characterization in amy tan

7/30/2019 Characterization in Amy Tan

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Characterization in Amy Tans "The Joy Luck Club"

Length: 505 words (1.4 double-spaced pages)

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Amy Tans novel, The Joy Luck Club uses much characterization. Each character is portrayed in different

yet similar ways. When she was raised, she would do whatever she could to please other people. She

even gave up her life for her parents promise (49), I the story The Red Candle we get to see how Tan

portrays Lindo Jong and how she is brought to life.

Tan likes to show Lindo through indirect characterization. Lindo would always try to make things right.

She would be polite to her new mother in law and when she was with her mother in law she would hold

out a treat and say For you, Mother (53). Even though Huang Taitai was not her real mother, Lindo

would act as though she was, but before Lindo did this she would turn to her mother and ask for

forgivness. This shows that she is a caring girl and she will always try to behave and be nice to every one.

Tan also shows us how brave Lindo is. When it came time for the family to leave for shanghai, it was said

that the whole family except for Lindo would leave (53). Lindo didnt say a word. When the day finnaly

came, no one said goodbye. All that was said was, do not disgrace us

When Lindo arrived, she wasnt given a celebration or anything. She went straight to the kithchen and

started to work. Even though Lindo really missed her family, she knew that she had to stay and keeo her

parents honor. This still shows that she was brave, that she is not a selfish girl. She is determined to

please others. When Lindo saw her husband for the first time she knew that he would try to make things

hard for her.

Lindos husnband, Tyan-yu,was a great conflict for lindo to overcome. He acted like a big warlord(55).

He would make Lindos life horrible by putting her down, and trelling her that her cooking was wrong.

Even though Tyan-yu made her upset, she would deal with it. She would do what ever he had said

withour hesatiating. Eventually she got through that phase. Tyan-yu was not the only one who Lindo had

problems with, there was also Huang Taitai. Huang Taitai would keep Lindo busy with common

household chores. She would always say how can a wife keep household if she has never dirtied her

hands (56). Lindo would get really annoyed at Huang, but just like she di d with Tyan-yu, she just

listened and powered thorugh.


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In conclusion Amy Tan Showed Lindo mostly through indirect characterization. Lindo is shown as a

compassionate, brave girl who would stop at nothing to please others and keep her families honor.

Lindo had many internal conflicts with other people. If someone got on her nerve she would be angry,

but never express it in fornt of anyone. Throughout her story, Tan really brings out Lindos character. Atfirst the reader doesnt see much of her, but by the end she progresses into a whole new person. I think

that Tan also portrayed the other characters such as Tab-yu and Huand Taitai really well, and this

borught other LIndo even more.

The Joy Luck Club Cultural Clashes English Literature Essay

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan surrounds sixteen interweave stories about clashes between Chinese

immigrant mothers and their American-raised daughters. It centers around four Chinese American

refugee families living in San Francisco, California. They start a club known as "the Joy Luck Club." Thecharacters are broad, in the sense that, even though they are from different families, the problems and

emotions that they are experiencing are alike. Their mothers are Chinese immigrants who speak broken

English, while their daughters are all born in the U.S. The barriers that exist between the mothers and

the daughters are mostly due to their lack of ability to communicate with one another.

In the beginning of the novel the narrator quoted from the prologue saying, "This feather may look

worthless, but it comes from afar and carries with it all my good intentions." And she waited, year after

year, for the day she could tell her daughter this in perfect American English (17). She is saying that

there is a language gap among the daughter and mother. In order to get her daughter to appreciate all

of her love and purposes, the mother needs to hang around and converse in her daughters language. Aweek before Suyuan pass away, her and her daughter, Jing-mei was talking about what she is going to

cook for the Joy Luck Club. Jing-mei tells her mother not to show off her mother replies, "Its not

showoff." She said the two soups were almost the same, chabudwo. Or maybe she said butong, not the

same thing at all. It was one of those Chinese expressions that means the better half of mixed intentions.

I can never remember things I didnt understand in the first place (19). Jing-mei does not comprehend

what her mother is talking about. Therefore she cannot remember her mothers intended meanings of

the conversations she has with her mother. There is a noticeable language barrier that may result in

feelings. Suyuan is telling Jing-mei the difference between Jewish mah jong and Chinese mah jong. Jing-

mei becomes puzzle because her mother keeps switching from English to Chinese, These kinds of

explanations made me feel my mother and I spoke two different languages, which we did. I talked to herin English, she answered back in Chinese, (33-34). This is the largest problem here, both Jing-mei and

her mother, Suyuan literally speaking different languages. They just do not understand each other. The

dilemma is cause because of cultural barriers.

The daughters are frequently baffled by the clashes between the American and Chinese language and

culture. Jing-mei seems to lose her heritage more and more, she does not notice it until her reminds her,

But listening to Auntie Lin tonight reminds me once again: My mother and I never really understood


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one another. We translated each others meanings and I seemed to hear less than what was said, while

my mother heard more, (37). After listening to her aunt, Jing-mei finally realizes that her and her

mother did not really comprehend each other. Even though, they translate it to each other it seems like

Jing-mei hears less and less every day. In contrary, her mother hears more and more. Lena St. Clairs

father is asking her what her mother is saying, she was having a hard time thinking of what to tell her

father, I could not tell my father what she had said. He was so sad already with this empty crib in his

mind. How could I tell him she was crazy? So this is what I translated for him: "She says we must all think

very hard about having another baby. She says she hopes this baby is very happy on the other side. And

she thinks we should leave now and go have dinner," (112). Ying-yings English must be really terrible if

she cannot tell that her daughter is being untruthful. Whatever the case may be, Lenas role as an

interpreter between her parents is placing her in an uncomfortable spot. She is somewhat is being

deceitful to both parents in order to protect her familys harmony. In Double Face, Lindo Jong talks

about her daughter Waverly Jong saying, "Its my fault she is this way. I wanted my children to have the

best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character. How could I know these things do

not mix?" (254) She is saying that it is her to blame for daughter, Waverlys behavior and actions now.

Lindo always wants the best for her daughter. Lindo believes Waverlys American-ness is partially her

own burden for giving Waverly such an American name.

Waverly is not pleased because her mother told her she does not look Chinese. Lindo even tells her why

other people would think she is not Chinese, How can she talk to people in China with these words?

Pee-pee, choo-choo train, eat, close light sleep. How can she think she can blend in? Only her skin and

her hair are Chinese. Inside she is all American-made, (253-254). Lindo is saying that language barriers

are the only reasons why nobody in China would ever oversight Waverly for being Chinese. Lindo is

disappointed in Waverly for not being able to speak Chinese correctly. On the contrary, Waverly is fond

to think of herself as Chinese. Waverlys mother, Lindo did not really accept the fact that her Chinese

daughter is about to marry a Caucasian man. Even after Waverly and Rich were married, Lindo wouldstill try to avoid it, My mother had never met Rich. In Fact, every time I brought up his name when I

said, for instance, that Rich and I had gone to the symphony, that Rich had taken my four-year-old

daughter, Shoshana, to the zoomy mother found a way to change the subject, (167). Waverly knows

that her mother is avoiding meeting Rich, or even talking about him. Lindo wants to steer clear of the

fact that her newly son-in-law is not a Chinese man but a Caucasian man. Lindo was in painful denial

seeing the evidence of Rich all over the house. Lindo talks about the rumors spreading around about

how she met her husband. She tells Waverly that those rumors are not true; she also questions Waverly

saying, Why are you attracted only to Chinese nonsense? (259) Lindo explains that Waverly should

understand her real circumstances. She clarify that after she married him she lost her Chinese face. This

is why Waverly is like this today, yet again she blames herself.

Throughout The Joy Luck Club, the different narrators ponder on their incapability to interpret the ideas

and emotions from one culture to another. Furthermore, the barriers that lives sandwiched between the

mothers and the daughters are mostly due to their lack of ability to communicate with one another.

Jing-mei learns in the end that part of her is Chinese. It is so obvious what it is, her family and it is in her

own blood.


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characterization in amy tan

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