In the American Society

Jen uses foreshadowing to build suspense and allow her readers to anticipate the disaster that ultimately occurs at the end of the story. Much of this foreshadowing occurs in the first few paragraphs of the second section. For example, Mr. Chang’s new suit doesn’t fit, foreshadowing how he won’t fit in at Mrs. Lardner’s party. Additionally, Mrs. Lardner talks about how she does not have quality help and how many of her servants are criminals. This is reminiscent of the squabbles at the pancake house right before Booker and Cedric were arrested. The outcomes after these two events illustrate the difficulties the Changs have in understanding their new culture. If the reader views Mrs. Lardner’s comments as foreshadowing because of this parallel, they can anticipate what will happen. A more humorous form of foreshadowing occurs as the narrator says that the party started off “swimmingly,” foreshadowing how the party ultimately ends with the girls having to swim to the bottom of the pool to rescue Mr. Chang’s keys.

Jen uses juxtaposition to point out that neither fully assimilating nor staying within the confines of a home culture are sufficient paradigms by which American immigrants can thrive.