Theme Of Ambition Defined By Public Perception In Interior Chinatown And A Burning

Ambition Defined by Public Perception in Interior Chinatown and A Burning

Change beings when someone has the courage to pursue a dream. New innovations and artistic output have the power to fill our culture with a new light; however, in reality, not all dreams can change society. Some ambitions are derived from an underlying intersection of factors that limit what different people think they can achieve in society. So, dreams also have the power to reinforce the stagnancy of culture. In Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, Willis Wu grows up as an actor in a lively commercial Chinatown set, spending the rest of his time living in the decrepit apartment complex directly above the set. Megha Majumdar’s A Burning follows the hijra Lovely as she

Having grown up surrounded by stereotypical kung fu characters, including Bruce Lee and his own dad, Willis Wu aspires to perform as Kung Fu Guy. As a kid, Willis would watch his role models on television programs while practicing his skills in his modest living room. One evening, after taking his practice a bit too far and injuring his mom, Willis is told, “don’t grow up to be Kung Fu Guy…. Be more” (Yu 56). This is a shock to confused young Willis, whose narrow scope of defined success is limited to playing a kung fu hero in a television program. He doesn’t understand “how could anyone be more?” (56). Dorothy, Willis’ mom, has been exposed to many of the hidden disappointments of the acting world that Willis has yet to experience. All of her work as a generic Asian background character has informed her perspective on Willis’ dream. Her warning is derived from her experiences with being confined to societal norms in her roles, and she understands that the hope of stardom and mainstream success gilds his dream. Without dwelling on the warning from his mom, Willis proceeds with his acting career. After years of work on the program Black and White, Willis climbs the acting hierarchy to a point where he is “close enough to imagine a different life” (81). When he finally reaches his perception of success in the acting world, his character is killed

Alongside her journey in the acting industry, she is also asked to testify in a trial for her friend and former English tutor, Jivan. Without hesitation, she agrees to share her loyalty to Jivan in court, but she doesn’t know that her political statements will follow her on her way up in the acting industry. This creates within her an ethical dilemma of where her priorities lie. After she gives her testimony, it goes viral on WhatsApp, and she gets called in to act in a music video as a hijra who will bless the main character. Naturally, Lovely happily accepts the role without caring that she has to portray a stereotypical character that mocks her identity. She conforms to this stereotype and perpetuates it through the media despite her earlier complaints of the underlying biases and assumptions about her role as a Hijra in modern-day India. Although her viral testimony contributes to the new demand for her as an actress, she is forced to rebuke her loyalty to Jivan if she wants to continue climbing the ladder. Her testimony gained attention because of her emotion and passion, not because of mutual agreement within the public sphere that Jivan deserved justice. Success in acting can only be achieved through the approval of casting directors and the public sphere as a whole, so she decides to let go of her strong sense of loyalty to further her