Category: Amy Tan

Literature is an ocean in which the greatest thoughts have been cultured like the most profound wisdom of the ages. The source of all literary thought is life with all its manifold complexities and dimensions. The literary landscape has been continually growing and flourishing through the interaction of various schools of thought and disciplines. The frontiers of learning have widened to such an extent that learners are pulled into exciting new arenas of thoughts that enrich the reading experience. Literature acts as a medium for interaction that offers different types of contemporary literature. Literature usually refers to the works of creative imagination in different forms.

American Literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and its preceding colonies (written products which have been produced in the United States). American Literature inspects the cultures and literature of the Americans from the colonial period through the early national period of the United States. Mark Twain was considered the father of American Literature. The history of American literature can be divided into five major periods such as the colonial early national period (17th century to 1830), The Romantic Period (1830 to 1870), Realism and Naturalism (1870 to 1910), The Modernist Period (1910 to 1945) The Contemporary Period (1945 to present). American literature is very significant for the education of people as it discloses the culture and history of the United States. Moreover, American literature prevailed in various countries gives outsiders the chance to get to know about American culture, history and literary works of the great authors better.

Major themes prevailed in American literature like the dreams of American, loss of innocence/coming age, alienation and isolation. American writers produced their work in unique ways to express their experience. American literature possesses basic characteristics like other literature such as plots, settings, images, and themes. It incorporates the notion of Americans and makes certain places known. The history of American literature prolonged more than 400 years. The most prominent writers are Willa Cather, James Fenimore Cooper, Emily Faulker, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Frost, Nathaniel Hawthrone, Ernest Hemingway, Washington Irving, Harper Lee, Jack London, Herman Melville, Margaret Mitchell, Edgar Allan Poe, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman.

A novel is an extended, fabricated narrative that narrates the confidential human experiences. The novel in the present days usually makes use of literary prose style. It has been considered as a main type of genre. There are many types of novels such as the historical novel, picaresque, sentimental, gothic, psychological, the novel of manner, epistolary, apprenticeship, etc., Novel consists of particular, theme, plotline and same purpose behind it. (female writers)

Amy Tan belongs to the twentieth-century American writer. Ernest Hemingway and F.scott Fitzgerald are the contemporaries of Amy Tan. This period has been considered of Amy Tan. This has been considered as an eventful which would follow the imprint of world wars. Twentieth-century has seen many new literary theories with critic such as Edgar Allan Poe is known for Dark Romanticism, short-story theory, T.S.Eliot named for modernism, Stephen Greenblatt known for New Historicism. Stanley Fish-pragmatism, Harlod Bloom – Aestheticism, John Updike – literary realism/ modernism and aesthetic critic, F.O. Matthiessen originated the concept “American Renaissance”, Perry Hiller – puritan studies, Henry Nash Smith is the founder of the “Myth and symbol school” of American criticism. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick – Queer theory, Gloria.Anzaldua – Latin literary theory.

At the beginning of the 20th century, American novelists were extending fiction to enclose both high and low life and sometimes connected to the naturalist realism school. Political writings began to existence which described the social issues and the power of corporations. The race was a general issue as well as seen in Pauline Hopkins’s works. The action-packed period that followed the war left its mark upon books of all kinds. Similarly, female writers gained frames through their novels that register their own experience.

The 1920s got sharp changes to American literature. Many writers had a straight experience of the First World War and they utilized it to produce their writings which create an impact on those days. Experimentation in style and form soon connected the bloomed freedom in the subject matter. T.S.Eliot wrote spare, cerebral poetry, carried by a dense structure of symbols. This century would be considered as a modern century and the major themes in this era are alienation, conversion, depletion and the connection of truth. These themes reflect the well-defined sensibilities of both modernist and postmodern aesthetic movements. The 20th century gave support to marginalized people in earlier they got little recognition for their literary participations. The Harlem Renaissance is an example, lead African-American livelihood in New York to form a strong literary movement.

Amy Tan was born on February 19, 1952. She is an American writer. Her works expressed the mother-daughter relationships and the Chinese- American experience. Amy Tan has a Chinese background because her forefathers were born and brought up in China. Tan’s first novel, The Joy Luck Club, consists of sixteen related stories about the experiences of four Chinese American mother-daughter pairs. Tan’s second novel, The Kitchen God’s Wife also center on the connection between an immigrant Chinese mother and her American – born daughter. Tan’s next novel, The Hundred Secret Senses, was a deviation from the previous two novels; this novel centered the sister’s relationships. Tan’s next novel, The Bonesetter’s Daughter backs the theme of an immigrant Chinese woman and her American – born daughter.

Phenomenology criticism is the consciousness of consciousness. In this theory, the reader culls out the meaning of the text. Consciousness is a requisite for any experience. Phenomenology is studying literature as a product of consciousness. Phenomenological theory in literature is concerning the literary product as an arbitrator between the consciousness of the author and reader. The modern originator of phenomenology is the German philosopher Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) who tries to make philosophy ‘a rigorous science’ by back its observation. “To the things themselves”. In literature, Phenomenology is the study of forms of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view.

Phenomenology, as its word suggests, is concerned to narrate the fundamental human experience. The word phenomena are derived from the Greek for ‘appearance’. Phenomenology aims to describe how the world must occur to the artless observer, the loot of all presumption and culturally imposed expectations. Husserl is not proclaimed, the real world does not exist, then involving individual attention to the assumptions. To make human beings experience the real world at all. He stated that all consciousness is intentional. This means that everyone is aware of doing things.

This is clarified by acknowledging the centrality of Husserl’s claims. He proclaims that all consciousness has intention. This means that people are always conscious of something (and never just conscious). (add phenomenology)

Amy Tan’s novel The Valley of Amazement is about fate, affection, recognition, and owning. These aspects are described through the experience of three generations of women. The difficulties they faced and separation, but also give them the drive to get back into their lives. Only then can they start to heal from the challenges they’ve encountered. Through that healing, they begin to view their lives and difficulties in a new vision because they’re able to realize their lives through each one’s eyes. The main relationship featured in The Valley of Amazement is a mother and her daughter.

The novel opens with violet’s introduction about herself. She was very proud to recognize herself as an American girl. Lulu Minturn, mother of violet, a white woman owned a first-class courtesan house in Shanghai in China. Her mother named her daughter, violet after a tiny flower she loved as the girl was growing up in San Francisco. Lulu Mimi’s English translation is Hidden Jade Path. Violet narrated the incident where she was insulted because of her Chinese race. Violet knew to speak in Chinese. She was isolated by all the other students in Jewel’s Academy for girls where Violet studied. She attacked them and fought with them. Here Amy Tan introduces Violet as a strong girl who fought against injustice. She was proud to be an American rather than Chinese.

Violet unknowingly spoke a hodgepodge of English, Chinese, and the Shanghainese dialect. Lulu Mimi also spoke Chinese to her clients. Violet was perplexed about her race because Lulu Mimi spoke Chinese but she was an American girl. What race did Violet belong to? She started searching for the answer. Amy Tan expressed her view through the character Violet who says that Chinese girls learned only how to behave, whereas American girls learned all the subjects. Violet was a free little girl who wandered all over Hade Hidden Path. Lulu insisted on the ghost were the superstitious beliefs of Chinese fear. Amy Tan expelled Chinese behavior and the attitude they followed. Violet had a golden fox cat with which she spent her time and it was the best friend to her. Amy got away from the context and described a hundred years old ghost in that place, Poet Ghost. Still, some believed that the poet Ghost wandered over there. The courtesans in the house were known as Cloud Beauties. Each had the word cloud in her name and that identified the house to which she belonged. When they left the house, the word cloud evaporated from their name. The cloud beauties were Rosy Cloud, Billowy Cloud, Snowy Cloud, and Magic Cloud. Mimi set rules on how they should conduct business with the guests and what share of their earnings and expenses they should pay to the house. Golden Dove managed the courtesans’ behavior and appearance and ensured that they upheld the standard and the reputation of a first-class house. Violet described her mother’s beauty and how she approached her client. This made Violet irritated about her mother’s attitude because she did not know about her father and did not know the reason why her mother was doing this business. Though it was legal in China, it seemed to be a vulgar business to her while watching these things like a little one.

Violet described the courtesan house which was divided as a high-class courtesan with more privacy and low-class courtesan with less privacy. Lulu Mimi and Golden Dove always busy in their work but still as a mother Mimi took care of her daughter’s studies, often questioned Violet. Violet stood behind the room ad overheard all the beauties romantic talk with their patrons and she tried to peep into the room. While watching the courtesan’s life inside the house Violet was afraid of her future. She thought about herself if she would become a courtesan. She never watched her mother with her lovers. She was not happy with her mother’s business. Then she stopped to spy on the Cloud Beauties after that. Ned Peaver delivered a letter to Lulu. He was a soldier during the Boxer Rebellion. It took place in 1900 when violet was two years old. When the Chinese starved to death.

It was violet’s fourteenth birthday. There was a grand celebration with more firecrackers. It was a day when Yuan-Shikai would soon set up as president of the new Republic of China. It was February 12, 1912, and the emperor dowager Longue had just signed the abdication on behalf of her six years old nephew, emperor Puyi, on the condition that she could remain in the palace and retain his possessions. Manchu rule was over. They had been expecting this day since October when the new army staged a mutiny in Wuchang. Amy Tan gave a historical note about the ching dynasty which was against the people and it was an imperial rule. Meanwhile, the guests at Lulu’s parties did not meet in the middle for several days. The western men remained on their side of the social clubs and the Chinese men remained in the courtesan house.

There was a revolution against the Ching dynasty. Li Shing, the biological father of Violet arrived to call Lulu to see her son in San Francisco. Violet stood behind the curtain and overheard all the chattings. At first, Lulu was against him when he spoke about the son. She calmed herself and planned to go to san Francisco. While Violet came to know this. She was happy about her father who was alive but worried about her brother because of whom she would leave for another place. She thought that she may love him more than her. Violet imagined that Lulu sacrificed a country(Shanghai) where they survived for so long time and the friends to see her son. This important might lead her to love him more than her. Like this, she was occupied more with it. Fairweather, a client who was hatred by violet was loved by Lulu Minturn. He spoke sweetly and helped to get the certificate for violet with the father’s name as Fairweather. He asked Lulu that he would pick up Violet because his name was mentioned as her father in the certificate. Lulu Minturn also accepted all these formalities to see her son. Violet refused to go with him but Lulu convinced her to go along with him.

Fairweather cheated them and left Violet in another courtesan house. She was very stubborn and refused to stay there. She screamed and shouted but no one was ready to listen to that voice. Mother Li was the head of the Courtesan house. She gave pills to Violet which made her sleep for most of the day. Though she was grown up in courtesan house and her mother was a courtesan, she never accepted herself as a courtesan. When she woke up, she met Magic Ground. Once she was very close with her in the Hidden Jade Path. Amy Tan expelled the fate that a woman can’t overcome it. The Hall of Tranquility was full of protection and so she could not go out. Even Magic Ground said that they had to accept the fate. Violet was always proud to be recognized as an American girl that made her accept the situation. The innocence was caught up by fate. For a long time, they left her to adopt the situation. Mother Li otherwise beat her and made her sick. No one can change the woman’s fate unless and until she does it for her. Though the courtesan house was legal in those days in China, she was not ready to accept it. Magic Ground narrated her story because she suffered at many hands at the age of eleven. Violet waited so long to change herself and tried to get rid of it. As she could not resist finally she surrendered to mother Li, which means to fate.

Magic Gourd advised the young Violet on how to become popular while avoiding cheapskates, false love and suicide. She spoke about the reputation to maintain the first position in the house. To enlighten the patron, courtesans must know to sing, recite poems and physical beauty played a major role. This narration details about courtesan life. So it shows that violet accepted the situation and ready to become a courtesan. Only two things one can do to solve a problem one is to accept it and another is to refuse. Her angry voice could no longer stand and it did not make a change. So she accepted the situation. She was little and she did not know how to survive in the outside world. Magic Gourd spoke about patrons and cheapskates who asked her to work toward the Four Necessities: jewelry, furniture, a seasonal contract with a stipend and a comfortable retirement. Amy Tan shows that they are not supposed to forget love. Magic Gourd insists on illusions to attack the patrons. This chapter was full of narrations of advice to get ready for the defloration.

It was party time. Loyalty Fang was going to choose his courtesan. Magic Gourd and Violet dressed up well and were waiting. Amy Tan introduces Loyalty Fang’s richness and love for him. Violet saw him as an ordinary man. Violet seemed to be an innocent girl who was unaware of the situation. Magic Gourd did many things to divert loyalty fang’s attention to violet. She pinched violet to serve the patrons in the party. Finally, loyalty fang looked at her and asked her to entertain him to recite or sing. Unprepared Magic Grourd asked her to sing a song. Violet hesitated to do it and struggle to sing a song. This scene shows violet’s childish behavior, sometimes she forgot lines and managed to sing. Loyalty Fang knew that she was not well prepared but he requested her to sit beside him. Violet started to admire him. He then narrated his childhood event to violet. He said that they had already met in hidden Jade Path seven years before. Violet felt that he became a known person to her. She was proud and excited herself among all the courtesans. She won his heart and made her stand unique. When he was busy with his friends, suddenly he turned and asked about his investment to violet. She shared her knowledge and he also accepted it. He was amazed and praised him. This meeting created a strong desire for her future with Loyalty Fang. Violet would like to marry him but he married another girl his family compulsion. Her dream remained a dream. This innocent girl’s hope for the future was destroyed. She had to accept the fate. He left her and she was betrayed by her foolishness.

After many years, she became a popular courtesan and unpopular, sometimes. Many patrons she had taken and done her duty. She happened to meet Edward Ivory who was suggested by Loyalty Fang. He came to the house and attended the party before violet. Edward Ivory mocked violet as the first-class courtesans which mean number one whore in the house, this irritated violet so she hatred Edward Ivory. Then he asked pardon for many times to convince violet. This made a good relationship between them. Edward Ivory and violet spent separate time by walking in public road and going to temples. Fortunately violet got the true love; so long she had been waiting for Edward Ivory also was true to her. He revealed his first marriage to violet and said that he disliked her. His first wife, Minerva cheated him saying that he was the cause for her pregnancy and married him. So he hated her and loving violet. When he came to know Violet is pregnant he paid money to courtesan house and got violet out as his own. They stayed in a separate house. Violet was very happy because she got what she wanted so far. The new true life for violet began.

In “Rules of the Game” Amy Tan helps to understand that when trying to obtain independence, patience to experience growth can hinder any obstructions from stalling this sought-after element of growing up.

By the end of the story, Waverly recognizes that she “had nowhere to go” and “was not running away from anything,”(507). She didn’t have an “escape route”(507) and therefore possessed no strategy in winning this fight against her mother. Waverly realizes that she cannot escape because she is running from her life and is not organized enough to leave it all behind. She needs to grow up and formulate a purpose in which can take her where she wants to go independently. Perrine states that “the developing character…undergoes some distinct change of character, personality or outlook”(107). In “Rules of the Game” Amy Tan shows how Waverly, as a growing character, has learned to be patient when finding a solution to a problem. In addition to this Perrine also states that “symbols nearly always signal their existence by emphasis,”(222). Tan displays this in the way of the escape route which refers back to chess, a prominent symbol throughout the story. In chess, a strategy is needed when in any particular predicament. However, chess is an independent sport indicating Waverly’s need to sustain herself. She doesn’t have a strategy yet to become autonomous and has accepted that if she goes on this path without a plan her initial loss will not be worth the end result. When Waverly states “opposite me was my opponent, two angry black slits. She wore a triumphant smile” she realizes she has lost and finally understands her mother’s purpose for keeping her close, “ The strongest wind cannot be seen”(508). Her biggest but most important obstacle transpired to be her mother. Currently, her mother is always there to guide her but she must learn to stand strong and defend herself. Perrine states that, “Symbols nearly always signal their existence by emphasis”(222). Amy shows repetition with the phrase “ The strongest wind cannot be seen,” signifying its importance as a symbol. This phrase relates to ways in which Waverly learns to win arguments but also becoming independent. Waverly must be patient to grow up beyond her mother as well as conceive not until then will she win the struggle for her independence.

Finally, “I closed my eyes and pondered my next move,”(508) which demonstrates how much she has grown. Waverly has accepted her fate, knowing her lose, and is content with the realization she will probably lose again. Being so used to winning she needs to learn that to grow is to lose and learn. However, she has been given a new purpose for finding a solution as she has so many times before, yet this time it is not about winning a chess game but about gaining independence. According to Perrine, “the meaning of a literary symbol must be established and supported by the entire context of the story”(222). Amy Tan represents this by using chess to show how growing up and learning about oneself can be compared to learning the rules of chess. Waverly concludes she must be patient to find the most beneficial solution possible.

Amy Tan is a Chinese American writer and novelist, whose works explore mother-daughter relationships and the Chinese-American experience. Her story. “Rules of the games” is partly inspired by the stories of her own family. In this story, Amy Tan uses chess as a tool of symbolism to show the damage caused by toxic, controlling relationships among family members, reflecting the way the character was degraded, and experienced a life different than her peers due to the bad treatment she received from her mother. This is a critical tool, where the whole story merrily revolves around, her mother Tan makes chess a strong force that allows her daughter; Waverly to gain confidence. Throughout the story, it is shown that her mom wants a better life for Waverly, however, she yields the exact opposite.

The idea of helping her daughter to become fiercer leads to obsessively controlling her, which resulted in passive-aggressive attitudes being cultivated in Waverly. Like a Jedi knight, Waverly acquires power from chess, to a point where lead a grown up playing with her sweat like racehorses. “His sweaty brow seemed to weep at my every move,” she said. Waverly was an expert at this game, although her mother wasn’t very keen about it at first, but after she saw how fast and good she was becoming at it, she was encouraging her to keep on practicing to the point where Waverly got out of chores. However, the more her mother encouraged her to play, and the better she became at the game, the more freedom her mom takes away from her. “The alleys contained no escape routes” she quotes. Waverly finds herself trapped, she is uncertain of her next move. It takes away a lot of other things she used to do unfortunately. She is focusing too much on the game, losing her sense of time and spending her whole day playing it.

Most importantly, Waverly loses everything else in her childhood, to the point where she doesn’t really have any childhood left. Her mother, Tan, was able to notice that. She makes a reference early on, how Waverly “carefully drew a handmade chessboard and pinned it to the wall next to my bed, where I would stare for hours at imaginary battles”. Later on, Waverly makes it clear that the game is blocking out details of everything in the world around her. For example, “The boy disappeared, the color ran out of the room, and I saw only my white pieces and his black ones waiting on the other side” We can infer from the story that she gains a lot, but chess consumes a lot from her, it takes her out of her life. Even more importantly, the chess portrays the relationship of Waverly with her Mom. Both of them, are constantly engaged in head games, trapped in a battle. Her mom keeps on criticizing her, thinking this would help her strive to become a better version of herself, on the contrary, it ruins their relationship, breeding toxicity and competition among them.

During the story, Amy Tan said: “ The alleys contained no escape routes” identifying that chess was the life of Waverly, instead of getting her mother in checkmate, Waverly finds herself trapped doubting her next move. This culture of competition and passive-aggressiveness is bred not only in China or in the US but also worldwide. Anywhere in the world, you will find this type of relationship between a mother and her daughter or even between a father and his son. Sometimes parents think that this is a form of love, but oppositely, it is not. It cultivates hatred within children. They stop feeling safe in their homes, this will affect their mental state on many levels. Unfortunately, these children growing up in a dysfunctional family have no absolute control over their lifestyle, they are emotionally scarred due to repeated trauma and pain from the words spoken by their parents. Consequently, they will grow very differently, and will lack nurturement for their individual selves. They will stop enjoying their childhood to the fullest, as seen in the story with Waverly. These children tend to grow up practicing very destructive behaviors such as the consumption of alcohol, drugs, or they treat their children with the same exact treatment they encountered.

They also find it extremely difficult to build and sustain friendships, or relationships, keeping an optimistic attitude and accepting their reality and feelings. They oppress their feelings within them, causing even further internal emotional damage. It is clear now, how much parents affect their children. Waverly’s mother was extremely proud of her, however influenced her badly, she confined her, and scarred her forever. She forced her to walk with her in the community’ crowded market place against her will, this drove Waverly to struggle to live up to her mother’s standards. And When Waverly confronts her mother about her oppressive personality, her mom reacted by directing the family and saying “ We’re not concerning this girl. This girl not have concerning us” Waverly ran away, regretting offending her mother. Afterwards, she comes back home, and begins plotting her next move to defeat her mother. Waverly finally decided to challenger her mother’s authoriative controlling guardianship, so she begins to plan to defeat her mother by using the “art of invisible strength” This story depicts how every child has to live up to the standards of their parents in order to satisfy them, but they forget to satisfy themselves, they forget that they are children and the only thing they should care and think about is the next meal they are going to have. She should be able to practice her hobby with no confinments, no one nagging above her neck. She should not think of how she is going to defeat her mother, on the contrary, she deserves a loving mother who supports her whether she competes in tournaments or practice chess solely as a hobby.

United States has embraced of the most diverse population in the world today. It is diverse in terms of its ethnic makeup and religious practices for immigrants. Immigrants from different nation congregate upon the United States in Seeking for a better life for family or simple to fulfill a long-life dream. Therefore, we discover the loss of social or family support, the need to afford a new unknown life style and many times harsh alleged environment, or languages/communications problems.

In “Mother Tongue” Tan writes about the awareness and discrimination about broken English. This story is focused on the relationship between the mother and the daughter living in the United States. This is because she grew up in a home with her Chinese mother who spoke broken English, difficult for many people to understand. Tan came to realize this because when Tan was with her mother, she spoke English differently, more simply, like her mother. In Tans essay, when Amy Tan was fifteen, she used to call people on the phone to pretended to be her mother. She was forced to ask for information or even to complain and yell at people who had been rude to her. One time it was about calling her stockbroker in New York therefore, Amy Tan’s mother had cashed out her small portfolio and they were going to go to New York, their very first trip outside California. She had to get on the phone and speak in an young voice that was not very convincing, ‘This is Mrs. Tan.’ And her mother was standing in the back whispering loudly, “why he don’t send me check, already two weeks late. So mad he lie to me, loosing me money”. Amy Tan quoted her mother’s speech to demonstrate her mother’s “broken English”. It was a slight story but the thing is worth looking at her mother’s grammatical mistakes. The quoted parts were filled with grammatical mistakes and text was quite confusing. It was an embarrassing moment for Tan. Therefore, her background affected her life, her education, and brought her shame. Tan was held between two worlds. When she is with her mother, she speaks in simple English, but out in the world, she shifts to an English that is more formal and acceptable but ultimately, she learns to embrace her background.

Two kinds” is a story by Amy Tan, is the story of a mother and daughter who are disconnected. A Chinese girl whose life is influenced by her mother. Her mother came to America after losing everything in China. Jing-Mei’s mother has immigrated to America from China who has “American dream”. Who believes, “you could be anything you wanted to be in America”. Jing Mei’s mother really means that her daughter could be anything her mother decided she could be but Jing-Mei just wants to live her own life. As an immigrant, Jing Mei’s mother wants her daughter to have the chances she did not have. Her mother had high expectations on her daughter and did not care how it could affect her and made Jing-Mei become a stubborn. Jing Mei’s mother wants her to be a prodigy like her friend Waverly, a chess prodigy but did not choose the right prodigy for Jing. So, Jing Mei’s mother thought she could be a Chinese Shirley Temple. They would watch Shirley’s old movies on TV as though they were training films. Afterward Jing-Mei’s mother finally decides she should be a piano prodigy, after seeing a nine-year-old girl playing the piano on television. After the years that shadowed, she failed her mother so many times, each time she was calming her own will for unlike her mother. She did not believe she could be anything she wanted to be. She expressed her anger by going against her mother’s expectations in ‘who I am’, it indirect that such tendency come from her childhood experiences. Jing-Mei was frustrated because she could not satisfy her mother. Therefore, she hurts her mother feelings with a hurtful response, “I wish I’d never been born! I wish I were dead! Like them”, which upraises the conflict between the two to a difficult level and it set her apart from her mother. After her mother dies, Jing returns to the piano and remembers the song, and realizes that she never really understood her mother.

According to Cultural identity crafting across different cultures article, it shows how these Korean students deal with potential cultural conflicts as they move between Korea and the U.S. and how their parents cope with these changes in order to help their children to learn English and get an education abroad. They consider U.S. education a beneficial tool used to gain cultural capital. In order to gain their cultural capital, they come to the U.S. as elementary and secondary students. These families see this action as a way to gain educational and cultural benefits.

Immigration and cultural identity is one well-known complicated stress. After analyzing the consequences, we could see how an individual or a family who migrate, experience multiple stresses that can impact their mental health, the loss of cultural norms, religious customs, and family support systems, affording new languages, adjustment to a new culture and changes in identity.

Works Cited

1. Two Kinds, By Amy Tan.2009
2. https://novelsneak.wordpress.com/2009/12/16/two-kinds-by-amy-tan/
3. https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-plot-story-two-kinds-327057
4. https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Family-and-Cultural-Ties-in-Amy-Tans-FK479YZTC
5. https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/two-kinds
6. Amy Tan, Mother Tongue, The Threepenny Review, 1990
7. https://study.com/academy/lesson/amy-tans-mother-tongue-summary-themes.html
8. Park, Youngwoo, Cultural identity crafting across different cultures in the U.S.: An ethnographic study of temporary migrant Korean secondary students—Chogi-Youhacksangs and Girugi students, 2011.
9. https://onesearch.cuny.edu/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=TN_proquest993145799&context=PC&vid=kb&lang=en_US&search_scope=cunywide&adaptor=primo_central_multiple_fe&tab=cuny_tab&query=any,contains,cultural%20identity%20in%20us&offset=0

The first quarter of the book, Feathers from a Thousand Li Away, primarily focuses on four Chinese mothers, and their past lives. In the first chapter, The Joy Luck Club, the narrator, Jing-Mei Woo, describes her late mother, Suyuan Woo, who has died of an aneurysm. She recounts the story of her mother’s past from her perspective: she had abandoned her two babies in China when the Japanese attacked and lost her husband to the war. Then, she started the joy luck club with three other women, which was meant to bring hope and some joy in those dark times. While Suyuan made friends with the other families, it is revealed that the she and Jing-Mei were never close and there was often much tension between them; thus, Tan comments on the contrast between American and Chinese cultural/familial values and the lack of understanding between them.

The narrator introduces us to the three aunts, explaining that they have asked her to replace her mother at the joy luck club and to play mah jong in her stead. As they play, Jing-Mei mentally criticizes the women and analyzes how their language is deceivingly different from what they actually mean. Amy Tan begins to juxtapose and critique the Chinese language with American language. Towards the end of their game, the three aunts reveal to Jing-Mei that her mother has been searching for her lost twins for all her life, sending letters back and forth from America to China. And she did find them, only too late, as she died before she could meet them.

The next chapter, Scar, is about An-Mei Hsu’s (one of the aunts) life. Amy Tan emphasizes the controversial Chinese culture. An-Mei’s mother has been shunned by her grandmother and entire family because she left her two children to become a concubine for a much older man. Because of this, An-Mei’s grandmother (Popo) forces An-Mei to reject her own mother and to never talk to her again. However, Popo becomes sick and An-Mei’s mother returns to care for her. Amy Tan highlights the relationship between mother and daughter, suggesting that one’s mother is never really gone. This is further showed when her mother cuts a piece of her own flesh for her grandmother.

The next chapter is told from Lindo Jong’s perspective. She recalls how she was in an arranged marriage ever since she was two years old. Her fiancé, Huang Tai Tai, turns out to be a selfish boy. Amy Tan begins to juxtapose the two sexes and shows their stark contrast in Chinese culture. Lindo Jong becomes her mother-in-law’s servant and cook, thus showing the poor treatment of women in China. Years later, the two marry, but Lindo comes up with a plan and she convinces her family that their marriage is doomed.

The next chapter, The Moon Lady, is told from Ying-Ying St. Clair. She tells of when she was very young and when it was the day of the Moon Festival. Her mother tells her of her shadow, bringing in the theme of individuality. Her family had rented a boat and they go on it during the night to see the moon. However, whilst sitting on the edge, Ying-Ying falls off the boat and is caught in a fishing-net by another boat. She is brought to shore where she sees a small enactment of the Moon Lady and her husband. After the show, she goes up to the lady to request a wish only to find out that the actress had been a man. Years later, she finally remembers what her wish was – to be found.

The second quarter of the book, The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates, discusses the four daughters’ lives. The first chapter, Rules of the Game, is told from Waverly Jong’s perspective. Amy Tan comments on the stereotyped Asian competition and living up to one’s parent’s expectations. When Waverly’s brother receives a chess set from their church for Christmas, she begins to study the game and its intricacies and eventually becomes a master at the game. She begins to attend tournaments and wins them all. However, her mother is always unsatisfied with her. Yet, she always uses Waverly to show off in public. This causes Waverly to despise her mother, and she runs away one day.

In The Voice from the Wall, Lena St. Clair discusses her hometown of San Francisco and how she would always hear one of her neighbor’s being beaten each night. She then talks about her own mother’s miscarriage and how it changed her mother forever and their relationship. Her father cannot speak Chinese, and Lena St. Clair must often translate for him. Amy Tan brings up the topic of miscommunication and the lack thereof. One day, Lena’s neighbor comes to her apartment and sneaks through the back to return to her house only to find her mother overjoyed. Lena is jealous of their relationship and she compares it to that of her and her mother’s.

In Half and Half, Rose Hsu Jordan begins with expressing her frustration on whether or not to tell her mother about her recent divorce with her husband Ted. She then recalls her dating experience with Ted, a white man. Rose explains that Ted’s mother disapproved because she was Chinese and she would distract Ted from his medical studies. Amy Tan sheds light on racism and the struggles of minorities in America. Nonetheless, Ted and Rose marry, but Ted makes all the decisions in the marriage until one day he snaps and gets mad at Rose for never making decisions. He then demands a divorce.

In Two Kinds, Jing-Mei recounts the story of the tension between her and her mother over her mother’s wish of her to be a prodigy. She forces Jing-Mei to take piano lessons each day for two hours. Jing-Mei protests a great deal, and on the day of the talent show, she plays horribly. Yet, her mother still forces her to play until Jing-Mei acts out against Suyuan, saying that she wished she were dead like her twin babies. This breaks her mother, and they ultimately stop communicating. Until her 30th birthday, her mother gives the piano as a sign of forgiveness.

The third quarter of the book, “American Translation,” explores the stories of the four daughters. In “Rice Husband,” Lena St. Clair discusses her deteriorating marriage with her husband Harold. From the beginning of their courtship, the two had always split things–money, chores, etc. Lena doesn’t fully realize how detrimental her relationship is until her mother visits her house and subtly criticizes their relationship. The chapter ends with her mother asking why she never stopped it from happening in the first place. Amy Tan highlights this theme of doing versus waiting, in which one can easily avoid a circumstance but chooses not to. On a more metaphorical level, Tan criticizes the distances within relationships, whether they are gender roles or monetary dealings.

The next chapter, “Four Directions,” is narrated by Waverly Jong who finds herself unwilling to tell her mother that she is marrying Rich. She recalls the last time her mother was angry—when she quit playing chess and eloped with a boy in high school. She expresses her fear that her mother may corrupt her perfect view of Rich if she told her she was marrying him. At one meal they have, Rich acts too “American” and addresses Waverly’s parents by their informal names. Eventually, Waverly musters the courage to tell her mother, only to find out that she already knew of their marriage. In the end, Waverly decides to have the honeymoon in China, thus returning from the west to the east. Amy Tan, again, shows the importance and the permanence of one’s origins and heritage in finding one’s self-worth and identity.

In “Without Wood,” Rose Hsu-Jordan, laments over her decision to divorce Ted. Upon sending the divorce papers, Ted also gives her a ten-thousand dollar check. Rose, who is conflicted and unable to let go, ignores the papers. She recalls her mother’s superstition where she is said to be “without wood,” thus bending too easily to other people’s will. She begins questioning herself—what she really wanted to get out of the divorce and what she wanted from the marriage in the first place. She even goes to her psychiatrist in search for answers. After two weeks, Ted comes over, demanding she signs the papers. She does so and gives him the papers; however, she asserts that she is staying in the house and keeping it after she finds a lawyer to defend her. She realizes the power of her words which are able to assert her demands. In this chapter, Amy Tan suggests it is imperative to have a voice and to be your own individual self, guided by no one else.

In the next chapter, “Best Quality,” Jing-Mei Woo recounts a New Year’s day, where she shopped with her mother. They purchased eleven crabs to cook for their dinner in which they invited Waverly’s family. The dinner is awkward as Waverly and Jing-Mei subtly insult each other and their jobs. After the dinner, Jing-Mei, thinking her mother is ashamed of her, finds out the opposite is true, and her mother tells her that she only picks out the worst. Through this, Jing-Mei discovers that she doesn’t really know her mother all that well. Amy Tan emphasizes the relationship between mother and daughter—parent and child.

The last quarter of the book, “Queen Mother of the Western Skies,” begins with An-Mei Hsu’s story in China. She flees her home with her mother, who is the fourth concubine for a rich man. An-Mei discovers that she loves her new home, which is western, American, and rich. However, when she meets the other concubines, the second one manipulates the man, Wu Tsing. Soon, her mother commits suicide by poisoning herself. Wu Tsing fears her ghost will return to get revenge, so he promises to care for An-Mei as if she were his own daughter. The second wife becomes fearful as well. Amy Tan comments on one’s ability to change his or her destiny—the ability of one to have free will.

In “Waiting Between Trees,” Ying-Ying St. Clair describes how she has always had the ability to predict something before it actually happens. Her marriage, for example, in China was to a man she knew she would marry, though reluctantly. Later, this man cheats on her and leaves her for another girl. Depressed, Ying-Ying becomes a shop girl where she meets Harold St. Clair, and she knows she will marry him. In present-day, she predicts that her own daughter will divorce her husband, even though she chooses to do nothing about it. This chapter largely focuses on the differences between the two cultures: Chinese and American. The daughters know nothing about their mothers’ lives.

In “Double Face,” Lindo Jong expresses her frustration between her Americanized daughter and her Chinese self. She then tells the story of how she met her husband and complains that her daughter tells her American friends a completely different story. She laments that it is too late to change anything. All she wanted for her daughter was to get the best out of both cultures, but she ended up being more American than Chinese. She now wonders which is better. In this chapter, Amy Tan stresses the dichotomy between American and Chinese cultures as well as their values. And while she takes no apparent side, it is apparent that both have their advantages and detriments and that a balance between the two is necessary for understanding each other.

In the final chapter “A Pair of Tickets,” Jing-Mei begins her trip to China to meet her twin sisters. Along the way, she thinks of her mother and how she never really knew her. Her father travels with her to see his aunt. When they arrive, her father happily greets Aiyi, and Jing-Mei fears what she will say when she sees her sisters. However, when they finally arrive, her sisters know it is her.

Have you heard of the phrase “same-same, but different”? It is usually used to describe people, situations, or things that are similar in one aspect but different in another. The unique thing about this phrase is that it contains words that contradict themselves but perfectly explain our life experiences. For example, if I was comparing myself against my fellow Chinese-Malay classmate, we are the same but different, in that we are both students and from Singapore but I am pure Chinese and she is of mixed race.

Singlish, when compared with English, encompasses a similar idea. They are the same, yet different. They are similar in that Singlish too has its unique grammar rules, phonology, and lexis, – adapted from both Sinitic and English languages – just like the English language (Tan, 2017). However, they differ in that Singlish has a more complicated heritage than the English language as it is a mixture of the English language with other languages/dialects, such as Malay, Hokkien, Mandarin-Chinese and Cantonese. An example of this would be the Singlish phrase, “Chope first, Chiong later” – ‘Chope’ originates from the Malay language, while ‘Chiong’ is from the Hokkien dialect. This example exemplifies the unique aspect of Singlish that is all its sub-languages are completely different from each other, yet they can blend into one language. Other examples of Singlish phrases include ‘no lah’, ‘okay what’, and ‘got meh’. Based on the examples given, it is understandable why some people consider Singlish as “a form of ‘poor’ English”. However, over time, such negative social norms have made people look down on Singlish, and even discriminate against individuals who use Singlish and those who are generally unable to speak fluent standard English.

This ongoing issue was reflected in a very down-to-earth and relatable article titled ‘Mother Tongue’ by Amy Tan (1990). In her article, she shares multiple personal anecdotes of how her mother was discriminated against due to her inability to speak fluently in standard English. An example would be back when Amy Tan was only an adolescent and her mum requested for her help to make a serious call to her stockbroker as her stockbroker would not take her seriously with her ‘limited’ English. Things escalated to the point that even the hospital staff did not bother to assist her mum in finding the CAT scan results that they lost until Tan personally called the doctor herself to resolve the issue. All these anecdotes were shared to emphasise the seriousness of the discrimination individuals who are ‘limited’ in their English language experience. However, Tan did not want all these to affect what she sees in and how she understands her mum. She wanted to break the incorrect perceptions and stereotypical views that people had associated with ‘broken’ English and individuals who lacked the ability to speak fluent English. To achieve this, she intentionally used grammatically incorrect words, such as ‘Englishes’, throughout her article. This was to drive across one point that is language is more than a reflection of our intelligence and about rules, but it is a form of expression. This idea was reflected in her article: “I wanted to capture what language ability tests can never reveal: her [mum’s] intent, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts”. Therefore, how does this view of language change the way we define language and is Singlish more beneficial or harmful for us?

In an article titled ‘Singlish: an illegitimate conception in Singapore’s language policies?’ by Tan Ying-Ying (2017), she presented an objective argument between the pros and cons of Singlish. In specific, she presented to us how Singlish can be seen as a form of culture versus a ‘bad’ habit. For the view that Singlish is a form of culture, Tan Ying-Ying supports Amy Tan’s point of view that language is more than about rules. Tan Ying-Ying (2017) described language as a way for Singapore, a linguistically heterogeneous population, to have one common language (i.e. Singlish) which combines all the different languages and dialects that Singaporeans speak. This, in turn, helps to unite as a country. With Singapore being a multi-racial country, racial harmony is crucial to prevent oppositions and riots. Therefore, Singlish helps to unite us in a way which cannot be achieved through campaigns and bonding activities. For example, when we are able to speak another language (e.g. the Malay language), even if it is very basic phrases, it would make the individual from that race to feel accepted, thus promoting unity. Moreover, apart from uniting us across races, Singlish too can unite us across generations. For example, when the younger generation of Singaporeans learn Singlish, they learn bit and pieces of the various dialects which their grandparents and parents use to communicate with one another. Therefore, this bridges the generation gap between the new and older generation and preserves an aspect of their culture. Furthermore, apart from helping to unite us as a country, Singlish has also become a unique common national language, which has become such an integral part of our identity as Singaporeans. Just as Japanese is Japan’s national language, Singlish is Singapore’s national language. Hence, Tan (2017) supports and adds to Amy Tan’s view that language is more than about rules, instead it is a form of expression, identity, and culture and a way to unite people. Based on this view of language, we can say that Singlish adds value to our lives and thus, it is beneficial for us.

Contrary to this, Tan Ying-Ying (2017) also presented why Singlish may harm us more than it benefits us. In her article, Tan (2017) explained why many authorities have been eager to eliminate Singlish, despite it playing a crucial role in uniting Singaporeans in a linguistically heterogeneous population. She based her argument (i.e. why the authorities believed that Singlish does more harm than good to us) on how the authorities defined Singlish. This group of individuals (i.e. authorities and academic teachers) see and define Singlish to be “a corrupted and incorrect form of English” that makes Singaporeans “seem less intelligent or competent”. In addition, they strongly believe that Singlish is destructive to the image and development of Singapore (Tan, 2017). Therefore, the authorities have launched multiple campaigns to combat Singlish, such as the annual ‘Speak Good English Movement’ (SGEM). SGEM was launched with the intention to promote and encourage Singaporeans to speak good standard English and to reduce their use of Singlish. Through such campaigns, Singaporeans started to form a perception that Singlish is ‘bad’, as it is discouraged and viewed negatively, and that standard English is ‘good’ since it is being promoted and accepted by the authorities. Over time, this influenced the way we judged others; individuals who could speak fluent standard English were viewed as intelligent and, hence, well respected by others (Tan, 2017). On the other hand, individuals who spoke Singlish were viewed as less intelligent and hence, “less deserving” of others’ respect (Tan, 2017). This can be seen in Amy Tan’s essay where her mum experienced negative differential treatment due to her inability to speak fluent standard English. An example includes how Amy Tan’s mum was not even given the basic respect and service she deserved as a patient in the hospital. Moreover, based on how the authorities judged Singaporeans who spoke Singlish as “less intelligent or competent”, this shows how the negative perception of Singlish has also limited our perception of other people as we judge others’ ability based on the way they speak before we can even get to know them on a personal level. This is similar to how Amy Tan shared that “my mother’s ‘limited’ English limited my perception of her”. A real-life example would be when we are asked to form our own project group in class, we have a natural tendency to group with individuals who are well-versed in standard English. However, we may regret our choice of groupmates once we start working with them and realise that there is a clash in personalities. Therefore, we should be intentional in not judging others based on their ability to speak fluently in English and instead give them a chance by getting to know them first. This is congruent with how Amy Tan was trying to drive across the point that we should not let what other people’s negative perception of someone’s ‘broken’ English misguide us on what we see in that person nor should we judge others’ based on their ability to speak fluently in English.

Nevertheless, since standard English is viewed so highly and we are all expected to be fluent in it, what is the value and importance of it? To address this, Liew and Ho (2008) wrote a blog post on the Ministry of Education website to address why ‘Good English [is] the Way to Go’. The blog post was specifically written to counter the article titled, ‘Linguists speak up for Singlish’ by Ang Yiying (2008), a linguist who believes that Singlish is beneficial for us. In Liew’s and Ho’s (2008) post, they opposed Ang’s article by arguing that the use of Singlish harms students more than it benefits them as it complicates students and limits their ability to be proficient in the English language. Liew and Ho (2008) argued that as Singapore is a tiny nation, we cannot expect foreigners to understand Singlish and we need to use an internationally common language, such as standard English, to be able to communicate with them. Their view that Singlish brings more harm than benefit and the importance of it was further emphasised and supported by Nishanthi (2018). First, she pointed out that as standard English is a language used internationally, knowing it will expand our ability to access different types of information. For example, we are able to watch almost any films we desire, including foreign films (e.g. a Thai movie), because we are able to understand the English sub-titles provided. In relation to Amy Tan’s text, despite being born into a Chinese family, Tan was able to adapt well to living in the United States as she was able to speak fluently in English. Next, knowing standard English is essential for educational purposes as it is the main language used for science and research. Last, since the English language is flexible and has a wide vocabulary bank, a benefit of learning it is that it aids us in our ability to express the same idea in different ways and with different emotions. This, in turn, helps us to better communicate our feelings, thoughts, and ideas whenever needed and is essential for others to understand us. As shown in Amy Tan’s article, where she shared how her friends struggled to understand her mum’s English due to her ‘limited’ English; some of her friends could only comprehend fifty percent of what her mum said, while some could not even understand a word she said and it was like she was speaking in a foreign language. Therefore, speaking fluent English plays a significant role in our communication with our peers. Liew and Ho (2008) too proved that it is impossible for Singlish and standard English to co-exist as “non-standard usage in speech often transfers to writing”. This negative impact of Singlish was also represented in Amy Tan’s life as she mentioned how the language used among family members has a significant role in the child’s language development. For example, her mother’s ’limited’ English had negatively affected her ability to be proficient in the English language which, in turn, limited her in her ability to score well on English tests and even ‘causing’ her to get reprimanded by her ex-boss on her writing ability.

However, with determination, Amy Tan defied the odds and grew up to become a successful writer. Her success can be empirically supported with this finding that “Singlish and standard English can and do co-exist” as there no evidence that states Singlish negatively affects one’s ability to speak standard English (Ang, 2008). However, this is on the basis that the individual has a good foundation in standard English (Ang, 2008). An example of this statement is seen through Amy Tan’s life – although she was not born an English genius nor grew up with a family who could speak fluent English, she still managed to become a writer through studying hard in school. This proves that if we have a strong foundation in standard English, speaking Singlish would not negatively affect us. This, in turn, opposes Liew’s and Ho’s (2008) view on how speaking Singlish would negatively impact us in our writing and explains why Tan Ying-Ying (2017) stated that Singapore is emphasising so strongly on the importance of standard English, through campaigns such as SGEM. The authorities are trying to ensure that the majority of Singaporeans are proficient in standard English first, as opposed to Singlish (Tan, 2017). Generally, we have to reach an optimal balance between our proficiency in standard English and Singlish in order to reduce the negative effects of Singlish on us.

As mentioned by Ang (2008), “Singlish may be the bane of teachers, but it is music to the ears of linguists”. Whether we view Singlish as a language that is more beneficial or harmful for us is dependent on how we define language. Do we define it as one that is based on strict rules or a form of art for us to express ourselves such as our passion, imagery and the rhythms of our speech like as described by Amy Tan? In specific, do we see Singlish as a culture or a bad habit? Language should not only be used for us to look intelligent or competent or be dictated by rules, nor should it be limited to a single prototype or by specific rules. Instead, it is a form of art; it is a form of expression, a way to develop our national identity, and a way to promote unity among people as we get to understand others better beyond how well-versed we are in standard English. Therefore, our ability to speak fluently or to score well on a language ability test, should not define us as a person nor give us the rights to judge others. Whether Singlish is beneficial or harmful for us, it depends on how much effort we put in to build a good foundation in standard English first, before Singlish. We too have to be disciplined in knowing when we can use it and when we should use standard English. Amy Tan exemplifies this in her article through how she uses her ‘mother tongue’ only when she is with her family members and uses standard English when she’s working. If Amy Tan has mastered proficiency in both English and Singlish, then with determination, so can we.

References

1. Ang, Y. (2008, December 11). Linguists Speak Up for Singlish. The Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20081209-106379.html
2. Liew, C. B., & Ho, P. (2008, December 12). Good English the Way to Go. Ministry of Education. Retrieved from https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/forum-letter-replies/good-english-the-way-to-go
3. Nishanthi, R. (2018). The Importance of Learning English in Today World. International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 3(1), 871-874. doi:10.31142/ijtsrd19061.
4. Tan, A. (1990). Mother tongue. The Threepenny Review, 43(7).
5. Tan, Y. Y. (2017). Singlish: an illegitimate conception in Singapore’s language policies?. European Journal of Language Policy, 9(1), 85-104.

The first quote from both essays is related to time. As in both stories ‘Mother Tongue’ and ‘Once More to the Lake’ shows a glimpse of time passage and the impact of time on the characters of the story. It matters a lot for both A.Tan and E.B.White the way time has affected their life. Nothing seems to be changing for them, everything has been the same over the years. Both stories expresses memories and mainly the twist of language. The wuote from “Onice More to the Lake’ is “I began to sustain the illusion that he was I, and therefore, by simple transposition, that I was my father” (White 2). The quote from “Mother Tongue’ is “I think my mother’s English almost had an affect on limiting my possibilities in life as well” (Tan 2).

In these quotes, White is referring to his father and the old memories he had with him on the lake. Those cherish memories he had with his father were always a great joy of pleasure for White. This idea emerged again as White compares the memories of his childhood as he revisits the lake with his son. He feels as if he was with his father. It shows that tune and changes that it brings in us. On the other hand, the quote from ‘Mother Tongue’ Amy also describes the reflecting of her mother she had in her. As she grown up she observes reflexes of her mother in her. As her mother was poor in English she can observe that too. It affects a lot on her studies and limited her possibilities. In both the quotations, time it the main relying factor. Similarly both White and Amy are in a state of confusion and nervous. Both the characters confront multiple changes in them as both struggles with the illusion that their present existence remains the same with their past existence. But on the other hand, both characters are different as they understand maturity and natural cycle of death.

In both quotes, there is an evidence that as time progressed everything remained the same for them in spite of the passage of time. Indeed it is greatness of events that has given them the evidence that things haven’t changed. Only difference here is White consider him as he was with his father and Amy considers her as if she was like her mother and life of her mother affected her life too. White refers to cherish memories with his father whereas Amy is not referring to the cherish memories she is referencing to the worst memories here. She is referring to English language here. But both are same as both are regarding to someone else as both pointing to another person.

“As he buckled the swollen belt suddenly my groin felt the chill of death” (White 1). The line shows the association between his son and himself. Both strengthened as well as he himself also feels the chills and gets feeble because he can see that the fact that he is getting older but his son is not getting older. This thing really hits him forcefully. Perhaps his dad is dead and one day he will pass away too, his son is getting bigger up as well as he is getting older. This essay ends with the line “the chill of death”. This is a disturbing and at the start abrupt finishing for the essay , mainly since on first reading it appears to be simply a pleasing depiction of a vacation on a lake side. With a slight concentration, however, it is easy to see how the essay go obviously to a approach of sense of death or certainty. These words “Chill of death” feels a real chill. As he sees his son pulling on a wet swimming trunks pair after a storm, he remembers the feeling of doing the similar thing as well as his body felt the uncomfortable shake his son is facing. But on the not literal level, that physical shake turns out to be a more holy one as well as the chill of wet trunks becomes the chill of the grave. “All the Englishes I grew up with” (Tan 2). This line is taken from ‘Mother Tongue’, Tan thinks that language can be modified on the basis of situation. When she is giving lecture in front of a large audience, for example, her language is distinguished by forms of standard English that (she) had learned in school and through books. Amy Tan is saying that she grew up listening as well as speaking lots of different types of English forms. For instance, the English she talks with her mother was not similar to the English she usually speaks at lecture. Her mother spokes English which is her “own tongue”. Tan was saying that her mother’s English was totally clear to her but to other’s her mother’s language was completely a different language. For myself, I merely make use of two forms of different englishes.

In a nutshell, both are outstanding piece of writing. Both are well written and efficient English is used throughout the stories. Main themes rely on confusion, desperation, and eagerness to go back to past where characters had excellent memories but in the case of White, things are quite different, he himself has grown up and now with his child at the same lake he had been with his father in the past years and now he when he sees the same house, same bed and same water, he feels as if he is with his father playing near the water lake. It really gives a feeling of confusion and a moment of sadness for him. On the other hand, it is the moment of sadness for Tan too when she feels its all of the faults of her mother are now keeping her restricted in achieving her life goals. But she is curious girl and believes in hard work, she knew she has strong grip on English and her stories are a clear example of it.

In Tan’s novels, her Chinese and Western culture and the ultimate attempt at balancing the two is the foundation in which her stories lie upon: the trivial matters such as the manner in which one sits at a table, of the way one speaks and behaves, as well as the rough yet cherished moments of life. These details are perfectly described due to Tan’s expert use of verisimilitude and are showcased in each and every one of her characters. A key component of Amy Tan that exists in the plane where this struggle is housed is that of her relationship with her Chinese immigrant mother. Chinese maternal love is a focus in many of her works and for good reason. Maternal love is described as the unstoppable driving force that carries stories and customs from generation to generation, keeping the family’s values alive and protected from time. Being one of her last ties to her Chinese culture, Amy Tan’s mother signifies the bridge between Tan’s Chinese and American customs, therefore for Tan to incorporate an overarching theme of the importance of mother and daughter relationships throughout ‘The Bonesetter’s Daughter’ comes to no surprise. Tan succeeds in portraying her mother through the character Luling Young in a filtered manner so that her American readers can understand and relate to her. Luling Young, like Tan’s mother, is seen as a vessel, carrying with her the ideals of her home country in a foreign place so that her daughter can have access to the present as well as the past. In this sense, Tan puts an artistic spin to her history in her work.

Being pressured to maintain this very connection while pursuing one’s own goals and interests is another thread that is seen in Amy Tan’s life, Chinese culture, and in ‘The Bonesetter’s Daughter’. In ‘The Bonesetter’s Daughter’, Tan successfully brings her historical background and context and instills them in a fictional work of art. Living in San Francisco, California, the character Rose lives an unsatisfied life, trying to balance her own interests and lifestyle while simultaneously being held down with the responsibility of taking care of her mother suffering from Alzheimer’s. Their unique experience and their own opinion of how a mother should be caused a rift between Rose and LuLing even more substantial than the one already existing, which was due to their lack of communication, something inevitable between a loved one and an Alzheimer’s patient. Tan is seen, once again, using subtle underlying messages to convey emotional stresses between mothers and daughters in the novel, mirroring how she felt in her own relationship with her mother. The emotion described mimics water: susceptible to its surroundings and constantly in a state of flux, but, eventually softening the rigid dirt full of tension and allowing for a substance that is malleable, allowing for the shaping of something new. The dynamic relationship moves the readers and pulls them in due to the aforementioned mystery and mysticism of oriental culture that Amy Tan incorporates in her works. Three generations of experience, including her own, give Tan the ability to feel the bumps and curves of her life through her characters, along with the recurring motif of Yin and Yang.

Let’s dive into the intriguing realm of Amy Tan’s novels. If you love getting lost in the pages of a book as relatable as chatting with a friend, you’re in for a treat. Tan’s writing isn’t words on paper; it’s like an invitation to explore the intricate threads woven through culture, family, personal identity, and her background. So buckle up and get ready to unravel the layers of emotion, history, and connection that make her novels so darn special.

Amy Tan’s Roots: A Personal Journey Shaping Literature

Amy Tan’s own life story reads like a novel of its own. Born to Chinese immigrant parents, she grew up straddling two worlds: the rich heritage of her ancestors and the modern American landscape. This cultural crossroads became fertile ground for her literary explorations. Her family’s traditions and expectations, which shaped her upbringing, give her novels a keen understanding of the complexities of multicultural identity.

Tan’s connection to family is more than a theme in her novels – it’s a part of her essence. The tales of her mother and grandmother, their struggles and triumphs, became the heartbeats of her writing. The immigrant experience, generational clashes, and intimate family bonds are threads she has skillfully woven into her literary tapestry. Her journey of discovering her mother’s past adds a layer of authenticity to her stories, which resonate with readers worldwide.

Tan’s novels are like emotional treasure chests waiting to be unlocked. Her writing style isn’t about crafting sentences and evoking feelings. She has a knack for tapping into the human experience, whether it’s the bittersweet nostalgia of childhood memories or the heart-pounding intensity of pivotal moments. As you read her words, you’ll find yourself navigating a rollercoaster of emotions, each one a brushstroke on the canvas of your heart.

Personal Struggles and Triumphs: Echoes in Her Work

The threads of adversity that run through Tan’s novels are tied to her own experiences. Her battle with a near-fatal bout of Lyme disease and her journey through loss have painted her narratives with strokes of resilience and courage. These personal struggles echo in her characters, infusing them with a raw authenticity that makes their stories hit home.

Amy Tan’s novels don’t celebrate her heritage; they also dissect it. Her exploration of the complexities of being Chinese-American comes from lived experience. The struggles of reconciling traditions with contemporary life mirror her journey. Through her novels, Tan grapples with her identity and offers a mirror to countless others navigating similar paths.

The Tapestry of Culture: Tan’s Unique Narrative Voice

Tan’s novels are like cultural treasure troves, where the East meets the West, old traditions collide with new realities, and the clash of generations echoes loudly. You’ll find yourself smack amid the complexities that arise when heritage and modernity dance. Through her vivid characters, Tan crafts a narrative that isn’t about individual lives – it’s a commentary on the beautiful messiness of multiculturalism.

Families, right? They’re a whole bunch of personalities crammed into one space, and Tan captures their quirks and conflicts with a finesse that’ll make you nod knowingly. In her novels, family isn’t a backdrop; it’s a character in itself. From mother-daughter dynamics that span continents to generational secrets that unravel, Tan’s portrayal of family life is heartwarming and eye-opening.

The Power of Identity: Struggles and Triumphs

Ah, the eternal quest for who we are. Tan’s characters embark on these journeys, too, navigating the maze of cultural expectations, personal desires, and societal pressures. You’ll find characters questioning, doubting, and finally embracing their identities in ways that mirror our struggles. It’s like a mirror reflecting the many facets of human existence.

Tan’s novels don’t shy away from the tough stuff. They dig deep into themes of adversity, loss, and grief. But here’s the beauty: amidst the struggles, her characters find reservoirs of strength and resilience. It’s like a reminder that life throws curveballs, but we have the power to swing back. And that’s a message we all need, wrapped up in stories that touch the heart.

Tan is a master weaver when it comes to plot. She seamlessly shifts between timelines, interlacing past and present-like threads like a tapestry. This layering adds depth to her stories, highlighting the ripple effect of history on the lives of her characters. It’s like watching a magician pull off tricks you can’t decipher – captivating and utterly delightful.

Themes in Tan’s novels aren’t confined to the pages; they resonate in readers’ hearts. Whether it’s the search for identity, the intricate dance of family dynamics, or the resilience of challenges, her themes are universal touchpoints that bridge cultures and generations. Through her adept storytelling, Tan invites us to explore these themes not as abstract concepts but as lived experiences that enrich our understanding of the world.

The Art of Storytelling: Tan’s Craftsmanship

Tan’s writing is a magic potion of lyrical language and relatable tales. It’s like chatting with your best friend over coffee, except her words are so beautifully strung together that you’re both nodding in agreement and marveling at the sheer artistry of it all. Her storytelling pulls you in like a cozy blanket on a chilly day – comforting and captivating.

Tan’s writing is more than words – it’s a symphony of language. Her prose dances between the poetic and the conversational, creating a unique rhythm that echoes the cadences of real life. Through her meticulous choice of words, she paints emotions and landscapes, invoking sensations that transport readers into the very heart of her stories. It’s like watching a painter masterfully layer colors to create a masterpiece.

Have you ever met a character in a book who felt so real that you almost expected them to walk off the page and join you for lunch? Tan’s characters are like that. They’re not cardboard cutouts; they’re folks you’d invite for a BBQ. They have quirks, dreams, and baggage – like us. Their authenticity is a testament to Tan’s ability to make fiction feel like reality.

Have you ever noticed how Tan’s characters feel like old friends you’ve known forever? That’s the magic of her characterization. Each character is a multi-dimensional creation with flaws, quirks, and desires that make them human. It’s not about telling a story; it’s about introducing you to people you’ll remember long after you’ve closed the book. Through her characters, Tan breathes life into her narratives, making them pulse with authenticity.

Conclusion

Amy Tan’s novels aren’t stories but portals to worlds where culture, identity, and human relationships collide and fuse. Through her narrative wizardry, she paints vivid landscapes that mirror our lives while offering fresh perspectives. It’s like taking a vacation without leaving your couch, a journey that broadens your horizons and tugs at your heartstrings. Her writing, a harmonious blend of language, characterization, and plot, reflects her dedication to her craft. With each word she pens, Tan invites us into worlds that are vivid and relatable characters, forming a connection that transcends the boundaries of fiction.

So, as you journey through the pages of her novels, remember that you’re not reading – you’re witnessing the mastery of a storyteller who has woven her personal experiences, cultural insights, and creative brilliance into tales that will leave an indelible mark on your literary landscape. Get ready to laugh, cry, and see the world through new eyes – because that’s the magic of Tan’s literary legacy.