Dualities and Symbolism in ‘A Pair of Tickets’ by Tan

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Table of Contents

Narrative’s Context
The Concept of Doubleness, Its Symbolic Significance, and Personal Opinion
References

“A Pair of Tickets” is one of the short narratives included in Amy Tan’s novel titled “The Joy Luck Club.” The short narrative, which comes last in the book, begins when Jing-Mei considers herself a gorgeous Chinese and says, “I guess, my mother was right, I am becoming a Chinese,” (Tan, 1989, p. 267). Mei and her father Canning Woo are traveling to China on a train. She learns more about her mother’s past during this trip and this helps her understand herself. The narrative is about finding oneself and understanding what it means to be Chinese (Outón, 2001). A breakdown of the symbolic significance of the concept of “doubleness” in the short story and its exciting aspect forms the basis of this paper.

Narrative’s Context

As they enter Shenzen on their train journey, Jing-Mei starts to “feel Chinese.” Jing-Mei and her father are crying out of sheer delight that Guangzhou will be their first stop. Her mother’s twin daughters from her first marriage had sent them a letter addressing her mother’s death. Back in 1944, her mother had been compelled to leave the twins on the side of the road. Woo had therefore requested Aunt Lindo to reply to the girls in writing and notify them of their mother’s passing. When the train arrives at the terminus, Woo’s great-aunt welcomes them in a warm reunion. The section that follows explains how the author expressed the concept of doubleness using the character Canning Woo.

The Concept of Doubleness, Its Symbolic Significance, and Personal Opinion

In the short story, the idea of “doubleness” has several symbolic meanings. The overarching symbolism of the short story is heavily influenced by Woo’s explanation of the dual significance of names. Woo decided to teach the children about Chinese culture later that night. The significance of the girls’ names emphasizes the special bond between Suyuan, Woo’s wife, and her three daughters, Chwun Hwa, Chwun Yu, and Jing-Mei. Depending on how they are written, these names have two different meanings (Outón, 2007). For example, based on how it is spelled, the name Suyuan might mean either “Long-Cherished Wish” or “Long-Held Grudge.” According to Woo, Jing’s name Mei may refer to her as “A Younger Sister” or “A Pure Essence.” Symbolically, (according to the first interpretations), Jing-Mei is the expression of her other two sisters. This concept of doubleness is symbolically significant as it helps the reader to appreciate Chinese culture by understanding the dual meaning of the names used in the story.

Similarly, Chwun, a name given to first-born children in China, signifies “spring,” while Yu means “rain.” The name “Hwa” implies “flower” in Chinese cultural history as explained by Woo (Tan, 1989, p. 281). Since rain falls before flowers blossom, the conceptual order of birth thus comes before death. The twins are another example of doubleness in the narrative. Fortunately, after being abandoned, a peasant couple discovered the neglected young children and raised them until they were old enough to look for their parents. The brief story’s explanation alluded to the twins’ unbreakable bond (hence “fairness”) as they remained together throughout their early lives. From a personal perspective, it is interesting how the author employed the idea of doubleness to explain the connection between two events. When Jing-Mei connects with her half-sisters, for instance, she learns more about her identity and lineage. Thus, the short narrative uses the idea of doubleness to explore identity and duality themes and their relationship with each other.

References

Outón, C. B. (2001). A Wife’s Story and A pair of Tickets: Intercultural Experience in Bharati Mukherjee and Amy Tan. Re-interpretations of English: Essays on Literature, Culture and Film (pp. 51-64).

Outón, C. B. (2007). A Wife’s Story and A pair of Tickets: Family diaspora in Bharati Mukherjee and Amy Tan. Family Reflections: The Contemporary American Family in the Arts (pp. 187-200).

Tan, Amy. (1989). A pair of tickets. In The Joy Luck Club. G P Putnam’s Sons.

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Dualities and Symbolism in ‘A Pair of Tickets’ by Tan

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