Cultural References in Ah Mah :: mah

Cultural References in Ah Mah In almost every piece of literature there can be found references to the authors or the narrators culture. Having an understanding of this culture can help one better understand a literary cook. Reading a work that contains references to a culture can also spark interest and inspire the reader to learn more almost the culture that is represented in the work. one and only(a) such piece of literature is the poem Ah Mah, written by Shirley Geok-lin Lim. This poem contains many references to Chinese culture that are very interesting and inspire curiosity. By researching the culture of China, one can better understand the references to it in Ah Mah. Then, the poem has more meaning to the reader than if he did not posses any acquaintance about Chinese culture. Ah Mah is a poem about the authors grandmother. The author, Lim, describes her grandmother in detail and explains how her grandfather bought her grandmother. Lim describes her grandmother as a very teeny-weeny and thin woman (10-11). She gives the impression that her grandmother had a hard life even though it appears that the family had enough money. The fact that the family is Chinese is also very evident due to the many references to Chinese culture that are made as Lim describes aspects of her grandmothers life. The first aspect of the grandmothers life that is a reference to her culture is the mention of silk. In the poem, Lim states that her grandmother tottered / in black silk (7-8). This reference may seem unimportant at first glance. However, if one has knowledge of the country of China, it becomes apparent that silk is important. Silk has been a major resource in China since ancient times. A route called the Silk Road was an important path followed by traders who traded goods with the Chinese for raw silk. Silk has been abundant in China for a long time and it was a more common fabric there before it was popular in other places. Silk fabric was still considered a sign of status in China, but it was more easily found there than in other move of the world (Chinese Culture). Another reference to Silk in the poem that is more indirect is Soochow flower song girl, which is referring to the grandmother (Lim 12). Soochow is a city in China that is also known as Suzhou or Wuxian city.