Joe Louis was an American boxer during the 1930's and 40's. He is the hero of Jung-Sum in the second section of The Jade Peony.
Joe Louis
Joe Louis was a famous American boxer who was Heavyweight champion from 1937-1949. Nicknamed The Brown Bomber, Louis is recognized as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Joe Louis inThe Jade Peony
In The Jade Peony, Joe Louis is the idol of Jung-Sum, second brother. Jung loves boxing and trains in a gym. He is constantly comparing himself to Joe Louis, and wants to be like the champ. Jung says, "I had discovered Joe Louis, read everything about him, and taken to boxing." (100)
In real life, Louis was instrumental in breaking colour barriers in American sports. In The Jade Peony, Jung meets the boxer Max, who is black like Joe Louis. Jung's love for Joe Louis is no doubt one reason why he feels no hesitation in trusting Max and becoming his friend even though he is black. Louis taught many people that African Americans could be heroes too.
Like Shirley Temple, Louis is a North American hero idolized by one of the children in the novel. This again shows how the family is adapting to North American life and beginning to move away from the Chinese heroes.
Joe Louis is an important allusion in the second section of the novel, but there are many more allusions in The Jade Peony.
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