Fanatic The Characterization of Ama
POPO: [
To ROBERT
] See? You do not care about people from other province besides Shanghai.
ROBERT: [
To POPO
] Mom, I care. It’s just that- POPO: [
To ROBERT
] Your father trade with Japanese during war. WILBUR: Huh?
ROBERT: Mom, let’s not start that- POPO: Not like our family. We die first
WILBUR: What’s all this about? ROBERT: Hey, let’s not bring up all this other junk, right?
POPO: [
To ROBERT
] You are ashamed. Act 1, p. 201. Not only on that conversation Popo has shown her characteristic. There are
lots of sentences that can prove her similarity with Ama, especially in the way she asks Digou about his Christianity.
POPO: You are being difficult. AMA: You remember when you first become Christian?
POPO: You traveled with See-goh-poh on her first evangelism tour?
Before we move to Philippines and you stay in China? Remember? You speak in tounges of fire. Act 1, p. 205
She stands on her foot in the same way her sister does because they both are sure that they are always right, especially in the religion matter they would
become fanatic. Popo does not realize that both she and her sister are wrong. When Jenny tells the whole family about her testimonial, Popo and Ama
think that she really means it. Even it is clear that Jenny is only pretending to be serious in her words but Ama and Popo believe it. Jenny implies insinuation to her
grand mothers with her words, but they do not want to accept it. They only want to believe that their grand daughter says her feeling toward God. They are happy
because they think Jenny really put her trust in God. JENNY: [At podium, she begins testimony.] First, I want to say that I love
you all very much. I really do. POPO: [
To DI-GOU
] That meaning is, she love God. JENNY: And I appreciate what you’ve done for me.
POPO: [
To DI-GOU
] She loves us because we show her God.
JENNY: But I guess there are certain times when even love isn’t enough. POPO: [
To DI-GOU
] She does not have enough love for you. You are not Christian.
JENNY: And when you find that side, sometimes you have to leave in order to come back in a better way.
POPO: [
To DI-GOU
] She cannot stand to be around you. JENNY: Please. Remember what I said, and think about it later.
POPO: [
To DI-GOU
] You hear? Think Act 2, p. 216-217. Although she is stubborn and fanatic but she is not as hard as her elder
sister. She still shows some tolerance thoughts. When Ama insists that Wilbur cannot eat inside his own house, Popo tries to convince her Act 1, p. 192. She
said that Wilbur perhaps can eat in kitchen, at least it is inside the house. She knows that Ama is stuborn and will not allow Wilbur to eat together with other
family members but she still tries to persuade Ama. When it seems that Ama cannot tolerate Wilbur because of his Japanese family background, Popo tells
Ama that they are very fortunate because their mother teached them in Christianity, not like Wilbur’s family. Popo shows her pure opinion and positive
thinking, it is contrast to her sister who always analyzes and comments something from the bad side.