“Who is Irish?”
“Who is Irish?” is a story of an older Chinese woman trying to find her place in modern American life. Our last and most contemporary story is again an example of a limited, unreliable narrator, who reveals herself (very reluctantly because she is “fierce”) through her thoughts and comments and, to the lesser degree, actions. You should be used to reading this sort of narrative by now, and reading it carefully to discover the information that forms the full picture. As with “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” if you are confused about the character’s motivations, it is because you missed something she told you earlier. We have yet another strong female narrator who is unapologetic and stubborn and grates on our current norms in many ways. Jen’s achievement is that we understand her motives and empathize with her situation. What do we know about the main character’s history and how does that shape the way she feels, and acts?
Sample Solution
“Who’s Irish?” is a short story about an elderly Chinese woman and her mixed family in New York. She starts talking about her granddaughter, Sophie, who is the daughter of John, an Irishman, and Natalie, the narrator’s Chinese daughter. The narrator describes her granddaughter as wild, drawing cultural distinctions such as labeling Sophie “crazy” and stating that “millions of youngsters in China, not one act like this.” (Jen, p. 400) She also notes that her disciplinary tactics are not well received by her Irish son-in-family. law’s The narrator defends spanking, while her daughter advises her to use her words instead.
