In The Jade Peony Analysis

“At home, after Sunday School, Kiam always demanded to know: ‘How can anyone walk on water? How can so few baskets of bread and fish feed hundreds?’ And Santa Claus never once visited our house” (Choy 23). Everyone is familiar with myths and legends. They are read to children by teachers. The stories of battles, immortal beings, ghouls and monsters that are out there to catch people and the ever-successful hero that always saves the day. These stories have been around for many centuries, told even before the first paintings were painted and first books were written. People’s beliefs have all derived from these old stories, as they bring hope to those in despair and inspiration to those lacking ideas. Myths and legends can be seen in all cultures

One of the stories is the Monkey King and his adventures with Pig for Buddha. Told by Poh-Poh to Jook-Liang, the child fascinates the marvels of the hero - the Monkey King - and wishes reality to reflect off of the stories. This myth later seen as a reality to Jook-Liang, as their guest, Wong Suk, looks like the Monkey King, “the Monkey King of Poh-Poh’s stories, disguised as an old man bent over two canes” (Choy 18). The legends of the Monkey King helps the blossoming of Liang’s and Wong Suk’s friendship, both getting the benefits of being together; Liang, the attention she never received, and Wong Suk, the family he never had. Another myth mentioned in this novel is the story of the Fox Lady, which is seen when Jung-Sum meets Poh-Poh for the first time. The Fox Lady is described as “a demon, took on many shapes and disguises to ensnare little children for her supper” (Choy 89) and “loved to take on its favourite disguise of a friendly elderly old lady” (Choy 89). It can be seen that Jung perceives the Old One as cunning and untrustable - the Fox Lady that was going to ruin his life. Their relationship in the book is seen as one that is distant and unforgiving, as Jung-Sum is not usually praised or appreciated by Poh-Poh. Although these stories were used for the purpose of foreshadowing the relationships between the characters present at

Always look behind” (Choy 90). And Jook-Liang’s ever-favourite Monkey King myths - told by Poh-Poh - had multiple morals to teach. One of the morals is that people are people no matter what race they are, as “Monkey could not do without human company, black or white or yellow” (Choy 23). There are other myths were moral lessons can be learned. For instance, the Greek mythology of Pandora and her box is about a woman who, out of curiosity, opens a box that is not to be opened, and opens the world to the hate and bad traits seen in today’s people (GreekBoston.com). This myth gives the moral ‘curiosity kills the cat’ or, in the story’s case, ‘curiosity overtakes the decision to make right