Finding Yourself
Greer Crump
Favorite Parable
My favorite parable is Twenty Six Malignant Gates because of the relatable life lesson it portrays. Growing up it is hard to always follow what people, especially our elders, tell us to do. Many time we get in over our head and all it takes is a slip up, like when the little girl in the story "fell before she even reached the corner" (Tan 87), to help us realize we don't always know everything we think we do.
Mother/Daughter Selection
If I were to read another mother/daughter selection I would pick Ying Ying St. Clair and Lena St. Clair. This story is intriguing because it is about a women who can predict the future of her family and the way she handles this power. The story shows how a women raises her daughter and tells the story of two girls who seem to be lost.
Favorite Quotation
Before being forced into an arranged marriage, Lindo Jong makes a promise to herself and says "[She] would always remember [her] parents wishes, but [she] would never forget [her]self." This quote shows how a young girl does what is expected of her but promises herself that she will never let go of who she is. These few words deliver a powerful message of someone struggling but makes the best of their situation.
Theme
In Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan presents the idea that identity is not an easy thing to discover about oneself but is found through life experiences, good or bad. Before reaching a huge milestone in life, getting married, Lindo Jong asks herself "Will I change in the same way the river changes color but still be the same person?" because she wonders about who she is and who she will become. Everyone wants to find themselves and find an answer to why they were put on this earth. When it comes to finding one's identify, it's not easy. It takes a lifetime of growing, searching, and learning.