Wittman Ah Sing

The intelligent, creative protagonist of Tripmaster Monkey, His Fake Book, Wittman Ah Sing is a mass of contradictions. He is a Chinese American, who resents racial stereotypes, yet engages in stereotyping constantly. He sees racial slurs everywhere, yet unintentionally insults a small Mexican-American boy. Wittman is an English major, just one year out of Berkley, who is familiar with English classics and a fan of the Beat poets. He speaks fractured Chinese, but is intimately familiar with Chinese mythology, and both classical and 20th century Chinese literature.

Wittman fancies himself a reincarnation of the King of the Monkeys, the most powerful of Chinese deities, who brought the Buddhist sutra from India to China. As a child, Wittman's theatrical parents dressed him in a Baby Uncle Sam suit. The costume formerly belonged to a monkey and had an opening in the back for his tale. In costume...