“I write a letter to my brother in America.
Dear Xiuquan, Zhang died peacefully in his sleep. He missed you these past years. He tried to imagine your life in America but could not. Ma is well, although she misses you, as do I. Pao.
The reply I get from him vex me, so I didn’t bother say nothing to Ma. I just pretend to her like I never hear nothing from him” (205-6)
And
“My dear brother Pao, I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Zhang. Like you, I thought of him as a father, so I know how his passing must ache your heart. We have lost two fathers now, you and I, and I wonder to what purpose…As for the violence in Jamaica, it makes me glad to be so far away. I have taken citizenship so I am an American now and no longer have to feel ashamed of being Chinese.
And then I take the letter out to the year and I burn it” (207).
I think that this passage is significant in how deeply it reflects the different lives that Pao and his brother, Xiauquan, end up having towards the end of the novel. There are also important themes of identity as well as family ties that are highlighted here, as well as class difference. Pao, who is living in Jamaica and taking care of all the external processes connected Zhang’s death writes a simple letter, certainly not in depth. The letter is not “scholarly” in language and gets the message across well. On the other hand, Xiauquan’s words are lavish and detailed. Although I haven’t included them, Xiauquan also speaks of political affairs in China, displaying a keen and more upper class understanding of current events. The writing style and length of the letter provide a stark contrast to the simple words Pao chose to write.
Xiauquan chooses to end his letter by highlighting his newfound citizenship in America, saying that he no longer needs to be “ashamed of being Chinese.” To me, this tension of being a minority or somehow inferior is something that Pao must contend with daily and proves to be draining. Although they arrived together in Jamaica, only Pao remained. Through this, I feel that Xiauquan is evoking the idea of his pride in a social mobility that can only be achieved in America. It’s interesting to think that Xiauquan would even include these words in light Zhang’s death–as if somehow speaking about how much better off he is would console Pao in his loss.
The theme of fatherhood and its connection to manhood and sorrow is also something that stood out to me in this passage. It seems that Pao is somber in the loss of his second father/father figure, but he is not overly upset. He feels sadness, but it is simple and almost overshadowed by all the different funeral procedures and practices he must undertake as leader in the wake of Zhang’s death. For Xiauquan to be so far removed and to think about the philosophical implications of Zhang’s death (“We have lost two fathers now, you and I, and I wonder to what purpose…”) despite describing a shared loss further highlights the disconnect and class difference that is present between the two brothers.