Journal #35 Sui Sin Far

Shirly Ong
English 48B
13 March, 2008
Journal #35 Sui Sin Far

Quote:
“ She slipped a heavy gold bracelet from her wrist and held it out to the man…
‘It’s all right,’ said Hom Hing seriously, ‘pure China gold. My wife’s parent give it to her when we married.’…
‘See my jade earrings – my gold buttons – my hair pins – my comb of pearl and my rings…’ “

Summary:
Lae Choo gave the white lawyer her gold bracelet for him to go to get the paper to bring her son back. Hom Hing told the lawyer about the bracelet when Lae Choo went away to get even more jewelries.

Response:
When the white lawyer, James Clancy, offered to help the Chinese couple to get the required papers for their son from Washington, he asked for five hundred dollars. Hom Hing claims that he could not afford it because he has paid a lot to the lawyer for writing letters already. This shows Chinese in America did not have much power in legal matters at that time. They have to rely on the help from white people, who often charge them a lot. I think it is sad to see how much it cost the couple to get back their son. I think James Clancy is a self-interested white man. He shows no care to the couple once Hom Hing told him five hundred is too much. In this quote, Lae Choo is giving the lawyer all her jewelries as remuneration for his “help”. Among the jewelries, the gold bracelet should be the most precious one for her. That is the present her parents gave her when she married. In Chinese tradition, parents always give their daughters a precious gift, usually a costly jewelry, when they get married and “leave home”. Every woman would treasure this gift very much. In the story, in order to get her son back as soon as possible, Lae Choo gave the lawyer her gold bracelet without hesitation. I think she loves and misses her son so much. It is a pity that she has to sacrifice her precious gift for her son’s freedom in America.