Interdependence in Tiger Writing by Gish Yen - Essay Example

Interdependence in “Tiger Writing” by Gish Yen The reading under consideration is “Tiger Writing” by Gish Jen, which is being reviewed by Wesley Yang for the New York Times. The following article draws upon some of the core ideas of the book that touch upon questions concerning the place and role of an individual in the society. The most interesting among the raised issues are the questions of whether it is possible to assert that the relationships of interdependence are more advantageous than independence.

In this regard, I support the view expressed by Jen that interdependence can become a way to strike the balance between the collective interests and personal ones, thereof, it is the most acceptable option. To start with, in order to decide what mode of relationships, interdependence or independence, is more appropriate, it is necessary to realize what is actually understood under the notion of “interdependence”. For instance, as it explained by Jen, interdependence is not aimed at rejecting individuality or sacrificing personal self for the sake of the social good, but is an approach that emphasizes the need to stay receptive to the norms and demands of a society one lives in.

“Interdependent self is defined not by its sense of inner autonomy, but by its sensitivity to the social roles it must play […]”. (Yang, 2013) In other words, interdependence does not presuppose rejecting individual self, but trying to adjust it to the social environment and build the relationships of cooperation. Furthermore, to my mind, it is clear that individual self is formed as a result of interdependence as far as people are social beings, who grow, develop, and change under the influence of a society.

In this context, interdependence means recognizing and valuing family ties and realizing that these ties and ties with the society contributed to the formation of a complete and unique personality one is today. I support the view that the uniqueness of a person is not threatened by the idea of living interdependently as it could be in case of the complete dependence. In contrast, the relationship of interdependence implies that all sides are equally dependent on each other, have equal commitments to make this relationship successful and beneficial, and both make its own unique contribution to the common good.

As a result, all sides involved can expect certain benefits appearing from a kind of cooperation between them. In contrast, viewing personal self, personal interests and needs as the most important values is the way to indifference and excessive egocentrism, which would ultimately harm people. A agree with the view that in its extreme form individualism can promote “decontextualization, isolation, narcissism, and arrogance”, because it is the logical consequence of focusing too much on personal uniqueness, which leaves little space for building meaningful relationships with the society.

At the same time, I would also add that the extreme form of self-sacrifice is not an option as well since it can subdue personality and make it constantly adjust without expressing individual voice. Therefore, I believe that a person should not “humble the individual self in favor of the needs of the broader collective”, as it mentioned by Jen, but strike the right balance between self and collective. (Yang, 2013) In a sum, interdependence appears to be the right option as it the necessary mode of mutually beneficial co-existence.

It presupposes maintenance of meaningful relationships within a society, which are manifested in not only building close ties with people, but in the realization of personal belonging to a community, its traditions and history. References Yang, W. (2013, Apr 26). Many selves ‘tiger writing,’ by gish jen. The New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/books/review/tiger-writing-by-gish-jen.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&