Death In The Jade Peony

Death will touch each individual over the course of their lives. Whether it is a family member, friend, or stranger, most will face the idea of death before their time comes. In the case of Sek-Lung, a youthful character who has recently moved with his family, it was his grandmother. As he recalls the event, the audience receives insight into how each human perceives death differently, and the ways in which they live according to this. The nature of life and death is observed in “The Jade Peony” by Wayson Choy, using eloquent expressions of the way in which one can come to understand death, the acceptance of it, and the meaning that can be held once someone has passed away. As a young child, Sek-Lung has difficulty understanding his grandmother’s speaking of death. He describes the moment it became clear she would die narrating, “I fell against her and cried, and there in my crying I knew she would die,” (Choy, 4) As the reader listens from Sek-Lung’s perspective, they can relate to either Grandmama, who greets death like an old friend, or Sek-Lung, who is beginning to grasp this new concept. Grandmama personifies death, saying, “That is my body fighting with Death. He is in this room now,” (4).While she describes it as a battle, she also seems to hold a sense of peace with the concept.

As time passes, and each gets more experience with life and the way it works, the role of humans on earth becomes more clear. Life will always be temporary, a fleeting moment that is bound to end. From the beginning of the story, the reader knows that Sek-Lung’s grandmother will die. Similarly, each life here will lead to death, a certainty that cannot be denied. The important part, the only guaranteed purpose, is to make the most of life on earth. Death is not the end, but a new start, and the most anyone can try to do is enjoy the story before the next one takes its