Power of the Mother and Daughter Relationship Amy Tan’s...

Power of the Mother and Daughter Relationship Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club In the novel, The Joy Luck Club, the author, Amy Tan, intricately weaves together the roles and experiences of Chinese mothers with their American born daughters. During a time of war, the mothers flee from China to America, leaving behind a past filled with secrets that unravel as their daughters mature. While sharing their difficulties, these mothers must be able to teach Chinese beliefs and customs to their daughters in a way that relates to American society. However, this is difficult because the daughters seek to identify themselves with their own American culture. A lack of understanding and knowledge amongst these societies exists between the mothers and†¦show more content†¦I [am] pure. I [have] genuine thoughts inside that no one [can] see, that no one [can] ever take away from me. I [am] like the wind, (Tan 53). This makes her invisible, strong, and assertive. As demonstrated throughout the novel, the strongest wind cannot be seen, (Tan 89). She had escaped without leaving a trace behind her. As the daughters grow, they portray certain characteristics similar to their mothers. Once Waverly learns how to play chess and competes against former champions, she uses her wind, which she inherited from her mother, to win all the games. She states: †¦I would clasp my hands under my chin†¦ in the delicate manner my mother had shown me for posing for the press. I would†¦twirl my chosen piece in midair as if undecided, and then firmly plant it in its new threatening place, with a triumphant smile [on my face], (Tan 100). Here Waverly uses her strong and invisible wind to outsmart her opponents. Although she does not realize it now, Waverly has inherited her mother’s characteristic of being an invisible, yet influential woman. Because the daughters do not understand what qualities they have inherited, they have become distant from their mothers. Trying to teach their daughters to strive for excellence only pushes them away. Suyuan Woo, another mother in the novel, and Lindo unceasingly compete amongst each other to determine whose daughter exhibits the most talent. In a conversation between these mothers, Lindo boasts:Show MoreRelatedAmy Tan: A Brief Biography757 Words   |  3 PagesAmy Tan is an American Chinese writer most notably known for her critically acclaimed novel The Joy Luck Club, amongst many others. Amy Ruth Tan was born on February 19, 1952, in Oakland California to John and Daisy Tan. Both of Amy’s parents were Chinese immigrants who fled from China to escape hardships. Amy’s mother, Daisy, divorced her abusive husband and left behind three daughters before immigrating to the United States and marrying Amy’s father, John. The marriage produced three children,Read MoreT he Joy Luck Club By Amy Tan1192 Words   |  5 Pageswomen has drastically changed throughout the ages. (CIS) The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan portrays life in America and in China in the 1930’s for women. (GS1) When stories are true, there is more power behind them. (GS2) Novels need accuracy for the book to have feeling. (GS3) A rave-worthy novel needs truth to really draw the reader in. (thesis) Author Amy Tan accurately portrays life for Chinese women in the 1930’s and it enhances the power of the novel because the stories have true roots, the accuracyRead More Improving Mother/Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club1216 Words   |  5 PagesImproving Mother/Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club One day everything is going great, in fact things could not be better and then you say something and your friend turns to you and says â€Å"oh my god, you sounded just like your mother†.   That is when you freak out and think to yourself it is true I am turning into my mother.   This is every daughters worst nightmare come true.   When a young girl is growing up her mother always says and does things that the girl vows she will neverRead MoreTheme Of Sexism In The Joy Luck Club779 Words   |  4 Pages In her 1989 novel, The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan hones into the narratives of four Chinese American immigrant families living in San Francisco. The novel is structured into four distinct, anecdotal sections: two dedicated to mothers and two dedicated to daughters. Tan’s approach to structure allows the interlocking stories between mother and daughter to place emphasis on the issue of sexism. The purpose of Tan’s novel is to highlight that, even though American and Chinese societies drastically differRead MoreAnalysis Of Amy Tans The Joy Luck Club1369 Words   |  6 PagesA Perspective of the American Dream The Joy Luck Club Was written by 1989 by Amy Tan, a first generation American born in 1952 to immigrant parents. Tan was raised by her mother, who had left kids back in China, and a father, who was a Baptist minister. She grew up in California and attended high school in Switzerland. At the age of 15 her brother and father died of a brain tumor. Tan perceives the American dream in the way that an Asian immigrant would, which would be to pass down what we know soRead MoreThe Struggles Faced in the Color Purple and the Joy Luck Club1856 Words   |  8 PagesThe Struggles Faced in The Color Purple and The Joy Luck Club A common bond of struggle links the novels The Color Purple by Alice Walker and The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Rape, suicide, death, war, oppression, and racism invade the two novels. In The Color Purple, Celie overcomes racism, violence, and other issues to find dignity and love. In the Joy Luck Club, the daughters struggle for acceptance, love, and happiness. Though the characters endure many hardships they survive not only by not becomingRead More The Power of Love in Amy Tans Joy Luck Club Essay1448 Words   |  6 PagesThe Power of Love in Amy Tans Joy Luck Club      Ã‚   In Amy Tans The Joy Luck Club, Four pairs of mothers and daughters embark on the journey that is life.   Each young woman comes to realize how valuable the relationships with their mothers are.   As each daughter learns from her mother, she goes through the sometimes-painful process of trying to understand her enigmatic mother.   To finally unravel the mystery surrounding their mothers is to understand who they, themselves, really are.  Read More The Struggles Faced In The Color Purple And The Joy Luck Club1809 Words   |  8 Pages The Struggles Faced in The Color Purple and The Joy Luck Club A common bond of struggle links the novels The Color Purple by Alice Walker and The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Rape, suicide, death, war, oppression, and racism invade the two novels. In The Color Purple, Celie overcomes racism, violence, and other issues to find dignity and love. In the Joy Luck Club, the daughters struggle for acceptance, love, and happiness. Though the characters endure many hardships they survive not only by not becomingRead More Relationships Between Mothers and Daughters in Tans The Joy Luck Club1457 Words   |  6 PagesRelationships Between Mothers and Daughters in Tans The Joy Luck Club â€Å"Now the woman was old.   And she had a daughter who grew up speaking only English and swallowing more Coca-Cola than sorrow.   For a long time now the woman had wanted to give her daughter the single swan feather and tell her, â€Å"This feather may look worthless, but it comes from afar and carries with it all my good intentions.†Ã‚   And she waited, year after year, for the day she could tell her daughter this in perfect AmericanRead MoreThe Joy Luck Club Socratic Seminar Questions1104 Words   |  5 PagesJia-yi (Jenny) Cen AP Literature and Composition 23 July 2015 The Joy Luck Club Socratic Seminar Questions The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan, exposes the paradoxical relationships between Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-raised daughters. Although both sides experience their own strife in life, the mothers are probably most notable for their struggle in assimilating to society. Given that they are the first generations to have contact with the unfamiliar culture, they must set foot onto the