In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
Encyclopedia
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson is a book
by author Bette Bao Lord
.
about a young girl who leaves a secure life within her clan in China
following World War II
. She begins a new life in America because her father has taken a job as an engineer in the United States
. Many Chinese customs and traditions are discussed, along with their importance to Shirley Temple Wong and her family. Shirley's family does not give up their cultural traditions, but they do adopt many American customs in order to adapt to the American way of life.
The reader enjoys many humorous situations as Shirley fails to understand her new culture and the nuances of the English language
. It takes her a while to learn her new language, presenting her with many difficult, and sometimes hilarious, outcomes. At first, Shirley desperately wants to fit in with her new classmates by playing stickball
or by leaving the school for lunch. Because she is of small stature and doesn't have good ball-handling skills, Shirley has trouble fitting in with her classmates' activities. Her efforts are admirable, but her classmates are not encouraged to include her on their teams. Her habit of bowing to them and her lack of fluent English makes it hard to the children to accept her. Her parents want her to fit in, but they are not adept at helping her. Noticing her quietness and sadness, her father buys her a pair of roller skates. Not knowing how to skate, Shirley becomes bruised and bloodied from her efforts to learn. It isn't until a fellow fifth grader befriends her that she learns how to roller skate and how to play stickball. This friendship
helps her enjoy life in a new land, and to feel more a part of this new culture.
She never loses her connection to the culture of her birth, as she still misses the closeness of her clan ane the interaction with her many cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Bette Bao Lord manages to tie together Shirley's love of her past life in China and her present life in the United States. She is able to "fit in" without losing her ties to the past.
This novel is humorous in its treatment of Shirley's adjustment to her new culture. Its high point is Shirley's meeting with her American hero, the black baseball
player Jackie Robinson
. Many parallels are drawn between them and their "fitting in," from their being pigeon-toed runners, to their being different from the status quo
. Her rabid interest in that most American of sports, baseball, defines her acceptance of her new culture as well as its acceptance of her. This book shows the power of sports and how it can create a friendship.
This is a book which would be appealing to children in the third to sixth grade levels because they can identify with Shirley, in all her innocence. Lord has created a sympathetic character without making us pity her. This is a culturally comparative book because there are parallels drawn between both Shirley's life in China and in the United States, but there is no evaluation made as to which is better. There is no goal for Shirley to give up her Chinese culture in order to adapt to the American culture. There seems to be room for both in her life. This novel presents an in-depth look at family relationships, values, religious traditions, child-rearing beliefs, work ethics, and the nature of friendship within Shirley's culture of origin, as well as her adopted culture. Shirley's characterization in the story is strong, and the plot moves quickly and evokes interest. The settings, both in China and in the United States, provide historical knowledge about both countries in the post-war era. Because of this, it would be considered historical fiction
. Many lessons of tolerance
could be taught in the classroom by using such an entertaining and historically accurate novel.
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
by author Bette Bao Lord
Bette Bao Lord
Bette Bao Lord is a Chinese American writer and civic activist for human rights and democracy.-Biography:She was born in Shanghi, China. With her mother and father, Dora and Sandys Bao, she came to the United States at the age of eight when her father, a British-trained engineer, was sent there...
.
Plot
In the Year of the Bore and Jackie Robinson is a children's novelChildren's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
about a young girl who leaves a secure life within her clan in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She begins a new life in America because her father has taken a job as an engineer in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Many Chinese customs and traditions are discussed, along with their importance to Shirley Temple Wong and her family. Shirley's family does not give up their cultural traditions, but they do adopt many American customs in order to adapt to the American way of life.
The reader enjoys many humorous situations as Shirley fails to understand her new culture and the nuances of the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. It takes her a while to learn her new language, presenting her with many difficult, and sometimes hilarious, outcomes. At first, Shirley desperately wants to fit in with her new classmates by playing stickball
Stickball
Stickball is a street game related to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game, played in large cities in the Northeastern United States, especially New York City. The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball, typically a spaldeen, pensie pinkie, high bouncer or tennis ball. The...
or by leaving the school for lunch. Because she is of small stature and doesn't have good ball-handling skills, Shirley has trouble fitting in with her classmates' activities. Her efforts are admirable, but her classmates are not encouraged to include her on their teams. Her habit of bowing to them and her lack of fluent English makes it hard to the children to accept her. Her parents want her to fit in, but they are not adept at helping her. Noticing her quietness and sadness, her father buys her a pair of roller skates. Not knowing how to skate, Shirley becomes bruised and bloodied from her efforts to learn. It isn't until a fellow fifth grader befriends her that she learns how to roller skate and how to play stickball. This friendship
Friendship
Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association are often thought of as spanning across the same continuum...
helps her enjoy life in a new land, and to feel more a part of this new culture.
She never loses her connection to the culture of her birth, as she still misses the closeness of her clan ane the interaction with her many cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Bette Bao Lord manages to tie together Shirley's love of her past life in China and her present life in the United States. She is able to "fit in" without losing her ties to the past.
This novel is humorous in its treatment of Shirley's adjustment to her new culture. Its high point is Shirley's meeting with her American hero, the black baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
. Many parallels are drawn between them and their "fitting in," from their being pigeon-toed runners, to their being different from the status quo
Status quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
. Her rabid interest in that most American of sports, baseball, defines her acceptance of her new culture as well as its acceptance of her. This book shows the power of sports and how it can create a friendship.
This is a book which would be appealing to children in the third to sixth grade levels because they can identify with Shirley, in all her innocence. Lord has created a sympathetic character without making us pity her. This is a culturally comparative book because there are parallels drawn between both Shirley's life in China and in the United States, but there is no evaluation made as to which is better. There is no goal for Shirley to give up her Chinese culture in order to adapt to the American culture. There seems to be room for both in her life. This novel presents an in-depth look at family relationships, values, religious traditions, child-rearing beliefs, work ethics, and the nature of friendship within Shirley's culture of origin, as well as her adopted culture. Shirley's characterization in the story is strong, and the plot moves quickly and evokes interest. The settings, both in China and in the United States, provide historical knowledge about both countries in the post-war era. Because of this, it would be considered historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
. Many lessons of tolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
could be taught in the classroom by using such an entertaining and historically accurate novel.