Quote by Jenny Zhang: “Sometimes I think freedom is just another word for loneliness.”

This insightful line suggests a complex relationship between freedom and isolation. It implies that while we often seek freedom, its attainment can sometimes come with a heavy cost of separation or solitude, challenging conventional notions of liberation.

In the late 2010s, discussions around individualism, societal pressures, and the experience of diaspora often highlighted the double-edged sword of independence and the sense of disconnect it can bring, especially in immigrant communities.

Chinese-American poet and fiction writer whose debut story collection Sour Heart won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 2018. Her work explores the immigrant experience, childhood, and the complexity of family across class and culture.