American Born Chinese

by

Gene Luen Yang

The Monkey King/Chin-Kee Character Analysis

The Monkey King is a deity who rules over monkeys on Flower-Fruit Mountain in the world created by Tze-Yo-Tzuh. The Monkey King knows many disciplines of kung-fu. He’s a kind leader, and is very social. Because of this, he’s thrilled when he smells a dinner party up in Heaven, but when he arrives at the party, he’s humiliated that the guard turns him away for being a monkey and not wearing shoes. Beginning at this point, the Monkey King demonstrates that when people are rude to him, he reacts with anger, violence, and rudeness. After declaring that all monkeys in his kingdom must wear shoes, the Monkey King spends 80 days studying kung-fu so he cannot be killed and can manipulate his form. He uses these skills to appear more human, and he declares himself The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven. As he travels Heaven to announce his new name, he hurts and intimidates others. Because of this, Heaven’s residents call on Tze-Yo-Tzuh to do something. The Monkey King is derisive of Tze-Yo-Tzuh’s insistence that the Monkey King should take pride in being a monkey, so Tze-Yo-Tzuh imprisons the Monkey King under a mountain for 500 years. The Monkey King frees himself by returning to his true form so that he can help Wong Lai-Tsao escape being dinner for demons. He agrees to take off his shoes, and embraces both his monkey identity and Tze-Yo-Tzuh. Later, the Monkey King’s son, Wei-Chen, becomes an emissary for Tze-Yo-Tzuh and goes to Earth on a mission to live without vice for 40 years. After Wei-Chen refuses to see his father following his Chinese friend Jin’s transformation into the white Danny, the Monkey King assumes the persona of Chin-Kee so he can visit Jin. Chin-Kee is an amalgamation of many racist Chinese stereotypes: he has buckteeth, mixes up his r’s and his l’s, lusts after American women, and knows all the answers in class. Because of this, he humiliates Danny until, finally, Danny punches Chin-Kee’s head off to reveal the Monkey King. At this point, the Monkey King returns Danny to his true form and shares his story with Jin. He encourages Jin to learn the same lesson that he did: that it’s impossible and unfulfilling to be anyone but one’s true self.

The Monkey King/Chin-Kee Quotes in American Born Chinese

The American Born Chinese quotes below are all either spoken by The Monkey King/Chin-Kee or refer to The Monkey King/Chin-Kee. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Identity and Prejudice Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

“I, too, am a deity! I am a committed disciple of the arts of kung-fu and I have mastered the four heavenly disciplines, prerequisites to immortality!”

“That’s wonderful, sir, absolutely wonderful! Now please, sir—”

“I demand to be let into this dinner party!”

“Look. You may be a king—you may even be a deity—but you are still a monkey.”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker)
Related Symbols: Shoes and Hair
Page Number: 14-15
Explanation and Analysis:

When he entered his royal chamber, the thick smell of monkey fur greeted him. He’d never noticed it before. He stayed awake for the rest of the night thinking of ways to get rid of it.

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee
Related Symbols: Shoes and Hair
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

The morning after the dinner party the Monkey King issued a decree throughout all of Flower-Fruit Mountain: all monkeys must wear shoes.

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee
Related Symbols: Shoes and Hair
Page Number: 55
Explanation and Analysis:

“This ‘Monkey King’ it speaks of no longer exists, for I have mastered twelve major disciplines of kung-fu and transcended my former title! I shall now be called—The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven!”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Ao-Kuang
Related Symbols: Shoes and Hair
Page Number: 60
Explanation and Analysis:

“My apologies for not sending someone to arrest you in person, but frankly none of the gods wanted to go anywhere near your mountain. Nothing personal—we just aren’t particularly fond of fleas.”

Related Characters: Ao-Kuang (speaker), The Monkey King/Chin-Kee
Page Number: 62
Explanation and Analysis:

“Silly monkey. You were never out of my reach. You only fooled yourself.”

Related Characters: Tze-Yo-Tzuh (speaker), Jin Wang/Danny, The Monkey King/Chin-Kee
Page Number: 78
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

“Ooh ooh! Chin-Kee know dis one!”

“Put your hand down!”

“Go ahead...Chin-Kee, was it?”

“Judicial, executive, and registrative!”

“Good, Chin-Kee! Very good! You know, people—it would behoove you all to be a little more like Chin-Kee.”

Related Characters: Jin Wang/Danny (speaker), The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker)
Page Number: 111
Explanation and Analysis:

“Every year around this time, I finally start getting the hang of things, you know? [...] Then he comes along for one of his visits.”

“Who?”

“Chin-Kee, my cousin. He’s been visiting me once a year since the eighth grade. He comes for a week or two and follows me to school, talking his stupid talk and eating his stupid food. Embarrassing the crap out of me. By the time he leaves, no one things of me as Danny anymore. I’m Chin-Kee’s cousin.”

Related Characters: Jin Wang/Danny (speaker), Steve (speaker), The Monkey King/Chin-Kee
Page Number: 126-27
Explanation and Analysis:

“People here aren’t like that. No one ever says anything about my weight. Well, maybe that’s because I broke Todd Sharpnack’s nose for calling me ‘Mr. Jiggles’ when we were freshmen. But whatever. People here are different. You’ll see. Heck, if anyone ever gives you trouble, I’ll break his nose.”

Related Characters: Steve (speaker), Jin Wang/Danny, The Monkey King/Chin-Kee
Page Number: 128
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

“The form you have taken is not truly your own. Return to your true form and you shall be freed.”

“Is there no end to your stupidity, you sod?! That seal above me prevents me from exercising kung-fu!”

“Returning to your true form is not an exercise of kung-fu, but a release of it.”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Wong Lai-Tsao (speaker), Tze-Yo-Tzuh
Page Number: 145
Explanation and Analysis:

“Mortal, there are demons behind you.”

“Yes. I am aware of them. That is why I ask you to free yourself quickly.”

“And if I refuse?”

“If it is the will of Tze-Yo-Tzuh for me to die for your stubbornness, then I accept.”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Wong Lai-Tsao (speaker), Tze-Yo-Tzuh
Page Number: 146
Explanation and Analysis:

“To find your true identity...within the will of Tze-Yo-Tzuh...that is the highest of all freedoms.”

“So is your ‘true identity’ the supper of two demons?”

“Perhaps...is yours the eternal prisoner...of a mountain of rock?”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Wong Lai-Tsao (speaker), Tze-Yo-Tzuh
Page Number: 149
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

“About twenty minutes into the party, though, I figured out that Lauren didn’t actually invite me. Her mom wanted to hang out with my mom, and I sort of just got brought along. Lauren and her new friends had their own thing going, so I spent the rest of the party watching TV in the living room. I felt so embarrassed.

...Today, when Timmy called me a...a chink, I realized...deep down inside...I kind of feel like that all the time.”

Related Characters: Suzy Nakamura (speaker), Jin Wang/Danny, The Monkey King/Chin-Kee, Timmy
Page Number: 187
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

“Take this with you. It’s a human child’s toy that transforms from monkey to humanoid form. Let it remind you of who you are.”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Jin Wang/Danny, Wei-Chen Sun, Tze-Yo-Tzuh
Related Symbols: Transformers
Page Number: 217
Explanation and Analysis:

“You misunderstand my intentions, Jin. I did not come to punish you. I came to serve as your conscience—as a signpost to your soul.”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Jin Wang/Danny, Wei-Chen Sun
Page Number: 221
Explanation and Analysis:

“You know, Jin, I would have saved myself from five hundred years’ imprisonment beneath a mountain of rock had I only realized how good it is to be a monkey.”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Jin Wang/Danny
Page Number: 223
Explanation and Analysis:
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American Born Chinese PDF

The Monkey King/Chin-Kee Quotes in American Born Chinese

The American Born Chinese quotes below are all either spoken by The Monkey King/Chin-Kee or refer to The Monkey King/Chin-Kee. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Identity and Prejudice Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

“I, too, am a deity! I am a committed disciple of the arts of kung-fu and I have mastered the four heavenly disciplines, prerequisites to immortality!”

“That’s wonderful, sir, absolutely wonderful! Now please, sir—”

“I demand to be let into this dinner party!”

“Look. You may be a king—you may even be a deity—but you are still a monkey.”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker)
Related Symbols: Shoes and Hair
Page Number: 14-15
Explanation and Analysis:

When he entered his royal chamber, the thick smell of monkey fur greeted him. He’d never noticed it before. He stayed awake for the rest of the night thinking of ways to get rid of it.

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee
Related Symbols: Shoes and Hair
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

The morning after the dinner party the Monkey King issued a decree throughout all of Flower-Fruit Mountain: all monkeys must wear shoes.

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee
Related Symbols: Shoes and Hair
Page Number: 55
Explanation and Analysis:

“This ‘Monkey King’ it speaks of no longer exists, for I have mastered twelve major disciplines of kung-fu and transcended my former title! I shall now be called—The Great Sage, Equal of Heaven!”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Ao-Kuang
Related Symbols: Shoes and Hair
Page Number: 60
Explanation and Analysis:

“My apologies for not sending someone to arrest you in person, but frankly none of the gods wanted to go anywhere near your mountain. Nothing personal—we just aren’t particularly fond of fleas.”

Related Characters: Ao-Kuang (speaker), The Monkey King/Chin-Kee
Page Number: 62
Explanation and Analysis:

“Silly monkey. You were never out of my reach. You only fooled yourself.”

Related Characters: Tze-Yo-Tzuh (speaker), Jin Wang/Danny, The Monkey King/Chin-Kee
Page Number: 78
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

“Ooh ooh! Chin-Kee know dis one!”

“Put your hand down!”

“Go ahead...Chin-Kee, was it?”

“Judicial, executive, and registrative!”

“Good, Chin-Kee! Very good! You know, people—it would behoove you all to be a little more like Chin-Kee.”

Related Characters: Jin Wang/Danny (speaker), The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker)
Page Number: 111
Explanation and Analysis:

“Every year around this time, I finally start getting the hang of things, you know? [...] Then he comes along for one of his visits.”

“Who?”

“Chin-Kee, my cousin. He’s been visiting me once a year since the eighth grade. He comes for a week or two and follows me to school, talking his stupid talk and eating his stupid food. Embarrassing the crap out of me. By the time he leaves, no one things of me as Danny anymore. I’m Chin-Kee’s cousin.”

Related Characters: Jin Wang/Danny (speaker), Steve (speaker), The Monkey King/Chin-Kee
Page Number: 126-27
Explanation and Analysis:

“People here aren’t like that. No one ever says anything about my weight. Well, maybe that’s because I broke Todd Sharpnack’s nose for calling me ‘Mr. Jiggles’ when we were freshmen. But whatever. People here are different. You’ll see. Heck, if anyone ever gives you trouble, I’ll break his nose.”

Related Characters: Steve (speaker), Jin Wang/Danny, The Monkey King/Chin-Kee
Page Number: 128
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

“The form you have taken is not truly your own. Return to your true form and you shall be freed.”

“Is there no end to your stupidity, you sod?! That seal above me prevents me from exercising kung-fu!”

“Returning to your true form is not an exercise of kung-fu, but a release of it.”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Wong Lai-Tsao (speaker), Tze-Yo-Tzuh
Page Number: 145
Explanation and Analysis:

“Mortal, there are demons behind you.”

“Yes. I am aware of them. That is why I ask you to free yourself quickly.”

“And if I refuse?”

“If it is the will of Tze-Yo-Tzuh for me to die for your stubbornness, then I accept.”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Wong Lai-Tsao (speaker), Tze-Yo-Tzuh
Page Number: 146
Explanation and Analysis:

“To find your true identity...within the will of Tze-Yo-Tzuh...that is the highest of all freedoms.”

“So is your ‘true identity’ the supper of two demons?”

“Perhaps...is yours the eternal prisoner...of a mountain of rock?”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Wong Lai-Tsao (speaker), Tze-Yo-Tzuh
Page Number: 149
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

“About twenty minutes into the party, though, I figured out that Lauren didn’t actually invite me. Her mom wanted to hang out with my mom, and I sort of just got brought along. Lauren and her new friends had their own thing going, so I spent the rest of the party watching TV in the living room. I felt so embarrassed.

...Today, when Timmy called me a...a chink, I realized...deep down inside...I kind of feel like that all the time.”

Related Characters: Suzy Nakamura (speaker), Jin Wang/Danny, The Monkey King/Chin-Kee, Timmy
Page Number: 187
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

“Take this with you. It’s a human child’s toy that transforms from monkey to humanoid form. Let it remind you of who you are.”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Jin Wang/Danny, Wei-Chen Sun, Tze-Yo-Tzuh
Related Symbols: Transformers
Page Number: 217
Explanation and Analysis:

“You misunderstand my intentions, Jin. I did not come to punish you. I came to serve as your conscience—as a signpost to your soul.”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Jin Wang/Danny, Wei-Chen Sun
Page Number: 221
Explanation and Analysis:

“You know, Jin, I would have saved myself from five hundred years’ imprisonment beneath a mountain of rock had I only realized how good it is to be a monkey.”

Related Characters: The Monkey King/Chin-Kee (speaker), Jin Wang/Danny
Page Number: 223
Explanation and Analysis: