Themes and message

Tradition and identity

The theme of tradition and identity is explored in “Where the Gods Fly” by Jean Kwok through the narrator of the story. The narrator is a Chinese woman who moved to the US with her family. Unable to relate to American culture because of the language barrier (ll. 98-101) and differences in lifestyle (ll. 37-40), the narrator tries to preserve her identity by holding on to religious traditions. This theme is aided by the setting which is a Buddhist temple where the narrator is praying.

She is praying to the gods because she wants to stop her daughter from taking ballet classes and pursuing her dreams of dancing. This decision is highly influenced by the narrator’s traditionalism and conservative views. The narrator identifies with the status of a poor immigrant, which according to her does not match exceptional ambitions such as dancing: “We who have lost everything – our country, our family, our culture – cannot afford to be exceptional. To have enough to live by, to eat, that is enough” (ll. 168-169). This contributes to the narrator being unable to encourage her daughter to pursue passion and talent.

In her view, her daughter Pearl should focus on academic studies that will lead to a secure future in areas such as “accounting or dentistry” (l. 163). The text suggests the narrator's views are heavily influenced by her personal frustrations with her life growing up in China without receivin...