The Third Dumpster

The Third Dumpster by Gish Jen is the story of chinese brothers; Goodwin Lee and Morehouse, relocating their parents to a new home. Jen writes the story in a comical contrasting way. The language and ideals of the brothers contrasts that of their parents. Jen uses many constrasting sentences throughout his story in the conversations of Goodwin and Morehouse. The language used by Morehouse and Goodwin’s parents, is funny and prejudice. Jen begins the story by telling us that the brothers have bought a house for their parents because they couldn’t climb the stairs in their apartment anymore. ’’..they had been Americans for fifty years and could no longer belay themselves hand over hand up their apartment stair rail to get to their bedroom..’’ here Jen uses some contrast that isn’t out in the open, he states that even though they had been americans for fifty years they couldn’t bring themselves up the stairs. The contrats can be found in their age saying that ’’they had been americans for fifty years’’ before they were able to climb the stairs now they can’t. Jen continues the story with the brothers as they are fixing the house and now need a place to dump their garbage. Here Jen shows a contrast in society and how it affects some people, ”Goodwin was out scouting for dumpster. Becuase this was what the recession meant in their neck of the woods…” ’’He (Goodwin) did not, of course, like the idea of illicit trash disposal; he would have perferred to do this, as all things, in an aboveboard manner.” Here jen uses contrast to give us a sense of what Goodwins character is like, although hes out scouting for a dumpster to do illegal dumping he still thinks its wrong and should do it the right way. Jen makes fun of Goodwin a little bit after they argue about dumping garbage in someone elses dumpster when he writes. ’’Morehouse was good with a sledgehammer and could the demo started. Goodwin was dangerous with a sledgehammer, especially to himself.’’ Here Jen also uses contrast comparing the brothers and contrasting their skills. Jen even uses the word contrast in his writing. ”the dumpster in front of it, by (contrast),was freash and empty,” here jen is comparing dumpesters and uses the word contrast. Jen continues to use contrast and really uses good language when he writes, ”We have no choice, said Morehouse. And; They have a choice. They don’t have to say yes. They can say no. Are you saying that they are better off then we are? That they have choices where we have none?” the use of repeating words; choice, say, they and we really puts more emphasis in Jens writing. He also shows good contrast when he compares the ”choices” of the brothers and the works. Jen even uses an analogy; a tool used to compare two things, typically on the basis of their structure. He uses the analogy to compare when Morehouse tells his brother about the choices of the Gautemalan workers. ”Dumping asbestos is like putting Melamine in milk”. And again when he writes, ”its like rinsing off IV needles and selling them back to hospitals” Jen writes on and continues his story now with Goodwin and Morehouse’s parents finally at the house. And Jen begins with a contrast, contrasting their pearents reaction to the size of the house and the size of their apartment. He doesn’t only compare the but also the size and look of the parents. ”The house was not much bigger than their apartment, but big enough to make them seem smaller; and all new as it was, it made them look older.” Jen writes to make it seem that all the brothers have gone through with the renovation, hiring illegal immagrants and dumping abestos filled garbage into other poeples dumpsters was going to pay off and their parents would love the house they got for nothing but Jen doesn’t let you go that easily. ”He beamed as if to say, Behold what we’ve done for you!He leaned toward their shuffling father, as if expecting to hear, What great sons you boys are! Instead their father tripped over a toolbox and fell as if hit by a sledgehammer.” here Jen doesnt right out show you the contrast but he shows it to you in how morehouse thinks. Morehouse is expecting all this glory but contrast it wasn’t given but his glory was taken away with the injury of his father. Jens use of contrast and good language shows how well he understands it with analogies and the difference between the attidude in the brothers in his story. Jen really captures your attention with his good use of language and his wit, also the language and sentence structure that was used by the parents was quite funny.