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Donald Duk Analysis

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The novel Donald Duk is by Chinese American (or Chinaman, as he identifies himself) author Frank Chin. Chin was born in Berkeley, California in 1940. His father was an immigrant from China and his mother was the fourth-generation in her family living in Chinatown. Before he went to college to study English and then go forth to write various plays and books about Asian American topics, Chin worked simple jobs on the railroad. These parts of his life heavily influence the setting and plot of his story Donald Duk. Donald is an 11 year old boy that lives out his life in Chinatown with his family, and Chin’s detailed description of the atmosphere of those streets in California make it clear that he is drawing from experience. Another aspect of Chin’s life that shows up in the book is the time he spent working with trains. A large factor in Donald’s development and growth is the subplot involving the Chinese building the Central Pacific Railway. Because the story takes place during Chinese New Year, many different cultural practices and celebrations were described and I found myself being able to relate to some of them. Although I am Vietnamese myself, I discovered many similarities between Vietnamese and Chinese New Year celebrations, while also learning about cultural differences within the family and community dynamic. At its heart, Donald Duk is a story about a boy growing up and trying to understanding himself and the world around him. His Chinese culture plays a large role
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