Ribbons

Imagine having an act of cruelty done unto you that was not seen as cruelty but a forced favor. Then you escaped their implied generosity, having to be scarred and burdened with that act for the rest of you and your families lives and history. That’s how this young girls grandmother felt after having her foot deformed in hopes that she would marry a rich man. All this happened in an earlier stage in Chinese history in the story “ribbons”. “Ribbons” is a comedy that relates to historic faults.

Ribbons has comedic symbolism imbedded in its text.
On Page 466 the text states “The sunlight swept over the broad grassy square” which implies that the story is happy and normal. Also on that same page the text proclaims “in that bright warm rectangular angle of light” which translates into having a nice and cozy normal place. Both of which represent symbols of comedy.

“Ribbons” also has a true background in the story a horrible historic event happened, where in real life many cruel historic events changed many lives. For example, slavery. The African American people will forever have a negative scar on not only their lives but their children’s lives and their children’s lives. This compares to “Ribbons” because The grandmother had a cruel harm done to her through her Chinese history.

“Ribbons” also follows the plotline of a comedy. Before the main character’s grandmother started a conflict this story starts out in normalcy. Then the main character (Stacy)’s grandmother does make a conflict. Stacy realizes the conflict that was made with her and her grandmother drifting apart not realizing that the past meant nothing. The return to normalcy was Stacy and her grandmother realizing each others differences and excepting them, So the conflict is resolved.

After having an act of cruelty horribly inflicted upon Stacy’s grandmother still managed to overcome the barrier between an herself and her ballet loving sweet grandchild. Now ribbons the story by Laurence yep has been clearly proven to be a comedy. This story may come to teach us that to accept the future you must overcome the past.




By ELadio basquez