Shou of an Immigrant
Annie Agnew
Queen Mother of the Western Skies
My favorite parable in The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan, was Queen Mother of the Western Skies. I enjoyed this parable because it had the clearest message and really made me wonder about the proper way to live. The grandmother envies the child's innocence and wonders if she should've taught her daughter not to be as cautious of people. It beautifully portrays that everyone should "lose your innocence but not your hope" (Tan 213).
The Jongs
If I had to choose any other family to read about, then I would definitely choose the Jongs. I made this decision because I find Lindo's struggle out of her marriage personally interesting. I would thoroughly enjoy reading about both characters' conflict and their relationship with each other.
What Moved Me
"Now you see,' said the turtle, drifting back into the pond, 'why it is useless to cry. Your tears do not wash away your sorrows. They feed someone else's joy. And that is why you must learn to swallow your own tears."(Tan 217). This is my favorite quote in The Joy Luck Club, because Amy Tan uses a beautiful metaphor to teach the reader that crying doesn't solve anything. It's fascinating to see how this quote leaving it's mark on both An-mei and Rose and how the lesson reflects differently in their situations. An-mei is taught to accept the things she can't control and Rose learns to take take more control over her life instead of swallowing her tears.
Thematic Paragraph
In The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan presents the idea that finding one's own identity is essential for living a happy life. She portrays this idea by showing the readers the struggles that eight different women go through to find themselves. She takes full advantage of the English language in order to show others that it's not easy for one to find their individuality. Even though this is true, An-mei, one of the women, tells her daughter that "you must think for yourself, what you must do. If someone tells you, then you are not trying"(Tan 193).