Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan: Conflicts

         In Joy Luck Club, it tells the stories of Chinese women and their American-born daughters. All the stories have to do with rough times in the women's childhoods, future marriages, and relationships between the mothers and daughters. Most of the mothers and daughters have bad relationships, because the mothers grew up in China and have different views than Americans, and their daughters. The daughters don't seem to understand their moms, why they want them to be a certain way, or marry a certain person. For example, one of the daughters is Jing-Mei Woo. Her mother always had this strong belief that a person could be or do anything they wanted to. This shouldn't really be a bad thing, but it was with her mother. She wanted Jing-Mei to be famous just like Shirley Temple, so she got a short hair cut and learned to play the piano. Jing-Mei held strong and learned and practiced faithfully, but when she messed up at a recital, her mother started to ignore her. Jing-Mei had a meltdown, screaming at her mother, saying she didn't want to be her daughter, she didn't want to be Shirley Temple. After that fight, Jing-Mei and her mother started talking again, they worked things out. Of course there were still conflicts among them, but at least one was solved.
         The whole book is based upon conflicts like this, and while I feel so bad for these girls, you start to wonder if all the fights are really that bad. The girls always come out on the other side stronger and wiser. They always realize that their mothers had a point. It is really almost a good thing, the conflicts between the mothers and daughters. Another really good example is Rose Hsu Jordan. Her husband divorced her, and he just kind of assumed she would move out, and she would take care of herself. She is a very indecisive and shy person, so she just went along with everything, suffering in silence. When her mother heard about their divorce, she wanted Rose to stick up for herself, not let him rule over her. Rose insisted that her mother new nothing about American culture and relationships. She remained silent, until at the end of the chapter. Rose realized that being silent is what got her in this divorce, and it needed to stop. When her husband asked if she had found a place to live she said, " Yes. Here." She decided to stand up, and not just let go of her house and her money. She listened to her mother's advice, left a fight with more knowledge. It's kind of like how when someone asks you, "If you could go back and change one thing in your life, what would it be?", you always say "Nothing," because you think it's the 'right' answer. But maybe it really is the right answer. Maybe you'll always leave a situation with more understanding and wisdom.