Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is one of the best children’s novels written in the 20th Century. It possesses themes that are relevant to the current society and especially to people with color. Children innocent as show discrimination and suffer discrimination as much as adults; however, little consideration is given to their feeling and thus are left to wonder in a world of loneliness alone. Listening to Grace Lin’s TEDx talk, an individual can share her experiences with that of Minli in the Novel. Some of the themes presented by both the novel and the speech are self-identity and self-sacrifice. Grace produces a perfect book that mirrors her desires and ambitions.
In the novel, the main character Minli’s main strength, is her identity and her willingness to sacrifice for her friends and family. She traverses vast regions in her homeland, leaving her home to face danger in the hopes of saving her family. Such austerity is explained in Grace’s Ted talks. Grace rejects her identity. She has little concern for her family, who are different from the general population of Caucasians. As a result, Grace feels isolated and alone. Grace uses her failings to create a character that is compassionate, courageous, and fearless. The Ted talk is a negative contrast to the novel. However, the turnaround as she completes the lecture provides a clear understanding of the story as the girl in the book is a creation of her reflection.
The line I find captivating in the talk is Here I was in Rome speaking Italian. Yet, I could not speak one word of my mother tongue, I realized I could tell him about Italian culture(statement shortened), but I could not tell him why my parents immigrated to America.” This statement struck me because it provides the reason why Grace wrote the book. In her Ted talk, Grace speaks of using the book as a mirror. She advises that when finding a book for children, the book should function as a mirror to guide the child and should not distance the child from the world. One of Graces Major failing was lack of self-identity. Self-identity, as per the novel, is recognizing your circumstances and formulating methods to counter or develop challenges arising from these circumstances. Grace fails in developing her identity. However, she finds her new identity in her character Minli in the novel.
Minli, in the book Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, embodies all children and the hopes they possess. I feel that the journey Minli goes through to save her land is a reflection every child of color must go through to ensure they live a good life. Nothing is or will be easy for them. However, these challenges are there to give out direction and guidance on what to do and who to become. When listening to Grace’s story, I can correlate her experience to that of any child of color in school. The lack of any figure that functions as a guide leads them into crime, drugs, and other vices. However, parents can find this reflection for their children from books, which can provide hope for them. Grace’s talk is an inspirational guide for any parent when selecting the kind of material to feed the child. Therefore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Grace’s TEDx talk produces a perfect mirror of her desires and goals