face” (2). The following paper agrees with Chercover and argues that in his story, Choy used Chinese traditions and cultures of the Chen family to subtly expose the lives which women lead and allow readers to understand the problems and barriers which generations have faced over the years.

Choy’s grasp on gender arrangement begins when gai-mou, also known as the Stepmother, is introduced to the readers and are given an understanding of what her role would entail within the family. Poh-Poh was very adamant that her son’s “companion” (20) would “take the position in the family that she would be given without any complaints” (21) and that Siu-Diep, meaning “Little Butterfly” (21) would “not have any other choice but to live the life which Father told her to live” (20). Here Choy is using oppressive ways which have been constant for many years within traditions and cultures of a Chinese family and is grasping the readers attention on the dynamics of male and female identity. The role of the female is to serve the husband and the family while the role of the man is to go out, explore the new world and earn a living so that he can hold the family together. Choy’s language continues to exemplify female oppression and barriers as “she would never be a real mother or a real wife” (20) and at the one-month birthday dinner of the newborn, “Father was to hold his daughter” (48). Specific words used to degrade women in this culture demonstrates the segregation of genders and the rights which women have lost amongst their equals. Females in this culture are not able to live their lives to their full potential as they are do not experience life outside of Chinatown Vancouver. Their view of their world is very narrow which decreases their chances and abilities to enter the world and grow with different people and communities.

Though there are barriers for many women in the Chinese Canadian society, the growth of gai-mou can be followed throughout the novel. Different attitudes towards stepmother are shown and the truth about what Father truly feels is revealed. Stepmother is holding a part time job to help Father support the family and is treated with more respect in the household, or so we thought. While the readers are seeing a growth of stepmother like a butterfly through metamorphosis, they learn that she did not fit in nice and easy within the family and everything and everyone was always against her. Stepmother was questioned why she didn’t choose the family she wanted and Choy’s representation of gai-mou’s feelings sent ripple effects to the children. Father believed Stepmother “should have picked a richer man rather than him” (410) but “she was bought” (410) and was not given a choice into who she was to immigrate over and help; even “her own two children who she gave birth to call her Stepmother” (410). In this point of the novel, Choy is opening Stepmother’s cocoon and is vividly allowing her to voice her opinion and take a stand rather than silencing her. As the readers could tell that she was “red in the face and full of pain” (410), her opinions mattered and as for the longest time, she was “fighting against invisible ways” but “was defenceless and in the line of fire” (410). For her, there was a weight of the past which was represented as ghosts who she was fighting against but could never find a way to break free from.

Choy’s story implicating gender differences and obstacles which women have faced for many years is an issue which many are starting to hear. Women’s rights and freedoms play a major role in the twenty-first century; you hear on the news that women are coming forward about violence and physical abuse which they have been tormented with for decades, the right to drive for women in Saudi Arabia or the right for women to be paid the same wages as men. These demonstrate societal shifts in the acceptance of women as equals. Even though these shifts are coming into play within society, women still face many struggles but a light of hope exists in the changing world today.