Amy Tan Essay

How to Create Happy Children is an article by Amy Kim, written in 2011, published in The New Yorker. It details her experiences with raising children using Chinese methods of upbringing. Throughout the article, Amy Kim uses a very vivid language that appeals to the senses. This is particularly true towards the end of the article, where she recollects an episode involving one of her daughters. It is described how “She punched, thrashed and kicked, ” which gives the reader a very intimate look at…

American Identity is unique, this is a common theme found in the two pieces of writing "Response to Executive Order 9066" by Dwight Okima, and "Mericans" By Sandra Cisneros's, and that how they determine their American Identity is how they are exposed to American Culture. This theme is seen in both pieces of writing as both narrators are treated differently based on their looks and ethnic backgrounds, yet they are both able to show that they think, feel, and act the same as any other American,…

of their children than in past times. I believe that, while your children should know that you love them, they should also know that certain behavior is unacceptable, and that they are to respect other people, especially people older than they. In Amy Chua's article “Why Chinese Mother's Are Superior,” she explained how strict and forceful she is with her daughters. Her children are not allowed to have sleepovers, she expects them to receive only A's in school, and they must learn piano and…

In her debut novel, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Carson McCullers perfectly captures the sense of human isolation. Throughout her book, McCullers masterfully maintains the unrelenting motif of loneliness by providing intimate details of the lives of five different characters. However, despite being stuck in the stifling, soul crushing South, Mick Kelly rises above the recurring theme of disillusionment and burns bright with ambition and emotion. With her passion for music, her sensitivity…

Each culture passes down their own irrational traditions, regardless of the absurdity. Traditions alter and mold one’s core life decisions. For the Chinese, these practices range from a variety of superstitious beliefs such as a compatibility test between horoscopes and names or an oppressive belief such as foot binding. Bound Feet and Western Dress, written by Pang Mei Natasha Chang, is a memoir that exposes the effect these traditions have on the evolving Chinese population during the early…

“The ‘F Word’” (2003) by Firoozeh Dumas showcases her lifelong struggle of accepting her name. The excerpt is an autobiography about Dumas’ encounter with American standards Her name brought negative attention to herself causing her to change it. Later in life Dumas felt comfortable with her own name and culture allowing her to revert back to her original name. Dumas’ lifelong battle with her identity is shown in this story through her use of irony, metaphors, and similes. Prior to Dumas’ birth…

In the novel The Joy Luck Club, Jing-mei believes that her mother, Suyuan, expects her to be a successful prodigy and do well in anything she does. Jing-mei feels that she has failed her mother by not achieving success in many areas throughout her life and blames Suyuan for her high expectations. Perceiving to have disappointed her mother, Jing-mei loses belief in herself while in reality, Suyuan still held high hopes for her and only wants Jing-mei to try her best. Therefore, Jing-mei’s future…

A chinese proverb once said, “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” Freedom was my definition of driving. Learning helps us move forward from the earliest to the last stage in life.As a reserved, young girl, I always dreamed with the idea of going out with friends and being able to get to places on my own. I knew that my parents weren’t always going to be able to be there when ever I needed them. The perception people gave of driving made me want to pursue that obstacle…

In one of the scenes, Glatzer and Westmoreland use a close up shot to present the main character Alice Howland to the viewers using her linguistic skill to widen her audience outlook on language. She says: "Most children speak and understand their mother tongue before the age of four, without lessons, homework, or much in the way feedback." This quote makes people think and actually makes them wonder how that is possible. They present her in a beige blouse to symbolize trust, loyalty, wisdom,…

In “The Struggle to be an American Girl,” Elizabeth Wong explores the journey to find an identity and a sense of belonging through the eyes of an immigrant child caught between two cultures. As a child, Wong rejects her cultural heritage in favor of attempting to blend in with the society around her, a decision that haunts her into adulthood. Wong’s desire to be American leads her to reject the traditions of her family, not realizing until she is older the significance of preserving those…