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Family Pressures & Identity Struggles
Celeste Ng has a pattern of including family pressures and identity struggles in her novels in order to shape the plot and the characters. In her novel “Everything I Never Told About You” Ng utilizes race criticism, the author explains how the Lee family, while being a mixed race family, makes the character feel like outsiders. This leads to the children not feeling seen and constantly feeling different with their Asian American background. The parents push their children into fitting-in or being their version of perfection. Ng also utilizes gender criticism through the expectation of traditional gender roles in the characters Lydia and Marilyn. Lydia feels torn because she is getting pushed into being a successful scientist from Marilyn and popular or more “girly.
https://www.atlantisjournal.org/index.php/atlantis/article/view/786/530
Flashbacks
Ng utilizes flashbacks many times in her novel “Little Fires Everywhere” to show why the characters act the way they do. By constantly moving the story from past to present it shows each character their character development. Flashbacks can give a reasoning for why characters make the decisions that they do and show how their pasts influence their present choices. The flashbacks can also reveal deep truths that characters don’t say out loud. In the novel Elena’s need for control, Mia’s fear of being judged, and the children struggling to figure out where they belong in society is all shown through flashbacks. Ng talks about how flashbacks add mystery and tension because they each give a new piece of information about the character that changes the way the reader views them. Flashbacks also show how the “little fires everywhere” started way before the actual fire but through mistakes and secrets.
Feminist Criticism
The article utilizes feminist criticism to compare Elena and Mia as two opposite mothers in womanhood. Elena’s parenting style relies on strict rules, perfection, and her and her family is perceived by society. She believes that a socially acceptable mother should be organized, respectable, willing to sacrifice for their kids, and still be able to be in control. On the other hand Mia’s parenting style represents freedom, creativity, and not the traditional way of parenting. Most of the conflict in the novel stems from Elena and Mia disagreeing with each other's parenting style and who they believe is being a “good mother”. In the article it criticizes Elena’s version of feminism because it represents privilege which becomes controversial when she expects Mia to make the same choices and assume she has the same resources as her. When doing this, Elena ignores racial and class differences that Mia and Elena have. The article continues to talk about how Ng uses Mia to challenge the societal expectation that is placed on women. Ng wanted to change the idea that motherhood should look planned, neat, and organized. Mia’s version of motherhood is messy but she still is very loving and protective of her children.
Race Criticism
The article mentions Bebe Chow and her custody battle with her child. Ng shows how poor women of color are judged more harshly as mothers than a white privileged mother. In flashbacks it reveals that Bebe is poor and she is not able to have the power and resources as other privileged families. This makes her seem like a “not good mother” to society even though she loves her child just as much as any other mother. While the white, wealthy McCulloughs are seen as the “better” parents. As a black woman in society, Mia is always seen as the outsider. This is despite how kind, intelligent, and talented she is. Flashbacks help show that Mia’s race and poverty creates more judgement from others in society. The article also mentions how Mia’s choices that she makes are interpreted differently because she is black. When a white character makes decisions that are seen as strong and independent many times when a black character makes the same choices it can be seen as threatening. Many of Elena’s accusations about Mia stem from Mia’s race even though Shaker Heights is supposed to be changing into a more accepting community.
Deconstruction
The article utilizes deconstruction to show how the novel ”Everything I Never Told You” shifts the narrative of traditional views such as about identity, family roles, and success. The author shows how the characters are not able to fit into specific roles society wants them to be in. For example the “perfect daughter”, “strict father”, or “organized mother”. These identities are often proven wrong throughout this novel for they are not able to hold this societal expected title. Lydia is portrayed as a happy and popular teenager but is internally struggling with feeling alone and not having anyone to turn to. Deconstruction is shown in Lydia by revealing how her identity is not built from who she really is but who her parents want her to be. She is thrown into a world where her parents' expectations are forced on her. If she were to take steps into finding her own identity it would be seen as wrong and stepping out of line. The article shows that Ng purposely creates complex characters to show that identity is never just one simple answer.
https://davidpublisher.com/Public/uploads/Contribute/611df997a4e4e.pdf
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