Moreover, Ah Lung has inherited the vulnerability of a “worm” due to the traditional Chinese family structure. “As a son, I’d always been assured of my place in family and village…Torn from them, I felt completely unmoored” (McCunn 61). It seems that his family has planned everything that he would do for each day. In addition, as a son of the family, he will inherit his social position in both the family and the village. This gives the readers the impression that there is nothing for Ah Lung to worry about in his daily life. Further, the family structure that Ah Lung is in has shaped him into a passive personality and therefore lacking of the ability to resolve problems on his own. For example, when he is being captured and thrown in the slave boat he acts like a vulnerable child waiting for his family come and save him. “I squeezed both eyes shut and prayed Fourth Brother would return to our boat directly, discover what had happened to me from bystanders, and give chase” (McCunn 5). Notice that, a “worm” is fragile because of two reasons: the simple mind that is easy to control, and the soft skin that makes it easy to attack. Ah Lung at this point of the novel is like the defenseless “worm”. He does not know what is he going to face and he feels scared because anyone on the “devil ship” could hurt him.
Despite Ah Lung’s acting as weak as a “worm” within his families, he tend to more independent when he is alone. He turns to his instincts when he is in a more dangerous later in the novel, the nature of the descendents of “dragons.” While he was little, nobody had told him to defense for himself; however he knows that “a Chick needs no explaining to know it’s been snared by a hawk” (McCunn 4) when the Old Lay Chow wouldn't let him get off to the ground. This is his nature of bravery for being a descendent of “dragons.” Similarly on the “devil ship”, the “devils” are trying to make everyone to sign a labor contract. Clearly, Ah Lung feels that he might lose he freedom forever as soon as he signs the labor contract. One of his instincts, bravery, comes up to him and encourages him to reject the “devils”. In the novel, it is the first time that Ah Lung has challenged the “devils” directly on an issue. What else shows Ah Lung indeed bravery is when the “devils” told him “Don't be a fool” (McCunn 40) in a rapid strong tone, Ah Lung still insists his answer as “no.” Comparing this brave “new” Ah Lung with the Ah Lung was captured back in the village; he becomes a changed man who trusts his instincts. Back then; Ah Lung would absolutely sign the contract without any thinking in his mind obedience would be one of the most valuable philosophy he has learned. In contras, the brave Ah Lung has the guts to put off any request to him that seems not reasonable. Additional, Ah Lung handles pressure better then he used to be. When the “devils” speaks in a tough tone, Ah Lung is still able to keep his determination.
Unfortunately, the hiring hall for the contracts is a trap for the “labor” to lose the freedom and becoming slaves; Ah Lung finds himself in a situation that if he does not sign the contract he would be beaten up by the “devils.” Encountering the circumstances, Ah Lung develops his wits quickly by getting inspiration from his twin sister, the Moogirl. As a descendent of the “dragons,” Moongirl seemed to grasp the concept pretty well when she was little. When she was playing rock, paper, scissors, she first observed Ah Lung’s playing pattern and she could analyze the pattern and then defeated Ah Lung each time. Even though Ah Lung has “never trained himself to make accurate judgments, decisions, and changes in haste the way Moongirl had urged (McCunn 93),” it becomes his instinctual knowledge passed from Moogirl that he should be observing first and then taking actions. Hence, in order to be set free, Ah Lung comes up an idea: get himself bought by a slave owner, and buy out his balance. But how can he attract a buyer?
"With the intensity of a gambler shrewdly calculating his odds, I noted who the buyers chose, who they refused, and as one approached me, I arranged my face in the docile expression that gentry back home also preferred. To demonstrate my strength, I did not ball my hands into fists or stamp my feet; I flexed the muscles in my arms while running in place." (McCunn 157-158)
Consequently, the quote shows a complete procedure how Ah Lung get himself purchased. He first, used the skill inherited from Moongirl, so that he can tell the pattern of how buyer chooses slaves. Then, Ah Lung arranges his face properly, demonstrates his strength wisely to increase his odds for acceptance. The plan to buy out his own contract finally fails; but as the readers can notice Ah Lung at this part of the story has recovered his nature as a descendent of “dragons,” having both bravery and wit.
At the end of the story, Ah Lung uses his instinctual knowledge successfully escapes from the “devil” island. “By clever planning (McCunn 199),” the wits pass on from Moon girl Ah Lung chooses the Mexican ships to escape. Because they are independent from the island since they are food suppliers for the island instead of the guano collectors that dependent on the island. In that way they will have less chance to alert the “devils.” Afterward, he shows great bravery. As his peers speak to him, “Are you crazy?” “You will get shot” (McCunn 199) He does not hesitated, but taking a great deal of risk of getting shot to get off the “devil island.” And he finally succeeds.
By planning ahead and taking life as risk, he combines his wits and bravery together and becomes the truly a descendent of the “dragons.” Reconsidering Ah Lung’s first twenty years of life, his family has taught him into a passive boy who does not know how to take control of his life. He was like a “worm.” Nevertheless, after experiencing the slavery, Ah Lung is a changed man. He transforms from a defenseless “worm” into a brave, witty “dragon.” After finishing the book God of Luck, readers probably will recognize this book as another remarkable Chinese legend.
