Posted: September 12th, 2023

The White Umbrella

The Changing Perspective of a Daughter: A Close Reading of Gish Jen’s “The White Umbrella”
In Gish Jen’s short story “The White Umbrella,” the unnamed narrator initially feels deep shame over her mother’s decision to work outside the home. Through a series of realizations and experiences over the course of the story, the narrator gains a newfound respect for her mother and her career choice.
In the beginning of the story, the narrator actively feels ashamed when discussing her mother’s employment, telling her friend “those are American people” who have working mothers (Jen 332). She avoids mentioning her mother’s job to others like her piano teacher. However, after learning her mother has received a promotion at her job, the narrator begins to see her mother derives satisfaction from her career (Jen 332).
A pivotal moment occurs when the narrator and her mother get into a car accident. As the narrator screams for her mother, fearing the worst, she understands “she did not care that her mother had a job” (Jen 333). This traumatic event helps the narrator recognize what truly matters most – her mother’s wellbeing, not societal expectations.
By the conclusion of the story, the narrator has come to respect her mother’s choice to work. Through witnessing her mother’s dedication and pride in her career, the narrator gains appreciation for all that her mother accomplishes both inside and outside the home (Jen 333). Jen’s short story effectively illustrates a child’s psychological and emotional growth in accepting a mother who defies traditional gender roles.
Works Cited

Jen, Gish. “The White Umbrella.” The Best American Short Stories 2016, edited by Dan Chaon, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, pp. 332-333.

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