The Joy Luck Club :: essays research papers

Please refer to the book, â€Å"The Joy Luck Club† by Amy Tan. Turn to page 35(for those with the red cover version by the series editor, Judith Baxter) and refer to the story ‘Scar’. Extract: â€Å" I was sitting at the top of the stairs when she arrived. I knew it was my mother†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦She cried with a wailing voice that was so sad. And then I remembered the dream with my mother’s voice.† (till page 37) Question 1: EXPLAIN CLEARLY WHAT FEELINGS IN THIS PASSAGE AROUSES IN YOU TOWARDS AN-MEI AND HER MOTHER. YOU SHOULD REFER CLOSELY TO THE EXTRACT IN SUPPORT OF YOUR ANSWER. I am saddened by the relationship between An-mei and her mother. â€Å" I knew it was my mother even though I had not seen her in all my memory†, this shows us that, despite being mother and daughter, they did not have the opportunity to establish a close bond. An-mei had no memories of her mother, even though she â€Å"knew it was my mother†. An-mei’s mother is foreign and strange to her as her mother looked â€Å"strange too, like the missionary ladies at our school, who were insolent and bossy in their too-tall shoes, foreign clothes, and short hair†. I am touched by An-mei’s mother’s perseverance and determination to go to her dying mother. An-mei’s aunt â€Å"quickly looked away†, â€Å"did not call her by name† and â€Å"offer her tea†, which is the Chinese traditional way of treating visitors. Even the servant looked down on her as she â€Å"hurried away with a displeased look†. Despite the aunt’s protest, â€Å"Too late, too late†, it â€Å"did not stop my mother†. In spite of the humiliation and disrespect given by the aunt and servant, An-mei’s mother did not leave as she tolerated all this for the sake of Popo, her own mother. I feel sorry for An-mei as her mind has been greatly influenced by her grandmother. She observed her mother and â€Å"saw that she had a long white neck†, â€Å"just like the goose that had laid me† (one of her grandmother’s stories). She knew she â€Å"was the girl whose belly held a colourless winter melon†. â€Å" Popo told me not to speak her name†, thus An-mei â€Å"stood there, mute†, not daring to address her mother. This is pitiful of An-mei as she does not deserve this treatment from her grandmother, making her confused and hesitant towards her mother. I have pity for An-mei as she â€Å"did not look for fear my head would burst and my brains would dribble out of my ears†, scared as she laid in her mother’s arms.