Girl In Translation

Dust acts as a physical reminder of both the squalor in which Kim works and the labor she performs in the factory. At home, the dust goes hand-in-hand with the dilapidated state of their apartment. No matter how much cleaning they do, Kim and Ma are unable to keep the apartment clean. At the factory, the production and packaging of clothes creates fabric particles that get into the workers' clothes and hair. Kim seeks refuge in the physical and mental cleanliness of her school, reflecting that "after the dusty, physical work of the factory, the scientific world created a clear and logical paradise where I could feel safe" (174). 

In Hong Kong, Ma had been a violinist, a music teacher, and a lover of music. Music is so important to her that, as she says,"Without my violin, I'd forget who I was" (118). After she and Kim emigrate, though, she has very little free time left for that part of herself. From Hong Kong, she brought along her violin and a 78-rpm record that "held great emotional value for her" (40). Kim remembers how their nightly routine in Hong Kong consisted of Ma playing a record for her and singing along with it. Though overworked, she makes time to play the violin for she and Kim at least once a week. At the novel's end, Kim repays her mother in a way by making a point to take her to live, classical concerts.

The apartment Aunt Paula moves the Changs into has no central heat, nor glass in its windowpanes. This becomes a major problem during harsh New York City winters. When they first move into the apartment, the stove faces the bathroom door, which Kim explains is bad feng shui. During their first winter, she and Ma start to leave the oven on all of the time to heat the apartment. Though it only creates "a small circle of warmth," (52) it's better than no heat at all. The oven breaks down after years of use in the middle of winter and a Chinese man comes over to fix it. He tears it apart and asks for $100, but Kim suspects that he is trying to cheat them. She asserts herself by kicking him out and calling the gas company, who sends over a kind repairman to fix it. Actions like these show how Kim often has to take on the role of parent in her relationship with Ma.

The recurring act of gift-giving demonstrates how Kim relates to the people around her, and to the money required to give gifts. She experiences constant anxiety about how many skirts something will cost, and can rarely spare the money to buy gifts for anyone. Ma makes an effort to give gifts when she can, including some for Mr. Al, and one for Mr. Bogart, Kim's teacher. When Curt tries to give Kim one of his sculptures, Kim refuses it, because Ma had taught her "not to be beholden to anyone" (210). Despite the level of their poverty, or perhaps because of it, Kim refuses to set pride aside to accept any help.