Pain and Suffering
Will Smith
Writing Prompt- Parable
Writing Prompt- Mother/Daughter Selection
Writing Prompt- Quotation
Thematic Paragraph
In The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan presents the idea that family will make sacrifices for one another no matter what the repercussions may be. This is demonstrated in The Joy Luck Club when An-Mei's mother cuts a piece of her flesh and puts it in Popo's soup. An Mei's mother does this in order to cure her ill mother. An-Mei's mother suffers "the pain of the flesh," so that she can cure her mother (Tan 48). Although cutting her flesh off is excruciatingly painful, An-Mei's mother does it because Popo is family and family will always make sacrifices for each other. Another example of family making sacrifices for each other is demonstrated when An-Mei's mother becomes the Third Wife of a wealthy man, so that An-Mei can live a life with "no worries, fears, or desires" (227). An-Mei's mother sacrifices her own happiness, so that An-Mei is happy.