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Pressure and Expecations

In The Leavers, by Lisa Ko, the main character, Deming or Daniel Guo, faces a lot of pressure and expectations of success. Deming in the beginning of the book faces a lot of pressure from his mother. His mother says that she wants him to finish school because she doesn't want him "to be like [her]" because she "didn't even finish eighth grade" (Ko 4). Deming feels the pressure and expectation for him to succeed but he feels like it will be hard to succeed especially since he is already struggling with fifth grade. This expectation to do well comes from his mother's migration and sacrifice for a better life for her kid. Polly, Deming's mom, came to this country with very little to provide for a better life for Deming so he could actually have a future. His mother, along with many other Asian parents or grandparents, come to America looking for a better life for their family. They often sacrifice a lot just to have the chance at a great future for their kids. This is why there is high expectations for Deming to do well. Deming can't just be like his mother or his mother's boyfriend. He has to surpass them so he can have a better life and provide more for his family than she could for him. My grandmother came to America from Taiwan with a suitcase and nothing else. If she was able to succeed and provide a life and future for my mom, then how could I have more privileges and opportunities and achieve less?

Comments

  1. Sawyer DarishJanuary 12, 2020 at 6:58 PM

    I liked how you analyzed a key concept of your novel and were able to connect it back to your personal life. I also liked how you incorporated a rhetorical question at the end to really emphasize the point that your blog was trying to make.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alankar ShendeJanuary 12, 2020 at 7:00 PM

    I like how explained why Deming has pressure to do well. I also like how you related the message so it applies to the real world. Children are always expected to do better and more than their parents, but it must be asked if the is a limit to this expectation.

    ReplyDelete

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