The-Joy-Luck-club

ContemporaryChineseAmericanWritersBackgroundKnowledge：Thereare3wavesofChineseimmigrationtotheUnitedStates.Whendidtheyhappen?ForwhatreasonsdidtheChineseimmigratetotheU.S.?3wavesofChineseimmigration1.1840s,seekfortuneinthegoldrushandwestwardexpansion;2.1860s,constructionoftheTrans-continentalRailroad;3.endofthe1940s,changeofgovernmentsWhatdoyouknowaboutAmyTan?AmyTan-theauthorAmyTanwasborninOakland,California,in1952,andnowlivesinSanFrancisco.TheJoyLuckClub(1989)washerfirstandperhapsmostwellknownbook.Itbroughthergreatsuccessandmadehernameknownaroundtheworld.Itwasadaptedintoafilmin1994OtherworksTheKitchenGod’sWife(《灶君娘娘》1991),TheHundredSecretSenses（《百种神秘情感》1995)TheBonesetter‘sDaughter(《正骨师的女儿》2001）SAVINGFISHFROMDROWNING（《拯救块被淹死的鱼》2006）TheJoyLuckClub《喜福会》BackgroundAnyTanandhermotherInherstories,TanblendsEasternandWesterncultures,oftenbytellingaChinesestorythroughAmericaneyes,andviceversa.Thestorycamefromherrelationshipwithhermother.Theyhadfoughtthroughoutherchildhood.Later,shegraduallybegantorealizethatoneoftheirproblemswasthatshedidnotunderstandhermother,whodesperatelywantedtobeunderstood.AmyTanandthenovelLongconversationswithhermotherevolvedintoTheJoyLuckClub.TancreatedthecharactersofRose,Waverly,JuneandLenatopersonifyherownquestionsandconcerns.Shefinallysawthatshehadtolearnabouthermother'slifeinordertounderstandherownhistoryandpersonality.ThemeOneofthepowerfulthemesofthefilmistheexplorationofhowmuchtheculturalidentityofparentscaninfluencethelivesandvaluesofthenextgeneration.Mother/daughterrelationshipsEachmotherhasverystrongtraditionalChinesevaluesandhadsomekindofcommunicationproblemwithherdaughter.Towhatextentdoyouthinktheproblemswerebasedonculturaldifferences?Whatotherreasonscanyousuggestforconflictintheirrelationships?ThebeginningofthemovieTheoldwomanrememberedaswanshehadboughtmanyyearsagoinShanghaiforafoolishsum.“Thisbird,”boastedthemarketvender,“wasonceaduckthatstretcheditsneckinhopestobecomeagoose.Andnowlook,itistoobeautifultoeat.”Thenthewomanandtheswansailedacrosstheoceanmanythousandsofliwide,stretchingtheirneckstowardAmerica.Onherjourney,shecooedtotheswan.“InAmericaIwillhaveadaughterjustlikeme.Butovertherenobodywillsayherworthismeasuredbytheloudnessofherhusband’sbelch.Overtherenobodywilllookdownonher,becauseIwillmakeherspeakonlyperfectAmericanEnglish.”Andoverthereshewillalwaysbetoofulltoswallowanysorrow!Shewillknowmymeaning,becauseIwillgiveherthisswan,acreaturethatbecamemorethanwhatwashopedfor.Butwhenshearrivedinthenewcountry,theimmigrationofficialspulledherswanawayfromher,leavingthewomanflutteringherarmsandwithonlyoneswanfeatherforamemory…”Foralongtimenow,thewomanhadwantedtogiveherdaughterthesingleswanfeatherandtellher,“Thisfeathermaylookworthless,butitcomesfromafarandcarrieswithitallmygoodintentions.”QuestionsWhydoyouthinkthatSuyuanwouldhaveclutchedontotheswanonthejourney?WhataspectsofChineseculturewasshegladtoleavebehind?Whathopesdidshehaveforherdaughter?SuggestwhySuyuannevergaveherdaughterJunethefeatherwhileshewasalive?DoyouthinkthatJuneattachedanysignificancetothefeather?Suyuan--June1.WhathappenedtoSuyuaninChina?Howdoesthateventaffecther?DidshetellJunewhathappenedtothebabies?Whyorwhynot?2.WhatdoesJunethinkofhermother,asachildandasanadult?a.AccordingtoJune,whydoeshermotherwanthertoplaypiano?b.WhatdoesSuyuantellLindoaboutJune’splayingpiano?c.WhathappenedtoJune’sinternationalpianodebut?d.HowdoesthateventaffectJune?e.OntheChineseNewYearbeforeSuyuandied,theWooshadLindo’sfamilytodinner.Onthedinner,WaverlytoldJunethathercompanycouldnotuseherwork.Theytwohadaseveredebate.SuyuancommentedonJunebysaying:“True.CannotteachStyle.JunenotlikeWaverly.Mustbebornthisway.”WhatisJune’sfeelingtowardsit?f.WhenJunecomplainedtohermotherthatthelatterneversawher,whatdidSuyuantellher?3.HowdoesJunefinallyunderstandhermotherwiththehelpoftheswanfeather?InthefilmweseemoreofherpastinChina.AbandoningherbabydaughterswhileescapingtheJapaneseishergreattragedy.Whydidshedothis?Issheproudofherowndaughter?SuyuanWooJing-mei“June”WooJuneWooneverreallyunderstandshermotherwhilesheisaliveanddoesn’tfindherownidentity.Shedoesfinallyrealisethathermotherreallylovedherandshetreasuresthejadependanthermothergaveher.Lindo–WaverlyObedienceObedienceisdepictedasavirtueforChinesedaughtersandwives.WhatbeliefsdothemothershaveaboutobediencewithrespecttotheirdaughtersinAmerica?Howdothedaughtersfeelaboutobedience?ShowingoffEachmotherwantstobeproudofherdaughterandhashighaspirationsforher.Theyalsoshow-offtheircookingskills,theirpossessions,theirskillsonthestockmarket,etc.Trytorecallandexplaintheexamplesofshowingoffyouseeinthefilm,e.g.Waverlywithherchess,Suyuan’sattempttoturnJuneintoachildprodigy,etc.DoyouthinkthattheseChinesemotherswereespeciallykeentoboastabouttheirdaughters,oristhisauniversalthemecommoninothercultures?WhatwastherelationbetweenLindoandWaverlylike?Lilndo’sfeeling:1.SuyuangaveupherbabiesinChina.ThatmadeLindothinkofherpast.WhathappenedtoLindowhenshewasyoung?Whydidshethinkthathermothergaveherupwhenshew