Sesgundo1

JaimeSesgundo
Mr.Davis
APLanguage&Composition
15September2014
TheJoyLuckClub
Isnthatejustwoundedlove?ThroughoutAmyTans
TheJoyLuckClub
Thefamilial
strugglebetweenmothertodaughterisexemplifiedthroughthemultiplestoriesthatcomprise
thenovel.Presentineachiseachwomansdifficultyininterpretingthemeaningbehindher
mother'swords,andovercominganuphillbattleforunderstandingandlove.
TheJoyLuckClub
illustratestheclashbetweengenerationsofwomenasculturalandlinguisticbarrierspushmother
anddaughterfurtherapart.
WaverlyJong,afierceoppositeofmotherineverywayotherthanaesthetics,displaysthe
mostmalicetowardshermotherintheirrelationship.Duringherpregnancy,LindoJong,
WaverlysmotherconceivedhernamewithAmericanchangeinmind.Ironically,bygivingher
daughteranametofitin,itwouldforeshadowtheopposingAmericanandChineseculture
clashesbetweenthem.Stemmingfromwhenshewasachild,Waverlyinitiallyfeltmostly
adorationfromhermotherLindoJong,becauseshewasachildprodigy.HoweverasWaverly
grewmoreandmoresuccessfulinherfield,shealwaysfeltannoyedbyhermomsconstant
braggingofhertootherfamilies.Inawayshefeltasifhermotherwastakingher
accomplishmentsasherown.Waverlysanalysisofhermother'sactionscouldnothavebeen
morewrong.LindoJongsrealintentionsbybraggingaboutherdaughterhadalwaysbeen
positive.Herconstantchatteraboutherdaughterhadalwaysreflectedhowproudshehadbeen.

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Ameaningthatwouldbelostthroughmisunderstandingsonbothparties.Waverlyscomplex
wouldinfluenceallaspectsofheradultcharacter.Asshegrewup,Waverlyattemptedtomask
anysimilarityshehadwithhermother.Throughcosmeticsorotherwise,Waverlyconsequently
shunnedallaspectsofherchineseheritageinattempttomakeherdifferencewithhermom
known.Ironically,Lindofearedthatthisverythingwouldhappenafternamingherdaughter
WaverlyanameshewaspressuredtoissueherdaughterinanattempttomakeherAmerican.
Asthenovelprogresses,Lindofacesherfairshareofmisunderstandings.Littlestatementsof
fromherdaughtersuchasYoucanvisitwhenthehouseiscleaner,influencetonevervisither
grandchildrenwithoutherdaughtersconsent.
JingMeiWooistheoldestofthedaughtersandherrelationshipwithhermotheristhe
mostcomplex.Withhermotherbeingdeceased,JingMeiisabletoactasamediatorof
understanding,andbreachagapbetweentheolderandyoungergenerations.Throughoutthe
courseofherlife,Meihadalwaysfeltinsignificantinhermothersscrutinizingeyes.Asachild
Jingwasneverabletoreachhermothersprodigiousexpectationsofher.Oftenfeelingsecond
placetoWaverlyintermsofage.Suyuan,however,neverisabletounderstandherdaughters
distress.FromtheentiretyofherparenthoodSuyuanbelievedthatherpushingherdaughtersto
beextraordinarywasalwaysjustifiable.InessenceSuyuancouldneverunderstandwhyher
daughterwishedtofailherateveryturn.However,rightbeforeSuyuansunexpecteddeathshe
passestoMeiherjadejewel,finallyunderstandingtheerrorofherways.Afterhermomsdeath,
JingMeiwouldexperienceaseriesofeventswhiletryingtouncoverhermotherssecertsan
whatreallywasherbestintention.

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AmyTanbrilliantlyestablishesapowerstrugglebetweenChinesetraditionsand
americanideals.Greaterthanthetwo,isthewomenspowertoovercomecultural
misunderstandingtoachieveharmonyamongstoneanother.Thisbecomesdevelopsthe
overarchingthemeofeachwomen,surpassingtheboundariesagainstthemtouncovertheirpath
tounderstandingandwisdom.