Joy Luck Club Essays (1478 words) - Chinatown, San Francisco

Joy Luck Club The stories of Suyuan and Jing-Mei Woo reveal some of Amy Tan's main themes in the novel. One important theme is that we must get to know and understand our parents in order to fully understand ourselves. June spends the first half of her life believing that she is a disappointment to her mother and has been unsuccessful in life. However, when she learns more about her mother's past and discovers that her mother is proud of her good heart and concern for others, she realizes that she has accomplished something by doing small things to the best of her ability. She learns that one does not have to be famous, or a genius, or greatly wealthy in order to be successful. Another important theme is that we need to make our own choices in life and find our own life's importance. When June was a child, her mother was constantly pushing her to try different things that she had no interest in. Because she did not care about any of these things, she did not really try to be successful, and theref ore, would never accomplish anything great. We build our own importance in life by deeply caring about something that we choose and putting all of our effort into developing or accomplishing this. The relationship between June and her mother, Suyuan, is far from flawless, yet has the foundation of love that can never be destroyed. There are many misunderstandings between these two women that are unfortunately left unresolved until after Suyuan's death. Amy Tan uses this relationship and all of its complications to teach the readers important themes about life. Ultimately, love between this mother and daughter prevails through all conflict, and even beyond Suyuan's death, when her long-cherished wish of uniting her daughters is fulfilled. The Joy Luck Club: Cutural Differences Between Daughters and Mothers There are numerous conditions in human life that mold people into who they presently are. A person's identity and way of thinking are influenced greatly due to their family's surroundings, and relationships they are involved in. In the novel, The Joy Luck Club, the characters are generic, in the sense that, although they are from different families, the problems and emotions experienced are similar. The daughters are in an on-going search to discover themselves, who they are and what they represent. With their precious mother-daughter bonds, four immigrants are bewildered at American culture as they struggle to instill in their daughters remnants of their Chinese heritage. Throughout the course of the novel, the mystery of the mother-daughter relationship is revealed to the reader by various means. First, such a strong connection can only be the product of an essential, timeless, emotion called love: She loved you very much, more than her own life (Tan 29). Unfortunately, in Chinese culture, mothers rarely say I love you and find little to no time at all to provide for their daughter's emotional needs. Such attitudes occasionally lead the children to sense that My mother did not treat me this way because she didn't love me. She just had a hard time showing her love for me (Tan 45). As well, the link is also nourished in other ways, such as the swift protection of a mother's young: She grabbed my hand back so fast that I knew at that instant how sorry she was that she had not protected me better (Tan 111). There are other ways in which the mystery of the mother-daughter relationship is uncovered. Because of a mother's enduring love, they often put up high expectations that are often hard to meet. As well, in the case of Waverly and June, a mother's love is expressed in the novel by proudly showing off: From the time we were babies, our mothers compared the creases in our belly buttons, how shapely our earlobes were, how fast we healed when we scraped our knees.. . (Tan 64). In any case, every small act or gesture done out of deep love for one another, strengthens the bond, that is enkindled at birth. They are frightened. In me, they see their own daughters, just as ignorant, just as unmindful of all the truths and hopes they have brought