C+Block+Themes

Welcome to the C Block theme page!

Below, write your first name and initial of your last name. Then, paste in your thoughts regarding the theme that was most poignant to you in American Born Chinese. Be sure to explain what the theme is, how it was shown, and why it is or is not a good message to portray to society. Of course be sure to edit for punctuation, spelling, and paragraph structure. (Bonus points for students who add a visual representation of the theme of their choice; it is a graphic novel!)

Sarah G. The theme I chose is be true to yourself the reason I chose this theme is because in the book American Born Chinese Jin and Wei Chen are not being true to themselves they are being something they are not. Jin is being Danny and Wei-Chen is being a gangster. The reason I think Jin isn’t being himself is because he has a different hairstyle and body although he does dress the same. The way I think that Wei-Chen isn’t being true to himself is well I’ve already explained it but he was being "gangster" and mean to others when he should've been nicer to others. Also Wei-Chen is a monkey and should’ve stayed a monkey. The theme be true to yourself is good message to society because you have to be true to yourself to survive in this world and it helps you find your identity.

Dylan D. The theme I chose is peer pressure. I chose this theme becasue of the relevence in both the introductions the turning points of all three stories. In the introductions of each story the main character was persecuted because of his atributes then was forced to change. In Jin's story, he was faced with peer pressure from other students for being chineese, causing him to strive to be more american and reject Wei-Chen, and because of this drove Wei-Chen into a painful spiral due to his "F.O.B.ness". in the Monkey King's story he was not allowed to attend the gods party becasuehe was a monkey and wore no shoes, eventually driving him to be a selfish jerk andexile himself from all of the world untill the monk brought him back. And finally, again, in Jin's story, he transformed into Danny because of his exceptence of the peer pressure, and was driven out of three school because of the reacurrence of this peer pressire with Chin-kee's visits. The theme of peer presure is not an exceptable message to portray to society in a possitive way becasue if we all decided to nto be ourselves and do what everyone else did, then we would live in a sad grey colorless world with everything the same.

Trevor S. The theme I chose is Transformation. I chose this theme because the Monkey King had to adapt to his situation by transforming back into his monkey form to release himself from the pile of rocks. Jin also transformed into a white boy but was punished for it and eventually changed back. As was the Monkey King. I feel this does not send a good message to society because it’s saying that you cannot be anything different from what you are, therefore the message says that if ‘God’ made you one way than you have to be that way or there will be consequences for it. I disagree.

Andrew D The theme is chose is feelings because Jin is Chinese and he feels weird being Chinese which causes him to change the style of his hair. After Jin started acting like an american he soon turned into one, then he relized that it's better to be your self. The Monkey King listened and watched as the gods had a party and he felt that after all his training and mastering kung-fu he should be at that party; and because he tried to change who he was, half of the Monkey King's body was buried under a mountain of boulders and rocks. The monkey King soon relized that he was a monkey and he was born to be a monkey. The lesson here is to be your self and don't try to change who you are no matter what stands in your way.