For Today I Am a Boy by Kim Fu is a story of pain and release. This is a story is like a guide to a world that is closed for outsiders. Kim Fu’s debut novel is another reminder for us to be more tolerant, compassionate, and understanding.
One of the most curious questions in this story is whether Peter’s father is a bad person or not. What do readers see? First of all, he is a cold-hearted, emotionless, even abusive man, who is willing to risk his wife’s health for a chance to have a son. It seems that he is like a robot, for this man never does something on the spur of the moment. Every step he takes is supposed to be a step forward; he is obsessed with some kind of an American dream, an immigrant’s fantasy of a successful life. In spite of the fact that he tries to westernize and live according to Canadian traditions and rules, he proves to be unable to destroy the pattern. His own father and grandfather haunt him. The man can’t get rid of a thought that his male ancestors watch him. He can’t let them down, so he turns lives of his children into a show. They are supposed to pretend that they listen to him. Such coldness makes them leave the family home one by one. By the end of his life, Peter’s father takes his mask off and we – the readers – see just a usual man, who has his own fears and insecurities.
There are so many people like Peter, and some of them suffer even more than he does. People rarely think about how happy they are to live in harmony with their own bodies, how lucky they are to wake up in bodies that don’t repulse them. Peter is not a lucky one, for he would give everything he has to be girl. It is quite ironically that the only male heir of the family – the long-awaited son – doesn’t want to be a boy. He is made to believe that pretending is his only one chance at happiness. The words that his father tells him before he dies forewarn him from following his wishes. Just like a secret agent, Peter leads a double-life. The society sees him as a slightly strange, antisocial kind of a person. He doesn’t have many friends, Bonny is his only company. As soon as Peter closes the door of his flat behind him, he can be whoever he wants. He can dream about a different life.
For Today I Am a Boy is a story that is definitely not for relaxing reading. The injustice, cruelty, and rigidness of our society are meant to frighten. However, it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to make this world a better place. They say spread love not hate, and Peter couldn’t agree more with that. The majority of stereotypes and petty superstitions should be destroyed before we will be able to build a new society.
