Over the past two weeks, I read Chapter 4, “Goldfish and Kangaroo,” which describes how Sam and Jason were suddenly taken away by their parents on their way to class. The four of them went to see a psychological counselor. During the process, the parents displayed denial and resistance, Jason revealed his true feelings and stood firm on them, and Sam was filled with confusion and contradiction. However, the communication ended on a sour note, and they still couldn’t find a way to balance the situation.
For the title ”Goldfish and Kangaroo”, I think the goldfish may symbolize Sam’s familiar past life, a seemingly calm but confined sense of security. On the other hand, the kangaroo could represent Jason’s transformation, a powerful and unfamiliar presence that leaps beyond traditional boundaries and norms by challenging the Waver family’s preconceived notions of gender. These two creatures form a contrast, symbolizing their struggle between acceptance and resistance, understanding and confusion.
I feel that in this chapter, the conflicts within the Waver family became more intense during the counseling session. Under the counselor’s guidance, Jason expressed his true thoughts, while Sam and their parents strongly resisted acknowledging that Jason is a girl. The mother hopes Jason can live safely in society, the father wants to find an easy solution to “cure his son’s mental illness,” and Sam, being too young, doesn’t fully understand the situation—he only knows he doesn’t want an older sister. Although the family expressed confusion and opposition, it’s clear that none of them want Jason to be hurt. I could feel that they all love each other, otherwise they wouldn’t have spent time in the counseling session trying to communicate (even if it wasn’t entirely effective, at least they listened to each other’s thoughts). The mother even cried, and as I read this part, my eyes welled up with tears as well.
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