The Joy Luck Club
Briana Pangborn
When I read the
excerpt in the beginning of the novel, I immediately felt a connection to the
text. The author's descriptive and passionate phrases along with her writing
technique captivated me to continue reading. So far, this novel has revealed my
interest in the Chinese culture - with the use of ethnic slang and the
incorporation of Chinese traditions, it has given me a newfound respect for
it's heritage. Suyuan's experiences and struggles throughout the first quarter
of the novel are very thought-provoking and exciting to hear about. During the
war in China, she was forced to leave her whole life behind - including her
husband and twin children. After she immigrated to America, remarried, and bore
another child, Suyuan found herself in another predicament. The language
barrier between herself and her Americanized daughter made it extremely
difficult to make a thorough connection to her child. It's hard to imagine, if
I were Suyuan's daughter, the absence of a mother-daughter relationship. My mom
and I are very close and it seems almost impossible to envision my life with a
sense of unfamiliarity towards her. This book also presented me with some
valuable life lessons. For example, when Suyuan told her story to Jing-mei
(June), she described how people criticized her along with other members of the
Joy Luck Club in Kweilin, China, during the war period: "How could we
laugh, people asked... people thought we were wrong to serve banquets every
week while many people in the city were starving... had lost homes and
fortunes, and were separated, husband from wife, brother from sister, daughter
from mother..." (11). Suyuan told her daughter to never dwell on anything
- during times of aggravation, frustration, and tension, it is best to appreciate
one's own life while one is still living. She went on by saying that,
"it's not that we had no heart or eyes for pain... but to despair was to
wish back something already lost - or to prolong what was already
unbearable" (11). It reminded me of one of my favorite quotes: "you
can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep rereading the last
one". This is a very valuable life lesson - for it tells one not to dwell
on the past, but instead, move on. Hence, I am very admirable of Suyuan's experiences
and am very interested in Jing-mei's quest to fulfill her purpose of somehow
connecting spiritually with her mother since she was never able to do so
mortally.
I agree of how Amy Tan has such a simple, yet sophistocated writing style that makes her readings so enjoyable. When i read the part of the book regarding the Japanese invasion and how the mothers would eat food and celebrate, I was not sure what to think. I felt bad for the others around them and what seemed like chaos around them, but at the same time, they managed to have happiness in a harsh environment. The book's morals on hope, perseverance, and happiness are very evident and I find them all very inspiring even in normal, everyday life
ReplyDeleteThis book definitely brings upon feelings of admiration for parts of the Chinese culture that I never knew about. I thought it was amazing how even when being forced to leave anything and everything they know behind, they still managed to live a happy and full life. I try to put myself in that situation and I can't even imagine it. I also was surprised by how willing they were to help others with the Joy Luck Club even though they have already been through so much. I agree that this book also teaches important life lessons and you bring up one that I hadn't even realized.
ReplyDeleteHaving read another one of Amy Tan's books last summer, "A Hundred Secret Senses," I was instantly reminded of my deep affections for Chinese culture immediately after reading the first page of "The Joy Luck Club." Tan's mastery of simple dialogue is so captivating that I often feel as though I am standing next to the characters listening to their banter, experiencing the heightened emotions that accompany human conversation. Moreover, one of my absolutely favorite aspects of Chinese culture is the constant usage of parables, short stories, and wise sayings for every conceivable circumstance in life. Despite what American's may claim as an "over-usage" of these valuable pieces of wisdom, the context in which they are stated and the simple yet elegantly prophetic meanings actually make me want to read more of them. I have a rooted fascination with Chinese myths and the zodiac calendar, so I am always excited when I come across one in the reading (and this seems to be quite frequently).
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