In 20th century China, political chaos dominated all aspects of society. The Chinese 1949 Communist Takeover forced many innocent citizens to relocate to America to escape persecution and turmoil. Among the many who immigrated was Amy Tan’s family, whose journey migrating sculpted themes in Tan’s writing. Tan’s firsthand experience in two settings allows her to fully immerse herself into both and present clear definitions between the two, exemplified in The Joy Luck Club, written to reflect her journey transitioning cultures. Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club incorporates symbolism, narrative structure, characterization of mother daughter relationship, and linguistic differences in order to emphasize the disparity between the Chinese mothers and American
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For example, when Ying-Ying first came to America, she had to alter her spirit to conform to American standards: “With the sweep of a pen, my mother lost her name and became a Dragon instead of a Tiger" (Tan 104). As Ying-Ying moved from China to America, she had to conceal her origins. By erasing both her name and her tiger spirit, symbolic of her passion and ferocity, she is forced to suppress her true natures, shaping the battle of dominance between the two societies. Furthermore, Tan depicts Lindo’s worry about losing her old conducts when Lindo questions, “I think about our two faces... about my intentions. Which one is American? Which one is Chinese? Which one is better? If you show one, you must always sacrifice the other… What did I get back in return?” (Tan 304-305). The juxtaposition between the Chinese face and the American face symbolizes the growing disparity between her identification with the two. Lindo feels stripped of her roots every time she displays one and not the other and these conflicted feelings transgress into her feelings towards her daughter and towards herself. Critics have also noted the importance of symbolism in Tan’s …show more content…
An illustration of the relationship would be when Jing-Mei Woo realizes that in her, the other mother see their “daughters… who grow impatient when their mothers talk in Chinese, who think they are stupid when they explain things in fractured English... who will bear grandchildren born without any connecting hope passed from generation to generation” (Tan 31). The mother’s greatest fear is for her daughter to grow up disconnected from her mother and her original morals. Already, they see dissociation between their daughters, who are blind to the mother’s struggles of identity, and themselves, who tried fiercely to instill those oriental beliefs. Equally important in outlining mother daughter relationship is when Mr. Rory tells Lindo she looks like her daughter and she “smiles, this time with [her] Chinese face. But [her] daughter’s eyes and her smile becomes very narrow, the way a cat pulls itself small just before it bites” (Tan 291). The contrast between Lindo and Waverly’s reaction when told they are similar illustrates the daughter’s attitude towards the presence of her mothers. Lindo views the statement as a compliment and feels proud of her job as a mother. On the other hand, Waverly wants to be rid of her mother’s suffocating expectations and criticisms, oblivious that Lindo just wants her daughter to succeed in the new land.
For example, when Ying-Ying first came to America, she had to alter her spirit to conform to American standards: “With the sweep of a pen, my mother lost her name and became a Dragon instead of a Tiger" (Tan 104). As Ying-Ying moved from China to America, she had to conceal her origins. By erasing both her name and her tiger spirit, symbolic of her passion and ferocity, she is forced to suppress her true natures, shaping the battle of dominance between the two societies. Furthermore, Tan depicts Lindo’s worry about losing her old conducts when Lindo questions, “I think about our two faces... about my intentions. Which one is American? Which one is Chinese? Which one is better? If you show one, you must always sacrifice the other… What did I get back in return?” (Tan 304-305). The juxtaposition between the Chinese face and the American face symbolizes the growing disparity between her identification with the two. Lindo feels stripped of her roots every time she displays one and not the other and these conflicted feelings transgress into her feelings towards her daughter and towards herself. Critics have also noted the importance of symbolism in Tan’s …show more content…
An illustration of the relationship would be when Jing-Mei Woo realizes that in her, the other mother see their “daughters… who grow impatient when their mothers talk in Chinese, who think they are stupid when they explain things in fractured English... who will bear grandchildren born without any connecting hope passed from generation to generation” (Tan 31). The mother’s greatest fear is for her daughter to grow up disconnected from her mother and her original morals. Already, they see dissociation between their daughters, who are blind to the mother’s struggles of identity, and themselves, who tried fiercely to instill those oriental beliefs. Equally important in outlining mother daughter relationship is when Mr. Rory tells Lindo she looks like her daughter and she “smiles, this time with [her] Chinese face. But [her] daughter’s eyes and her smile becomes very narrow, the way a cat pulls itself small just before it bites” (Tan 291). The contrast between Lindo and Waverly’s reaction when told they are similar illustrates the daughter’s attitude towards the presence of her mothers. Lindo views the statement as a compliment and feels proud of her job as a mother. On the other hand, Waverly wants to be rid of her mother’s suffocating expectations and criticisms, oblivious that Lindo just wants her daughter to succeed in the new land.