Their harmful or bad intentions are different from their kind and sweet act. The Fox Lady is “a demon creature” (Choy 89) who “loved to take on its favourite disguise of a friendly elderly old lady” (Choy 89). In the story, Jung-Sum, who was the brother, and the adopted member of the family, was reminded about the Fox Lady that his mother used to tell stories about and warned him about, when Poh-Poh looked at him when first entering the house. Poh-Poh’s love for Chinese tradition, love for her kids, and teaching capabilities makes her a perfect fit for the wise family member.Īpart from Poh-Poh’s wise intellect, Poh-Poh is also a perfect representation of an archetypal trickster. This would teach the kids to respect and understand Chinese culture. Apart from that, her stories she told to the kids were life experiences and she used them to offer some type of experience to the kids from China.

This quote shows how important it is for Poh-Poh to follow and continue traditions that she was taught back in China, and she shows this by teaching the kids to follow the Chinese tradition and respect them. This can be seen when Poh-Poh constantly criticized the kids for not following tradition by saying: “You not Canada… You China”(Choy 34). Poh-Poh heavily believes in keeping tradition within the family, and highly encourages for the kids to follow Chinese tradition. She heavily respected in the family because of her age, and the experience and stories she brings to the family. Even her family in the story deemed her the wise one. I think Poh-Poh is an example of the wise family member.

It’s a Chinese tradition for a mother to live with her son when they are elders. She is also known as “The Old One.” Poh-Poh lives with her son (the father of the three children) and the kids. Poh-Poh is the grandmother of the three children. Also, one archetypal symbol in the story as well is the red ribbon that Wong Suk gave to Look-Liang. This story expresses the importance of maintaining tradition and culture as a Chinese immigrant.Īfter I read the first half of the novel, “The Jade Peony,” by Wayson Choy, and inspecting the story through a archetypal theory (Here is the definition of an archetype), It has become really evident to me that the archetypal characters in the story are Poh-Poh, and Wong-Suk. This story is Chinatown, Vancouver B.C, in the 1930s.īased around the three children, Jook-Liang, Jung-Sum, and Sek-Lung.

The story is set in the late 1930s-1940s, and is about a Chinese family that lives in Vancouver B.C during the depression and World War II. The novel that I decided to read for my Grade 12 Online English Course was “The Jade Peony,” by Wayson Choy. “The Jade Peony,” by Wayson Choy, book cover.

The jade peony