Short Story #5
Journey by Shirley Geok-Lin Lim
Author's Background
When her first poem was published in
the Malacca Times at age 10, she
already knew she wanted to pursue
poetry.
She received both her BA and PhD
from the University of Malaya and
Brandeis University, respectively.
Short Story #5
Journey by Shirley Geok-Lin Lim
Author's Background
Despite having published books of
short stories, critiques, novels, and
memoirs, Shirley still regarded
herself as a poet.
She was raised in a household and
society with a history of abuse.
Short Story #5
Journey by Shirley Geok-Lin Lim
Author's Background
She received a federal scholarship and
attended the University of Malaya,
where she graduated with a B.A. in
English with first-class honours.
Shirley Geok-lin Lim is married to
Charles Bazerman, a professor at
University of California, Santa
Barbara. She has one child, named
Gershom.
Few of her Books
Among the White Moon Joss and What the Fortune Teller
Faces Gold Didn't Say
Societal background
Lim was born in the small town of Malacca City.
She grew up with five other brothers but they were
abandoned by their mother during their childhood
Later in life, she is married to Charles Bazerman who is a
professor at the University of California and had one
child together named Gershom
SUMMARY OF JOURNEY
Narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator the reader realises after reading the story that Lim
may be exploring the theme of responsibility. The unnamed female protagonist is responsible for getting
her mother’s medication. Though she has to go to a place she has never been she still nonetheless follows
her mother’s instructions and succeeds in getting the medicine. The journey itself to get the medication is
interesting as there is a sense that the protagonist is seeing a world that is very different to her own world.
She knows nobody yet she is not afraid. Her mind is focused on getting the medication despite everything
or everyone that is around her. If anything the protagonist is driven by the task ahead of her. Something
that is also noticeable in the dream that the protagonist has. She is not defeated by the darkness even
though she is very much afraid. It is also possible that Lim is using the dream at the start of the story as
foreshadowing to when the protagonist sees her mother getting sick. She is afraid but she still nonetheless
helps her mother.
The best she can do is to get the medicine for her mother and clean up her mother’s sickness after she
has gotten sick. She can do nothing else for her mother. It is also possible that the protagonist knows that
her life is about to change now that her mother is sick.
SUMMARY OF JOURNEY
It is also interesting that the protagonist’s father does very little in the story. He gambles and swears. Apart
from that he does nothing else. It is possible that Lim is suggesting that the father though he has
responsibilities to his family is not honouring those responsibilities. Leaving matters to the protagonist and
her siblings.
The protagonist never wavers when it comes to the tasks she has to perform. She could easily forget about
what she has to do but so serious are matters she remains focused. Getting the medicine and returning
home with it. The fact that the medicine is a herbal remedy may also be important as Lim may be placing a
spotlight on tradition. While most people would go to a medical doctor or a hospital if they were ill. This is
not the case for the protagonist’s mother. She believes in traditional remedies. However the remedy does
not appear to be working for the protagonist’s mother. Something that is obvious to the reader when the
mother gets sick in the bathroom.
Despite this there is no sense that the mother will see a medical doctor or go to the hospital. Possibly
because her beliefs in traditional medicine are so strong. However it may also be a case that the
protagonist’s mother cannot afford to see a medical doctor.
SUMMARY OF JOURNEY
The end of the story is also interesting as the protagonist appears to be at a loss
when it comes to helping her mother. She does not know what to do. Though she is
aware that her mother is very sick. In many ways the paralysis that the protagonist
felt in her dream is mirrored by her inability to help her mother. The best that she
can do is to clean up after her mother and allow her mother to go back to bed. The
fact that the protagonist also switches on the bathroom light when her mother is
getting sick may be important. Symbolically the turning on of the light can be seen as
a moment of realization for the narrator. She now knows that her life will not be the
same anymore. No longer will it be her mother looking after her but instead it will be
the protagonist looking after her mother. The narrator has a come of age whether
she likes it or not. Her childhood is now over and the task ahead of her is to be her
mother’s nurse. Life will not be the same for the protagonist. She swiftly made the
transition from childhood to adulthood. Though again she may not have chosen to
grow up so quick. However due to the circumstances that the protagonist finds
herself in. She has no choice but to grow up quickly.
Fun Facts about Shirley
Geok-lin Lim & the text
Shirley is the first asian and a woman to won Awarded the Multiethnic
thw Commonwealth Poetry Prize for her first Literatures of the United States
collection of poems, Crossing The Peninsula Lifetime Achievement Award
and UCSB Faculty Research
which published in 1980. Lecture Award as she has taught
multiple institute and university.
She's published seven poetry
collections; three books of short
stories; two novels ; a children's
novel, translated into Chinese;
and The Shirley Lim Collection.
Her memoir, Among the White
Moon Faces, received the
American Book Award.
Fun Facts about Shirley
Geok-lin Lim & the text
In 'Journey', the story is told from a third
person perspective looking upon the family
of a young girl.
It seems as she has lost the The feminime perspective is
innocence of childhood as she shown by showing the transition
realises that there is no real between innocence and
protection and that the adulthood but also how women's
neverending pattern of domestic identities are soley defined by
drudgery, childbirth and family and domestic burdens
objectification are all that await with no hope for a different life.
her.