Foreigner
Focusing on: Double Face
When I read that Lindo, a Chinese citizen, was considered a foreigner when she went back to her home country, I found it really shocking and unfair. I knew that it was likely for a Chinese-American to be categorized as a foreigner, but I never imagined that it would be possible for a person who was born in China and had lived there, like Lindo, to be mistaken as an outsider. I was somewhat able to connect with her, in that I was also considered a foreigner when I visited Korea. Of course my circumstance was totally different, being that I had always been an American citizen, but just like Lindo, all the Korean citizens that I met were able to tell that I was foreigner just by looking at my face. I wasn't expecting to be mistaken as, or considered a Korean citizen, but I just found it amazing that people could just look at someone and tell if they were a citizen or not. One quote that really put things into perspective was when Lindo quoted, " I wanted my children to have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character. How could I know these two things do not mix?" In contrast to the Korean-Americans that I had known, all the people who had come from Korea acted differently, despite the fact that they went to the same school and church. As time passed, these same exact people began to slowly change the way they talked, dressed, and even acted. I realized, that just like Lindo, that it was impossible for someone to have a combination of both an American lifestyle and, in this case, a Korean character. It was either one or the other, black or white...Apart from my reactions, I have a question about a quote that I read on page 305. When Lindo says, "I will ask my daughter what she thinks," what exactly is she trying to say?
One adjective to describe the relationship between Waverly and Lindo is " reflective ". The quote "I gave my daughter these faults. The same eyes, the same cheeks, the same cheeks. Her character, it came from my circumstances," described them as not only looking like each other but also having the same character, which happened to be both Chinese and apparently, Americanized. Going back to the title of this chapter, I believe that "Double Face" directly refers to Lindo and Waverly having identical faces, or in other words "identities."
One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was imagery. An example of this was shown on page 291 when she wrote, " But my daughter's eyes and her smile became very narrow, the way a cat pulls itself small just before it bites." Through Tan's choice to use imagery in this scene, I was able to easily imagine Waverly's facial expression and the connotation, feeling behind her "smile." Her use of imagery also helped me relate to the text, or what she was trying to say easily, through simply connecting everyday images and objects to emotions and intangible ideas.
I believe that this chapter relates to the allegory in that the grandmother is used to symbolize Lindo and the granddaughter is used to symbolize Waverly.Just like the grandmother, Lindo was once "so free and innocent" but now, in her old age, wants to teach her daughter to "shed her innocence so she [will] not be hurt as well," or in other words, to have American circumstances but a Chinese character. Also, when the grandmother says, " 'If I recognize evil in other people, is it not because I have become evil too? If I see someone has a suspicious nose, have I not smelled the same bad things?' " it reminded me of Lindo's realization of how she was able to see the American in Waverly because she too had become Americanized. Another aspect of the allegory that connected to the allegory was when the grandmother said " '...now come back and give me the answer!Good good, I am listening...' " to Lindo's words of " So now I think, What did I lose? What did I get back in return? I will ask my daughter what she thinks." In both of these scenes, the elders, or in other words the grandmother and Lindo, ended up coming back to the younger generation, in this case the granddaughter and Waverly , for the answer to their questions.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Waiting Between the Trees
Tiger Lady
Focusing on: Waiting Between the Trees
This chapter gave me a much different view of Ying-Ying compared to how she was portrayed in the Moon Lady chapter. Despite the fact that both chapters described her as a innocent, playful child, in this chapter, she was also shown to have the ability to "[know] a thing before it [happened]."Her gift was not limitless however, for though she knew what would happen, she was unable to stop it...One scene that made me want to gag was the scene in which Ying-Ying's first husband told her to "cut the watermelon." I felt sorry for Ying-Ying who had to both marry, and watch this perverted jerk leave her for another woman. On the other hand, Ying-Ying's relationship with Mister St.Clair caused me to have a totally different reaction. When the book described that he was "anxious and eager" whenever he gave her cheap gifts, I found it really cute, despite his ignorance of Ying-Ying's childhood riches. I also found it really sweet when it was said that he "rubbed [her] feet," "praised the food that [Ying-Ying] cooked," and basically treated her like a queen...One scene that made me depressed was when Ying-Ying gave up her chi and let St.Clair marry her. Though I had nothing against Mister St.Clair, I felt that Ying-Ying had more potential and power.
One adjective to describe the relationship between Ying-Ying and Lena is "unseen." As Ying-Ying said herself, "her eyes will see nothing...where I am waiting between the trees." Though she uses symbolic language, what Ying-Ying is trying to say is pretty clear. She is basically expressing the fact that Lena cannot see her because she has no chi, or in other words, spirit, a will to fight back and challenge her circumstances. Another reason why Lena is unable to "see" her mother is because she has become too Americanized. As described in the scene when Lena offers her mother the "guestroom" instead of the master bedroom, Ying-Ying is described as being disappointed and saddened that Lena's " wisdom is like a bottomless pond.[Someone may] throw stones in [but] they sink into the darkness and dissolve." Lena's wisdom can be expressed to mean her overall wisdom or her knowledge of the Chinese culture. Ying-Ying is "unseen" to Lena in that she had once lost given up her defense, become a "ghost", and also because Lena is oblivious to her Chinese background, which is what makes up Ying-Ying's identity.
One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was metaphor. An example of this was shown on page 285 in which Tan wrote, "Now I was a tiger that neither pounced nor lay waiting between the trees." Even though she had not used this direct comparision in the beginning of the story, she turned the phrase "I was born in the year of the tiger," into Ying-Ying literally becoming a tiger. Tan's use of metaphor helped create more emotion, more specifically sorrow. Instead of simplying saying that Ying-Ying had lost her chi, she said that a tiger, Ying-Ying, had "let [herself] become a wounded animal. [She] let the hunter come and turn [her] into a tiger ghost." The image of a tiger becoming pale and ill created more sadness in my heart, in that it was easier for me to imagine a tiger losing its strength then a woman losing hers strength. I believe that her choice of portraying Ying-Ying as a tiger was very useful in that both were extremely powerful, fearless, but had become vulnerable and weak because of the "hunters," or the unbearable difficulties in life.
One thing that I learned about Chinese culture, that was mentioned in previous chapters was that "quality" was the most important factor to the Chinese people. When Lena proudly escorted her mother to the guestroom, Ying-Ying was displeased because her thoughts were not the same as those of her Americanized daughter. She thought differently from her daughter in that she believed that "the guest bedroom [was] the best bedroom," the master bedroom. Their contrasting views showed how this aspect was a part of the Chinese custom.
Focusing on: Waiting Between the Trees
This chapter gave me a much different view of Ying-Ying compared to how she was portrayed in the Moon Lady chapter. Despite the fact that both chapters described her as a innocent, playful child, in this chapter, she was also shown to have the ability to "[know] a thing before it [happened]."Her gift was not limitless however, for though she knew what would happen, she was unable to stop it...One scene that made me want to gag was the scene in which Ying-Ying's first husband told her to "cut the watermelon." I felt sorry for Ying-Ying who had to both marry, and watch this perverted jerk leave her for another woman. On the other hand, Ying-Ying's relationship with Mister St.Clair caused me to have a totally different reaction. When the book described that he was "anxious and eager" whenever he gave her cheap gifts, I found it really cute, despite his ignorance of Ying-Ying's childhood riches. I also found it really sweet when it was said that he "rubbed [her] feet," "praised the food that [Ying-Ying] cooked," and basically treated her like a queen...One scene that made me depressed was when Ying-Ying gave up her chi and let St.Clair marry her. Though I had nothing against Mister St.Clair, I felt that Ying-Ying had more potential and power.
One adjective to describe the relationship between Ying-Ying and Lena is "unseen." As Ying-Ying said herself, "her eyes will see nothing...where I am waiting between the trees." Though she uses symbolic language, what Ying-Ying is trying to say is pretty clear. She is basically expressing the fact that Lena cannot see her because she has no chi, or in other words, spirit, a will to fight back and challenge her circumstances. Another reason why Lena is unable to "see" her mother is because she has become too Americanized. As described in the scene when Lena offers her mother the "guestroom" instead of the master bedroom, Ying-Ying is described as being disappointed and saddened that Lena's " wisdom is like a bottomless pond.[Someone may] throw stones in [but] they sink into the darkness and dissolve." Lena's wisdom can be expressed to mean her overall wisdom or her knowledge of the Chinese culture. Ying-Ying is "unseen" to Lena in that she had once lost given up her defense, become a "ghost", and also because Lena is oblivious to her Chinese background, which is what makes up Ying-Ying's identity.
One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was metaphor. An example of this was shown on page 285 in which Tan wrote, "Now I was a tiger that neither pounced nor lay waiting between the trees." Even though she had not used this direct comparision in the beginning of the story, she turned the phrase "I was born in the year of the tiger," into Ying-Ying literally becoming a tiger. Tan's use of metaphor helped create more emotion, more specifically sorrow. Instead of simplying saying that Ying-Ying had lost her chi, she said that a tiger, Ying-Ying, had "let [herself] become a wounded animal. [She] let the hunter come and turn [her] into a tiger ghost." The image of a tiger becoming pale and ill created more sadness in my heart, in that it was easier for me to imagine a tiger losing its strength then a woman losing hers strength. I believe that her choice of portraying Ying-Ying as a tiger was very useful in that both were extremely powerful, fearless, but had become vulnerable and weak because of the "hunters," or the unbearable difficulties in life.
One thing that I learned about Chinese culture, that was mentioned in previous chapters was that "quality" was the most important factor to the Chinese people. When Lena proudly escorted her mother to the guestroom, Ying-Ying was displeased because her thoughts were not the same as those of her Americanized daughter. She thought differently from her daughter in that she believed that "the guest bedroom [was] the best bedroom," the master bedroom. Their contrasting views showed how this aspect was a part of the Chinese custom.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Magpies
Swallow Your Sorrow
Focusing on: Magpies
My initial reaction to this chapter was sorrow and depression. I felt like the weeping turtles in the pond, looking up with An- mei and her mother, at a world where "tears [did] not wash away... sorrows, [but] [fed] someone else's joy." One character that really drove me to the edge was Second Wife. Her greediness and cleverness was used to devise a horrible conspiracy against An-mei's mother. Second wife's genuine acting skills and fake kindness dragged An-mei's mother into a life of dishonor and inescapable sorrow. Her evil plots did not end there, however, for Second Wife also faked multiple suicides, slyly encouraged First Wife to intake more opium, threatened Third Wife, and advised Fifth Wife to be foolishly pompous, simply to get what she wanted. She even took An-mei's brother, Syaudi, away from her mother and claimed him as her own, making An-mei's mother's life unbearable. Even if it meant destroying other peoples' lives and dignity, Second Wife made sure that she ensured herself a life of prosperity. A scene in which I became really disappointed was when An- mei was ignorant towards her mother's intentions, and was foolishly embracing the fake pearl necklace that Second Wife gave her. I couldn't believe that she betrayed her mother over a stranger's fake act of kindness. I felt that her mother had gone through so much to lose her daughter over to a woman who had made her life a living nightmare. One paragraph that gave me feel victorious was "And on that day, I showed Second Wife the fake pearl necklace she had given me and crushed it under my foot. And on that day, Second Wife's hair began to turn white. And on that day, I learned how to shout" (272). This phrase was said by An-mei, in response to her mother's well-planned and somber suicide. I felt refreshed in the sense that An-mei's mother was able to "kill her own weak spirit so she could give [her daughter] a stronger one." I also felt grieved because of the fact that the only solution, way to make her daughter's life better was by killing herself. In the end, I was left feeling more victorious than saddened because her death had caused the beginning of Second Wife's miserably slow death.
One adjective to describe the relationship between An-mei and her mother is "sacrificing." This adjective relates more to An-mei's mother, in that she literally gave up her spirit to "give [An-mei] a stronger one." An-mei, however, also "sacrificed herself" in the sense that she chose to follow her mother, even though she knew that she would not be able to " keep [her] head lifted."
One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was simile. An example of this was shown on page 258 in which she wrote, " So behind the motorcar came a dozen or so rickshaws, bouncing up and down like crickets following a large shiny beetle." Tan's use of simile, in this scene, helped describe the motion of the rickshaws and car more precisely to the readers and also animated the scene, which made the scene more interesting to read about.
I believe that the theme of this chapter is that in times of agony and sorrow do not cry and feel pity for yourself, but instead, stand up and fight against your oppressions Letting out your sorrow through tears can only "feed someone else's joy." This theme was shown in An-mei's mother's story when she killed herself in order to make Second Wife's life miserable. Instead of feeling sorry for herself and letting Second Wife " drink her tears" she fought back and was able to become the eternal victor. This theme was also shown in the last passage as well, which described the story of hopeless farmers, and the evil birds who greedily ruined their crops. Just like An-mei's mother, these farmers did not sit and watch, but instead, persistently fought against these birds. In the end, they were able to kill off every single bird and were able to overcome their sorrow.
Focusing on: Magpies
My initial reaction to this chapter was sorrow and depression. I felt like the weeping turtles in the pond, looking up with An- mei and her mother, at a world where "tears [did] not wash away... sorrows, [but] [fed] someone else's joy." One character that really drove me to the edge was Second Wife. Her greediness and cleverness was used to devise a horrible conspiracy against An-mei's mother. Second wife's genuine acting skills and fake kindness dragged An-mei's mother into a life of dishonor and inescapable sorrow. Her evil plots did not end there, however, for Second Wife also faked multiple suicides, slyly encouraged First Wife to intake more opium, threatened Third Wife, and advised Fifth Wife to be foolishly pompous, simply to get what she wanted. She even took An-mei's brother, Syaudi, away from her mother and claimed him as her own, making An-mei's mother's life unbearable. Even if it meant destroying other peoples' lives and dignity, Second Wife made sure that she ensured herself a life of prosperity. A scene in which I became really disappointed was when An- mei was ignorant towards her mother's intentions, and was foolishly embracing the fake pearl necklace that Second Wife gave her. I couldn't believe that she betrayed her mother over a stranger's fake act of kindness. I felt that her mother had gone through so much to lose her daughter over to a woman who had made her life a living nightmare. One paragraph that gave me feel victorious was "And on that day, I showed Second Wife the fake pearl necklace she had given me and crushed it under my foot. And on that day, Second Wife's hair began to turn white. And on that day, I learned how to shout" (272). This phrase was said by An-mei, in response to her mother's well-planned and somber suicide. I felt refreshed in the sense that An-mei's mother was able to "kill her own weak spirit so she could give [her daughter] a stronger one." I also felt grieved because of the fact that the only solution, way to make her daughter's life better was by killing herself. In the end, I was left feeling more victorious than saddened because her death had caused the beginning of Second Wife's miserably slow death.
One adjective to describe the relationship between An-mei and her mother is "sacrificing." This adjective relates more to An-mei's mother, in that she literally gave up her spirit to "give [An-mei] a stronger one." An-mei, however, also "sacrificed herself" in the sense that she chose to follow her mother, even though she knew that she would not be able to " keep [her] head lifted."
One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was simile. An example of this was shown on page 258 in which she wrote, " So behind the motorcar came a dozen or so rickshaws, bouncing up and down like crickets following a large shiny beetle." Tan's use of simile, in this scene, helped describe the motion of the rickshaws and car more precisely to the readers and also animated the scene, which made the scene more interesting to read about.
I believe that the theme of this chapter is that in times of agony and sorrow do not cry and feel pity for yourself, but instead, stand up and fight against your oppressions Letting out your sorrow through tears can only "feed someone else's joy." This theme was shown in An-mei's mother's story when she killed herself in order to make Second Wife's life miserable. Instead of feeling sorry for herself and letting Second Wife " drink her tears" she fought back and was able to become the eternal victor. This theme was also shown in the last passage as well, which described the story of hopeless farmers, and the evil birds who greedily ruined their crops. Just like An-mei's mother, these farmers did not sit and watch, but instead, persistently fought against these birds. In the end, they were able to kill off every single bird and were able to overcome their sorrow.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Best Quality
Her Jade
Focusing on: Best Quality
This chapter was filled with funny and meaningful memories that June had of her deceased mother, which made me feel both heartsick and slightly lighthearted. The scene in which June's mother says satisfyingly, " ' I not from Fukien,' " in response to her neighbor calling her the, "worst Fukien landlady," was hilarious yet saddening because though her ignorance was able to make me laugh, I realized that her fiery and confident spirit was gone forever. I was able to sympathize with June's sorrow through scenes that like this. One scene that really made me want to curse was the scene in which Waverly chose the crabs with the "best quality" for Shoshana, Rich, and herself. I felt that she was being extremely selfish, despite the fact that this was something everyone else would have probably done if they had, had the chance. Waverly's irritating actions continued on and on, until I burst into anger. When she said, " 'the firm decided it was unacceptable,' " in response to June's questioning of her late payment, I wanted to punch her egotistical mouth. I believed that Waverly had gone too far, even if she was simply trying to win her word "battle" against June. Another scene that caused me to explode was when June's mother "supported" Waverly's cruel comments by saying, " ' June not sophisticate like you. Must be born this way,' " when she was at the dinner table, and said contrastingly "Why you listen to her? Why you want to follow behind her, chasing her words?" when she and June were alone. When I read this I wondered, "Why couldn't she stand up for her in front of Waverly and say this at the dinner table?" One question that I have about one part in this chapter is, what is the special meaning behind the young jade turning dark green? What is this change supposed to symbolize?
One adjective to describe the relationship between June and her mother is "reflective." I chose this adjective because of the scene in which June realized why her the neighbors and the cat that had continuously been a burden to her mom. She began to see, hear, and understand her mother, and thus became in a sense a "blurry" reflection of her. Also, just like how her mom fought with Waverly's mom, June fights with Waverly often, showing a more distinct resemblance between the two.
One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was flashback. Her choice to go back and forth from the time June's mom was alive, and when she was dead helped improve the story in that the things that her mother had said in the past, helped explain the events that June went through in the present. For example, there wouldn't have been any meaning, message behind June's anger towards the neighbor's cat if it hadn't been explained that her mother had also hated that cat; Tan smoothly inserted this fact through her use of flashback, which enabled her to add more meaning and understanding to particular events in this chapter.
One thing that I learned about Chinese culture was that most people owned a jade necklace; a jade necklace that had different carvings, shapes, and colors that held varied, sometimes individual meanings. I also learned that these necklaces were passed down from their mothers, and in this case, turned darker as they aged.
Focusing on: Best Quality
This chapter was filled with funny and meaningful memories that June had of her deceased mother, which made me feel both heartsick and slightly lighthearted. The scene in which June's mother says satisfyingly, " ' I not from Fukien,' " in response to her neighbor calling her the, "worst Fukien landlady," was hilarious yet saddening because though her ignorance was able to make me laugh, I realized that her fiery and confident spirit was gone forever. I was able to sympathize with June's sorrow through scenes that like this. One scene that really made me want to curse was the scene in which Waverly chose the crabs with the "best quality" for Shoshana, Rich, and herself. I felt that she was being extremely selfish, despite the fact that this was something everyone else would have probably done if they had, had the chance. Waverly's irritating actions continued on and on, until I burst into anger. When she said, " 'the firm decided it was unacceptable,' " in response to June's questioning of her late payment, I wanted to punch her egotistical mouth. I believed that Waverly had gone too far, even if she was simply trying to win her word "battle" against June. Another scene that caused me to explode was when June's mother "supported" Waverly's cruel comments by saying, " ' June not sophisticate like you. Must be born this way,' " when she was at the dinner table, and said contrastingly "Why you listen to her? Why you want to follow behind her, chasing her words?" when she and June were alone. When I read this I wondered, "Why couldn't she stand up for her in front of Waverly and say this at the dinner table?" One question that I have about one part in this chapter is, what is the special meaning behind the young jade turning dark green? What is this change supposed to symbolize?
One adjective to describe the relationship between June and her mother is "reflective." I chose this adjective because of the scene in which June realized why her the neighbors and the cat that had continuously been a burden to her mom. She began to see, hear, and understand her mother, and thus became in a sense a "blurry" reflection of her. Also, just like how her mom fought with Waverly's mom, June fights with Waverly often, showing a more distinct resemblance between the two.
One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was flashback. Her choice to go back and forth from the time June's mom was alive, and when she was dead helped improve the story in that the things that her mother had said in the past, helped explain the events that June went through in the present. For example, there wouldn't have been any meaning, message behind June's anger towards the neighbor's cat if it hadn't been explained that her mother had also hated that cat; Tan smoothly inserted this fact through her use of flashback, which enabled her to add more meaning and understanding to particular events in this chapter.
One thing that I learned about Chinese culture was that most people owned a jade necklace; a jade necklace that had different carvings, shapes, and colors that held varied, sometimes individual meanings. I also learned that these necklaces were passed down from their mothers, and in this case, turned darker as they aged.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Without Wood
Focusing on: Without Wood
Wild
The meaning behind the term "without wood" really got to me, in that I was just like Rose, who sometimes didn't have a "spine," and was a pushover. In this chapter, Rose is doubtful and lost about what to do about her divorce with Ted. She goes from person to person asking for advice, and comes to the conclusion that there are just "too many options" to choose from. When I read about Rose I felt frustrated, but was also able to totally connect with her shortcomings. As in the words of Ted, " '[ Rose] can never make up [her] mind about anything. "Apart from negativities, I also got kind of a warmth from this chapter. When An-mei, Rose's mom, said, " ' you only have to listen to me,' " I felt assurance from her words of wisdom. Though some may question, what is so lovely about a mother ordering her child to follow her commands, I believe that since a mother knows what's best for their child, they will try their best to nurture and help
them grow "strong and straight."
One adjective to describe the relationship between Rose and An-mei is " support ". I chose this adjective because An-mei told Rose to "stand tall and listen to [her]..."giving her wise advice. One scene that showed this was when An-mei was calling Rose and checking up on her. She knew that her daughter was having a difficult time, and so she told her to "stand up for herself." An-mei's fufillment of her words, continuous concern and advice for her, showed that she was a dependable support, mentor to Rose.
One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was symbolism. Tan applied symbolism when she described Rose as a garden, more specifically, as the weeds in the wild garden.Instead of simply saying something like, "my relationship with Ted caused me to become a disaster," she wrote, " ...the daisies had been crushed down by their own weight...the whole thing had grown wild from months of neglect," to express the seriousness of Rose's condition. Though she had been neglected for a long time, she was able to finally become free of a life of tending another person's needs, and thus was able to become "wild." This comparison was further shown when Rose said, " 'you can't just pull me out of your life and throw me away.' " By using words like "pull" and "throw away" Tan was able to emphasize Ted's cruelness, and make me pity Rose more, knowing that she was like a useless, ugly "weed" to him. This comparison was also directly stated when An-mei said, " 'And then you will be like a weed, growing wild in any direction, running along the ground until someone pulls you out and throws you away."
I believe that the theme of this chapter is "don't listen to what other people tell you, find out for yourself, and be free." In the beginning of this vignette, and way before this chapter, Rose was always being pushed around by Ted's loud, overwhelming thoughts, and was unable to really listen to her own thoughts and opinions. It was only after years of neglect, once her relationship was coming to an end, that she realized that she could make a choice, even if it were to be the last choice she would ever make concerning him. After her mother's painful questioning of " 'why don't you speak up for youself,' " and a time of reflection, Rose was able to boldly tell Ted, " ' you can't just pull me out of your life and throw me away,' "releasing all the anger that she had been storing up during her marriage.
Wild
The meaning behind the term "without wood" really got to me, in that I was just like Rose, who sometimes didn't have a "spine," and was a pushover. In this chapter, Rose is doubtful and lost about what to do about her divorce with Ted. She goes from person to person asking for advice, and comes to the conclusion that there are just "too many options" to choose from. When I read about Rose I felt frustrated, but was also able to totally connect with her shortcomings. As in the words of Ted, " '[ Rose] can never make up [her] mind about anything. "Apart from negativities, I also got kind of a warmth from this chapter. When An-mei, Rose's mom, said, " ' you only have to listen to me,' " I felt assurance from her words of wisdom. Though some may question, what is so lovely about a mother ordering her child to follow her commands, I believe that since a mother knows what's best for their child, they will try their best to nurture and help
them grow "strong and straight."
One adjective to describe the relationship between Rose and An-mei is " support ". I chose this adjective because An-mei told Rose to "stand tall and listen to [her]..."giving her wise advice. One scene that showed this was when An-mei was calling Rose and checking up on her. She knew that her daughter was having a difficult time, and so she told her to "stand up for herself." An-mei's fufillment of her words, continuous concern and advice for her, showed that she was a dependable support, mentor to Rose.
One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was symbolism. Tan applied symbolism when she described Rose as a garden, more specifically, as the weeds in the wild garden.Instead of simply saying something like, "my relationship with Ted caused me to become a disaster," she wrote, " ...the daisies had been crushed down by their own weight...the whole thing had grown wild from months of neglect," to express the seriousness of Rose's condition. Though she had been neglected for a long time, she was able to finally become free of a life of tending another person's needs, and thus was able to become "wild." This comparison was further shown when Rose said, " 'you can't just pull me out of your life and throw me away.' " By using words like "pull" and "throw away" Tan was able to emphasize Ted's cruelness, and make me pity Rose more, knowing that she was like a useless, ugly "weed" to him. This comparison was also directly stated when An-mei said, " 'And then you will be like a weed, growing wild in any direction, running along the ground until someone pulls you out and throws you away."
I believe that the theme of this chapter is "don't listen to what other people tell you, find out for yourself, and be free." In the beginning of this vignette, and way before this chapter, Rose was always being pushed around by Ted's loud, overwhelming thoughts, and was unable to really listen to her own thoughts and opinions. It was only after years of neglect, once her relationship was coming to an end, that she realized that she could make a choice, even if it were to be the last choice she would ever make concerning him. After her mother's painful questioning of " 'why don't you speak up for youself,' " and a time of reflection, Rose was able to boldly tell Ted, " ' you can't just pull me out of your life and throw me away,' "releasing all the anger that she had been storing up during her marriage.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Four Directions
Focusing on: Four Directions
The Truth
I was entertained and sometimes bewildered by Lindo Jong's strong and sharp remarks. Despite her harshness, I was somehow able to completely understand why she said such things and what she was trying to say. Her words were real, the truth. This was especially emphasized in the scene in which Lindo was complaining out loud in the restaurant. Though some may think she was absolutely crazy, she was actually just stating harsh facts out loud. She was exposing the truth, blurting out statements that totally made sense, even if it was in an unusual and rude way. I believe that this chapter expressed the fact that "the truth hurts." Another major reaction that I had towards this chapter was annoyance. I felt this way not only towards this chapter, but towards every chapter that dealt with the adult lives of the second generation daughters. In contrast to their mothers' strong-bound marriages, their marriages seemed careless, weak, and powered by emotions, money, etc. For example, while Lindo was in a life or death situation when she ran away from her tragic arranged marriage with Tyan-yu, her daughter, Waverly was in the process of doubting her second marriage, because she started seeing flaws in Rich. Divorces seemed to be a normal, reasonable way to settle problems for the daughters, while it was an unimaginable, unheard of solution to the mothers... One scene that really made me laugh was when Waverly describes her mother as being, "an old woman, a wok for her armor, a knitting needle for her sword, getting a little crabby as she waited patiently for her daughter to invite her in." My view of Lindo became slightly deformed after I read this, because it made me imagine her as being defenseless,cute in comparison to hot headed, thin.
One adjective to describe the relationship between Waverly and Shoshana is "invinsible". Even though Waverly was determined to get an abortion, she was unable to when see learned that premature babies had translucent fingers that were "clinging for life, grasping for a chance." Despite her boredom and hates toward her first husband, Marvin, Waverly was able to love and adore Shosana unconditionally because her feelings, "for [Shoshana] were inviolable."
One writing technique that Amy Tan uses in this chapter is hyperbole. An example of this is shown on p.197, when she says, "And he proceeded to pour a riverful of the salty black stuff on the platter..." Her use of hyperbole exagerrated the fact that he poured a lot of soy sauce on his plate. She also used hyperbole to emphasize the importance of this scene, which expressed that telling a proud Chinese woman that her cooking was missing something, was an unseen and horrifying thing to do.
One thing that I learned about the Chinese culture in this chapter is that it is polite to pretend that you are lacking something, and that as the second person, you have to compliment that person and pretend that what that person is saying about themself is wrong. An example of this was shown in the scene in which Rich came over to Lindo's house and said, " 'You know, all it needs is a little soy sauce,' " in response to her Chinese humbleness-filled comments of, " 'Ai! This dish not salty enough, no flavor.' " Rich was the only one who did not know what he had done wrong, suggesting that this kind of process was common only in the Chinese culture.
The Truth
I was entertained and sometimes bewildered by Lindo Jong's strong and sharp remarks. Despite her harshness, I was somehow able to completely understand why she said such things and what she was trying to say. Her words were real, the truth. This was especially emphasized in the scene in which Lindo was complaining out loud in the restaurant. Though some may think she was absolutely crazy, she was actually just stating harsh facts out loud. She was exposing the truth, blurting out statements that totally made sense, even if it was in an unusual and rude way. I believe that this chapter expressed the fact that "the truth hurts." Another major reaction that I had towards this chapter was annoyance. I felt this way not only towards this chapter, but towards every chapter that dealt with the adult lives of the second generation daughters. In contrast to their mothers' strong-bound marriages, their marriages seemed careless, weak, and powered by emotions, money, etc. For example, while Lindo was in a life or death situation when she ran away from her tragic arranged marriage with Tyan-yu, her daughter, Waverly was in the process of doubting her second marriage, because she started seeing flaws in Rich. Divorces seemed to be a normal, reasonable way to settle problems for the daughters, while it was an unimaginable, unheard of solution to the mothers... One scene that really made me laugh was when Waverly describes her mother as being, "an old woman, a wok for her armor, a knitting needle for her sword, getting a little crabby as she waited patiently for her daughter to invite her in." My view of Lindo became slightly deformed after I read this, because it made me imagine her as being defenseless,cute in comparison to hot headed, thin.
One adjective to describe the relationship between Waverly and Shoshana is "invinsible". Even though Waverly was determined to get an abortion, she was unable to when see learned that premature babies had translucent fingers that were "clinging for life, grasping for a chance." Despite her boredom and hates toward her first husband, Marvin, Waverly was able to love and adore Shosana unconditionally because her feelings, "for [Shoshana] were inviolable."
One writing technique that Amy Tan uses in this chapter is hyperbole. An example of this is shown on p.197, when she says, "And he proceeded to pour a riverful of the salty black stuff on the platter..." Her use of hyperbole exagerrated the fact that he poured a lot of soy sauce on his plate. She also used hyperbole to emphasize the importance of this scene, which expressed that telling a proud Chinese woman that her cooking was missing something, was an unseen and horrifying thing to do.
One thing that I learned about the Chinese culture in this chapter is that it is polite to pretend that you are lacking something, and that as the second person, you have to compliment that person and pretend that what that person is saying about themself is wrong. An example of this was shown in the scene in which Rich came over to Lindo's house and said, " 'You know, all it needs is a little soy sauce,' " in response to her Chinese humbleness-filled comments of, " 'Ai! This dish not salty enough, no flavor.' " Rich was the only one who did not know what he had done wrong, suggesting that this kind of process was common only in the Chinese culture.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Rice Husband
Why don't you stop it?
Focusing on : Rice Husband
Through reading about Lena's eating disorder, I was able to learn a little bit more about the thoughts of people who have eating disorders. On page 167, when Lena says, " And I remember wondering why it was that eating something good could make me feel so terrible, while vomiting something terrible could make me feel so good," I became confused and also wondered why she thought this way. I came to realize that the way an anorexic person ate was not the only thing that differed them from other people, but that the way they thought about things was much more complex-especially about food. They believed that eating food that tastes good is terrible, while throwing up that "terrible food" is good. Someone like me, who has nothing against strawberry ice cream, would never truly be unable to understand their complicated, analytical thoughts. One other scene that made me react was the scene in which Lena said that after " six months of dinners, five months of post-pardinal love-making, and one week of timid and silly love confession," they got married, I felt frustrated towards the fact that society seemed to support sex before marriage. The message that I seemed to get out of this passage was, "As long as you don't get pregnant before you're married, you can have sex."
One phrase that describes the relationship between Harold and Lena is "mutual understanding, " or in other words, run on the basis that both people are equals and are in the relationship on mutual terms not emotional. Though Harold may say things like, "Well, I know our marriage is based on a lot more than a balance sheet.A lot more, " I believe that the truth is that their relationship is in fact based on only a little more than a balance sheet. For example, in the scene in which Lena says, "I love you," to Harold he merely answers, "I love you too. Did you lock the door?" thinking only about work, giving a thoughtless reply. Also, as Lena mentions herself she says, "..how fair Harold is to everybody except me...so really, we're equals, except that Harold makes about seven time more than what I make. He knows this too..." supporting the fact that Harold may say one thing but really mean another thing, sometimes without even thinking. I came to the conclusion that their relationship was a "mutual understanding," through scenes like these and also because almost every single page of their story mentioned money, not love.
One writing technique that Amy Tan uses in this chapter is foreshadow. An example of this is shown on page 168, where it reads, "I didn't get Arnold. I got Harold." Knowing that Arnold is a not so clear-skinned, burden to Lena, readers get a sense that Harold is worse than Arnold, a person who Lena probably hates to death. Her use of foreshadow helps improve the story in that it makes readers guess what will happen next, letting readers create "bridges" between different scenes. Tan's use of foreshadow, in the above quote, also helped improve the story in that it revealed the way Lena felt about Harold even before there was any mentioning of Harold. Her input of "I didn't get Arnold. I got Harold," stuck in my head throughout the story and made me look at Harold negatively, making me biased towards everything he said and did.
This chapter connects to allegory in many ways. For example, just like the mother in the allegory, Ying-Ying, sees "bad omens in everything," and tells Lena about a marble end table that seems unbalanced, just like her marriage life. Like Ying-Ying, the mother in the allegory also warns her daughter about a household item, in this case a mirror, and how putting it at the foot of the her bed will make all her "marriage happiness...bounce back and turn the opposite way." Ironically,in both stories, the daughters come to realize that what their mothers are telling them are in fact accurately, strangely true.
Focusing on : Rice Husband
Through reading about Lena's eating disorder, I was able to learn a little bit more about the thoughts of people who have eating disorders. On page 167, when Lena says, " And I remember wondering why it was that eating something good could make me feel so terrible, while vomiting something terrible could make me feel so good," I became confused and also wondered why she thought this way. I came to realize that the way an anorexic person ate was not the only thing that differed them from other people, but that the way they thought about things was much more complex-especially about food. They believed that eating food that tastes good is terrible, while throwing up that "terrible food" is good. Someone like me, who has nothing against strawberry ice cream, would never truly be unable to understand their complicated, analytical thoughts. One other scene that made me react was the scene in which Lena said that after " six months of dinners, five months of post-pardinal love-making, and one week of timid and silly love confession," they got married, I felt frustrated towards the fact that society seemed to support sex before marriage. The message that I seemed to get out of this passage was, "As long as you don't get pregnant before you're married, you can have sex."
One phrase that describes the relationship between Harold and Lena is "mutual understanding, " or in other words, run on the basis that both people are equals and are in the relationship on mutual terms not emotional. Though Harold may say things like, "Well, I know our marriage is based on a lot more than a balance sheet.A lot more, " I believe that the truth is that their relationship is in fact based on only a little more than a balance sheet. For example, in the scene in which Lena says, "I love you," to Harold he merely answers, "I love you too. Did you lock the door?" thinking only about work, giving a thoughtless reply. Also, as Lena mentions herself she says, "..how fair Harold is to everybody except me...so really, we're equals, except that Harold makes about seven time more than what I make. He knows this too..." supporting the fact that Harold may say one thing but really mean another thing, sometimes without even thinking. I came to the conclusion that their relationship was a "mutual understanding," through scenes like these and also because almost every single page of their story mentioned money, not love.
One writing technique that Amy Tan uses in this chapter is foreshadow. An example of this is shown on page 168, where it reads, "I didn't get Arnold. I got Harold." Knowing that Arnold is a not so clear-skinned, burden to Lena, readers get a sense that Harold is worse than Arnold, a person who Lena probably hates to death. Her use of foreshadow helps improve the story in that it makes readers guess what will happen next, letting readers create "bridges" between different scenes. Tan's use of foreshadow, in the above quote, also helped improve the story in that it revealed the way Lena felt about Harold even before there was any mentioning of Harold. Her input of "I didn't get Arnold. I got Harold," stuck in my head throughout the story and made me look at Harold negatively, making me biased towards everything he said and did.
This chapter connects to allegory in many ways. For example, just like the mother in the allegory, Ying-Ying, sees "bad omens in everything," and tells Lena about a marble end table that seems unbalanced, just like her marriage life. Like Ying-Ying, the mother in the allegory also warns her daughter about a household item, in this case a mirror, and how putting it at the foot of the her bed will make all her "marriage happiness...bounce back and turn the opposite way." Ironically,in both stories, the daughters come to realize that what their mothers are telling them are in fact accurately, strangely true.
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