Preview

Symbolism In Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
258 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Symbolism In Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club
Symbolism is frequent in Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club. The two symbols I chose are the jade pendant and the red candle. Each symbol has a significant meaning to the respective characters. In the “Best Quality” her now deceased mother Suyuan gives June a green pendant(life’s importance). The pendant was given to her after she and Waverly Jong got into a verbal altercation. In order, to fully understand why her mother decided to her the pendant you have to break down the situation. As a child, Waverly Jong told her told as quoted "You're not a genius like me." Jing-mei even reiterates to her mother “I'm not a genius!” Jing-mei is someone who has never known her worth she tends to feel anxious and self-conscious about everything. Furthermore, she
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Gender Roles In The Joy Luck Club
    • 178 Words
    • 1 Page

    Gender Roles In The Joy Luck Club

    There were many issues in The Joy Luck Club, but one issue that caught attention was the gender expectations and the limit to interracial marriage that the Chinese woman had to follow. The characters in the novel portrayed many gender expectation like, doing all the cooking, cleaning, staying home and looking after their families. In the novel, it was normal for the female to do all the stereotypical roles that girls were required to do. Also, some women were forced to marry strange men that they have not met before because marriages were arranged in China but they were also carefully considered. Additionally, the importance of marrying another chinese man lead to not able to marry another race other than Chinese. Further into the modern…

    • 178 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Importance Of The Mothers In Krikus's The Joy Luck Club
    • 110 Words
    • 1 Page

    Importance Of The Mothers In Krikus's The Joy Luck Club

    The Joy Luck Club review by Bapalapa2 states how the mothers in the stories are not to far off with their beliefs they have for their daughters. The mothers want their daughters to grow up in America and have opportunities, but also want their daughters to retain Chinese values and customs. The daughter is quite similar in ways too. They are Americanize and can’t grasp the importance of their Chinese inheritance. The Joy Luck Club Club review by Krikus talks about the daugthers especially the young chess champion Waverly who learns the trick of the chessboard did not apply when opposing mother. Who notify her “strongest wind cannot be seen”.…

    • 110 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Joy Luck Club Literary Analysis
    • 110 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Joy Luck Club Literary Analysis

    Many Chinese mothers and Americanized daughters have trouble understanding each other and this problem can only be solved through accepting each other's values and their differences. In the chapter,Two Kinds, from the book "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan exposes the values of a Chinese mother, Suyuan and her Americanized daughter, Jing-mei about living in America. After seeing many articles and stories about prodigies, Suyuan innocently believes her daughter can be one too. At first, Jing-mei was ecstatic about the idea but through constant disappointment from her mother, Jing-mei became idiotically determined to disappoint her mother even more. Pursuing this further, Suyuan thought Jing-mei can be a virtuoso pianist…

    • 110 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun
    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Symbolism In Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun

    As someone reads, it is likely that they witness symbolism. Whether they notice or not is to be determined. Symbolism may serve a greater propose then it seem and it might even foreshadow a certain feeling or event. In the play “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry, there are many examples of symbolism. In this play, sunshine, Mama’s “raggedy-looking” plant, and the new house represent the characters’ happiness, relationship, and hope.…

    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Is The Mother's Relationship In The Joy Luck Club
    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages

    What Is The Mother's Relationship In The Joy Luck Club

    The Joy Luck club centers on four, middle-aged, Chinese immigrants, Suyuan Woo, An-mei Hsu, Lindo Jong, and Ying-ying St. Clair. Although the relationships that exist between each of the four women are important, it is the exploration into each woman’s relationship with her first generation daughter that is central to the plot line. Through this exploration, the generational and cultural gaps that exist between the each of the women and their daughters are exposed; allowing several interesting connections to course material to be made.…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism in "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara.
    • 1006 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Symbolism in "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara.

    Toni Cade Bambara's short story, "The Lesson," takes place in inner city New York. The main character, Sylvia, is a fourteen year old African American girl, who tells the story in a first person narrative. Sylvia mentions Miss Moore, a teacher who felt that it was her duty to help underprivileged children learn. Miss Moore felt there was a lesson to learn at FAO Schwartz, a very expensive, upper class toy store in downtown Manhattan. The reason Miss Moore brings the children to FAO Schwartz is captured in Bambara's use of symbolism. Miss Moore uses the toys in FAO Schwartz to convey to the kids where they are on the social ladder. Outside of the toy shop, the children stare at a number of very expensive toys; some of them include a paperweight and a sailboat which symbolize the facts that wealth is not equally distributed and education that and hard work can one day earn the children these things they see.…

    • 1006 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism In The Boat By Alistair Macleod
    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Symbolism In The Boat By Alistair Macleod

    In the short story “The Boat” Alistair MacLeod writes a story that predominately deals with the power of the past over the present. She uses symbols such as the boat which eventually transforms into books. From the father’s strong perspective, the boat symbolizes the means of survival for his family and imprisonment whereas, from the father and daughters point of view the books, which replace the boat symbolizes liberation and escape from the traditions of fishing. The main symbol in “The Boat” is the boat itself. The family thought the boat as their means of survival and that without the boat they would not have a house at the harbor, nice food and clothes to wear. Meanwhile, in the fathers perspective the boat is an ever-lasting trap that without it is impossible to sustain life and with it life is an…

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    An-Mei Brave Meaning
    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages

    An-Mei Brave Meaning

    She found only greater misery and finally could not hide that... That was [her] fate” (Tan 241). The lyric “Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live / Maybe one of these days you can let the light in / Show me how big your brave is” would play. This establishes a link to An-mei’s mother’s tragic death and how it drastically altered An-mei’s life. Because her mother lost her face and found more misery, she wanted An-mei to have the opposite: a life full of love, hope, and freedom. The cage symbolizes the household of Wu Tsing and the manipulative Second Wife, which An-mei was able to free herself from and eventually journey to America to find a better life. The light symbolizes the still-present love of An-mei’s mother, which was able to break the barrier of death and translate directly into An-mei’s life. An-mei’s “brave” stems from her mother’s hopes and dreams and her meaningful sacrifice to “kill her weak spirit so she could give [her] a stronger one.” (Tan 240)…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Joy Luck Club Character Analysis
    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Joy Luck Club Character Analysis

    Amy Tan portrays Lindo Jong, mother of Waverly Jong, as a brave, intelligent woman who uses her wit in order to get out of a restrained marriage. She shows an unwavering loyalty to her family as she sacrifices her, “life to keep [her] parents promise,” (42). Lindo deals with the harassment from her in-laws, as well as the childlike nature of her husband. She eventually receives abuse from her own daughter when she doesn’t fit the expectations of both Waverly and the society. Even through all these obstructions in her life, by being loyal, courageous, intelligent, and strong, she shows all the characteristics of the Chinese zodiac animal, the horse. In the Chinese culture, the horse symbolizes power and grace, as well as strength and freedom,…

    • 1137 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Thesis Statement In Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club
    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Thesis Statement In Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

    A thesis statement informs the readers of the content, the argument, and often the direction of a…

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Relationships In The Joy Luck Club
    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Relationships In The Joy Luck Club

    Children often do not understand our parent’s intentions for growth until we are able to empathize with them. When a child is misunderstood by their parent, they feel neglected and have trouble understanding others. In the Joy Luck Club, four Chinese women immigrate to the United States in the mid-1900s during the Chinese Communist Revolutions. Settling in a Americanized country proved to be challenging due to cultural differences, language barriers, and conflicted history in China. The relationships these women formed with their daughters were influenced by new and old customs. In The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan illustrates how a relationship between a parent and child can change over time due to vast differences in beliefs and expectations.…

    • 592 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Power Of Gathering In Amy Tan's Resistance Joy Luck Club
    • 129 Words
    • 1 Page

    Power Of Gathering In Amy Tan's Resistance Joy Luck Club

    The complexity and intricacy of a civilization and its people will be considered an incomplete puzzle without the presence of weddings, funerals, parties and other social occasions as told by author Amy Tan in her piece de resistance Joy Luck Club. In times of festivity and joy, the characters can be assured that their family and friends, particularly, their mothers, are standing by their side no matter what. Of course, the true bliss and euphoria from fortunate events cannot be truly appreciated without the onset of tragedies, catastrophes and calamities that bring out a raw, vulnerable state and emotion reaction from all characters alike. Nonetheless, Alice Waters emphasizes “...the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be…

    • 129 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    "Motifs of Amy Tan's 'The Joy Luck Club'" is about the motifs and themes in section 1 of Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club." It deals with motifs such as the color red, the five elements, and promises.
    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages

    "Motifs of Amy Tan's 'The Joy Luck Club'" is about the motifs and themes in section 1 of Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club." It deals with motifs such as the color red, the five elements, and promises.

    In the first section of The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, there are many motifs threaded throughout each of the four stories. One of which is the color red. The color red is very symbolic towards early Chinese culture and tradition.…

    • 413 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Structure Of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club
    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Structure Of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

    Tan has a unique novel structure, meaning she has constructed her novel on the bases of the game, Mahjong. After the recent death of Suyuan Woo, The Joy Luck Club opens with her daughter, Jing-mei, attending the weekly meeting of food, games, and conversation. She was asked to fill in her mother’s position at the table, as is tradition. Jing-mei comments, “Without having anyone tell me, I know her corner on the table was the East… Auntie An-mei, who is sitting to my left… asks Auntie Lin across from me” (Tan 33), directly acknowledging where each player sits. According to the rules of Chinese Mahjong, the game begins with the East Wind, then continues to the left of each player. In the Table of Contents, the order follows specifically with…

    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Symbolism In Toni Morrison's Beloved
    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Symbolism In Toni Morrison's Beloved

    Beloved's character is one of the most complex to break down, as Toni Morrison's’ symbolism in beloved is indirect and simultaneous. Beloved enters the story around the middle of the first half, in a way as strange as her personality. The reader is first introduced when the Paul D , Denver, and Sethe arrive home from the fair, to find her sitting on a tree stump in the yard of 124. She is, oddly enough sitting on the dead remain of what used to be a tree. The first thing noticed about Beloved was her child-like demeanor as well as her baby soft skin. This is a strong symbolism of the connection between the "dead" tree and Beloved. Every main character in Beloved has some correlation with Beloved herself and they all attempt to analyze her to…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics