A Literary Analysis of the Joy Luck Club

As young individuals, we are greatly influenced by our family members throughout our entire life. From birth, all the way until we move out as adults we tend to take on the tendencies of our parents, typically our mothers. Our mother is our caretaker, and we often tend to grow a certain kind of bond with them, but also a different type of bond with our fathers as well. In “The Joy Luck Club” there are many examples of what happens when we follow by example. Particularly in the mother-daughter relationships in the text, the relationship is prominent. Even though our mothers usually want us to follow in their footsteps, these influences may either be for good or for bad. In most cases in The Joy Luck club, the daughter in the situation typically tended to have the same situation as their mother had.

But other characters may have tried to move away from their modter‘s habits and this created problems. Their reasoning for moving away from their mother’s habits and reasoning for not taking after what their mother wants leads to different results, The mother’s influence may lead to a life of despair, or a life of happiness based on the situation that it occurs in. Cultural bonds exist between the daughters and the mothers who live together in China (“Gaffner" Page one). There are geographical landscapes that transcend the potential divide for a generational divide in mother-daughter relationships. This lack of a cultural bond creates bonds between the mother and daughter relationships in the United States (“Gaffner" page one). A generational gap is formed that the Chinese- born mothers do not understand, The transition from moving from a Chinese culture, and Lhen moving to the United States culture is completely different.

This creates problems when having children, because the child will be growing up in American culture, while the mother is trying to enforce Chinese culture and their way of doing things. However, even though there are enforcements, they can be taken for either good or worse. Sycuan is one of the first introductions in the book. She is the founder of the Joy Luck Club, in both China and America. The Joy Luck Club was created in order to bring together happiness of woman and luck. Sycuan is considered a go»getter and she is determined to live life to the fullest. She had two lives, one in China and one in America. She is driven both by will and determination, and she is born into a wealthy family. In China site was married to an officer in the army and gives birth to two twin girls, which she ends up having to leave in China. due to escaping a war. In the thoughts of dying, she left the two children with gold, and other wings that she thought they might need that she had on her possession.

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She ends up surviving and started from fire bottom in America. She ends up doing incredibly well, and ends up having anod-ier daughter. The events dial happened to her in China though have left her with some negative qualities. She criticizes other people and often times it is her Daughter ling-Mei. Suyuan is very critical of her daughter Jing-Mei, and she has some incredibly high standards, and believes that in America you could become anything that you wanted. In Suyuan’s mind, Jing-Mei never tries hard enough and that she should try even harder. She wanted Jinngei to become a piano prodigy and to never give up or cease hope. ling-Mei refuses to do so, and it hurts Suyan to see that Jing-mei is not ceasing her opportunities that are given to her in America. She is not choosing a major in school, and she has a lack of determination to even finish going to college at all. This is negativity because of the fact that Jing-Mei has really no independence, and she is expected to do things that she doesn‘t really want to do.

An-mei is one oi those mothers that believe that your mother is in your bones. The relationship with your daughter is basically centered at me body. An-mei is very open to suggestions, and she basically is a serious pushover with sweet intentions. An-mei eventually remembers that she does in fact have a spine, and that her daughter Rose is weak. An-tnei may seem soft on the outside, but however she has a strong sense of belief in her Nengkan. Nengkan is the ability to accomplish anything that she puts her mind to. She applies this to everyday life, and even applies it to simple things such as cooking. When An-Mei was little she was taught to be tough about things and not show any tears in any situation. An-Mei grew up in a society in China where they were not able to stand up for themselves. and they continually lived in a life of silence.

Rose, An—mei’s daughter, was taught at a young age to be able to stand up for herself, and to get what she desires in lite, Anrmei is worried about her daughter who is unable to speak up for herself, and An-mei does not want the life for Rose. An-mei wants Rose to see her self worth and to strive in life, which she was unable to do in China. This is a positive situation. Rose eventually frees herself from the situation and fights for her, and for things that belong to her. (Ex her love, and her house, etc.) The character Waverly, just like the other characters have a strained relationship widr her modrer. As her modier, Lindo tried to assert her authority over Waverly, Waverly would constantly assert her independence. Her independence resulted in getting things the way that she wanted them, and not the way that her mother wanted them. Waverly always had to comment on her mother’s advice and make a show out of it.

She would say things such as “Don't be so old fashioned Ma, I am my own person". Waverly likes to think that she is in charge of herself, but at the same time she seeks her mother‘s approval. She also claims mat she doesn't need her mother‘s approval about her husband Rich, but constantly wants her mother to like him. She tends to use her mom as a scapegoat when she fears something or has insecurities about her own self. In addition to problems in the romantic department of Waverly’s life, she also runs into cultural problems with her mother. Lindo is upset about the fact that Waverly is American And states that it would be too late for Waverly to be Chinese. Lindo also believes that this is also her fault for giving Waverly such an American name.

Waverly wants to consider herself as Chinese but has a hard time understanding her Chinese mom, maybe because she is marrying a white man and technically losing part of her identity. Waverly is just like her mother in that she is very independent and stubborn. They both demand the very best, and Waverly is basically Lindo’s selfish side. This is a positive; Waverly is still independent but eventually wins over her mother by listening to her advice. Ying Ying is die motlter of Lena. She started off as a free spirit but then turned into someone who had no voice, and she loses herself and her identity. She suffers from a bad marriage, where she is cheated on and makes her do things that she should not have to do. He would make her lie on immigration papers, and change her name but she says nothing to her husband.

She doesn't say anything because her husband does not understand Chinese, and she ends up going through life with no emotion. She gives up caring for her life, and just acts as a wife and a modrer wimout feeling the desires and hopes mat she should feel. Ying Ying can predict the future if it pertains to her family, and knows that she is marrying a bad man, She lets fate decide what will happen, and she doesn‘t try to stop it from happening. Her passivity set a bad example for her daughter Lena. Lena is taking after the tendencies other mother, and becoming ghostlike as well.

Lena does nothing to prevent it and just lets it happen to her: Ying Ying tells Lena the story of how tragic her life is in hope that Lena will take this as a message. She wants to prevent Lena from having a sad, daunting future. Lena positively responds to this. The daughters in The Joy Luck Club always came across as rebellious confused teenagers. They are all trying to find out who they are even under all the circumstances that they are in. Each daughter is basically an American version of meir mothers, and many display their momer’s strengths and weaknesses. I believe in each situation between mother or daughter there is some good to come. Each mother is just looking out for their daughter and doesn't want them to fail, but they have a difficult way of showing it.

I think that all of the influences of the mothers on the daughters are for good intentions. Each mother has an important lesson for the daughter based upon the sadness and pain that the mother went through to learn these lessons. Each mother went through losses of freedom, loss of self-worth, and even deams that they did not want to happen for their daughters. Even though these may seem difficult mey wanted their daughters to be able to be independent as well as stand up for themselves, and have high levels of self-esteem. Each mother wanted better than what they had for their daughter.

This is good because of the fact the daughters realized that their mothers were right. They got out of the situation that was causing them sorrow and turned their lives around because of their mothers. Even though they grew up in different cultures and generations, the values and the lessons are the same. We are greatly influenced by our family members throughout our more life. We tend to take on Lhe tendencies of our parean, typically our mothers because they are our caretakers. In “The Joy Luck Club” there are many examples as to what happens when we follow by example. Particularly in the mother-daughter relationships in the text, the relationships are prominent. Even though our mothers usually want us to follow in their footsteps. these influences may either be for good or for bad.

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