Grandma is traditional
When reading the short story “The Jade Peony” by Wayson Choy, the old Grandmamma is a very traditional person. This is present in her old age, her traditional background and her spirituality.
Often times, many traditional people are also very old. This is because they grow up in the olden days, and they continue to live in that way of life. One would not find kids of newer generations being too traditional. The first line of the short story is “When Grandmama died at 83…” (41). 83 is quite an old age and is higher than the average human lifespan of 79. The quote also states that she dies at 83, which is likely from her old age. Another quote to prove that Grandmama has passed away from old age is “[Grandmama …show more content…
Sek-lung reveals to the readers that, “We were Canadians now, Chinese-Canadians “(41). This reveals that Grandmama is from china, and lives most of her life there. China is known for its temples and peaceful atmosphere. Grandmama grows up there, resulting in her to inhabit that culture and tradition. Spirituality or culture is often associated with tradition, as different cultures include different traditions and spiritual beings. Grandmama grows up in china, a very spiritual place. When Sek-lung and Grandmama return from the church, Grandmama says to Sek Lung, “’These are special pieces…because they come from a sacred place”’ (44). This proves that she is spiritual because she says the glass is from a church, which is sacred and special. If one was not spiritual they would not care where the glass comes from, but Grandmama does because she is spiritual. Grandmama explains to Sek-lung,” ‘Your father will then take the centre braided strand and raise it. He will hang it against my bedroom window so that my ghost may see it, and hear it, and return. I must say goodbye to this world properly or wander in this foreign devil’s land forever”’ (47). This proves her belief in the afterlife, which is associated with spiritual belief and tradition. Often times, the afterlife is associated with Christianity and China also has a surplus of Christians. So Grandmama may be