Theme of Assimilation in Alone by Bryan Shawn Wang Essay Sample

Having a mindset of continually needing acceptance from other people can harm one’s mental health, reputation, self-esteem and lead people towards negative horizons. Through Bryan Shawn Wang´s ¨Alone¨, readers can see the present theme of attempting to assimilate; this essay will examine the values of major and minor characters, how the conflict has been displayed, and ways the main idea can be expressed is visible through the short story. 

Furthermore, major and minor characters have had specific values that have portrayed the theme of trying to assimilate into a friend group. Within this short story, four characters play a role in ¨Alone¨ by Bryan Shawn Wang. Andrew and Bobbie Hackett, two brothers, have previously bullied Derek and have been known to be drunk and angry. These brothers have made Derek believe racism against his own race was the only way he could be an acquaintance. ¨when the Hackett brothers, drunk and angry, skidded up my driveway in their beat-up Corolla, I would walk outside and greet them with a high five...¨ (Wang,62) Derek Wai, the narrator and group misfit who created a plan that eventually injured Jun Chen, the only other Asian- American in his town. Derek is one of the main characters associated with assimilating with the brothers. Derek created and maintained a plan to physically abuse Jun Chen over this race to prove he was like one of the brothers. Jun Chen is a minor character that plays a huge role, and he is brutally beaten over being Asian in a white bread community. In the story ¨Alone¨ Wang wrote,¨wrapped my other hand around, as well, and finally raised the club and brought it down not once, not twice, but twenty-one times on the only other [Asian] in town...¨ (63) The characters presented in this story exemplify the message of partaking in harmful actions to be included in a group of friends. 

Subsequently, the conflict of racism towards a person's own descent has shown Derek’s willingness to try to fit in with the Hackett brothers.¨l reflected on how the situation would have differed had I been alone, unchained from the others, free to act without regard to the expectations, or what I believed to be the expectations of Bobbie and Andrew and everyone else in this white-bread town...¨ (Wang, 62) Arguably, readers can see Derek´s actions as violent towards Jun, brutally beating an individual until the point of them being motionless and silent is an act that shows willpower. The willingness to beat someone of the exact origin, the only other Asian in town, knows what it is like to be discriminated against solely based on race. ¨throughout this regrettable incident, I did not act according to my own designs but rather to satisfy such presumptions, to demonstrate to Andrew and Bobbie that I was anything, but [Asian]...¨ (Wang,62) Derek was determined to prove that he was able to be one of the brothers, rather than show the support to Jun by being there for him or standing up for him. Instead, Derek created a plan to physically abuse a person of the same descent, who was now being put through the same trauma he went through as a young kid. Derek had gone berserk to prove his want to be respected by his peers, the Hackett brothers. His willingness to be accepted by the two brothers showed a conflict of racism prevalent throughout the whole story of ¨Alone¨.

Additionally, the main idea of ¨Alone¨ is visible to the reader by Derek’s action because of what he believed was necessary to fit in. Derek was bullied by the brothers before; he played a part in the abuse of Jun in the order accepted by them. Wang stated,¨Derek Wai, the lanky [Asian] kid they once had bullied but then respected, even liked, had simply gone berserk, and then they tore off into the night to leave me and Jun alone...¨(63) Prejudice and racism are prevalent across America; it is not unordinary in this small, close-minded town. The actions that Derek sought out were significantly biased towards Jun; he suggested they should beat him up. This assault led to Jun being motionless and silent, leading the reader to believe he passed out or is now lifeless from this miserable hate crime. "Where to, Kemo Sabe?'' I would suggest cruising Taylor Street to have some fun with Jun; when we passed him near his place on North Taylor, and neither Bobbie nor Andrew recognized him, would say, "There's our outlaw"; and when they badgered poor Jun into the car, I would flick him a cheesy thumbs up and wink to put him at ease...¨(Wang,62) All along, Derek had created a plan, which included striking someone that was the only other Asian in this small town. As someone who has been discriminated against, many readers believe Derek would not have physically attacked Jun if he were alone that night.  The reader can visualize the main idea through Derek´s thought of guiding an act of violence to assimilate within this group of brothers. 

To conclude, the main idea of trying to assimilate is shown through Bryan Shawn Wang´s ¨Alone¨ through the major and minor characters, the portrayal of the conflict, and the visualization of the main idea through the story. Although racism is a significant obstacle throughout America, through this story, Derek feels he must commit violent acts against the only other Asian-American in his town to fit with the two Hackett brothers. Derek believes that the brothers had a standard required to meet to be accepted by the two Hackett brothers. Derek had gone insane while trying to gain the acceptance of his peer through the brutal attack of Jun.