What are some of the main causes of tension between family members? Are the causes related to societal expectations, cultural expectations, or personal pride? Or maybe it is a combination of all of these causes? How these external and internal conflicts can affect the relationship among family members is noticeable in the short stories, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut and “The Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan. In both, “Harrison Bergeron,” and “The Rules of the Game,” the impact of these struggles can be seen between the relationships of the parents and their children; Harrison’s parents, in “Harrison Bergeron,” show indifference towards how societal beliefs affect their son while Mrs. Jong, in “Rules of the Game,” favors cultural expectations
…show more content…
In this society, people are finally equal among each other and the Agents of the United States Handicapper General govern to enforce equality. To keep this equality, George, who has an above average intelligence, is legally required to wear a mental handicap radio in order to lower his range of intelligence to be like everyone else. While Hazel, on the other hand, has a perfectly average intelligence which means that she cannot think about anything except in short quick bursts. Hazel and George’s handicaps interfere with their emotions and logical thinking, which causes them to be completely oblivious when “HG men took [their] fourteen-year-old son, Harrison, ...but [they] could [not] think hard about it” (Vonnegut 1). The dystopian societal pressures have caused Hazel and George to be less sympathetic about their son’s well-being. They are not in control of their emotions, thoughts, or actions. The “equal” society is pressuring Hazel and George to be unaware of any problems in the world around them. Harrison, a defiant child, is willing to sacrifice his life to prove a point to society, however, he doesn’t know how quickly it can be forgotten. The society had finally had enough of Harrison’s rebellion on national television, so they decide to take action and kill Harrison and his “Empress.” Diana Glampers, …show more content…
Jong is trapped by her old cultural pressures and pride. She has the power to help her child, but instead, she puts a strain in their relationship. Mrs. Jong is an immigrant from China, while Waverly is a first-generation Chinese-American growing up in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the United States. Mrs. Jong cannot understand or speak English very well with her children, which is one barrier in her relationship with her children. It’s her pride and the cultural pressures and traditions of her old country that cause her to be strict towards Waverly. As Mrs. Jong does her daughter’s hair, Waverly has a subtle thought about Chinese torture so she questions her mother, “Ma, what is Chinese torture?’ Mrs. Jong genuinely replies, “‘Chinese people do business, do medicine, so painting...We do torture. Best torture’” (Tan 3). Waverly asks the question with sarcasm; however, Mrs. Jong does not understand sarcasm so she pridefully explains how Chinese people are better than “lazy American people” (3). She unknowingly states that Chinese people are more successful and hardworking than Americans, so she is trying to teach Waverly the rules of life. Mrs. Jong is not aware of her negative impact on Waverly’s life every time she pushes her past her limits. Every Sunday, whenever Waverly does not have a tournament, she and her mother would shop around Chinatown together. It was a time for Mr. Jong to be prideful of her accomplishments, her daughter, and show her off
In this society, people are finally equal among each other and the Agents of the United States Handicapper General govern to enforce equality. To keep this equality, George, who has an above average intelligence, is legally required to wear a mental handicap radio in order to lower his range of intelligence to be like everyone else. While Hazel, on the other hand, has a perfectly average intelligence which means that she cannot think about anything except in short quick bursts. Hazel and George’s handicaps interfere with their emotions and logical thinking, which causes them to be completely oblivious when “HG men took [their] fourteen-year-old son, Harrison, ...but [they] could [not] think hard about it” (Vonnegut 1). The dystopian societal pressures have caused Hazel and George to be less sympathetic about their son’s well-being. They are not in control of their emotions, thoughts, or actions. The “equal” society is pressuring Hazel and George to be unaware of any problems in the world around them. Harrison, a defiant child, is willing to sacrifice his life to prove a point to society, however, he doesn’t know how quickly it can be forgotten. The society had finally had enough of Harrison’s rebellion on national television, so they decide to take action and kill Harrison and his “Empress.” Diana Glampers, …show more content…
Jong is trapped by her old cultural pressures and pride. She has the power to help her child, but instead, she puts a strain in their relationship. Mrs. Jong is an immigrant from China, while Waverly is a first-generation Chinese-American growing up in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the United States. Mrs. Jong cannot understand or speak English very well with her children, which is one barrier in her relationship with her children. It’s her pride and the cultural pressures and traditions of her old country that cause her to be strict towards Waverly. As Mrs. Jong does her daughter’s hair, Waverly has a subtle thought about Chinese torture so she questions her mother, “Ma, what is Chinese torture?’ Mrs. Jong genuinely replies, “‘Chinese people do business, do medicine, so painting...We do torture. Best torture’” (Tan 3). Waverly asks the question with sarcasm; however, Mrs. Jong does not understand sarcasm so she pridefully explains how Chinese people are better than “lazy American people” (3). She unknowingly states that Chinese people are more successful and hardworking than Americans, so she is trying to teach Waverly the rules of life. Mrs. Jong is not aware of her negative impact on Waverly’s life every time she pushes her past her limits. Every Sunday, whenever Waverly does not have a tournament, she and her mother would shop around Chinatown together. It was a time for Mr. Jong to be prideful of her accomplishments, her daughter, and show her off