For a young, passionate college student, the expectations of peers, teachers, and parents can be intimidating and emotionally draining. For most parents, their children's success is a top priority, and children want to exceed their parents' expectations by achieving good grades and a high academic standard. In the poem “Suicide Note,” by Janice Mirikitani, an Asian-American college student is struggling to live up to her parents' expectations. He doesn't get the perfect grade that his parents expect and he doesn't have the strength to face it personally. For this young college student, her strengths are not strong enough and her will and determination are overwhelmed by insecurities and discontent. The speaker is in a constant battle with his self-esteem; her femininity is becoming a burden to her and she believes that her failure will bring much disappointment to her parents and denigrate their perception of her. In Asian culture, men are generally considered strong, intelligent and independent. In “Suicide Note,” the speaker wishes she were a son, so she could feel safe and strong during all the hardships in her life. In the poem, the speaker compares herself to a fragile female bird, braving the harsh winter snow. While apologizing to his parents, he says, “If only I were a son, shoulders broad / Like the sunset through the pine” (Mirikitani 10-11). The speaker contrasts her situation in the cold, hard snow, with the warmth of the sunset through the flowering trees. If he were a boy, he could gain his parents' approval; s......middle of paper......acceptance in herself and through her parents. She is a young college student who faces pressures from her culture, her parents, her peers, and her teachers. His strength and power to be independent from his parents could not prevail, and an apology is the only thing he can offer his parents. The speaker keeps telling himself that he is not good, strong, or intelligent enough to succeed; many people struggle with the same problem as the speaker, and it is up to the power within to overcome it. 5 Works Cited Kirszner, Laurie G. and Stephen R. Mandell. Portable Literature: Read, React, Write, 7th edition. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.Mirkitani, Janice. “Suicide note”, 488-490 .