Immigration Hardships Faced: 1950s-Present [Joy Luck Club]
JanyF1
Ms. -------------------------
Junior Honors Language Arts
16 March 2012
Immigration Hardships Faced: 1950s-Present Different themes in the book Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, feed into the reasons as to why many versatile readers have interests in this novel. It captures the hearts of the young and old, American or non-American, and even the immigrants who seek for someone that understands them. The novel portrays four Asian women and their adult Asian-American daughters as they struggle to find themselves in America. The older generation seeks to find their old traditions, customs, and character amongst their daughters who have become clashed with American culture. And the daughters try to seek their identity and deal with internal conflicts that have to deal with their mothers histories. Tan presents a world in which the characters themselves feel lost even if they are with the own people that raised them or their environment in which they know all about. The Joy Luck Club depicts many hardships such as racism, multiculturalism, and stereotypes, which were encountered when an increase of immigrants came to the Americas from the 1950s to the present.
Amy Tan ties in the relationship between real world problems and incorporates them into her novel to raise awareness toward issues that immigrants continue to face. One problem, which was unavoidable, was racism. In one instance in the book, the mothers of the daughters try to persuade their children that American husbands do no good for the family. Anyone in that family that is American is not good for the family. Waverly’s mother, in an effort to dissuade her daughter from marrying an American, states: “American boy never understand you the way Chinese boy do” (Tan 70). Waverly’s mother is insistent on pushing what is comfortable for her on to her daughter. In addressing her cultural needs, her mother wants Waverly to understand her wishes for her daughter to marry a man that is in touch with her personal
Ms. -------------------------
Junior Honors Language Arts
16 March 2012
Immigration Hardships Faced: 1950s-Present Different themes in the book Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, feed into the reasons as to why many versatile readers have interests in this novel. It captures the hearts of the young and old, American or non-American, and even the immigrants who seek for someone that understands them. The novel portrays four Asian women and their adult Asian-American daughters as they struggle to find themselves in America. The older generation seeks to find their old traditions, customs, and character amongst their daughters who have become clashed with American culture. And the daughters try to seek their identity and deal with internal conflicts that have to deal with their mothers histories. Tan presents a world in which the characters themselves feel lost even if they are with the own people that raised them or their environment in which they know all about. The Joy Luck Club depicts many hardships such as racism, multiculturalism, and stereotypes, which were encountered when an increase of immigrants came to the Americas from the 1950s to the present.
Amy Tan ties in the relationship between real world problems and incorporates them into her novel to raise awareness toward issues that immigrants continue to face. One problem, which was unavoidable, was racism. In one instance in the book, the mothers of the daughters try to persuade their children that American husbands do no good for the family. Anyone in that family that is American is not good for the family. Waverly’s mother, in an effort to dissuade her daughter from marrying an American, states: “American boy never understand you the way Chinese boy do” (Tan 70). Waverly’s mother is insistent on pushing what is comfortable for her on to her daughter. In addressing her cultural needs, her mother wants Waverly to understand her wishes for her daughter to marry a man that is in touch with her personal
Cited: Carolyn See, “Drowning in America, Starving for China,” in Los Angeles Times Book Review, March 12, 1989, pp1,11. Evans, Robert C. "Critical Insights: The Joy Luck Club." EBSO. Salem Press, 24 Feb. 2010. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. Luo, Jing. "Integration of Chinese Immigrants in the United States." Daily Life through History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. Orville Schell, “’Your Mother Is in Your Bones’” in the New York Times Book Review, March 19, 1989, pp. 3,28 Tan, Amy Tan, Amy. "Feathers From A Thousand Li Away." The Joy Luck Club. New York: Putnam 's, 1989. 70. Print. Tan, Amy. "The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates." The Joy Luck Club. New York: Putnam 's, 1989. 134. Print. Tan, Amy. "American Translation." The Joy Luck Club. New York: Putnam 's, 1989. 206. Print. Tan, Amy. "Queen Mother of the Western Skies." The Joy Luck Club. New York: Putnam 's, 1989. 254. Print. Wang, Qun. "The Joy Luck Club." Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 30 Jan. 2012.