When you ask a man to do something that is out of his natural personality, he might become so upset and unforgiving of himself that he decides to end his life.
There is a moral lesson in this – Leave well alone. Women, don’t challenge your man’s ego. Mr. Park is a pastor and yet he committed suicide after he was egged on by his wife, to confront a neighbor over their sound box blasting loud music.
Park’s wife, and daughters Rosemary and Mira, are left floundering, as they try to carry on. Mrs Park had never assimilated into American culture. She desperately tries to make preparations to return to Korea. Her daughters try to sabotage her plans to sell their home, by making it undesirable for house viewing. They know that once their Mom gets money from the sale, they would be dragged back into Korea. They finally succeed in their clandestine operation, when their home blows up in a fiery inferno.
The orphans invite themselves into their elderly neighbour, Raymond van der Holt’s home. They ingratiate themselves into his routine and prove themselves useful as housemates. In this way, Rosemary and Miracle “Mira” Park get a repeat of their American dream. They get to stay on in America AND get adopted by a reasonably wealthy benefactor.
Sandi Tan’s creative writing entertains.
I have drawn fan art in a series of creative book reviews for Lurkers. To see these posts, use the keyword Lurkers in the searchbox.
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