“How does The Joy Luck Club represent Chinese women?”
Literature is one way that authors use to mirror the society and to transmit history. One of the books that best captures and represents Chinese women is “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan. The novel published in 1981 provides a feministic view of generational challenges among the Chinese American mothers and their daughters. In the book, two stories focus on Chinese immigrant mothers that recount their lives while in China before 1949 and the other two stories focus, on the daughters raised in America who do not understand their mothers because of the difference cultural backgrounds and experiences (Tan 2). The paper delineates on Tan’s, “The Joy Luck Club” representation of Chinese women.
Tan through the women narrations portrays them as having gone through oppression. Chinese women by virtue of their gender are required to adhere to the cultural ideologies and this confines them. It is also evident through the Author’s projection of the characters that she changes stereotypical idea that is leveled against Asian women (Alter 93). In the novel, every woman narrates her stories that help to illustrate the fact that women in the Asia are not similar, as the people seem to believe. Even though, these women come from various cultural backgrounds and have different experiences all have similar stories of oppression.
Tan through the novel shows how Chinese women are not empowered compared to the American woman. Therefore, she uses the novel to empower Chinese American woman daughters. The daughters are born in American where woman are already empowered and the experiences of woman is different. Therefore, these mothers have a quest to enlighten and elevate their daughters. The Chinese immigrant mothers have a desire to empower their American daughters using their Chinese wisdom as well as their personal experiences.
Tan manifests the oppression leveled against women through the stories and conversations of the women. Women are misused and oppressed by their men counterparts. For instance, when Lena helps her Husband to set up an architectural firm, she is mistreated and even contributes more money towards the same (Su-lin 43). The husband does not appreciate this stresses Lena and she contemplates about divorcing. In a marriage, it is expected that partners respect and appreciate each other but this is not the case. Likewise, Rose husband leaves her even after living together for fifteen years. This is hurting and it makes Rose to also contemplate about divorcing to save herself from this kind of marriage.
The Chinese immigrants narrate stories of oppression and victimization through their own experiences and that of their mothers. They are bitter of their past and this is the reason they are doing their best to see that their daughters are protected from the experiences they went. The mothers are committed to teaching their daughters how to stand up and to read situations clearly and fight for themselves. They wish their daughters to be self-assured as well as independent in their live and to be able to speak up their voices. This wish is a demonstration that women did not have the voice in the society. They were not valued and it is this pain that the Chinese immigrant women do not want their daughters to go through. Anger the bitterness is captured in the verse, “All her life, I have watched her as though from another shore. And now I must tell her everything about my past. It is the only way to penetrate her skin and pull her to where she can be saved” (Tan 274). This verse shows that the Chinese women lived under bondage and suffering and they are concerned about their daughters.
There is also a generational tension between the Chinese mothers and the daughters. The mothers even though appreciate the American values; they still cling on their Chinese cultural values. The old women are seen or portrayed as pushing their daughters to adapt appropriate sets of values and traditions but at the same time, they insist on basic cultural formulation. For instance Lindo is exemplifies atypical attitude” I want my children to have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character” (254). The daughter however replies that she is her own person, a statement that leaves her mother wondering since when her daughter became her own person. Therefore, this depiction, is, a clear indication of the magnitude or the extend to which the Chinese women still appreciate their cultures. They feel their values are threatened hence they are concerned about this and this is why they feel that their daughter need to combine, both the American and the Chinese values.
Chinese women have the authority over their children. Chinese women have the responsibility of ensuring that they inculcate good morals to their children and ensure that the children grow up with good morals. They have the power to guide their daughters when they perceive that they are going against what they expect (Victoria 5). The level of education of a child is not important as the mothers have the right to provide guidance to their children. This is manifest when June fails to comply with her mother’s wishes. The mother is upset and shouts to her “only two kinds of daughters. Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughters! (Tan 142). This shows the mothers power within the family structure. In this culture, June is powerless and even if she spoke the perfect American English,, it did not matter. This could matter in a given situation and not in the family structure.
Through the stories of women, Tan portrays women as victims of war, famine, forced marriage, and broken families to strong and confidence women. Chinese woman, go through many challenges in the society. The reason why they experience many trials and tribulation is that many of them are no enlightened and this is what they have grown seeing and experiencing. It is a life that no woman would enjoy but because of the circumstances, they have to go through the same. For instance, the women in the novel have various tribulations; despite Lindo being improvised, she is strong Ying Ying is broken but still survives, Suyuan is poor but because of he r courage she keeps on becoming stronger.
Therefore, in conclusion, Tan best portrays the life and the struggles of Chinese women clearly through their stories and experiences. Through the novel, a clear picture of the injustices and inequality in China is well illuminated. The mother’s way of live was different from that of their daughters because of being nurtured in different cultures and environments. However, there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel as Chinese women embrace new ways of life and empower their daughters. Tan has therefore, managed to depict Chinese women sufficiently through the novel, helping the society understand the confined lives of the Asian women.
Works Cited
Alter Shear. Generational differences and the Diaspora in ‘The Joy Luck Club.’ (Women Writers), 34.3(1993). 93-99. Print.
Su-lin Yu. Narrating Chinese m/others: new orientalism in Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, 2008: 41-47. Print. http://www.fju.edu.tw/eng_fju/index.htm
Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. New York: Ballantine, 1989.
Victoria Chen. Chinese American women, language, and moving subjectivity, 18.1(1995): 1-10. Print. http://comm.gmu.edu/
Last Completed Projects
| topic title | academic level | Writer | delivered |
|---|