Destiny’s Intervention
Chinese immigrants considered Gold Mountain as the “United States” in the 1800s. The reason why they did so is because the amount of gold that it provides, and to many people, America is a land that provides. This alone sets the tone of the story in my opinion. In the story “On Discovery,” Tang Ao was a Chinese explorer trying to make his way to this luscious place. Like every Chinese explorer, he dreamed of trying to get to Gold Mountain. The reason why so many Chinese people at this time came here to the United States was because of the enormous amount of gold that it carried. However, Tang Ao unfortunately runs into the Land of Women and is taken in as prisoner. I feel that this symbolically foreshadows the injustices and cruelty that the Chinese immigrants had to face in America.
First of all, the reason why I think he is from China is because his name sounds like an Asian name, and gold mountain is associated with the Chinese immigrants. I have noticed that in the text, this quote was mentioned, “They forced him to wash his used bandages, which were embroidered with flowers and smelled of rot and cheese…. He felt embarrassed; the wrappings were like underwear, and they were his” (Kingstone 670). In this text, he is being tortured and embarrassed and forced to
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The story eludes to the Chinese immigrants and how they dreamed of making it in America. However, one other theme that is hidden within the story is in the title itself, discovery. It is said that Tang Ao “discovered” the Land of Women. Discovery is a huge thing especially back then because not many things were discovered at that time. Usually when a discovery is made, it is a huge thing. However, in Tang Ao’s case, nothing good came out of it. As an explorer, discovery is something that they always do. Unfortunately for Tang Ao, he came across a land that hurt him more instead of helped