Disappearing Moon Cafe

1
Disappearing Moon Cafe

• Canadian Fiction
• Stephanie

2
Telling It, a conference in 1988

• When talking about the writers role in the
  community,
• Sky Lee answered by quoting from Judy Radul, a
  Vancouver poet, I am only a voice. ? for who?
  for what purpose?

3

• She continues, I have a vested interest in
  writing about them (women). They are part of my
  community. ? women-centered writing purpose in
  her works including D.M.C. ?in D.M.C.
• Lees dealing with women in the context of a
  Chinese immigrant family by reflecting Wongs
  private history and their Chinese culture
  background

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Outline

• Mui Lan Fong Mei
• (traditional Chinese
  women )
• Beatrice Sue (sisters who have different fates)
• Kae (a writer offspring of Wong Family)

5
Mui Lan Fong Mei

• Mui Lan
• -is shown of respect but actually not liked by
  Chinatown people (23-24)
• -lonely, bodiless,souless?becoming noisy and
  demanding (26)
• -also silence for relying on Gwei Chang for her
  identity in Canada (28)
• -interferes with Choy Fuks choice of wife, his
  not having babies, and his career (33-35)

6

• Fong Mei
• -helpless in front of her mother-in-law(49) (54)
• -Lonely (55)
• -Fong Meis nervously aware of the intimacy and
  smallness of Chinatown (140) (164)

7

• Mui Lan v.s Fong Mei
• -unsatisfied with Fong Mei (29)
• - traditional values toward daughter-in-law
• (30) (31)(36) (37) (58)
• - child-birth (59-61)
• a. Mui Lan turns to Song An (93)
• b. Fong Mei turns to Ting An (119-20) (183-84)
• -Both are lonely and for their husband move to
  Canada. (138)
• - Mui Lan double oppressed by men and as an
  immigrant
• Fong Mei tripled oppressed by her
  mother-in-law

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Beatrice Sue

• -B v.s. S
• Overall view of their fates (170)
• in terms of romance (165) v.s (173)
• - Beatrices attitude toward the Wongs past (23)
  (180)
• -Bs attitude toward the Chinatown (164-65)

9
Kae

• -For herself
• a.At school Legitimate, traditional,
  conventional values (41) (38)
• b. getting confused about her career and family
  (122-23)
• c. finding out her identity as a pure writer
  (216)
• -for her mothers side attempting to
  conciliating the conflicts (37) (145)

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Conclusion

• Lorrian Chan said, Writing will empower the
  Chinese Canadian community by reflecting our
  history, and our culture.