Family, culture, ambition, and betrayal --- these were all mirrored
in the story entitled
Nanking Store.
The story was about Linda and Peter who was a married couple
and whose relationship was ideal at first but later on, everything changed. This
was because the couple still did not have a child after how many years of
living together. It was really a must for them to have a child, particularly a
son, because Peter’s father was the only survivor of the Zhin family and thus,
their family name was in danger of dying out and it would be the worst thing
that could happen to a Chinese family, for the bloodline to vanish from the
world. Peter would then be the only hope to carry on the family name.
It is true that Chinese family is much concern about preserving
their family name because it is of great value for them since it represents
their blood tie within a social structure.
This is the reason why Peter’s family wanted Peter to have a child, most
especially, a son. But Peter was so pressured because of his family and it came
to a point that he was dating a Bisayan bar girl and they had a son.
Linda and Peter already had a problem of not having a child.
Now, because of Peter’s eagerness to have a child, Peter had an affair to other
woman and betrayed Linda. The problem just became worse. They should have bear
in mind that a problem would not be solved by creating another problem. Peter
did not consider the consequences of his actions. He was so desperate to have a
child and resorted to a wrong act. Although he was so proud of having a son,
his parents were not that happy about it because they were conscious on racial
purity.
Throughout the story, Linda’s mother-in-law was hostile to
her. She would get easily irritated even if Linda had not done any wrong. Peter’s family did not really like Linda.
This situation is also seen in our society today, when in-laws are not that in
favor of their son’s wife or daughter’s husband. The reason for this is maybe
because they are not yet ready for their son or daughter to be married or they
are looking for some qualifications that
their son’s or daughter’s partner should have. But even if some of the in-laws’
standards would not be met, they still have to accept and respect their son’s
or daughter’s decision. They should have constant communication and be open to
each member of the family to strengthen their bond with one another and to
maintain a harmonious relationship.
The story unraveled various lessons that we can apply in our
lives. Each character portrayed different personality. Each of them represented
someone. Each character was unique. But whatever their personality, they still
had their own reasons behind it. We can really never judge the lives of others
because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. As the saying
goes, “Don’t judge the book by its cover but rather open it and discover.”
Some conflicts were also presented in the story. Each
character faced their own struggles and they had their own way of solving them.
In reality, we are also facing our own difficulties. But what matters most is
that we should endure until the end. We must remember that life can get hard
and things can go wrong, but we have to stand up and stay strong.