Similar to the previous chapters, Tan has a different narrator tell an anecdote. In this chapter Lindo Jong is the narrator. Lindo opens by telling a story about an American soldier who promises to return from war to marry a certain girl. He says " 'Promise! Promise! Honey-sweetheart, my promise is as good as gold.' " Tan uses this cliche to help Lindo explain what a true promise is and the Chinese view of gold. Lindo states that the Chinese believe that the only true gold is twenty-four carat gold. Others will wear fourteen carat gold which is not true gold. Therefore is their promise not completely true? That is what Lindo was conveying to the reader when she told the story about the American soldier. Your promise is only as true as the gold you wear. Lindo used this opening theme throughout her narrative to help illustrate how she is going to keep her promise that she made to her family and herself. This chapter reminded me of how important completely true promises are. A promise is not true and honest unless it is 'twenty-four carat gold" as Lindo suggests.
Here is a link to dictionary.com's definition of a promise.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/promise
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