In The Family of Pa Chin, portrays a traditional Confucian family struggling to keep their traditions and way of life intact, amidst the profound upheavals and civil unrest gripping the China. Pa Chin clearly portrays a family in which Venerable Master Kao reigns supreme at the expense of his family. The Kao family encounters several obstacles such as suicide, death, depression, unhappy marriages, family conflicts and disrespect for elders which undoubtedly lead to the breakup of the Kao family. One of the main reasons why the Kao family cannot maintain their integrity and lifestyle is the clash between Confusion traditionalism and Chinese cultural modernization. One of the main driving forces in the upheaval of the Kao family tradition would be the rebellious youth, Chueh-min, Chueh-hui and Chin in particular. The family's personal encounters with the destructive nature of the traditional family have forced them to think in modern ways so that they do not follow the same destructive path that so many saw before they lost themselves. In this new era of striving for happiness within the Kao family, a cultural barrier is built between modern youth and traditional adults, with Chueh-hsin teetering on the brink, lost between both. While the traditional family seems to crack and fall apart just like an iceberg in the warm ocean waters, the bond between Chueh-min, Chueh-hui, Chin and their friends becomes as strong as the ocean itself. While traditional Confucianism plays an important role in the problems faced by the Kao family, it is the combination of both Confucianism and modernization that has brought the family to its knees. Chueh-hsin is an important factor in the novel for many reasons. It is thanks to him that his little brothers Chueh-min and Chueh-hui realize how unfair the old arranged marriage system was. They have seen their older brother Chueh-hsin follow tradition and release a flood of tears over the years because of his willingness to let the elders determine his future instead of himself. Chueh-hsin constantly pondered what he should do to save his happiness and the joy of the woman he loved, Mei. Eventually Mei is so overwhelmed by unhappiness that she stops treating herself well, gives up on life, withers and dies..