Photographs of my Parents by Maxine Hong Kingston

Photographs of my Parents by Maxine Hong Kingston 

Taken up in English 1 class on January 25, 2012

The story of Photographs of my Parents is probably a story to which everybody can relate. At least once in one's lifetime, he or she peeks through those old boxes in the attic. These boxes contain precious memories, most of them photographs. Here, one can flashback to what it was like during their parents' era. Personally, whenever I peek through these boxes, I feel happy. It's like my parents were so happy during their teenage years. Even now though, they are still very happy. They looked so young and fresh. For some reason, what people looked like before looked way better than what teenagers look like now. 

Maxine Hong Kingston's story tells us about her Chinese mother and American dad. This story is more of a comparison between the Western and Asian world. The Asian world is more reserved and serene. They don't like looking at cameras. They are more simple and quiet. Usually these people just keep to themselves. They are also very traditional. This is pretty evident during the time of her mother's graduation and the students did not know where to pin the flower on their dress. Asians can also be portrayed as the intelligent ones, based on the numerous mentions her mother was given.  Western people, on the other hand, are more outgoing and fun. According to the story, they like going on beach trips and the like. They smile and pose for the camera too. 

Overall, I liked the comparison of this story. I also liked the way it was written. It wasn't too dragging.