An Analysis Of Yiyun Li s Book, Gold Boy, Emerald Girl,...

Yiyun Li’s collection of short stories in Gold Boy, Emerald Girl share the common theme of loneliness in a collection of short stories: â€Å"Souvenir,† â€Å"Sweeping Past, and â€Å"A Man like Him.† While the characters of each story encounter different hardships and tragedies, each character seemed to show development. At first glance, they seemed to have grown from their experiences. However, they eventually fall into a downward spiral of regret and sorrow after having epiphanies of their mistakes. The identifiable protagonists’ grief-stricken experiences dramatically shift their perspective, becoming hopeless in the harsh reality they have grown accustomed to. Throughout the short stories, characters endure circumstances that allow them to realize the unfairness of the world, ultimately causing a change in attitude. In â€Å"Souvenir,† the protagonist finds herself in a shop purchasing a pack of condoms for her mentally ill boyfriend while being followed by an old man. With the belief that sacrificing something precious of herself such as her virginity, the teenager initially felt that her love could save him from his mental illness. Those in the store around her, however, forced humiliation upon her, especially the elderly man. Finally becoming aware to those around her, she has an epiphany of those surrounding her in addition to the society she lives in. Witnessing the differences in people’s behaviors and attitudes, she grasps the understanding that people are influenced by others