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The Challenge for New Ones in the Book, Family by Pa Chin

Decent Essays

The Book named Family primarily illustrates the conflicts between traditional and new ideas during a modern China period. Before the modern period, many Chinese used to live with the idea of collectivism, and against the belief of individualism. In the book Family, the author focuses to illustrate many struggles the Kao family face because the younger generation aimed to reject the old Confucian values, but rather, to restructure the family and to change the society for individual wants and desires.
In the Kao’s family, individualists are viewed as rebels of the family because old generations majorly well liked to conceive a family as one whole, respecting the idea of collectivism. Hence Venerable Master Kao, a very aged man, favors the traditional and collectivism conducts; in fact, one of his wish was to see “four generations under one roof” (Pa Chin, 1972, p. 102). Despite when it comes to the old principles, the most rebellious character in the Kao family named Chueh-hui, a third young Master, strongly demands to fight with his old grandfather and the traditional society for more progressive approaches and free thoughts. Chueh-hui even gets grounded by the cause of his strong claim against the former values. His actions conclusively upsets Venerable Master Kao; nevertheless Cheuh-hui does not make apologies to his grandfather, but continues to argue and talk back. Eventually Venerable Master Kao regrets sending Cheuh-hui to a school because he now believes “school

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