Unfulfilled Desires
In the poem "Father from Asia," Shirley Geok-Lin Lim discusses the pain of growing up with a father and culture that represses her. When Lim says, "keep you in my sleep" (348), she suggests that the painful memories from her childhood are something that she lives with day to day. Although Lim does not suggest any physical abuse, the emotional scars left by such a strict upbringing can be just as damaging. Lim wrote this poem to get her emotions in order and to justify her reasons for leaving her family and culture behind. Lim may be hurt and possibly putting her feelings in words as a part of her healing process. When Lim says, "Asia who loved his children, who didn't know abandonment" (Lim 348), perhaps Lim is telling us how Asia treats her. She most likely grew up in a culture that does not allow for the women to pursue the own desires. Lim most likely was brought up in a world where the woman's job was to watch the house and raise the kids, leaving to pursuing ones personal desires was not even an option. Lim reinforces this idea when she says, "from whose life/I have learned nothing for myself" (Lim 348), she is expressing her feelings of repression. These low expectations could cause Lim to ha
Lim goes on to say "father of ten children, father of nothing" (Lim 348) and is referring to a financial or emotional poverty. I did eventually a few years ago go back and confront my dad. A poor father with so many children, most likely, could not adequately provide for all of his children. While this empowerment allows her to direct her anger, she is only in effect bottling her true emotions. Perhaps Lim could not truly form how she felt about her culture until after she left. Lim most likely experienced emotional and financial poverty. Lim's tone is not just angry, when she says, "I renounce you" (Lim 348), this is more along the lines of ex-communication. ve a very low self-ideal, preventing her from attempting pursuing her personal desires. One of the most important relationships that a woman can have is with her father. Once she left her country and culture she becomes aware of her options elsewhere in the world. There is no coming back from dust, to her Asia and her father is dead and there is no changing her mind. Lim however, seems to be taking these feelings and using them to empower herself. The only clothes that she would have had to wear would have been hand me downs from her older brothers and sisters. Lim was most likely embarrassed in public wearing these old, worn clothing and this would have caused her to have a low self-esteem further preventing her from having strong and healthy relationships.
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