Cultures in Conflict in Mona in the Promised Land by Gish Jen Novels that illustrate a comparison of disparate cultures provide particularly direct insights into basic human behavior . Characters faced with cultural conflict must explore basic human communities to bridge the gap between cultures. In this way, the differences between her culture and the unknown one are diminished, finally bringing her closer to her raw humanity. At the same time, this lays the foundation for countless sociological case studies that could illuminate important human behaviors that would otherwise be masked by the prejudices of the dominant culture. A prime subject for one of these exams is MonaChang, a natural-born American who strives to overcome the cultural pressure posed by her Chinese immigrant parents so that she can be accepted by her peers. Appearing in Gish Jen's Mona in the Promised Land, Chang finds herself in a situation that challenges her identity as an American. The test, which took place during his adolescence, proved inconclusive. In turn, this motivates Chang to assert his identity at the expense of his struggle for maturity which continues until he overcomes the factor that initially questioned his identity. Therefore, Mona's cultural background in Jen's Promised Land provides an excellent basis for studying human character, from which it can be inferred that an incident causing identity confusion in adolescent life must be resolved before one can reach maturity. the oriental look pairs her with Sherman Matsumoto, the most recent advert...... middle of paper...... you have to rely mostly on the text itself and interviews with Jen. Although there are few scholarly resources available pertinent to this novel, it is not difficult to substantively argue the above-mentioned themes. Of course, these themes only apply to adolescents who are not yet fully psychologically mature. In conclusion, the culture clash in Jen's Mona in the Promised Land allows one to easily discern that one must figuratively conquer that which troubles her sense of identity so that her maturity does not remain underdeveloped. Works Cited April Guest: Gish Jen. McDougal Littell Page. 1999. .Jen, Gish. Mona in the Promised Land. New York: Vintage Contemporary,1997.