Joy Luck Club Post #2

After reading the next section of the Joy Luck Club, it mainly follows the story of fighting against her mother and her cultural beliefs. These mainly regard her marrying an American man while her sisters married Chinese men. This is a very interesting plot and theme for the story and I am very fascinated by it. Taking this into my own life, it reminds me of how my mother is from the south and married my father who is from the north. However, I am particularly disenchanted with the book due to its confusing characters and while trying to read other books at the same time and can not fully enjoy the book unfortunately. I enjoy the ideas the book has to offer and the scenes and flashbacks are great such as the "chess scene" but I do not thoroughly enjoy this book right now.

Lancellotti: Post 4

So, all in all, I was very impressed with this book--no disappointments whatsoever! Then again, could I expect anything less from Amy Tan?
The last section of the book had many interesting points, a few of which I will address here. While reading about An-Mei Hsu's childhood and how her mother left her uncle's house and became a concubine of a rich man, I came across a passage about the new clothes her mother was supposed to wear. She wore a white dress, which in many European and eastern countries is associated with death as we associate black, and so it is the color of mourning. Confused, An-Mei Hsu says, "This was a shocking sight. We were in mourning. But I could not say anything. I was a child. How could I scold my own mother? I could only feel shame seeing my mother wear her shame so boldly" (248). I thought this was very interesting that An-Mei's mother choose to wear white as a start to her new life. I contemplated different reasons for her decision: Perhaps she was upset that she had to leave her son behind at their uncle's house; maybe she was simply sad about leaving her old life behind (the life she had without the condescending tones of their aunt and uncle); or possibly she was mourning over the truth of what she was really going to, being the fourth concubine of a rich merchant, and didn't tell her daughter to spare her youth and innocence. Later I found that this last assumption was probably right because Wu Tsing had sex with An-Mei's mother and she had to comply. This was the most disgusting part of the book; I was so angered by the terrible treatment the Hsu girls had to endure. I was heartbroken when An-Mei began crying as she was wrenched out of the room and separated from her mother, both physically and emotionally. From that moment on, she and her mother became spiritually stained by the unspeakable acts of that man.
Another quote that I liked was from the same story segment, but towards the end, when An-Mei recalls the days after her mother poisoned herself with opium, saying, "And on that day, I showed Second Wife the fake pearl necklace she had given me and crushed it under my foot. And on that day, Second Wife's hard began to turn white. And on that day, I learned to shout" (272). I felt that the pearl necklace was very symbolic of the way some people treat others. They will sing nothing but praises about them, feeding them the foods of pride and appreciation. But in reality, they are not a solid marble statue of loyalty, but a gilded sculpture of clay, wavering and unsteady, that will be crushed at the slightest hint of pressure or trouble, like the pearls. Unfortunately, that's how many "friendships" are in America, and I even see this type of relationship daily in the hallways at school. I've even had someone talk badly about a "friend" to me privately and then the next minute I see they're being all buddy-buddy with them. I don't get how difficult it is to be genuine! Maybe it's just a survival instinct. After all, high school is a dangerous jungle.

Blog Post #4

In the fourth and final section of reading, Jing-mei’s story deals with superstition blending into wisdom. Again, cultural tensions emerge as a motif. At the beginning of her narrative, Jing-mei describes her first reaction to the “life’s importance” pendant; she had found it garish and unstylish, yet since her mother’s death she has come to realize its meaning. Once symbolizing only a cultural difference between herself and her mother, the pendant has now become a testament to the maternal wisdom and love that Jing-mei once mistook—indeed, perhaps due to cultural differences—for superstition and criticism. This reminds me that humans don't know what they have until it's gone, nor do they appreciate it. Although this is not true for some people, often times, many individuals take what they have and who they have for granted. I enjoyed reading about Jing-mei's realization about her mother because it taught her a lesson and forced her to have a new perspective. It is easy to relate to this because I am also guilty of taking who I have (or had rather) in my life for granted. Although it is tragic to loose a relative, it makes their time on Earth that much more meaningful.

Blog Post #3

In the third section of the reading, I noticed a reoccurring theme: to listen to elders. During the story, "Rice Husband", the mother could predict evils. She told Lena that for every grain of rice she did not finish, her husband would have an imperfection. Time and time again, Lena would leave heaps of rice untouched. She was bound to marry her childhood neighbor named Arnold who had severe acne and facial imperfections. Lena refused to marry Arnold and wished him to die. She started finishing all of her rice and even suffered from anorexia to prevent her husband from being imperfect. Years later, Arnold died and Lena sobbed and mourned for his loss. She was unhappy with her present marriage and regretted every wishing anything bad upon Arnold. I feel as though there are two very important lessons within this story: to listen to elders and to practice what you preach. These are two of many of the important lessons that I was raised to practice. This section of the book was very relatable because it showed that one has to accept their own fate. One cannot change their fate. God has a different plan for everybody. If one tries to change their fate, they will only feel heartbroken and hurt in the end. This reminded me of one of my favorite quotes: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference". This just goes to show that one, ultimately, cannot escape what's in store for them; they will receive their fate one way or another.

Blog Post 4

       In this last and final section of The Joy Luck Club, I really learned the importance of family. The way An-Mei Hsu talks about her relationship with her daughter shows how strong the bond between mother and daughter is. "And even though I taught my daughter the opposite, still she came the same way! Maybe it is because she was born to me and she was born a girl. And I was born to my mother and I was born a girl. All of us are like stairs, one step after another, going up and going down, but all going the same way," (241). There is no other relationship like the one of a mother and a daughter. Just like An-Mei Hsu's daughter, many can't help but become just like their mothers, because their influence is that strong and the relationship is perhaps one of the most important. Also, An-Mei Hsu left everything she knew to be with her own mother. She left behind all her other family members, even her brother so that she would not have to live without her mother. She went against the advice of everyone around her in order to do this. A mother is the one that endures the most and yet is always there to care for her child when they need her. There is no other person on Earth that can compare to a mother. I can't even imagine being a girl having to grow up without my mom, so I can completely understand An-Mei Hsu's decision to go with her mother, even though it would be a hard decision.

Joy Luck Club Post #3

   While reading this section of The Joy Luck Club, I found that many of the characters are easy to relate  to, especially being a teenage girl in high school. Throughout the course of the day, teenagers overcome numerous obstacles and still manage to keep a smile on their face. Lena St. Clair and her husband have some obvious problems in their marriage, but they smile to cover it up. "None of our friends could ever believe we fight over something as stupid as fleas, but they would also never believe that our problems are much, much deeper than that, so deep I don't even know where bottom is," (163). Their marriage is barely hanging on by a thread, but to everyone else they appear to be happy and in love. That was easy to relate to, because I usually find myself smiling to conceal any obstacles that I find myself trying to overcome daily. Another point in the book that many people in America, girls especially, could relate to is when Lena finds herself skipping meals to be thin to be "fashionably anorexic like all the other thirteen-year-old girls who were dieting and finding other ways to suffer as teenagers," (166). Many endure endless pressures to be thinner, more fit, and to just look better in general which can even drive some to stop eating all together as it did to Lena. Lena St. Clair was a very relatable character as she talks about many of the struggles that she gets through everyday.

Lancellotti--Post 3

After reading this portion, I am left with a lot of thoughts due to the multitude of symbolism and motifs that have been scattered throughout the pages. This is one of the primary reasons why I am so fascinated by Chinese culture; they're use of short stories and parables, while unique to their culture, are also relatable to everyday life in any nation, regardless of ethnicity.
One of the most significant quotes that I thought was very applicable to people of today (although it is not really presented in that context) was when June talks about the crab that she "befriended" when she was young, but then her mother threw it into the boiling pot of water. June reflects on this episode, stating, "...I also try to convince myself that they don't have enough brains to know the difference between a hot bath and a slow death" (226). While this quote may reference how the crabs feel, I had a deep revelation about one of those "there are two types of people in the world" sayings. So, without further ado...There are two types of people in the world: those who think that they're only in a relaxing hot bath, and those who realize that they're dying a slow, painful death. That is to say, some people are too naïve to comprehend the severity of the situation that they are in while others can identify exactly what is going on. Reading this, I felt like it was a very accurate and meaningful way to view the world, and may have some connections to the phrase 'too much of a good thing.' In comparison, a person may be manipulated by the overwhelming pleasure of the 'goodness' they possess, basking in the glory as if taking a hot bath. Others may be disillusioned on the premises of 'too good to be true' and may recognize danger immediately. This saying has obvious roots in the business realm as well, where those attuned to the practice will have a better chance of working their way out of a scam or bad deal than a rookie who will be caught in the piles of paperwork after chasing a false offer. Another of my favorite quotes has made many appearances throughout the story as the meanings of the different elements--air, water, fire, metal, and wood--in people's lives. Rose iterates a lesson her mother taught her when she was younger, saying, "A girl is like a young tree...You must stand tall and listen to your mother standing next to you. That is the only way to grow strong and straight. But if you bend to listen to other people, you will grow crooked and weak. You will fall to the ground with the first strong wind. And then you will be like a weed, growing wild in any direction, running along the ground until someone pulls you out and throws you away" (213). This should be the mantra of parents everywhere. I feel as though kids today do not respect their parents as much as they should, and as a result, they become too influenced by other people's opinions, thus wavering on the path of life. Granted, there are those who we all know are not very good parents (take Huckleberry Finn's for example--his dad is the town drunkard), but for the most part, mom and dad have very valuable pieces of wisdom and advice to give their children, and we would be smart to listen to them.