senses of isolation and belonging. In most of these
stories, the Filipino characters seem to idealize
their homeland in order to find comfort in the
new land, where they are marginalized.
Covadonga Lamar PrietoSaving Fish from Drowning
Amy Tan (2005)
Bibi Chen, purportedly a well-known San Fran-
cisco art dealer and socialite who perished myste-
riously in her store, narrates the events that occur
after her death when the tour group she was sup-
posed to lead is abducted in Myanmar (Burma)
by the Karen, a minority ethnic group persecuted
by the military regime. Reminiscent of AMY TAN’s
earlier novels, the main plot is interspersed with
Bibi’s recollections of her youth in China, a con-
flicted relationship with her stepmother Sweet
Ma, and her eventual immigration to the United
States. As in A HUNDRED SECRET SENSES, elements
of magical realism abound: the deceased narrator,
for instance, can visit the other characters in their
dreams. In an interview, Tan says that Bibi has “no
counterpart in real life” (“Discussion”); however,
Tan’s preface claims that the novel was inspired by
documents retrieved from the Manhattan archives
of the American Society for Psychical Research.
Tan’s novel emphasizes “the tensions of living
between worlds” (Huntley 137). Bibi does not
know, for instance, how long she must remain in
limbo before she is allowed to move on to her final
destination. In the borderlands between China
and Myanmar, evidence of cultural hybridity pro-
liferates in art, religion, and social customs. The
members of the tour group must spend an un-
planned vacation at No Name Place, the Karens’
exile, where they undergo transformation.
This aspect of the novel displays strong Jung-
ian overtones. The members of the group receive a
call to adventure when they enter the strange and
exotic world of Myanmar, their entry into the jun-
gle marking their descent into the subconscious,
where they will have to face their own private fears.
For Benny, the inept tour-guide who replaced Bibi,
this means admitting his weaknesses to the others
and even experiencing a seizure right in front of
them. For Heidi, who has lived in a state of terror
ever since she found her murdered roommate, it
is realizing that she is not alone in her plight, that
the others are also afraid. Moff and Harry over-
come their respective midlife crises by finding new
partners.
It is not surprising that this quest story should
feature strong mystic components such as Bibi’s
numerous explanations of Buddhist practices.
She is particularly eager to point out differences
between the native populations’ beliefs and trendy
San Francisco variations thereof. Faith and magic
converge when the Karen interpret Rupert’s card
trick as a sign of their spiritual leader Younger
White Brother’s reincarnation. The tourists’ admis-
sion that miracles can occur eventually becomes a
liberating experience that results in a moment of
transcendental ecstasy revealing the power of love
to the group. Tan seems to embrace the Chinese
mysticism promoted by her immigrant mother
figures in previous novels but rejected by the Chi-
nese-American daughter protagonists.
Since the tour group is evenly split between
males and females, Tan is able to develop male
characters more fully than she did in the past. Ben,
Moff, and Harry are believably created middle-
aged men whose fears and hopes Tan explores
compassionately, albeit humorously. This ap-
proach also gives Tan the opportunity to explore
gender roles and gender stereotypes. While Harry
prides himself on his dog-training aptitude, Bibi
describes his advances toward Marlene in terms of
an elaborate mating ritual. Readers hear many dif-
ferent voices, a concept Tan derives from the Can-
terbury Tales (“Discussion”).
Among these interpersonal relationships, Tan’s
exploration of various forms of excess stands out.
The theme is first introduced through the loss of
Bibi’s mother to what Sweet Ma describes as ex-
cessive behaviors. By urinating in a sacred grotto,
Harry’s ignorance invites the wrath of the gods. In
their desire to assist the Karen, the tourists inad-
vertently inflict grave injury. In this manner, Tan’s
investigation of “disturbing questions about in-
tentions” (“Discussion”) ties the novel’s plot to the
Buddhist proverb she uses as its title.262 Saving Fish from Drowning