Culture in Literature
By: Jameson Shaw
Texts Read
To research the characteristics of the Korean culture I read three texts. These texts are The Grammar of Silk, Blue Lantern, and Picture Bride. These are three short stories that represent three aspects of the Korean culture. The Grammar of Silk is the short story that I will connect to three characteristics.
"The Grammar of Silk" Analysis
This poem is placed on Saturday mornings in Ms. Umemoto's sewing school. This is the story of a girl learning to sew with her mother. It relates Korean art with their culture. " They deciphered a dress's blueprints with an architects keen eye"(Song 153) in this quote you can see that the Korean culture of art includes lots of detail. They also have a keen eye for detail, and apply their art to making clothing. Here is an example of what they use for this art " lifesaver rolls of thread in fifty-yard lengths , spun from spools tough as tackle"(Song 153). In this quote it describes the threads as being life saving. That means that art in the Korean culture is very important. It also said that the spools are tough and very old. The Korean culture of art is very detailed, and important to their lifestyle.
Cathy Song Bio
Cathy song was born on 1955 in Hawaii to a Chinese mother and a Korean father. Cathy went to college and received her M.A. in creative writing. With this degree she has written many poems and stories about the Korean and Hawaiian cultures throughout her career.
Works Cited
Song Cathy "The Grammar of Silk" Asian American Literature. New Jersey. Prentice Hall Literature: Upper Saddle River 1999
Song Cathy "Blue Lantern" Asian American Literature. New Jersey. Prentice Hall Literature: Upper Saddle River 1999
Song Cathy "Picture Bride" Asian American Literature. New Jersey. Prentice Hall Literature: Upper Saddle River 1999
Song Cathy "Asian American Literature" New Jersey. Prentice Hall Literature: Upper Saddle River 1999