Reference no: EM133563085

Assignment:

Conflict Questions for "Simple Recipes" by Madeleine Thien

Plot Summary:

In "Simple Recipes" by Madeleine Thien, the main character looks back to the time when the love she felt for her father became forever altered following the beating the father gives her brother.

Theme:

Like most stories, there are multiple themes present in "Simple Recipes". We will focus on the complexity of family dynamics (always interesting!).

Setting:

The setting is the family home. Most of the action takes place in the kitchen, a suitable setting given it is the main hub of activity for most families. It is also important because of the importance cooking plays in the bond between father and daughter.

Conflict:

There are a number of conflicts present in "Simple Recipes", the main conflict being the inner conflict the main character (the daughter) has with herself about her feelings towards her father. Answer the following questions on the element of conflict in the story "Simple Recipes".

1. "My brother was born in Malaysia, but when he immigrated with my parents to Canada, the language left him. Or he forgot it, or he refused it, which is common, and this made my father angry." (3) This quote shows how the father values the continued use of the Malaysian language, while the brother rejects it. From this story, find another example of this loss of tradition in the younger generation and explain how it contributes to conflict in the family.
2. The adult daughter describes how she does not use the rice cooker her father bought her and it "stays in the back of the cupboard, the cord wrapped neatly around its belly" (3). The preparing of the rice is otherwise in the story described lovingly and is a symbol of the joy she felt at cooking with her father, the rejection of the rice cooker symbolizing the change in how she feels about her father. Find one other instance where the daughter becomes conflicted in her feelings for her father.
3. The presence of violence in the family undeniably affects the change in how the daughter feels about her father. Find a quote that illustrates this affect violence has on her.
4. "We cast a spell, I think. The way we move in circles, how he cooks without thinking . . . He smiles down at me, but when he does this, it somehow breaks the spell." (8) This quote is taken from the part in the story after the beating takes place, indicating clearly that the "spell" of the bond between father and daughter is altered.
5. Please write three to four sentences on one of the following topics:

There was a time in my life when something happened to alter the way I viewed someone important in my life.

OR

As we go through life, our opinions or feelings about a current event or a public figure can change.