Beautiful Country & The use of Chinese + English
Beautiful Country Recently having read Beautiful Country by Qian Julie Wang, I found myself relating to her in some ways. Not the poverty or the work, but more the blend of English and Chinese words she employs in her writing. The interspersed Chinese words are very reminiscent of how I talk at home, often speaking in an amalgamation of the two languages (although my words are way less 好). I find her usage of this not only adds to the authenticity of her life story, but also a personal touch to certain pieces of dialogue. Chinese and Stuff Throughout the beginning of the book, after her father leaves, most of her mother's dialogue use the word "别" (bie) which means "don't". This really emphasizes how her mother wasn't doing so great when she was by herself, always just telling Wang to stop doing something. She often also uses "大人" (da ren) rather than "adult" in English. In my view, this is a reminder of how young and small...