Characters Traits Examples of Textual evidencePrefers the simple life Dislikes his wife’s gatherings with her friends where they

eat cakes made with expensive foreign fruit (p.20)A filial and loving son Bought binoculars for his mother to see better (p.20)

Makes sure that his mother’s burial is done the right way (p.19)

Decides to take care of the family altar as his mother would want him to (p.35)

Split between traditional and modern values and beliefs

Proud of the modern life he has built but tries to keep tradition alive in his home. (p.35)

His children have Chinese names (p.20) He addresses his mother as ‘Ah-Ma’ (p.20) He has difficulty communicating with his mother about

their past life. (p.23) Wants to continue the custom of ancestral worship but feels

embarrassed about talking to his dead mother (p.36)

Ah-Ma Mr T.W. Li’s mother Ying’s grandmother, ‘Popo’ (Cantonese for grandmother) Mother of nine children, grandmother of thirty-four and great-grandmother of

seventeen Small, thin, with grey hair and bent

Characters Traits Examples of Textual evidencePrefers simple life Rears chicken in the garden (p.20)

Tells her son that she has everything she needs and does not need the things he can buy (pp, 20, 22)

Treasures family Remembers the time when she was poor but happy, when she was close to her son (p.28)

Stubborn Refuses to go for an eye operation to remove her cataracts (p.19)

Insisted on using real candles for years. (p.26)Traditional Takes care of the family altar (p.25)

Makes sure that the ancestral worship customs are followed properly (p.25)

Kind and understanding

Understands her son who is trying to distance himself from his past and keep quiet. (p.23)