Art Kamen Character Analysis in The Bonesetter’s Daughter

Art Kamen is Ruth’s partner. He’s a linguist who works at the Center on Deafness at the University of California, San Francisco. Ruth lives with Art at his flat in San Francisco, and Art’s daughters, Dory and Fia, join them every other week. Ruth loves Art but has many doubts about her relationship, often feeling as though Art takes her for granted and is unwilling to accommodate her needs. Meanwhile, Ruth’s emotionally distanced demeanor and unwillingness to voice her needs frustrates Art, though he, too, fails to address this. For example, the fact that she and Art have never married, despite being together for a decade, makes Ruth feel disposable and temporary, yet she never conveys her unhappiness to Art. Compounding Ruth’s insecurity is that Art’s ex-wife, Miriam, is such a permanent part of his life by virtue of the two children they co-parent. After Ruth moves out of Art’s flat to take care of LuLing full-time, Art realizes the extent to which he has taken Ruth for granted and makes an effort to show her how much he values her, as well as expressing how much it hurts him when Ruth cuts herself off from him emotionally. The couple’s ultimate fate remains unknown, but the novel strongly suggests that they will continue to repair their relationship, and Art even floats the idea of marriage. Most meaningfully, he insists on financing LuLing’s stay at the Mira Mar Manor assisted living facility, which practically and symbolically shows his acknowledgment that Ruth’s struggles are his struggles, too.

Art Kamen Quotes in The Bonesetter’s Daughter

The The Bonesetter’s Daughter quotes below are all either spoken by Art Kamen or refer to Art Kamen. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

In an odd way, she now thought, her mother was the one who had taught her to become a book doctor. Ruth had to make life better by revising it.

Related Characters: Ruth Young, LuLing Liu Young, Art Kamen, Precious Auntie

Page Number and Citation: 47

Explanation and Analysis:

They were nice to her, certainly. They had given her lovely birthday presents, a silk velvet scarf, Chanel No. 5, a lacquered tea tray, but nothing she might share with Art or pass on to his girls—or any future children, for that matter, since she was beyond the possibility of giving the Kamens additional grandchildren. Miriam, on the other hand, was now and forever the mother of the Kamens’ granddaughters, the keeper of heirlooms for Fia and Dory. Marty and Arlene already had given her the family sterling, china, and the mezuzah kissed by five generations of Kamens since the days they lived in Ukraine.

Related Characters: Ruth Young, Arlene and Marty Kamen, Art Kamen, Miriam, LuLing Liu Young, Dory, Fia

Page Number and Citation: 87

Explanation and Analysis:

A lot of her admonitions had to do with not showing what you really meant about all sorts of things: hope, disappointment, and especially love. The less you showed, the more you meant.

Related Characters: Ruth Young, LuLing Liu Young, Precious Auntie, Art Kamen

Related Symbols: Hawaiian Pearl Necklace

Page Number and Citation: 96

Explanation and Analysis:

Her hands would always be full, and finally, she and her mother could both stop counting.

Related Characters: Ruth Young, Dory, Fia , LuLing Liu Young, Art Kamen

Page Number and Citation: 155

Explanation and Analysis:

Art Kamen Character Timeline in The Bonesetter’s Daughter

The timeline below shows where the character Art Kamen appears in The Bonesetter’s Daughter. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...has been losing her voice on August 12 for the past eight years. Her partner, Art, jokes that her laryngitis is psychological. She thinks back to their second anniversary when they... (full context)

This year marks the ninth year Ruth, Art, and the girls, Dory and Fia, have driven to Lake Tahoe for the “Days of... (full context)

...Ruth doesn’t offer to pay to fix it and feels bad for being petty. When Art tries to initiate sex with her later that night, she rejects him. Ruth wants to... (full context)

The following day, Ruth’s voice returns. Dory and Fia are fighting over the TV. Art and his ex-wife share custody of the girls. On the weeks Art has the girls,... (full context)

...list, which troubles her, especially because LuLing has always said nine is a significant number. Art appears in the doorway and asks Ruth to call about the broken water heater. Ruth... (full context)

Alone in the car, Ruth thinks about her relationship with Art and wonders if they’ve grown apart. Ruth recalls how they’d met 10 years ago in... (full context)

Wendy eventually ditches the class, but Ruth remains enrolled, and she and Art start hanging out at a coffee shop after class. Art tells her he has a... (full context)

Ruth tells Art she works as a ghostwriter, helping authors put their ideas into writing for publication. Art... (full context)

Eventually, Ruth’s conversations with Art become more personal, and they talk about living with partners. She confides in him about... (full context)

Back in the present, Ruth picks up Art’s dry cleaning. She remembers she has to call Wendy back and reflects on her friendship:... (full context)

...would eat them until her mouth burned, and she has a taste for them today. Art tolerates the turnips in small doses, but his girls hate the smell. Ruth selects a... (full context)

...good at her job, which can sometimes be quite difficult. It irritates her when people—even Art—don’t take her work seriously, though she admits this might be because she tends to downplay... (full context)

Ruth and LuLing sit in the hospital waiting room. LuLing asks about Art’s kids and gets defensive when she confuses Fia with Dory. She asks Ruth about Fu-Fu,... (full context)

...spoiling their appetites, they accuse her and LuLing of “talking like spies” in Chinese. When Art doesn’t defend Ruth, LuLing berates Ruth in Chinese, telling her that Art never bothered marrying... (full context)

...from dinner and realizes she hasn’t completed one task on her to-do list: calling Miriam, Art’s ex-wife, to ask if the girls can attend the family reunion dinner. Things are awkward... (full context)

...their two sons, Andy and Beauregard, will be joining them. Ruth had initially protested when Art broached the subject with her. Still, Art said Miriam was insistent and claimed it was... (full context)

Art’s parents, Arlene and Marty Kamen, arrive first and exchange polite cheek kisses with Ruth. In... (full context)

...Moon. Fia and Dory arrive just as everyone settles down at the table. They hug Art’s parents but not LuLing. Soon, the appetizers arrive. When the plate of seasoned jellyfish, LuLing’s... (full context)

...Hawaiian pearls that Ruth had hastily given LuLing after forgetting her birthday while she and Art were vacationing in Hawaii. The pearls are cheap costume jewelry, but LuLing had believed they... (full context)

Art returns the pearls to LuLing after they’ve made their way around the table. LuLing notices... (full context)

This was three months ago. Since then, LuLing has come for dinner at Ruth and Art’s house almost every night. Tonight, LuLing nearly spits out the salmon Ruth prepared, claiming it’s... (full context)

Fia asks Art if they can get a new cat, mentioning her friend Alice’s new Himalayan. Art says... (full context)

...to their bedroom to do homework and LuLing leaves to use the bathroom, Ruth confronts Art to voice her concerns about LuLing’s worsened condition and her hesitation to leave her alone... (full context)

The housekeepers continue to quit. Ruth grows increasingly tired and irritable, and she finally tells Art to go to Hawaii without her. She tries to work in the empty house but... (full context)

...LuLing’s. She inspects the place more closely and is horrified at the disarray. Ruth calls Art in Hawaii but gets no answer. She calls GaoLing, who refuses to believe the Alzheimer’s... (full context)

...if LuLing has known about her fading about memory for years. She resolves to call Art in Hawaii to help her find a translator, and to ask her mother about her... (full context)

Meanwhile, Ruth has moved in with LuLing full-time. When she announces her plans to Art, she was annoyed when he acted as though she were overreacting. Art demanded to know... (full context)

...not to be too overeager. One night, LuLing asks Ruth what happened between her and Art. LuLing advises Ruth that the relationship failed because they hadn’t married before moving in together,... (full context)

Furthermore, living apart from Art makes Ruth realize that their relationship has developed real problems: she recognizes how she’s bent... (full context)

One night, when Ruth brings LuLing over to the flat to prepare dinner, Art draws near to hear and suggests she get GaoLing to watch LuLing while they retreat... (full context)

During the second month of their separation, Ruth suggests that Art come over to LuLing’s for dinner sometime rather than Ruth having to bring LuLing over... (full context)

Ruth calls Art the next day to tell him about LuLing’s story and expresses her wish that her... (full context)

Ruth realizes she doesn’t know how to respond to Art. On the one hand, he’s speaking the words she’s so longed to hear. At the... (full context)

...from the “California Department of Public Safety” concerning a radon leak. Ruth is impressed with Art’s design skills. The notice outlines the state’s plan to relocate tenants to a “free five-star”... (full context)

Ruth and Art arrive at Mira Mar Manor to scope out the place before LuLing’s arrival. A sophisticated-looking... (full context)

Ruth and Art raise their concerns about LuLing’s dementia, and Mr. Patel ensures them the facility is equipped... (full context)

...inform them that LuLing fell in the pool and almost drowned. Ruth runs outside, horrified. Art carries LuLing out of the pool. LuLing claims to have spotted Precious Auntie at the... (full context)

That evening, Ruth meets Art for dinner. They sit down at a booth, and Ruth is surprised when a waiter... (full context)

Ruth watches Mr. Tang kiss LuLing on the cheek in the Asian Art Museum. In the month since LuLing moved to Mira Mar Manor, the couple has been... (full context)

...is, LuLing voices the answer aloud: “Oracle bone,” she states in Chinese. LuLing turns to Art and explains, in Mandarin, how her mother had once found a bone like this. LuLing... (full context)

...her father called her mother in a love poem he wrote for her. Ruth tells Art that “Liu Xing” means “shooting star” and tells him she’ll fill him in on the... (full context)

Later that night, Ruth and Art lay in bed together and discuss Mr. Tang’s relationship with LuLing. Ruth wonders how Mr.... (full context)

Ruth remains silent, and Art stutters, telling her she doesn’t have to give him a definite answer anytime soon. But... (full context)

Art Kamen Character Analysis

Art Kamen Quotes in The Bonesetter’s Daughter

Part One: Chapter Two Quotes

Part One: Chapter Four Quotes

Part One: Chapter Seven Quotes

Art Kamen Character Timeline in The Bonesetter’s Daughter