Rose Hsu Jordan-->Without Wood: Chapter 11-term: irony

 American Translation

The tenth chapter is about Rose and her divorce with Ted.  She talks about how her mother is such a strong person, and she believed everything her mother said.  She talks about her childhood nightmares of being alone.  Rose and her mother attend a funeral for an older lady at their church.  During her and her mother's conversation, their is irony. Rose's mother says, "'You are getting too thin,'...'You must eat more.' and Rose says, 'I'm fine...And besides, wasn't it you who said my clothes were always too tight?'" (187).  It is ironic that her mother is saying she is too think and her clothes are tight at the same time.  Rose goes on about how she cannot even remember what she saw in Ted or why she married him.  She looks at the house and thinks about all the old times they had.  Her mother tells her that she does not stand up for herself.  It seems to be a reoccurring theme with the Chinese women in this novel.  They do not stand their ground.  Rose's mother says, "You must listen to your mother standing next to you. That is the only way to grow strong and straight. But if you bend to listen to other people, you will grow crooked and weak. You will fall to the ground with the first strong wind" (191).  This quote shows the many lessons that she learns from her mother.  A theme that is coming up a lot is important lessons to learn from your mother.  This reminds me of times where I did not know what to do in a situation, and all I had to do is listen to my mother.  My mother has experience and knows a lot more than I do, even when I don't think so.  The chapter ends with Rose standing her ground and telling Ted the house is hers, not his.