Name: Instructor: Course: Date: “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan The article “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan is mainly about the author’s thoughts and judgments on broken English in comparison to Standard English. Tan is an American writer who was born in China and is torn between two different worlds: the American society and the Chinese society, which have very diverse societal behaviors and values (Tan 142-146). Tan describes how she relates with her mother who, according to her, speaks broken English. She talks about the limitations of her mother’s English including its advantages and disadvantages. This paper provides a summary of the article, including its major themes.
In Alice’s case, her characteristics and values have been drastically influenced by what her family has been through in the past. An example of the influence of past lives on the behaviors of family members is the relationship between Alice’s mother and her grandmother. There is great conflict between the two of them during Alice’s childhood because her grandmother has such high expectations of Alice’s mother that she finds difficult to fulfill. Alice’s grandmother is an old fashioned Chinese woman, who believes that the wife of the house must bring honor to her family by perfecting all domestic duties. Juggling four children, cooking, cleaning and adjusting to a new society puts pressure on Alice’s mother.
Second, it occurs to me that the man leaning back on the end of the bench might be the groom’s father. Looking at his expression carefully, I feel he is a bit anxious. He is not the bridegroom but the groom’s father. Third, the man who wears green clothes in the left foreground is pouring wine into earthenware pitchers. Generally speaking, brides and bridegrooms do not serve at their own wedding, so this guy is also not the bridegroom.
In the beginning she is very pro-revolutionary, but as time passes she realizes that Chairman Mao’s policies are not always correct. In the beginning of Ji-li's tale she was called da-dui-zhang or head of her class. She was loved by most of her classmates and teachers. Ji-li was taught that Mao Zedong, the communist leader, was superior and that the rich were corrupt and trying to destroy China’s ideals. That is a problem considering Ji-li is descended from a landlord, something her classmates refuse to forget.
In many ancient Chinese artworks, women are often depicted as weak, home-oriented and obedient individuals. As in several other ancient civilizations such as Egyptian and Mesopotamian, women in China remained submissive to man. Starting from the mid- Zhou dynasty in 1000 B.C.E. until the Sui dynasty in 600 C.E., Chinese civilization evolved under the heavy influence of the patriarchal view of pre- and neo-Confucianism. Due to physical disparity, occupation difference, and the gaining popularity of Confucian beliefs, Women in this time period were subjected to the hostility of men and suffered from the declining influence of their social status.
The Spirit that Catches You and You Fall Down The Spirit that Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman is a well-constructed story about a refugee Hmong family and their struggles communicating with American Hospitals. The story goes beyond Lia Lee’s health issues, and digs deeper into cultural boundaries and differences we face everyday. America being a country built up of many different ethnicities and cultures, one would think that cultural barriers are not an issue, and are well broken down. But in the Lee’s case, the cultural barriers cost the life of a daughter. The Hmong are an Asian ethnic group that originated in China.
The Joy Luck Club Assignment The film the Joy Luck Club was an excellent account of four different accounts of Asian American women and their grown up assimilated daughters. It dealt with the marked discrepancy in the story of the rough relationships of first generation Asian American mothers and the daughters’ complete assimilation. It was interesting viewing the mothers’ adherence to their customs and beliefs clashing with their daughters’ acceptance of the American lifestyle. In addition, the stereotypes that were perpetuated by the movie were intense, mainly of Asian men and women. By showing the beliefs and customs of the Chinese still done here in America, the film makes a massive effort to reinforce negative stereotypes such of Asians as sexist, poverty-ridden, cruel, and strange, exotic, and
However, the tone quickly changes as Song begins to miss and need China. After describing an unfriendly run in with a landlord Song says “You find you need China: your one fragile identification, a jade link handcuffed to your wrist” (Song). Here we see Song relating to the sister across seas and knowing that she needs to be back with her family and the people that love her, like her mother. These two contrasting section of the poem are used to show that even though life may be tough and strenuous in China, the life lived in America can also be not as forgiving. Family and culture seem to always win the battle against rebellion to a new land, resulting in the speaker’s sister’s
“Two Kinds” is set in America, a symbol of opportunity. However, the location of America, Chinatown, contrasts with America; Chinatown is reminiscent of China and of the squalor and pain Jing-mei’s mother escaped. The conflict lies between the old and new life—Jing-mei lacks her mother’s perspective and does not appreciate the opportunities of America. The setting in “Two Kinds” provides insight to the conflict at every level. The setting of the piano recital at the “Joy Luck Club” is heavily ironic.
Amy Tan's short story "Two Kinds" focuses on multiple themes in the relationship between a Chinese mother and her Americanized daughter who in turn assumes she must reject her mother in order to find her sense of self, coupled with trying to assimilate into American society. The main character and narrator is Jing-Mei who is also the protagonist of the story. As well as her mother Mrs. Woo who is portrayed as the antagonist, and is always urging Jing-Mei to try new things and discover new talents. Jing-Mei's mother believes that with a little hard work her daughter can be anything she wants to be in America and is determined to make Jing-Mei a child prodigy but we have to question Mrs. Woo’s ways and ask ourselves; do the ends truly justify the terrible means?