Thursday, May 9, 2013
Colby Dressler Joy Luck Club Post 1
As an avid fan of Asian and Asian-American culture, it seems obvious that I would be a fan of the great Amy Tan. In The Joy Luck Club, the stories of four different women are told simultaneously. While this style of writing has been widely considered confusing among my classmates and I, it makes me wonder what motivation Tan had in creating the story this way. Perhaps Amy Tan wanted to write a story that offered several different perspectives of Chinese and Chinese-American culture. The part of the story that compels me the most so far is the challenge of Jing-Mei Woo and the pressure and expectations she faces trying to live up to her mother's name. I particularly enjoy this plot because I have family of different culture, nationality, religion, and I am just one person. I have expectations and pressures such as everyone does, but the story of Jing-Mei Woo just seems to particularly attract my attention, "My father has asked me to be the fourth corner at the Joy Luck Club. I am to replace my mother, whose seat at the mah jong table has been empty since she died two months ago." (Tan, 5) Regardless of how simple or diverse one's family and culture is, people will face expectations and pressures regarding family, and Woo is describing how she must live up to her deceased mother. Another quote that particularly speaks to me regarding the transition and combination of cultures is being Jewish and having family members that are both Jewish, and Christian. I realized this similarity in the cultural differences that are described in the preface, "And she waited, year after year, for the day she could tell her daughter this in perfect American English." (4) This quote is very significant as it stresses the existence and impact of the different cultures, such as she wants to tell her daughter her message in perfect American English, emphasizing the American culture that has been intertwined with the Chinese culture. This quote also foreshadows the theme of finding one's identity through culture, as the American culture and Chinese culture intertwine upon Jing-Mei Woo. As the story is told through various perspectives, I can only anticipate what perspective will come next and what it will offer.
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I think your outlook on Amy Tan's writing style is very interesting. Being among those who believe it to be confusing, I never thought of it like the way you have. I do agree that it could be to emphasize the different perspectives. I also felt like Jing-Mei Woo is a relatable character in the story. She overcomes her daily obstacles and struggles seemingly effortlessy to outsiders, but inside she is clearly struggling. I think this is how many high schoolers live their day to day lives. To many, we may seem carefree and irresponsible, but sometimes it feels like the weight of the world rests on our shoulders. Balancing school, sports, friends and family is certainly quite a task. Many times, one would never know that a student is struggling, but often times many of us are.
ReplyDeleteYour outlook on Tan's writing technique and cultural emphasis is very admirable. I feel as though culture is a large factor regarding the "human experience". I also feel as though the "human experience" provides great stories and lessons that others can learn from. For many people that aren't so cultured, stories such as Tan's and even your own can inspire many different people. Sometimes it is rather hard to adapt to the cultures surrounding us. For example, if I moved to another country, say somewhere in Africa, I would have to learn a whole new culture. It would be very hard to adapt seeing as I was born and raised having certain beliefs and views. As hard as it would be, a cultural shift can enlighten a person to be more open to different opinions and lifestyles.
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