The flower blooming in the snow
While the first time I saw this book, I think it must be a sad story. It even make me imagine that the girl on the cover is being bullied. However, after I read though the book, I find out that this a story about the growth of an strengthen Korea girl--from a girl who only knows to obey order to a independent young women. From the cover of Gathering of pearls, the first thing you can see is a white background which represents the Korean culture which limits Sookan, but the pink flowers in the snow represent the influence of American culture ;Despite the difficulties she faces, she continues to become stronger and stronger, just like the flowers blooming on the cover.
The first time Sookan comes to America, we can tell that she is totally a Korean. She feel strange and embarrassed when she see people kissing and hugging in the airport. Also holding hand with a boy or choose who to married is unbelievable to her. The only goal for her at that time is study as hard as she can and go back to Korea to become a nun as her sister dose. Therefore, she’s life and future has been planned already by her elders. Korean culture is like a big cold hard wall which separate her from American culture. We can see how nervous she feel when she attend the meeting at the first time; she just want to become part of the student but not the distinguish one that is really different from the later time which she feel well when somebody nominate her as the student leader. The Korean culture creates lots of block on her experience in America, and it turn out to the difficulties on her way to moving forward and getting better. However, there is a saying that “Do in Rome as Rome dose.” Although Sookan’s sister is always warning her about how important it is to keep Korean culture, it only make Sookan want more about freedom and questioning about her future. As we all know winter is always going to past and the snow will melt, so the tenacious flower will finally experience the warm and welcome a vivid spring.
The second body paragraph is about: The changes that American culture brings to Sookan. And people who help her to make changes.
The third body paragraph is about: What forms during the conflict of American culture and Korean culture.
To sum up, the cover gives a introduction of what is happening in the book; we see the conflicts between American culture and Korean culture from the cold white background and the blooming flower. It not only shows a formidable experience of a Korea young girl but also help to understand the meaning of mother’s world which says that trouble won’t just bring the sadness and hardship but also forming the preciousness pearls.
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