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Cultural analysis of the Joy Luck Club movie
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This quote from the text stands out to me because it shows that Waverly’s mom cares more about herself than her community. Every Saturday, Waverly and her mom would go to the market. Not to purchase anything, but for Waverly’s mom to show off her daughter who became a national chess champion. Instead of focusing on how her family felt about Waverly’s sudden success and helping them cope with Waverly’s busy schedule, the mother chose to flaunt Waverly and boast about her accomplishments.
In “Rules of the Game,” the author directs her focus on the strained relationship between an immigrant mother and her daughter born in America but of intense Chinese background. The narrator, Waverly Jong describes her encounter at the marketplace with her mom; who taught her the art of invincible strength. She explains how her mother termed it as a strategy for winning arguments, respect from others stating that the strongest wind never meets the eye. This lesson proves pivotal in Jong’s spectacular chess expeditions that saw her crowned national champion as well as defined the latter`s relationship with her mother, whom she often saw as an opponent. Jong becomes entrapped in her conflicting environments, forcing her to adjust accordingly to both her physical and social environment.
She credits her success to her mother’s lesson of the power of invisible strength. She recounts how “my mother taught me the art of invisible strength. It was a strategy for winning arguments, respect from others, and eventually, though neither of us knew it at the time, chess games.” (p. 89) Waverly goes on to have a lucrative career as an attorney, while her mother 's power over her gradually wanes reminiscent of the Taitai’s power over Lindo.
At first Waverly was curious as to why a stranger would want to play with her, but she gave in and looked at her mom for a sign of approval. Waverly narrates: “A man who watched me play in the park suggested that my mother allow me to play in local chess tournaments. My mother smiled graciously” ( Tan, “Rules of the Game”). Waverly’s mother allows her to go and play chess with an old man showing that
Even as a young child, she was incredibly observant and noted that other Chinese girls did not speak either, and so she drew the conclusion that “the silence had to do with being a Chinese girl” (166). Kingston does not say that all Chinese children found themselves in silence – only the girls did. She does not only have to find her identity as a Chinese American, but as a girl, and to figure out how these two facets of her identity work together to define her. Brave Orchid’s cutting her daughter’s tongue resulted in a physiological change; however, Kingston’s issue with speaking proves to be more psychological.
In Chinese we say, Come from South, blow with wind-poom!-North will follow. Strongest wind cannot be seen.” Waverly’s mother, Lindo, is saying that if she shows emotions then she won’t get what she wants in life. She has to show that she is strong at all times. Amy Tan goes on to write, “The next week I bit back my tongue [...]
Living as a Chinese-American, the narrator had to take on American attributes in order to be accepted -- for example, while normal Chinese women spoke with strong and assertive voices, the narrator adopted a whisper in order to appear “American-feminine. ”(1) As a result, however, her shy demeanor caused her to be an unpopular outcast. She saw herself in another Chinese-American girl at her school, as they had certain, negative similarities. “I hated the younger sister, the quiet one.
“Her actions remind me that, even under unbearable circumstances, one can still believe in justice,” in David Henry Hwang’s foreword, in Ji-Li Jiang’s memoir Red Scarf Girl, commemorated even during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution anyone can overcome adversity (9). Ji-Li Jiang was a young teenager at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, and living through a very political time in China’s history made Ji-Li into the person she is today. Ji-Li’s intelligence, her choices, and family devotion made her into the headstrong and successful person she is today. Even when Ji-li thought she was unintelligent, others saw she was wise. There were many moments when Ji-Li was reminded she was very smart.
This lesson proves pivotal in Jongs spectacular chess expeditions that saw her crowned national champion and also defined her relationship with her mother whom she considered as an opponent. Jongs
“Rules of The Game” by Amy Tan divulges into the story of young Chinese-American girl Waverly Place Jong, named after the street that she lives on in San Francisco’s Chinatown. In her small two-bedroom flat, she lives with her two brothers Vincent and Winston, along with her very traditional Chinese mother. Raised under the strict influence of her mother, Waverly grows up under the impression that success and honoring your family are the two most important concepts in life. With these beliefs instilled in her, she puts forward her best effort into everything-- whether it’s her talent for chess or placating her mother. This becomes evident throughout the story in terms of what Waverly’s character reveals.
(MINOR 1 FOR MAJOR A) In the story, she would consistently dedicate her time and effort in the game of chess. As a result, at age nine, she was a national chess champion. In addition, Waverly would spend countless of hours trying to discover and learn new strategic ways/techniques always to win the game. For instance, Waverly stated, “I went to school, then directly
As seen by the mothers’ and daughters’ behavior towards each other in The Joy Luck Club, it is difficult to preserve one’s culture when one is exposed to a new environment or country. With a difference of two distinct generations between them, the four main pairs often come across cultural collisions. Other than facing the age gap, these mothers and daughters also have to deal with a language and communication barrier. Already, at the beginning of the story, Jing-Mei Woo is able to understand how the mothers of the “Joy Luck Club” are displeased with their daughter’s rejection of their Chinese culture. She speaks to herself, admitting that “they are frightened.
In the novel The Kitchen God’s Wife, Amy Tan shows the complexity of a distance relationship through the character Pearl Louie. Pearl is the daughter of Winnie Louie. She is a Chinese-American born, raised in a family that practice the Chinese customs. In the beginning of the novel the readers learn that Pearl and Winnie are not close. During Bao-bao engagement party, Pearl wonders to herself the reason behind the distanced relationship between her mom and herself: “I think of the enormous distance that separates us and makes us unable to share the most important matters of our life”(34).
In Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club, the different stories show how the different characters develop and progress. Rose Hsu Jordan begins “Half and Half” as someone who clearly lacks of conviction as she allows everyone but her to make decisions. Throughout “Without Wood”, however, Rose Hsu Jordan begins to learn, with the help of her mother, how to speak up.
She takes pride in the work that she does with and for him, but also hears the things that are being said. The statement the salesman said, “Could of fooled me, I thought it was only a girl” and her mother saying, “Wait till Laird gets bigger, then you’ll have a real help” are examples
