The Roles of Culture, Mothers, and Daughters in Amy Tans...

A mother is best. A mother knows what is inside of you, said An-Mei Hsu to her daughter Rose (188). And this is true for all four of the mothers in the Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan. Unfortunately it was much more complicated than that, because the daughters had minds of their own, to a certain extent, minds that were part American. The emphasis on honor, obedience, and loyalty among women are immense in this novel (The Joy Luck Club: An Overview). In America, these characteristics were not emphasized nearly as much – and that is what caused tension between mother and daughter. The Joy Luck Club was founded by Suyuan Woo, and when she passed away, the Club looked to her daughter Jing-Mei to replace her. Suyuan was a very†¦show more content†¦Suyuan’s expectations were shattered once again when her daughter failed to become successful at the piano. Jing-Mei was determined not to try anything her mother desired for her, wanting to put a stop to her foolish pride. Jing-Mei was so busy trying to fail her mother, it eventually led her to believe that she could not rise to any expectations – For unlike my mother, I did not believe I could be anything I wanted to be. I could only be me (142). Her mother shows her this again, later in her life at a family dinner. Suyuan cooked crabs, and one had a missing leg. As the plate went around, each person took the best one they saw, except Jing-Mei. Everyone else want best quality. You thinking different, said Suyuan to her daughter (208). Throughout her life, Jing-Mei believed that she cou ld be no better than who she was. Instead of constantly failing her mother, Waverly Jong was in constant competition with Lindo Jong. Oddly enough, their mother-daughter relationship could be compared to a game -- a game based solely on strategy – chess. Waverly mastered the game at a very young age, and eventually her mother proceeded to show her off like she was one of the trophies Waverly had won. Not only did Waverly show her strategic thinking for strictly the game, but she also showed it within her surroundings. Her mother would dress her up in pink and white dresses and taught her how to sit just right as to look so innocent, and then Waverly would defeat herShow MoreRelatedAmy Tan s The Joy Luck Club And The Kitchen God s Wife Essay1609 Words   |  7 PagesJonathan Nguyen Period: 3A February 25, 2016 LWA: Amy Tan Born on February 19, 1952, in Oakland, California, Amy Tan is introduced to the world as an American novelist. Amy Tan is known for being a worldwide artist, as she published two of her famous novels, The Joy Luck Club and The Kitchen God’s Wife. Often, people would think that successful people had a great start at a young age; yet, Amy Tan had experienced a rough childhood until she later became successful. 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