Shou
Holland Wiles
Suyuan Woo and Jing-mei "June" Woo
If I were to read another mother daughter pair I would read about the Woos'. I would like to read about this pair because I want to learn how the Joy Luck Club started. This mother daughter pair seemed to show love and sacrifice for one another. This mother daughter pair seemed the most interesting to me.
The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates
My favorite parable is The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates. The lesson of this parable is to always listen to your mother and father. The mother tells her daughter "You can not understand it. That is why you must listen to me" (Tan 87). This parable shows that parents always know what is best for you even though you may disagree with them.
Quotation
During the chapter, Without Wood, Rose realizes that "The power of my words was that strong" (Tan 196). Rose realizes this when she is talking to Ted about the divorce, and how she is not going to move out of their house. This quote stood out to me because I think that the power of words are very strong. You need to stand up for yourself and not be afraid to say how you feel.
Sacrifice
In The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan presents the idea that sacrifice is necessary in a mother-daughter relationship though it is difficult at times. In each one of the stories, both the mothers and daughters show sacrifice for one another. An-Mei is a good example to her daughter when she cuts off a piece of her skin to put in the soup to try to keep her mother alive. An-Mei sacrifices her life for her daughter when she commits suicide. This is a selfless act because she knows that Wu-Tsing is scared of ghosts, therefore her death will create a safe place for Rose in his home. When the poison went into her body, she whispered to Rose that she would "rather kill her own weak spirit" so she could give her "a stronger one" (Tan 240). An-Mei teaches Rose to sacrifice for those who you love.
Mourning
An-Mei Hsu and her mother have to wear all white when they are on their way to Wu- Tsing's home, in mourning.
An-Mei and Rose
This bike represents the parable The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates when the young girl does not obey her parents, and she falls off her bike.
Sapphire Ring
An-Mei throws her mother's sapphire ring into the ocean when she is looking for her son Bing, who drowned.