Something which would further play on the theme of connection. Difficulties that Jack had no previous understanding of nor does it appear as though he wished to understand when his mother was alive. It describes in detail the type of life that Jack’s mother has lived and the difficulties that she has had to endure. How hurtful this actually is to Jack’s mother is noticeable by the letter that she writes on Laohu. Both son and mother are separated from each other.
Favouring instead to follow what he believes is an American culture. Rather than embracing his mother’s culture Jack shuns it. To compound matters Jack is refusing to side with his mother and take on board that she is from a different culture. She won’t speak English and she doesn’t appear to be able to adapt to American life very well. He knows that his mother was married to his father by way of a catalogue. If anything Jack feels as though his life is in a crisis. Something he finds hard to do because of the way he looks. This close connection is lost when Jack enters his teen years and all he wants to do is fit in with other children. Though as a child her origami brought him so much happiness and any problem that Jack encountered with the origami was resolved by his mother. He is consciously making a decision not to embrace her culture. It might be important to remember that he is of an impressionable age when he stops talking to his mother. Though some critics might suggest that Jack has very little to worry about. An identity in which he is displeased with due to his mother’s heritage. If anything life gets complicated for Jack as he grows older and tries to formulate his own identity. It is as though Jack is not proud of his mother. It is also noticeable that the connection that Jack has with his mother when he was younger disappears when he rebels against her based solely on the fact of who she is. He struggles in high school simply because he looks Chinese. Something which is very much the case for Jack when he is younger. This may be significant as Liu may be attempting to highlight how racist America can be towards those who look different. Due to his heritage he knows that he sticks out and that people are prejudicial towards him simply because he has a Chinese mother. Jack though he has had a happy childhood longs to be like other American boys. Narrated in the first person by a man called Jack the reader realises after reading the story that Liu may be exploring the theme of resentment. In The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu we have the theme of resentment, connection, culture, identity, prejudice, acceptance, struggle and love.
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