In Amy Tan's novel "The Joy Luck Club" the readers can explore each character's past experiences and relationships to help the readers to understand each character's current situation. In this novel, Tan uses four different families, the Woo's, the Hsu's, the Jong's, and the St. Clair’s including 3 mothers' and 4 daughters'. This arrangement represents the four seats at the Mah-Jong table. Each chapter in a section is devoted to one mother or daughter, and their stories eventually intertwine to the point that the story of Jing-Mei and Suyuan Woo becomes a symbol of fulfillment for all of them. The mothers shape their daughters, imparting wisdom while seeming blunt and at times even ignorant. At the same time, the daughters are aware of their mothers' cleverness, which they alternately fear, love, resent, and imitate. Especially when it comes to …show more content…
Waverly grew up “as the Great American Hope, a child prodigy and a girl to boot” (Tan 97). Waverly couldn’t do anything except practice chess. She got into chess because “Vincent got the chess set, which would have been a very decent present to get at a church Christmas party, except it was obviously used, as we discovered later, it was missing q black pawn and white knight” (Tan 93). Waverly was so determined to play chess that she “read the rules and looked up the big words in a dictionary…. borrowed books from the Chinatown library…. And studied each chess piece, trying to absorb the power each contained” (Tan 94). Once she got good she played in the park with an Old man named Lau Po, almost every day after school on her way home. From there she went competitive, by doing that it caused her mother to begin the bragging which eventually led Waverly to go off. Because of her mother neglecting the fact that her daughter didn’t like the bragging caused Waverly to become the immature snobby person she
She doesn't face her problems or try to fix them. Waverly and her mother are constantly fighting and disagreeing with each other because of her mother's boastful pride. This conflict continues to build up until Waverly is no longer able to take it and runs away. When Waverly's mother boasts to others about Waverly's success in chess, Waverly "raced down the street, dashing between people, not looking back as [her] mother screamed shrilly" (Tan 23). This shows that Waverly runs away from her conflicts. Because her mother is so proud, she boasts to everyone about Waverly. This annoys Waverly because she feels embarrassed about her mother always showing her pride
I played well in the game. And I haven't touched the violin since because of that. " i. (Wiesel 93).
Amy Tan’s novel, The Joy Luck Club uses much characterization. Each character is portrayed in different yet similar ways. When she was raised, she would do whatever she could to please other people. She even “gave up her life for her parents promise” (49), I the story The Red Candle we get to see how Tan portrays Lindo Jong and how she is brought to life.
Wade states, “America and Jimmy turn out to be just another, gentler, form of silencing (15).” The moment when Jimmy passes away embarks the new beginning of Winnie living on her own. She becomes the figure of the household, working tremendously hard to raise her two children. Winnie is portrayed as an independent woman. Although Winnie speaks broken ungrammatical English, Pearl still finds “it her duty to listen to her mother (6).” Hence, Winnie finds it difficult verbally express her past to her daughter. Nonetheless, she ultimately discloses that Pearl is the result of Wen Fu’s rape not a symbol of Jimmie’s love. Wade believes that “Winnie has power in her speech to change the reality of others, she also allows others to shape her reality (17).” Pearl thinks of her mother as a fighter, who witnessed the pain of Wen Fu’s existence in her characteristics, her temper and behavior matched with his quite often. This allows restrained Pearl to open up about her multiple sclerosis condition. By speaking what is on her own mind, she motivates Winnie to no longer hold back upon what she is afraid to reveal. She promotes awareness develops the confident side Pearl to talk more by giving her the statue of the Kitchen God’s wife, who was originally forgotten and voiceless after her husband a mistress. Due to the fact that she has faced many hardships in her life, Winnie gives Pearl the statue and tells her: “She is telling you to speak. She will listen (17-18).” She describes the Kitchen God’s wife as “Lady Sorrow Free, happiness winning over bitterness, no regrets in the world (18).” Wade uncovers that the name change of the Kitchen God’s wife “not only restores Guo’s identity, but symbolizes both Winnie’s and Pearl’s final restoration as well (18).” Both women are not mind-readers, through the means of delivering
In The Joy Luck Club, the novel traces the fate of the four mothers-Suyuan Woo, An-mei Hsu, Lindo Jong, and Ying-ying St. Clair-and their four daughters-June Woo, Rose Hsu Jordan, Waverly Jong, and Lena St. Clair. Through the experiences that these characters go through, they become women. The mothers all fled China in the 1940's and they all retain much of their heritage. Their heritage focuses on what is means to be a female, but more importantly what it means to be an Asian female.
Rose questions the reasons why the two worlds are so different. During his school and after a traumatic moment in life at the death of his father, a new teacher, Mr. MacFarland begins teaching him. Through Roses lessons with Mr. MacFarland, Rose learns how to want to learn and to want to go achieve more. With this new
Rose Mary is a selfish woman and decides not to go to school some mornings because she does not feel up to it. Jeannette takes the initiative in making sure that her mother is prepared for school each morning because she knows how much her family needs money. Even though Rose Mary starts to go to school every day, she does not do her job properly and thus the family suffers financially again. When Maureen’s birthday approaches, Jeannette takes it upon herself to find a gift for her because she does not think their parents will be able to provide her with one. Jeannette says, “at times I felt like I was failing Maureen, like I wasn’t keeping my promise that I’d protect her - the promise I’d made to her when I held her on the way home from the hospital after she’d been born. I couldn’t get her what she needed most- hot
In Amy Tan short story, The Joy Luck Club, she reveals personal challenges that hint the reader of gender roles in that specific society. Men and women each have specific standards and expectations in the society. The men are often viewed as the one who work all day to support their families financially. While the women, are often viewed as housewives that have to provide the basic and sentimental care to their families. The author shares that "The man who was my husband brought me and our two babies to Keweilin because he thought we would be safe" (Tan 74). Goes back throughout generation and even stories and fairy tales reveal the difference between a man and a woman. Times do change and so should people 's ideas as well. Although, people
... and in her hurry to get away, she (falls) before she even reach(s) the corner,” (87). This foreshadows the relationship between the mothers and daughters in The Joy Luck Club. The daughters can not understand the reasoning behind their mothers’ decisions. However, the mothers realize their daughters are so much like them and they do not want this to happen. The daughters grow up being “Americanized,” but as they grow older they begin to want to understand their Chinese culture. All of the characters learned many valuable lessons that will be passed on to their own children.
Consequently, her vision progressively grew more bleak and stubborn, enabling the structure and discipline into Steph’s life. As she tried to utterly express to Steph, “{…} Just while she is blossoming in puberty, she is dewomanizing herself. I would rather have her be a Moonie or a cocaine addict{….} If she loses the core of being a woman, then she’ll end up playing touch football{…..}” Steph is unaffected by her argument (Apple, 137). In fact, she exclaims her truest feelings by maintaining her position, “ That’s an act, what girls are supposed to be like. You should know better, you helped me start Stepdaughters {…..} I want to throw the shot as far as possible” (Apple, 137). As a growing woman, Steph has an absolute right to choose the path other girls may not going into because that’s what make her different. Defending her stature and her sport, she stands in the way of her mother’s total war conquest against her daughter’s
In The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan explores mother-daughter relationships, and at a lower level, relationships between friends, lovers, and even enemies. The mother-daughter relationships are most likely different aspects of Tan's relationship with her mother, and perhaps some parts are entirely figments of her imagination. In this book, she presents the conflicting views and the stories of both sides, providing the reader--and ultimately, the characters--with an understanding of the mentalities of both mother and daughter, and why each one is the way she is.
She first enters her journey when she learns about invisible strength from her mother, “I was six when my mother taught me the art of invisible strength. It was strategy for winning arguments, respect from others, and eventually, though neither of us knew it at the time, chess games”(Tan 89). This quote indicates the beginning of Waverly’s journey as she discovers her chess talent. Despite this, Waverly fails to realize her mother’s important role in her success, “‘Why do you have to use me to show off? If you want to show off, then why don’t you learn to play chess’” (Tan 99). This quote shows Waverly’s immaturity and her inability to recognize her mother’s affection. This eventually leads to Waverly’s downfall when she decides to quit playing chess. As an adult, Waverly doesn’t overcome her issues with her mother, “After our miserable lunch, I gave up the idea that there would ever be good time to tell her the news that Rich Schields and I were getting married” (Tan 167). This quote displays Waverly’s inability to trust and connect with her mother as she has grown older. While spending time with her mother at home, Waverly does succeed in recognize her mother’s importance and true intentions, she states that, “ In the brief instant that I had peered over the barriers I could finally see what was really there: an old woman, a wok of her armor, a knitting needle for her sword, getting a little crabby as she waited patiently for her daughter to invite her in” (Tan 184). The following quote signifies Waverly’s psychological transformation in her journey as she successfully recognizes her mother’s affection and stops confusing her actions for personal attacks. Nonetheless, Waverly fails in completing her journey. Although, she does succeed in improving her relationship with her mother, she still does not complete a spiritual or physical deed and fails to achieve the “return” in her journey.
In the beginning, Ni Kan, is “just as excited as [her] mother” about the idea of becoming a prodigy (749). She imagines herself in different roles and believes that once she has “become perfect,” (749) her parents will approve of her. However, her mother’s obsession becomes extreme when she is forced to take numerous tests on a daily basis. Ni Kan points out, “The tests [are] harder- multiplying numbers in my head without using my hands, predicting the daily temperatures in Los Angeles, New York, and London” (749). Eventually, her mother persuades her into taking piano lessons, which becomes the prime focus of determination.
Throughout the novel, The Joy Luck Club, there are four stories told by the four families that are in the Joy Luck Club. With each story of their past, there is an important lesson shown that the characters and the reader are meant to learn. Throughout the novel, every single mother wants the best for their daughters more than anything. At times, to achieve this, the mothers make sacrifices to better their daughter´s lives. Amy Tan uses a strong language style all through her novel.
In the Joy Luck Club, the author Amy Tan, focuses on mother-daughter relationships. She examines the lives of four women who emigrated from China, and the lives of four of their American-born daughters. The mothers: Suyuan Woo, An-Mei Hsu, Lindo Jong, and Ying-Ying St. Clair had all experienced some life-changing horror before coming to America, and this has forever tainted their perspective on how they want their children raised. The four daughters: Waverly, Lena, Rose, and Jing-Mei are all Americans. Even though they absorb some of the traditions of Chinese culture they are raised in America and American ideals and values. This inability to communicate and the clash between cultures create rifts between mothers and daughters.