Analysis
Jean Kwok’s short story “Where the Gods Fly” does not follow a traditional plot structure. The text mixes a backstory plot of past events with present events. The story reads like the narrator’s inner monologue while she is praying in a Buddhist temple. The plot has a circular structure and is built around the narrator’s inner conflict and lacks a strong rising action, climax, or resolution.
The most important characters in the story are the narrator and her daughter Pearl. While the narrator’s characterisation is constructed by conveying her perspective and attitude towards the past and present, Pearl’s characterisation is built through the narrator’s memories and thoughts about her.
The setting of the story is a Buddhist temple where the narrator is praying, but her memories include references to other places as well, such as the factory she works in or her apartment. The social setting is particularly important to the short story’s themes and plot as it covers aspects related to being a Chinese immigrant in the US and the differences between American and Chinese culture.
The story is told by a first-person narrator who is also the main character – a Chinese mother living in the US. The narrator is subjective and has limited knowledge of the events.
The language used in the text includes numerous similes and rhetorical questions. Similes create more vivid descriptions while rhetorical questions convey the narrator’s dilemmas and inner conflict.
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