the disloyal protagonist to Mei Oi The city: Represents temptation, evil, loss of innocence New York: Represents parental supervision, reckless mistakes of youth San Francisco: Represents emancipation, new beginnings, rebirth Eating a Cup of Tea: Represents reinstating masculinity and independence Literary significance and reception When the novel was first published in 1961, reviews denounced it, deeming the content offensive and the language "tasteless and raw" (2). Chu's work was ignored for a decade and finally rediscovered in the 1970s. It is now considered a primary work in Asian American literature, and Louis Chu has been praised repeatedly for creating an honest portrayal of Chinese American culture. Due to its influence and popularity, the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre in New York City produced the novel for the stage and Wayne Wang directed a film version in 1989. Critical articles Chen, Xiangyang. "Constructions of Chinese Identity in Eat a Bowl of Tea and Chinese Box." Re-Reading America: Changes and Challenges. Ed. Weihe Zhong and Rui Han; Cheltenham, England: Reardon; 2004. pp. 215–26 Chua, Cheng Lok; "Golden Mountain: Chinese Versions of the American Dream in Lin Yutang, Louis Chu, and Maxine Hong Kingston" Ethnic Groups 1982; 4 (1-2): 33–59. Hsiao, Ruth Y. "Facing the Incurable: Patriarchy in Eat a Bowl of Tea." Reading the Literatures of Asian America. Ed. Shirley Geok-lin Lim and Amy Ling. Philadelphia: Temple UP; 1992. pp. 151–62 Li, Shu-yan; "Otherness and Transformation in Eat a Bowl of Tea and Crossings." MELUS 1993–1994 Winter; 18 (4): 99–110. Ling, Jinqi; "Reading for Historical Specificities: Gender Negotiations in Louis Chu's Eat a Bowl of Tea." MELUS 1995 Spring; 20 (1): 35–51. By: Oakes, Pamela J. "Filial Duty and Family Survival in Timothy Mo's The Monkey King and Sour Sweet." Bearing Dream, Shaping Visions: Asian Pacific American Perspectives. Ed. Linda A. Revilla, Gail M. Nomura, Shawn Wong and Shirley Hune. Pullman, WA: Washington State UP; 1993. pp. 141–52 Prigg, Benson Webster; Transactional Analysis: A Viable Approach for Discussing Human Autonomy in Fictional Texts Dissertation Abstracts International, 1991 Apr; 51 (10): 3414A. Bowling Green State U. By: Shih, David. "Eat a Bowl of Tea by Louis Chu." A Resource Guide to Asian American Literature. Ed. Sau-ling Cynthia Wong and Stephen H. Sumida. New York, NY: Modern Language Association of America; 2001. pp. 45–53 References External links Brief description of Chu's background and the public's response to Eat a Bowl of Tea Author profile on