The mother-daughter relationship in Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club". The disparities concerning culture, language and values between Jing-mei and Suyuan (PDF)

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2013 im Fachbereich Amerikanistik - Literatur, , Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: The issue of alienation described in the novel "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan constitutes the mother-daughter-relation of Jing-mei and her mother Suyuan. For what reasons do their reciprocal actions of communication often run into difficulties? And to what extent can the two of them be blamed for the troubles in their relationship?

As the difficulties, which constantly damage the mother-daughter-relationship of Jing-mei and Suyuan, derive from external circumstances caused by their disparities in ideals and beliefs, the discrepancy between the two of them is determinate and immutable, not only due to generational divide, but rather for counter-cultural reasons.

This paper will probe the causes of the troubled relation between Suyuan and Jing-mei including the matters of cultural background, language use and system of values, in which Suyuan and Jing-mei differ from each other. I aspire after covering the circumstances in which Suyuan's and Jing-mei's contact happens to be unsuccessful. By reflecting about the mother's and daughter's role in this dissent, I will contemplate whether one can be hold fully accountable for the troubles, whether it is a mutual fault or the fault of none.