Week 17 Reading Notes

Week 17 Reading Notes

• As I finished the novel “The Joy Luck Club”. It is stories of four Chinese immigrants’ mothers and their American born daughters, where their culture and lack communication created conflict in their lives. In her book “The Joy Luck Club”, author Amy Tan raises the issue of cultural barrier and lack of communication that exists between each immigrant mother and their American-born daughter.
• Amy Tan divided her novel in four different sections that has interwoven conflicts of each mother and their daughter The book started with one of the Chinese mother Suyuan died and having the daughter Jing-Mei replaced her mother in the “Mahjong Game” and asking to fulfill her mother’s wish to go back to China and meet her twin sisters, who Suyuan was forced to leave on the roadside to escape Japan invasion of Kweilin during World War II.
• The book also shows the generational gap into Jing-Mei’s fear and anxiety about replacing her mother in the club. Jing-Mei felt that it was a big undertaking to take her mother’s place in the Joy Luck Club because it is an important tradition and ritual that carries the memory of what was begun in China and resurrected in America. Jing-Mei just realized that she is a piece of her mother’s past in her own present. Suyuan created the Joy Luck Club in Kweilin because she wanted to create, a sense of joy and gladness, amidst the chaos and uncertainty of war.
• The second section of Amy Tan’s book was about the story of Waverly Jong “Rules of the Game” and Lena St. Clair. “The Voice from the Wall”.
• In the story of Waverly Jong as child chess prodigy, as her mother was so proud of her announcing it to the whole community where Waverly despite her mother’s attitude. Waverly began to attract attention because of her young age, and she became a celebrity within San Francisco’s Chinatown community. She played in tournaments, and become a national champion, Lindo took great pride in her daughter’s talent, and bring her to stores to show her. One day, Waverly yelled at her mother in the street, telling her that she was embarrassed by her constant bragging. Waverly ran off, ignoring her mother’s shouts; when she returned later that night, Lindo said that because Waverly had no concern for her family, the family would have no concern for her. Waverly went into her room, lay down on the bed, and envisioned a chess game in which her mother was her opponent. Waverly ends her story with the statement, “I closed my eyes and pondered my next move.
• The struggle when a child should listen and follow what her mother’s wishes or the mothers allow her daughter to find life for herself. Both mother and daughter’s lack of communication and understanding put pressure and conflict on both people. On the book, you will recognize lack of communication with quotes such as “one thing that one duty I could not avoid. I had to accompany my mother on Saturday market days when I had no tournament to play. My mother would proudly walk with me, visiting many shops and proudly says “This my daughter Waverly Jong” and one day, Waverly said to her mom “I wish you wouldn’t do that telling everybody “I am your daughter” (p. 99) Her mother look down and wondering why was her daughter telling her that “it is embarrassing that she is my daughter” (99).Waverly even said “why do you have to use me to show me off? (p.99) Waverly does not understand  her mother and she wants chess to be strictly her own achievement. When she lashes out at her mother, Waverly breaks her own rule. She essentially puts herself “in check” by revealing her secret weakness, her insecurities about her mother and her need to believe that her chess talent is hers alone.
• In the story of Lena St. Clair, her mother Ying-ying never spoke of her life in China. Lena’s father Clifford, an English-Irish man explained to Lena that terrible tragedy happened and could not bring Ying-ying to speak about it. Language barrier was issues long before Lena was born, Clifford learned limited Mandarin and so as Ying-ying. Often times Lena was forced to translate for her mother and trick her mother into acting normal. What Lena did not realize that she was telling her dad the wrong information and he cannot understand the culture and sorrow Ying-ying was going through.
• Lena and her father seem to fear that by probing too deeply into Ying-ying’s fears and sorrows they might expose some unbearable horror. Thus, when Ying-ying lies like a statue on her bed after the baby’s death, acknowledging no one, Lena’s father says, “She’s just tired,” although both father and daughter know that the problem is much more serious. Similarly, when Lena asks her mother why she constantly rearranges the furniture, she does so only out of a feeling of duty; she in fact fears to receive a truthful answer.

Week 17 The Joy Luck Club- Double Face

Week 17 The Joy Luck Club- Double Face

• Lindo Jong talks about her daughter Waverly wanting to go to China for her second Honeymoon, but she is afraid (p.253).  Waverly was afraid that they think that she was one of them and they will not her go back to the United States. Lindo answers back with attitude “you don’t even need to open your mouth, they already knew you are an outsider. Even if you put on their clothes, take off your make-up and hide your fancy jewelry- they will know” (p.253). Lindo told Waverly that they know you do not belong.
• Lindo was wondering that now her daughter wants to be Chinese. Waverly can only speak little Chinese words. How can she talk to these people in Chinese and how can she blend in. Lindo regrets of not having taught Waverly enough about her Chinese heritage and culture
• Waverly was getting married for the second time and she wants Lindo to have her hair done with Waverly hair stylist- Mr. Rory. Lindo thinks that Waverly wants Lindo to look good at the wedding to impress Rich parents. Waverly and Mr. Rory talk about my hair as if I was not there or do not understand them.
• Lindo talks about how difficult of keeping “Chinese face” in America- her true smile. America for Lindo was attitude of beauty. She thinks that you have the beauty and ugly have the same happiness, the same sadness, the same good fortune, and the same faults (p. 256)
• She remembers her mother talks about her character could lead to good and bad circumstances. Her mother told Lindo that “you are lucky, because you have my ear-full of blessing-but you need to listen to your opportunities” “You have my nose, straight and smooth-a good sign. A girl with crooked nose is bound for misfortune- following the wrong things and people, the worst luck” (p. 257)
• Lindo’s nose got crooked when she bumped her nose on the bus, and she noticed that her daughter Waverly also have crooked nose and she wanted her to have nose surgery but Waverly was happy with her nose- she said “it makes us look devious” -making people know they are two face, but they cannot always tell what they are thinking.

Reference

Tan, Amy (2015) The Joy Luck Club. Penguin Book, London England

Week 16 Analysis

Week 16 Analysis

• In this Chapter, Queen Mother of the Western Skies
• Both mothers An-mei and Ying-ying have a sad and traumatic experience when they were young. An-mei had to witness her mother’s suicide for her to start to scream and shout. Ying-ying was bitter and hateful about her first husband and decided to abort her child for vengeance.
• An-mei saw in Rose how many culture like her Chinese culture were not allowed to questions everything. An-mei was raised to be passive, timid and desire nothing and she sees this from Rose failing marriage. Rose do not question her failing marriage and An-mei felt the frustration and she wants to scream for Rose but she realized she doesn’t want to dictate to Rose what she should do, because she saw from her youth how her mother follows the Second wife and dictate her life. An-mei wants Rose to stand up for herself and fight for her right. Like An-me, confronted the Second wife after her mother’s suicide, giving her mother fake pearl necklace, crushing it underfoot. She says it was on that day that she learned to shout
• Ying-ying tells her story and her first marriage from China. It is sad that she had to abort her child because she found out her husband has been cheating since before the marriage begins. Ying-ying first marriage drained her spirit but she does not want this to happen to her daughter Ying-ying explains that she was born in the year of the Tiger. The Tiger spirit has two spirit the golden nature is fierce, and the black nature is cunning and crafty, waiting between the trees. Ying-ying explains that only after her husband left her did she learn to use the black side of her spirit. She lived for ten years with relatives before she decided to get a job in a clothing shop, where, one day, she met an American merchant named Clifford St. Clair. “Saint,”
• Both of these Chinese ladies learned a lesson about their life in China and they want their daughters to learn from it and used it as life lesson that they can use whatever situation there in.

Week 16 Part B The Joy Luck Club -Queen Mother of the Western Skies- Between the Trees

Week 16 Part B The Joy Luck Club -Queen Mother of the Western Skies- Between the Trees

• In this chapter Ying-ying St Clair, one of the Chinese mother from The Joy Luck Club. She talks about her daughter Lena, putting her and her husband in her guest room. What Lena did not know, guest room is the best room. Ying-ying realized that Lena is part of her and part of her mind that is part of mine.
• Ying-ying noted to her daughter not to put her child in that room because the room has ceiling that slope downward toward the pillow. But Ying-ying aware that her daughter will not listen because she and her husband decided not to have a baby. Their too busy drawing places that someone else will build and someone else will live in it.
• What Lena did not know, her mother married young in China and aborted her baby because she found out her husband has been cheating since before the marriage begins. Ying-ying was raised in a very wealthy household. When she was sixteen, a rich older man who was a friend of the family began to show interest in her. Although he repulsed Ying-ying, she instantly felt that she was destined to marry him. The marriage was arranged, and Ying-ying soon came to love the man, as if against her own will. She tried to please him in every way, and she conceived a child that she knew, in her almost telepathic manner, would be a son. Several months into the pregnancy, her husband left her for an opera singer, and Ying-ying learned that he had committed infidelities throughout their marriage. In her rage and sorrow, she aborted her unborn son.
• Ying-ying explains that she was born in the year of the Tiger. The Tiger spirit has two spirit the golden nature is fierce, and the black nature is cunning and crafty, waiting between the trees. Ying-ying explains that only after her husband left her did she learn to use the black side of her spirit. She lived for ten years with relatives before she decided to get a job in a clothing shop, where, one day, she met an American merchant named Clifford St. Clair. “Saint,”
•  Ying-ying calls him, courted Ying-ying for four years, but she waited for news of her renegade husband’s death before marrying Clifford. Clifford believed she was a poor village girl and had no idea that Ying-ying had grown up amidst an opulence greater than any he could provide. She did not tell him of her former life until many years after they were married. The first marriage had already drained her spirit to such an extent that as soon as she stopped having to struggle to live, she became the ghost of the tiger she had once been. Ying-ying has decided to make a change, because she is ashamed that Lena, her daughter who was also born under the sign of the Tiger, also lacks the spirit that should be hers by right of her birth year. She resolves to share her painful, secret past with Lena in order to cut her Tiger spirit loose.

Week 16 Part A The Joy Luck Club -Queen Mother of the Western Skies

Week 16 Part A The Joy Luck Club -Queen Mother of the Western Skies

• In this Chapter, one of the Chinese Mother An-mei tells her childhood life in China and her daughter Rose failing marriage in America
• An-mei remarks that although Rose believes she has run out of choices, Rose is in fact making a distinct choice in refusing to speak up for herself. An-mei knows this and she said “if I do not speak, she is making a choice. If she doesn’t cry try, she can lose her chance forever. I know this because I was raised the Chinese way: I was taught to desire nothing, to swallow other people’s misery, to eat my own bitterness” (p215)
• An-mei tells her story about her mother was a stranger to her and when she first arrived at An-mei uncle house in Ningpo. An-mei mother were not welcome to that house. An-mei’s mother came back to see her dying mother Popo. After Popo’s death, An-mei’s mother prepared to leave, and An-mei began to cry. Her mother told her that once, when she was a girl, she had sat crying by the pond when a turtle surfaced, swallowing her teardrops as they touched the water. The turtle then said that he had eaten her tears and therefore knew her misery. He warned her that if she continued to cry, her life would always be sad. He spat out the tears in the form of tiny eggs, which cracked open to reveal seven fluttering magpies, birds of joy. The turtle said that whenever one cries, one is not washing away one’s sorrows but feeding another’s joy. For this reason, one must learn to swallow one’s own tears.
• An-mei’s mother wanted to take An-mei with her. An-mei’s uncle told her she would ruin her daughter’s life as she had ruined her own. But An-mei wanted to go with her mother and her uncle finally agreed. But he said that she is deemed “finished”. An-mei finally found why her mother left her and her brother nine years ago, her mother lived with Wu Tsing, a rich merchant and she became his third concubine, or “fourth wife.”.
• An-mei soon saw how her mother live and how the Second Wife dictate her life. Second Wife had been searching for a third concubine for Wu Tsing who would keep him from wasting his money in the teahouses and give him a son. She could tell that An-mei’s mother was in mourning (her husband, a Buddhist scholar, had died one year earlier) from her white clothes, but she devised a scheme. She invited her for dinner and an evening of mahjong. After it became too late for An-mei’s mother to travel home, Second Wife had her sleep in her bed with her. In the middle of the night, Second Wife and Wu Tsing switched places, and Wu Tsing raped An-mei’s mother. Second Wife then announced to everyone that An-mei’s mother had seduced Wu Tsing. Entirely disgraced, An-mei’s mother had no choice but to marry Wu Tsing. She gave birth to a son, Syaudi, whom Second Wife took as her own.
• An-mei’s mother committed suicide after being humiliated. An-mei realized that the act was with intention. Before dying, her mother told An-mei that she was killing her weak spirit to make An-mei’s spirit stronger. Chinese are true believer to all folklore and follow revenge and states that the soul returns on the third day after death to “settle scores.” Wu Tsing, wanting to avoid a vengeful spirit, promised her spirit that he would raise An-mei and Syaudi as his “honored children” in addition to honoring her as he would a First Wife. Afterward, An-mei confronted Second Wife with the fake pearl necklace, crushing it underfoot. She says it was on that day that she learned to shout.
• Reference
• Tan, Amy (2015) The Joy Luck Club. Penguin Book, London England

Week 15 Project Submission

Week 15 Project Submission

From a piece of fiction (short story, section of novel, or a play) choose a female character on whom to focus, and create a project that discusses some of the following questions:

What is the author’s attitude towards her? (how can you tell?)

What is your attitude towards her?

How do (at least 2) other characters view her?

How does she view herself?

• Amy Tan’s novel titled “The Joy Luck Club” is story that explores cultural conflict and often rebellious relationship between four groups of aging Chinese mother and their daughters. Amy Tan takes us through the earliest memories of these four Chinese mothers when they were in China and the journey they took to come to America and the establishment of “The Joy Luck Club”. Amy Tan depict the different characters in her novel to show special bonding of women through Mahjong game and primarily the mother and daughter relationship particularly Jing-Mei (daughter) and Suyuan(mother) who created the original “The Joy Luck Club” in China as diversion from the war, and revival here in Americas as special bonds between women
• Throughout the novel, Amy Tan continues to show that these Chinese mother struggle to approach their daughter as they go through the struggle of life, love, job and death. Amy Tan shows the mother’s struggle to instill their cultural background and respect the value of that culture. Amy Tan showed often rebel when they do not want to follow or listen to their mother. Amy Tan begins with the first section of the book, "Feathers from a Thousand Li Away," were Suyuan passing became Jing-Mei responsibility to become the newest member of “The Joy Luck Club” and learned that the three mothers are sending Jing-mei to China to find the two daughters Suyuan abandoned during World War II. Jing-Mei did not welcome the idea of being the newest member of the “The Joy Luck Club” for the idea that she is unable to meet her mother’s high standard.
• As the novel continues, Amy Tan also showed that mothers want to instill the value of “best quality” as one important character of a person to their daughter. The novel explained that Jing Mei was born here in the United States and adapted the American tradition as she grows up. The struggle to understand their parents culture are often the reason for many children rebellion against what their parents wanted them to accomplished in life. Often parent with culture that has been embedded from childhood are hard to change and difficult to understand. A good example was when Jing-Mei picked the leg less crab that symbolizes “bad quality”. In Chinese dinner tradition, you need to pick the best crab as a signed that you also have the “best quality” in life, love and job. By choosing the “bad quality” Jing-Mei showed everyone and her mother that her life and job is a mediocre at best. She does not put value to the culture that her mother wants her to understand and respect.
• Amy Tan showed that Jing-Mei did not realize the struggle and her rebellion until her mother died. She did not realize the symbol of the pendant as “life importance” that her mother gave it to her as a sign of “best quality”.
• I could see these struggles coming from a “Filipino-American traditions”. My mother wants me to follow cultures and traditions that she learned and embedded as part of her culture. As growing up in the Philippines, I was not allowed to rebel or questions her motives on why I need to follow certain rules and traditions. When I was little girl, I never questions my mother regardless what I want to know. I always believe that all the things they do for me are for my own good. So regardless, what school I go or clothes I wear or activities I need to accomplished, I have no authority to ask a question.
• Like Jing-Mei, as I grew up and get older, and moved here in America, my way of thinking change and develop against my mother’s culture. I begun to question her motives now and ask why I need to do her way of thinking.
• What many children like myself do not understand and failed to see was our “mother’s eye through her children” and understanding of children born in American culture. What Amy Tan wants us also to understand that children born here in America can have different prospective on how will follow their parents or grandparent’s traditions and culture
• Amy Tan wants us to recognized that these Chinese Women was born with these traditions, that their stories of life struggle coming to America, the force marriage to someone you do not know and love and the force abandonment of her twin daughter in China to come to America are the very reason they hug on that traditions and culture.
• Amy Tan wants us also to see through the “children eye” on how difficult to be force on something we do not want to do, especially without giving reason or explanations. We often rebel because we do not understand their motives and we are often are not allowed to questions those motives.
• In the end, Amy Tan showed that the daughter learned a lot from the struggle of their parents and put value and inspires them to teach to their daughters and change their behavior towards their mother’s culture and traditions.

Week 15 Analysis- The Joy Luck Club- American Translation

Week 15 Analysis- The Joy Luck Club- American Translation

• In this Chapter of The Joy Luck Club, Rose Hsu was consumed by her divorce and forget that the one person who can help her and guide her is her mother. She used a psychiatrist to expressed her feeling and that made her mother furious. Her mother was asking why she rather talk to psychiatrist than her “A mother is best. A mother knows what you are inside” She said, a psychiatrist will only make you hulihudu and make you see heimongmog”. Her mother once told her why she was confused all the time. She said that she was without wood. Born without wood so that I listened to too many people. She knew this, because once she had almost become this way. At first, Rose Hsu did not listen to her mother regarding strong and tough. During her divorce, Ted her ex-husband was telling to leave their house because he is getting married. He offered Rose Hsu ten thousand dollars but realized that she is being bullied by her husband and she had to stand up for it. She realized that nobody can tell her that she cannot make decision for herself so Ted will decides for her life.

• We often forget that many things that happen to us, our parents put symbols or meaning into it. A good example was Jing-Mei story of “Best quality”. Her mother believes that in order to have best quality in life, you choose the best quality of things such as crab. Suyuan believes that you have to choose the feistiest crab with no broken leg and grab to the pencil as soon as you poke it. This symbolized “best quality”. But Jing-mei still picked the broken leg during dinner and do not care what other people thinks. For her, it is a crab and nothing else. Suyuan explained that she did not eat the legless crab because it had died before she cooked it. Only you Jing-mei choose the worse of the two remaining crabs, because anyone else would have taken the better one—the “best quality” available. She reminded Jing-Mei’s way of thinking is different from that of most people. She gave Jing-mei a jade pendant, telling her that it was her “life’s importance.” She told Jing-Mei not to listen to anybody and strive to be successful on her own merit and she should not listen to people  like Waverly with bad intention and act that they are on her side.
• Rose Hsu and Jing-Mei realizes that both of their mother were right that you have to be strong and stand up and nobody can tell them what to do or decides everything for them. This culture of wisdom are very important that signifies like lesson to learn from their mother's advise 

Week 15 Part B The Joy Luck Club American Translation- Best Quality

Week 15 Part B The Joy Luck Club American Translation- Best Quality

• This part of The Joy Luck Club, Jing-Mei remembered when her mother gave her “Life’s importance” a jade pendant on a gold chain. She did not particularly like the pendant because it is the size of her little finger. Only after her mother’s death that she put this pendant every day and realized that the carvings on the pendant has meaning that only her mother put meaning for her.
• Jing-Mei and Suyuan went to Chinatown to shopped for the “best quality” crab. As they roam on Stockton Street looking for liveliest crab, her mother Suyuan warn her not get “Dead One” because “even a beggar won’t eat a dead one”. In order to find the liveliest crab, she will poke the crabs with a pencil to see how feisty they were and if a crab grabbed on, Suyuan will lifted it out and into a plastic bag. While the two women were choosing crabs, the leg of one of the crabs became detached, and the grocer demanded that Suyuan pay for that broken leg crab. Suyuan had no choice but to buy eleven crabs instead of ten, stating that the damaged crab would be extra. As soon as they were home, Suyuan started to clean the crab and putting them on the pot to be cook. Jing-mei could not bear to watch crabs being cooked, but she knew and convince her self that the crabs probably lacked brains big enough to realize what was happening to them.
• Suyuan invited Lindo and Tin Jong and their children attended the dinner. Vincent brought his girlfriend, Lisa, and Waverly brought Rich and Shoshana. Mr. Chong, Jing-Mei’s old piano teacher, was also invited. Suyuan had not counted Shoshana when buying the crabs. When the platter of steaming crab was passed around, Waverly was first and carefully choosing the best crab and gave it to her daughter before choosing the next best two for herself and Rich. The rest of the party continued to pick the best crabs until there were two left, one of which was the crab missing a leg. Jing-mei tried to take the defective crab, but Suyuan insisted she take the better one. Suyuan then sniffed her crab, and took it into the kitchen to throw away, veiling the trip by returning with more seasonings for the table.
• During dinner, discussion of upcoming wedding and private joke are the topic of conversation until Waverly complimented Jing-Mei’s haircut. Jing-Mei said that David does a great job cutting my hair. Waverly arching her eyebrow and warn Jing-Mei that David has AIDS and urged to use her own stylist. Waverly warn Jing-Mei that her stylist is pricey, and Jing-Mei was so mad and reminded Waverly’s law firm has paid her for her work she did for them. Waverly with insult told Jing-Mei that her law firm has decided not to use Jing-Mei’s work because it is a mediocre and Waverly only praised her work not hurt her feeling. Jing-Mei left the table and felt humiliated and almost in tears
• After the guests left, Suyuan joined her daughter in the kitchen. Suyuan explained that she did not eat the legless crab because it had died before she cooked it. Only you Jing-mei choose the worse of the two remaining crabs, because anyone else would have taken the better one—the “best quality” available.
• She reminded Jing-Mei’s way of thinking is different from that of most people. She gave Jing-mei a jade pendant, telling her that it was her “life’s importance.” She told Jing-mei not to listen to Waverly,” she is like a crab that walk sideways, moving crooked and explained that Jing-Mei could and should move in a different direction.

Week 15: Part A-The Joy Luck Club- American Translation

Week 15: Part A-The Joy Luck Club- American Translation

• In this chapter, Rose Hsu Jordan, one of the daughter of Chinese mothers that tells their stories around “The Joy Luck Club”. Rose Hsu was telling her story that when she was a little girl, she used to believe everything her mother said, even when she didn’t know what she meant. As she grows old she realized that her mother still follows the spirit of her Chinese culture. She talks about Old Mr. Chou that was the guardian of a door that opened into dreams. Rose Hsu had bad dreams about Mr. Chou and her mother said don’t pay attention to Old Mr. Chou, he is only a dream, “you don’t have to listen to me”.
• As they attend the funeral of her mom’s friend China Mary, her mother asks about her and Ted. Rose Hsu told her mom one month ago that she and Ted are getting divorce. Rose do not want to talk about it during the funeral but her mother was not happy and asking why she rather talk to psychiatrist than her “A mother is best. A mother knows what you are inside” She said, a psychiatrist will only make you hulihudu and make you see heimongmog”.
• Rose describe to her psychiatrist how she was obsessed about revenge. She then realized that her psychiatrist looks bored. She then described how she was hurt when she saw the divorce papers and a ten-thousand-dollar check from her husband, Ted, in her mailbox. She still in shock and pain, she leaves them in a drawer for two weeks while she tries to decide what to do. She stays in bed for three days, mostly unconscious, with the help of sleeping pills.
• Her mother once told her why she was confused all the time. She said that she was without wood. Born without wood so that I listened to too many people. She knew this, because once she had almost become this way.
• Finally, she is wakened by a phone call from An-mei, who asks her why she refuses to speak up for herself. Ted calls a few minutes later to ask why she has not yet signed and returned the divorce papers.  He announces that he wants the house because he now plans to marry someone else. He wanted the whole things to be over as soon as possible.
• Rose realized what her mother said “that Ted were doing monkey business with someone else” She was silent, humiliated and almost cried. But Rose realized that she is “free” and started laughing and tells him to come to the house to pick up his papers. When he arrives, Rose gives him the papers still unsigned and announces that she will not be leaving the house. She said that “I love this house”. She refuses to allow him to uproot her and throw her away.