Mr. Green

In "Mr. Green" Butler uses diction to develop the theme of challenges faced by women in upholding family traditions. The story is narrated by a young girl, who recalls her childhood in Vietnam to her present life in New Orleans. From a very young age, she was told that it was "not possible" for her to maintain her family's traditions because she was a girl. Her grandfather even mentions that only a boy can "oversee the worship of his ancestors." The phrase "not possible" has an essential purpose. It seems to personify the culture that the narrator comes from, a culture that has well-defined gender barriers. The grandfather is very oppressive in saying that the narrator could not be Catholic and has to worship her ancestors, mainly because she was a female. The phrase "what then" was repeated many times in the story. This phrase indicates that some things cannot be changed, and Mr. Green says "what then" to convey this message. The word "recoil" was also repeated in many instances. Each time it was used, it was in a situation in which the narrator had to protect herself from the harsh comments of her grandfather and Mr. Green. When she finally realizes that she can do something by ending the bird’s misery, the haunting words "not possible" begins to crumble away and fade. After being verbally abused by Mr.Green for years, she was finally able to end both their pain by an action that seems shocking at first. But by doing so, she was able to put an end to the Confucian values of her grandfather. Her grandfather had trained the parrot so much that the bird had become a piece of him. Even though she loved her grandfather, perhaps she begrudged his hampered views of women and religion. I think it signifies how she wants to break free from her past (Butler).

Works Cited

Butler, Robert Olen. "Mr. Green." Http://www.deanza.edu/faculty/swensson/green.html. Accessed 04 Oct. 2017