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Perfect Chinese Children Analysis

Decent Essays

A person's sense of individual identity is always changing in response to the experiences in life. How we feel, how we act and how we perceive ourselves and our surroundings can influence change in identity. Identity can be defined as a set of personal or behavioural characteristics by which an individual is recognized or known as by a group. The horrific and heart breaking story of what my friend experienced is a perfect example of how our circumstances and experiences can alter our identities. About two years ago, my friend began to change. Not just how she acted but her appearance too. She looked upset all the time, was skipping school, drifting away from friendships and spent a lot of time in one of the teacher's offices. It took a while …show more content…

She had been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. She described it as a “a monster in my head” who had taken complete control. The girl I used to know was no longer around. In the text Growing up Asian in Australia the story “Perfect Chinese Children” shows the reader the difficulties that both the Chinese mother and her daughters experience as a result of parental influences. We read how the daughter struggles to please the mother, how she retaliates in anger and defiance of what seems to be unrealistic and unfair demands. She knows that when she does this she is behaving more like an “Australian” than a “Chinese” girl and this makes her feel uncomfortable. Culture can shape a person’s identity because it is something that directly affects all people. People who grow up in a culture that is quite different from that experienced in the home or local community may feel isolated and may struggle to forge an identity. At times it is necessary to make some concessions in order to belong. Very often new arrivals to Australia find themselves struggling with the demands that their original culture places upon them as well as the pressures of Australian culture. In the movie “looking for alibrandi the director presents the viewer with the idea that people can attain an enduring sense of both identity and belonging. The director believes that many life experiences compel us to alter our sense of self. Both text, movie and the story of my friend suggest that our identity changes depending on

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