A Step from Heaven

A Step from Heaven is such a wonderful book, yet I fear it could easily be misused in the classroom. My fear is that it will be used to support a “multicultural” unit on Asians or Asian-Americans rather than being embraced for the universal themes it portrays. While this novel does give a person some insight into the Korean culture, it is a fictional story of one family; it should not be viewed as an end all, be all of the Korean culture.

In my contemplation of this books place in multicultural literature, I am reminded of a 2006 article written by poet Janet Wong* in which she explicates her stance on “multicultural” literature. She writes, “the characterization of The Trip Back Home as a multicultural book about Koreans thrusts an unfair burden on the book; as such, the book is expected to represent ‘the Korean experience,’ which it does not.” I feel the same could be said for An Na’s A Step from Heaven. Regardless of where the Park family may be from, there would still be struggles to find the balance between one’s cultural heritage and the culture in which a person finds him or herself.

To this end, I agree with my classmate Lori Satterwhite who wrote in her blog “A Step from Heaven provides a great segue into discussions about differences in culture.” This book can also be used to explore and understand our own culture. Readers can ask themselves how they felt about the various spoken and unspoken rules for social interaction with family members and others within the community and examine why they feel that way. Reflecting in such a way could be a venue to better understanding not just the American culture, but state or community culture as well as family culture.

Furthermore, these reflections may help some people see that they do indeed have a culture heritage. As an adolescent in a fairly homogeneous community, I was unaware of my cultural heritage. I thought that only non-whites and 1st or 2nd generation immigrants had “a culture.” To not be aware of my own culture in a sense, divorces me from that culture—from my roots. In retrospect, I was unaware of my own identity.

Young Ju struggled to find her identity while having to juggle the two cultures, but many adolescents struggle to find their identity even when only in one culture. Does being in touch with one’s own cultural heritage (which may or may not be part of the mainstream culture) aid in the development of identity? Is it easier, more difficult, or just different finding one’s identity when being a part of two or more cultures?


*Wong, J. (2006). Alien bunny bots-or not. The Horn Book, 82, 667-672.

Standing Against the Wind

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Standing Against the Wind by Traci L. Jones. I am always quite fond of well written books about overcoming obstacles and different forms of oppression.

In this particular book, everyone underestimates the strength and bravery of little, skinny, timid Patrice:

“Girl, she can’t take it. She ain’t got no fight in her…This place gonna eat her up.”

However, Patrice has more power than for which anyone gives her credit. It is inspiring to witness Patrice blossom from the timid little mouse to the girl who no longer needed protection.
I would like to think that Patrice found this strength within herself or that her passion for the scholarship to Dogwood Academy drew out this inner strength and confidence that she develops; however, this change seems to have been brought about through her friendship with Monty. Monty’s reactions to her was the catalyst for change. After Monty got irritated with her timidity in chapter 9, Patrice started acting more self assured. She completely stopped answering questions with “I guess.” While Patrice finally started to feel like she was worth being treated with respect, it was not until Monty treated her in such a manner that she started to act in a way that would garner it. While I agree that love (not necessarily romantic love) can bolster one’s strength, the fact that Patrice finds her strength in Monty is a little bothersome for me. Why couldn’t she find that strength within herself? Why did Patrice have to have a guy come to her rescue? Why did it have to be the popular guy in school that helped her find it? Why was it that it took a boy’s approval of her to ignite the fire she demonstrates throughout the story?

Monty has already been criticized as being a little too good to be true (see http://www.myshelf.com/teen/fiction/06/standingagainst%20the%20wind.htm). The author admits to being influenced by the “knight in shining armor” characters found in the romance novels she was reading at the time she wrote this book (see www.embracingthechild.org/ajones.html). I must admit that I am influenced by my previous studies in Feminist perspectives which makes me a little more critical of the “knight in shining armor” idea. I think I would have had less of an issue with the strength Patrice draws from Monty had their relationship remained on a plutonic level. Am I being too critical? Am I reading too much into their relationship and the inspiration it provided Patrice?