Keira's world in OASIS

Keira is the protagonist in my new novel: http://www.yanghuang.com/books/main.asp#oasis

My fiction is not autobiographical. In China and the U.S., I’ve belonged to the middle class. But in fiction, I’m aspired to write about the under-privileged people: peasants, workers, even an illiterate woman. Giving them a voice gives me satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.

So, what drives people in Keira’s world? Given what you have (the land: be it poor or rich, it’s the motherland that bore and nurtured you), you survive and thrive.

What is the greatest sin? Stroke your ego rather than treat yourself well. Examples: it’s okay to be a bandit if that enables you to take care of your clan. It’s okay to be a prostitute if that’s the only way you can raise your child. But it’s NOT okay to be an educated elite and drink yourself to death. Self destruction is loathed because it wastes your talent and resources. The same goes for the environment: you should not exploit the land even if you own it.

5 bad things that a person can do:

1. Kill yourself.
2. Go crazy. Doesn’t matter if you love too much, have too much money, are super sensitive/intelligent/creative, you have failed. Your story is a tragedy.
3. Give up trying. It’s okay to lose money as long as you try to earn it. If you quit and expect your parents to feed you, you have failed.
4. Not ask for help when you need it. Parents can take you in when you lose your job. Humans are cooperative, that’s why we’re more evolved than animals.
5. When confronted with powerful evils, you suppress other people instead of fighting the injustice. For example, in a racist society, minorities try to keep each other down rather than demand for their rights.

These five deeds harm the individuals and the society of which they are a part. Survival first, and others things second, that includes: justice, integrity, compassion, fidelity, love, ambition, etc. Pride is not valued. People take pleasure in doing good work, and life seems to have meaning.