Summary

In Chapter 1, “Tony, 1997,” after Tony’s nine-year-old daughter insulted his American accent, he hit her. Although her ferocity impressed him, it also “ignited his temper” (12). The next morning, his wife Kim reprimanded him for his temper. Tony believed Tammy needed “discipline and boundaries (13). He thought of his own upbringing and his life as a “top engineering student at Dalian University of Technology” (13). He had come to the States “six years ago” from China (15). He had wanted to live in Manhattan, but could only afford Flushing, Queens. In spite of his education, he now worked as a doorman at The Rosewood, “an Upper West Side co-op building” (16). Meanwhile, he took night classes at Queens College, hoping to rebuild his career.

On the subway, Tony reflected on his life. He studied those around him. He considered the differences between his expectations and the reality of...