In Madeleine Thien’s short fiction “Simple Recipes,” there are numerous instances of simple syntax and specific diction. On the surface, this narrative is seemingly simple, as the tile suggests, however as the story progresses it is evident there are deep, underlying complexities. Thien employs the use of literary techniques to provide a clear, yet elaborate outline of the social and cultural identity crisis immigrant families’ face, while also underlining the difficulties of determining a common ground between a person and their imperfections. Furthermore, the conciseness implemented in the story’s writing is the concluding step for relaying a straightforward, transparent writing technique. No room is left for misinterpretation of the literal sentence structure, however subliminal between the lines connotations may be present. In this short story, there is a strong correlation between the writing style and the effortless task of cooking rice, as illustrated by the narrator’s opening words: “There is a simple recipe for cooking rice. My father taught it to me when I was a child” (Thien 338). To cook rice, there are only two ingredients, water and rice, yet the daughter finds it nearly impossible to duplicate her father’s recipe. This is distressing to …show more content…
I was enthralled when Yan transformed orange peels into swans. My father sniffed. “I can do that,” he said. “You don’t have to be a genius to do that.” He placed a sprig of green onion in water and showed me how it bloomed like a flower. “I know many tricks like this,” he said. “Much more than Yan.” Still, my father made careful notes when Yan demonstrated Pecking Duck. He chuckled heartily at Yan’s punning” (340).
With the introduction of the television show, Thien incorporates a Chinese-Malaysian element to bring a sense of home to the family, while also distancing the family away from the Canadian culture they are trying so hard to fit