Culture is Everything in The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Plato said in The Republic, â€Å"The soul takes nothing with her to the next world but her education and her culture.† (Quoted from Plato’s The Republic) Dependence in culture is inevitable for humans – take this away and we are lost (Livesey and Lawson, 2008). Livesey and Lawson (2008) generally defined culture as â€Å"a way of life†. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary culture is â€Å"the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group† (Merriam Webster Dictionary). Several factors affect the formation of one’s culture, Palispis, E. (2007) quoted Sir Edward Tylor, â€Å"Culture†¦ refers to that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as member of society.† (Palispis, E., 2007) In this context culture is something we acquire from the people we have lived with since we were born, it is not something a person can learn overnight nor can be disposed effortlessly. Our country is rich in culture; the occupation of the Spanish, the American, and the Japanese gave the Philippines its diverse and unique culture. This exceptional culture we have in our country has produced numerous brilliant individuals, who up to this day are still well recognized. So it is safe to say that part of the reason why they became who they were is because of their culture; because of our culture. (Ong, 2011) Culture is important in the formation of one’s identity, and there is such aShow MoreRelated Mother and Daughter Relationships in Joy Luck Club and A Hundred Secret Senses1679 Words   |  7 PagesMother and Daughter Relationships in The Joy Luck Club and A Hundred Secret Senses   Ã‚  Ã‚   In life, many things can be taken for granted - especially the things that mean the most to you. You just might not realize it until youve lost it all. As I walk down the road finishing up my teenage days, I slowly have been finding a better understanding of my mother. The kind of bond that mothers and daughters have is beyond hard to describe. Its probably the biggest rollercoaster ride of emotions thatRead MoreAmy Tan Chinese Cultural Identity1615 Words   |  7 Pagesnovel, Amy Tan s parents adopted a pluralistic identity. According to E. D. Huntley: Daisy and John Tan continued to cling to many elements of the culture of their homeland, living essentially insular life and socializing mainly with the members of California s Chinese community, although their ambitions for their children included a certain degree of Americanization. (2) Despite the fact that Amy TanRead More Improving Mother/Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club1216 Words   |  5 PagesImproving Mother/Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club One day everything is going great, in fact things could not be better and then you say something and your friend turns to you and says â€Å"oh my god, you sounded just like your mother†.   That is when you freak out and think to yourself it is true I am turning into my mother.   This is every daughters worst nightmare come true.   When a young girl is growing up her mother always says and does things that the girl vows she will neverRead More The Complexity of Mother and Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club1316 Words   |  6 PagesThe Complexity of Mother and Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club   Ã‚  Ã‚   Since the beginning of time the mother and daughter relationship has been complex.   The book The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan is a great example of the mother and daughter relationship.   In the book Amy Tan writes about four women who migrate to America from China.   All of the women were in search of a better life since the lives they had in China were not what they wanted for themselves.   Even though all of the womenRead MorePlunging The Joy Luck Club by Amt Tan Essay1131 Words   |  5 PagesThe Joy Luck Club (1985) was written by Amy Tan (1952). The Joy Luck Club is the story of a Chinese mother who leaves everything behind, a mother who leaves her family in China in order to get her children (in this case our protagonist June) a better life. Or as Amy Tan says: â€Å"The Joy Luck Club, about a woman whose mother has just died and who regrets that she never knew who she truly was. The stories poured out. They were what I felt and had to say before it was too late. I had found my reason toRead MoreAmy Tan s The Joy Luck Club1097 Words   |  5 PagesCulture defines humanity. Culture makes humans different than any other living organism ever known. Culture is what makes humans unique, and yet culture is easily the most misunderstood characteristic of individuals. In Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan develops the theme of incomplete cultural understanding leads to an inability to communicate one’s true intentions through juxtaposition and conflict between mothers and daughters and their cultures. The conflicting Chinese culture of the mothers’Read MoreAmy Tan Overcoming Faulty Relationships and Self Identity Essay1514 Words   |  7 PagesAmy Tan struggled with many issues caused by her dual cultures, which she expressed thoroughly in her works. Daisy and John Tan were post war immigrants and the parents of Amy Tan (Amy Tan). Tan was given the Chinese name An-Mei, which stands for blessings from America (McCarthy). To them she was the blessing that they had received after their own struggles. Tan’s father came to America after WWII to become a minister (Amy Tan). Even though it seemed like Tan’s life was running smoothly tragedy struckRead More Power of the Mother and Daughter Relationship Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club1482 Words   |  6 PagesPower of the Mother and Daughter Relationship Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club In the novel, The Joy Luck Club, the author, Amy Tan, intricately weaves together the roles and experiences of Chinese mothers with their American born daughters. During a time of war, the mothers flee from China to America, leaving behind a past filled with secrets that unravel as their daughters mature. While sharing their difficulties, these mothers must be able to teach Chinese beliefs and customs to their daughters inRead MoreAmy Tan Talks About The Clash Between Traditional And Contemporary Values1719 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Two Kinds,† Amy Tan talks about the clash between traditional and contemporary values. The Chinese culture wants everything to be a certain way, but Tan grow up in around American culture and she was more likely to have her own thoughts rather than be an obedient daughter. This essay illustrates the procedure of character development of the second-generation Chinese immigrant daughters who experience differences between Chinese culture and Americ an culture, such as language, culture and generationalRead MoreAnalysis Of Amy Tan s The Joy Luck Club1637 Words   |  7 Pagessame time† (Goreski). Amy Tan, an author of numerous novels, understands the battle of relationships, especially between culturally diverse mothers and daughters. In one of Tan’s novels, The Joy Luck Club, she writes to get the point across of how difficult it is for contrasting cultures to communicate with one another, â€Å"...out of an intense concern with the individual artistic choices she was making at every level and at every moment† (Evans 3). The passionate message Tan stresses in the novel