Thousand Pieces of Gold

A picture of a woman in a long black dress precedes this chapter.

Fifteen years after Charlie won Polly’s freedom from Hong King, Polly now runs a boarding house. Charlie has changed his saloon into a dance hall, and the two are preparing for an upcoming dance. Everyone in town converges on the dance hall to celebrate the New Year.

During the celebration, Polly overhears some Chinese residents talking about an increase in discrimination and violence toward Chinese people in America. Charlie has also been worried about this increase of violence, and, while nothing has happened in Warrens yet, many of the Chinese residents are worried.

At the dance, Polly sees her best friend Bertha. As Polly dotes on some children, she hears someone saying racist remarks about Chinese people, and she suddenly realizes she is the only Chinese person in the dance hall. The realization makes her feel extremely lonely.

Upset, Polly goes outside to her “special place” near the cemetery to reflect on her lack of belonging. She doesn’t feel like she belongs with the white people of Warrens or with the Chinese residents. Charlie follows her, and the two chat. Polly tells him she feels torn between the two cultures, likening it to a monkey walking on a tightrope until it falls.