Paper Shadows
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Paper Shadows
By: Wayson Choy
In the story "Paper Shadows", Wayson Choy uses a great deal of figurative language. He uses metaphors, imagery, symbolism and also similes. There are many reasons why the author has chosen to use different figurative languages, one of the reasons being the Chinese cultural traditions. By the use of the figurative language it gives the reader many interpretive possibilities.
When relating to the Chinese cultural traditions, Wayson Choy shows this by discussing how he received his name and the significance of it. "Grandfather's generation believed that names were potent, significant. In old China, the act of naming a First son, a First Grandson, involved the advice of numerologists and astrologers, fortunetellers divining appropriate meanings and symbols." (466). The given quote shows a symbolic meaning that lies beyond reality. Due to the Chinese cultural tradition, they believe in a lot of superstition...