Yee+Bow+(Naomi)

"Yee Bow" Read by Naomi Galindo Photo by hoogmoet "Rivals III" media type="custom" key="11172918"

As a new kid in the Spoon River Sunday-school, Yee Bow is very quiet and different. He says, "Now I shall never sleep with my ancestors in Pekin" (Masters 10). He is originally from Pekin, China. As I learned, "Pekin" is another name for the city of Beijing. He believes in a very different religion than there is taught at Spoon River. Therefore, he is made fun of and bullied. Yee Bow believes in Confucius, a Chinese thinker and social philosopher. He is very religious about his home culture. Yee Bow also seems like a very quiet and insecure student at Sunday-school because of his differences.  At his school the students believe in Christianity. He says, “they tried to get me to drop Confucius for Jesus”(Masters 2) As religious as he was he could not believe in another God.Therefore, he was hated and looked down upon because he was different. This made Yee Bow a very religious kid. He probably went to Confucius for any type of advice.  Insecure means "not secure; exposed or liable to risk, loss, or danger." This applies greatly to Yee Bow because as a being different physically, mentally, and religiously he was made fun of and bullied. He was in danger of being attacked because he would not change his religion. Harry Wiley, the ministers son, also seems like a very religious person because his father is a priest or minister. He must have not had a healthy relationship with Yee Bow because he killed him.  Harry Wiley,  The minister's son, caved my ribs into my lungs,  With a blow of his fist  (Masters 7-11)  The reason for this was because Harry Wiley and his father were afraid that Yee Bow would start a new religion in Spoon River and that would affect the future of religion in Spoon River. This is why Yee Bow was insecure. He was in danger of being attacked for his religious beliefs.  Another characteristic that there seem to be in Yee Bow was that he was very quiet. Although he would not change his religion, he seems like a very quiet and weak person. The way his poem is stated makes you think his life was a waste.  Yee bow was religious, insecure and weak. But he would still stay true to Confucius because he is a trustworthy and loyal child. I admire him because of that. He had the ability to stand up for himself and not anybody can do that. It takes lots of courage, even for that to be the reason of your death.

Masters, Edgar Lee. "Yee Bow." //The Spoon River Anthology//. New York, Macmilllan, 1946.