An Analysis of the Mother—Daughter Relationship in The JoyLuck Club from the Perspective of Symbolism

【Abstract】The Joy Luck Club， is one of Amy Tans novel published in 1989. By the analysis of mother-daughter relationship from the perspective of symbolism， Tan pay a lot of heed to the collisions， understanding and final integration between Chinese mothers and American-born daughters， which embodies the relationship between Chinese and American culture. Finally， through a happy ending， we can see the authors connotation that China and America can keep a good relation despite the differences in culture and history.

【Key words】The Joy Luck Club； mother-daughter relationship； symbolism

Ⅰ. Introduction

Amy Tan is a distinguished writer in the American Chinese literature. The Joy Luck Club is her first novel published in 1989. In the novel， four mother-daughter pairs are analyzed， including their conflicts and final reconciliation.

Ⅱ. The Conflicts between Mother and Daughter

In The Joy Luck Club， the mother-daughter conflict is the embodiment of the different American and Chinese values. Chinese traditional philosophy approves the obedience to the authority of parents， but in America， individuality and independence come first.

1. The swan

From the start， a woman travels from China to America with a swan. In fact， the swan is just a duck that has ambitions to become a goose， even a swan， which symbolizes a mothers dream for her child. She hopes her daughter will become to be a noble swan but not an ugly duck in the American society. Ironically， when the daughter makes her mothers dream come true eventually， the mother cannot communicate with her own daughter thanks to the different values， and then her original expectation is meaningless and empty.

2. Chess game

Influenced by two different cultures， the mothers and their American-born daughters have inevitably been in a conflictive condition. Waverly has a talent for chess game. However， the game is not merely a hobby but the symbol of control. It presents the Chinese mothers absolute authority to make a decision for her daughter. At the same time， the daughters defy can be seen through the chess playing. For example， when Waverly practices the chess， her mother Lindo always stays besides and cannot help giving suggestions. Originally， Lindo wants to make her daughter excellent in chess by her advice. However， her daughter Waverly thinks differently. She thinks her mother is boasting her own ability and denying her efforts. Thus， there are quarrels， deliberate neglect and conflicts existing between them.endprint

Ⅲ. Understanding and Reconciliation

As time flies， mothers and daughters learn to comprehend each other， and try their best to bridge the gap between them， thus integrate the Chinese tradition and American value.

1. The east seat

Suyuan once tells her daughter， Jing-mei， “the East is where everything begins”. She always sits on the east corner of the mah jong table to show her love and yearning for motherland China. To some extent， the east stands for China since its location， so the east seat of the mah jong table means the support of China and the identification of Chinese culture. After her mothers death， Jing-mei moves into the east seat of the mah jong table. On the one hand， she understands the connotation of the east seat and accepts her mothers tradition. On the other hand， she decides to inherit and continue her mothers culture， and then bridge the gap between American value and Chinese tradition.

2. Jing-meis journey to China

In the end of the novel， Jing-mei travels back to China. On the surface， Jing-meis journey is to help her mother fulfill dream and meet her sisters. In fact， by the journey， she learns the Chinese traditional character and the great maternal love for children. The journey to China can be regarded as the tour of identifying herself and the reconciliation of the two generations. Furthermore， the journey in search of root symbolizes the mother-daughter relationship changes from contradiction into understanding.

Ⅳ. Conclusion

In The Joy Luck Club， it analyzes the mother-daughter relationship from the perspective of symbolism. The symbols of the swan and chess game imply the contradiction and misunderstanding between the mothers and their daughters. The east seat and Jing-meis journey to China symbolize the mutual understanding and reconciliation between the two generations. From the novel， we can learn the authors connotation that America and China can eventually keep a good relation in spite of the differences in culture and value.

References：

[1]Tan Amy，The Joy Luck Club.New York：Ivy Books，1989.

[2]吕程.从《喜福会》看中美文化的冲突[J].怀化学院学报， 2008，（9）.

[3]秦艷艳.《喜福会》中的象征意象[J].聊城大学学报（社会科学版），2008，（2）.

作者简介：刘吉俊（1982-），女，普洱学院外国语学院副教授，文学硕士，研究方向：英语教学、英语语言文学。endprint