The Conflict Within - Joy Luck Club

We live to be perfect, however we contradict ourselves every step of the way. Inner conflict has nestled its way into all of us. It has the power to change us as people either for the better or the worse. Tan’s novel, The Joy Luck Club, exhibits the growth and development of the eight characters through a series of narrated stories. Tan uses the art of storytelling to apprise the reader about the lives of four Chinese immigrant mothers who came from China to San Francisco to raise their daughters. The plot outlines the multitude of conflicts existent between the mothers and their daughters as well as the inner conflict within the characters themselves. In the novel a character named Jing-Mei is born in America. Her mother, Suyuan, longs for her to be a piano prodigy despite June’s obvious lack of musical talent. This causes June to question herself and triggers inner conflict. Tan uses metaphors, similes and imagery within her work to evoke many of the readers’ feelings and senses. Through figurative language Tan portrays Jing Mei “June” Woo’s character and inner conflict within The Joy Luck Club. Tan often uses metaphors to introduce character and inner conflict within Jing-Mei “June” Woo. In the following quote Tan shows the aspirations of Jing-Mei. “I was Cinderella stepping from her pumpkin carriage with sparkly cartoon music filling the air” (Tan 133). This characterizes June because it shows dreams of becoming a fictional Disney Princess which displays her feelings of inadequacy. Tan also portrays inner conflict by using a metaphor to characterize June by comparing her choice of crab to her real-world thinking. “‘Only you pick that crab. Nobody else take it. I already know this. Everybody else want best quality. You thinking different’” (Tan 208). What June perceives as a generous deed her mother perceives as weak. June’s life choices are much like her choice of crab, she does not take care of herself and often puts the desires of others first. In the chapter “Two Kinds” June reopens the book she played at her unfortunate piano recital and finds her piece titled “Pleading Child”. She then looks at the adjacent page and finds its complementing piece “Perfectly Contented”. When June observes the songs, she notices “Pleading Child” is short and slow, while “Perfectly Contented” is long and fast (Tan 144). Tan utilizes the metaphor of two piano pieces in order to compare and contrast the relationships between June and her mother, Suyuan Woo. This comparison feeds into Junes inner conflict by showing that when she was young her and her mother did not get along very well. The piece titled “Perfectly Contented” which is longer and faster represents the final days before Suyuan passes away. The length represents the time that it took to become “Perfectly Contented” and the speed represents the joyful times that her and her mother shared before she dies. The title is also metaphorical for the time that June and her mother were “Perfectly Contented”. The accompanying piece “Pleading Child” represents June’s childhood and how June feels that it was slow, but looking back she sees that it was short. Often June pleads with her mother not to play piano and that she wasn’t perfect. Tan uses metaphors to portray character and inner conflict within Jing-Mei. Tan’s novel also uses similes to expose the reader to June’s inner conflict and character. June recalls her embarrassment at her piano recital. She says, “I felt the same way, and it seemed as if everybody were now coming up, like gawkers at the scene of an accident, to see what parts were actually missing” (Tan 140). Tan uses a basic simile, comparing people staring at June to onlookers of an accident. The comparison shows June’s inner conflict and character by conveying her feelings of worthlessness after her piano recital. In the story “Two Kinds” Tan uses a simile to describe June’s discontent with herself. “Before going to bed that night, I looked in the mirror above the bathroom sink and when I saw my face staring back - and that it would always be this ordinary face- I began to cry. Such a sad, ugly girl! I made high pitched noises like a crazed animal, trying to scratch out the face in the mirror” (Tan 134). Tan compares June to a crazed animal who is clawing her face out in the mirror, trying to erase herself. This depicts June’s inner conflict because it shows that she is not content with herself and she often wishes that she was someone else. For the same reason the simile also characterizes Jing-Mei as someone with a lack of self-esteem. Lastly Tan employs another simile to expose the reader to June’s inner conflict “I was like the Christ child lifted out of the straw manger, crying with holy indignity” (Tan 133). Tan unmasks Junes inner thoughts of becoming famous, and shows that June has dreams to become a godlike idol. June’s aspirations to be someone else alludes the reader to both her characters lack of self-esteem and the battles that rage within her. Tan deploys a variety of similes to reveal June’s character and inner conflict. Tan’s novel contains multiple instances of imagery to model the complex inner conflict of Jing-Mei as well as her character. In the novel young June recalls watching her crab be boiled for her eighth birthday party. “To this day, I remember that crab screaming as he thrust one bright red claw out over the side of the bubbling pot” (Tan 201). Tan uses imagery to expose that June has a very soft character. Tan puts the reader in June’s shoes by using this imagery to evoke feelings of sadness. Ashamed at her failed piano recital June says, “I was aware of the eyes burning into my back. I felt the shame of my mother and father as they sat stiffly throughout the rest of the show” (Tan 140). Tan conjures a realistic feeling of empathy by giving a relatable image of June’s mother staring into her back. Tan’s image reveals June’s inner conflict because she makes her mother and father feel ashamed which shows her lack of self-esteem and presence of inner conflict. It allows the reader to empathize with June’s embarrassment at the recital. In “Two Kinds” Tan uses imagery to illuminate an embarrassing setting, “When we got on the bus to go home, my father was humming the busy-bee tune and my mother was silent” (Tan 141). Tan sets the mood of the scene using simple yet relatable images. By showing her mothers silence and disapproval to follow the unsuccessful piano recital Tan sets the mood as cumbersome and awkward. June’s lack of speech with her mother also shows tension between them and alludes to June’s inner conflict. Through a vast expansion of imagery throughout her stories, Tan is able to elicit characterization and inner conflict. Tan depicts June’s character and inner battles by deploying figurative language throughout The Joy Luck Club. Through a combination of metaphors, similes and imagery Tan tells the stories of eight characters. June’s life contains many internal conflicts and feelings of inadequacy due to her mothers forceful ways. Many times June finds herself feeling worthless, with no place to go. Her mother continuously attempts to drive her to be a piano prodigy, however this is not June’s ambition. Garth Brooks once said, “The greatest conflicts are not between two people but between one person and himself”.