After Reading The Joy Luck Club
The novel “The Joy Luck Club” tells about four pairs of mother and daughter. The mothers are seen as negligible “ducks” in their growing background, but they are not happy with disregard and bravely fight against their unfair destiny and finally give their daughters decent identity and status. As ducks again, they are finally able to leave their “feathers” to the daughters with love and dignity.
Four mothers’ experiences reflect the unfair treatment of women in the traditional Chinese culture, which they can not change but to go abroad. After they are in America, they struggle to fight out bright life, and want to give another fate of their daughters. However, they are strange to find that the daughters have followed their past footprints to repeat the tragedy of life in another way.
Therefore, each mother tells their daughter her past story to give them strong strength and self-confidence. They lend a helping hand so that their daughters can recognize as soon as possible to prevent the tragedy continuing. Finally, the daughters understand their mothers’ good intention, and fill up the generation gap caused by cultural differences.
With China gradually opening her eyes to the world, more and more people and things of Western society come into our vision. In this case, we face steadily with an unfamiliar culture, ways of thinking, different customs and habits, etc. Therefore, in the process of interaction, the inevitable phenomenon of invisible cultural conflict occurs. The Chinese and Western cultures of this kind between the collision and exchange, conflict and integration, not only reflects in people’s daily lives, but also in literature and movies.
No matter east or west, family is always one of the most essential parts in people’s life. What family to a person is what water to the body. Its pivotal position makes everyone’s hope and purpose on family similar. However, with regarding of the region and culture, there exist big differences between east and west, and China and America can be the best representatives from both sides.
1) Different views of parents-children relationship
Parents-children relationship based on blood ties is always taken as the most important part in family relationships. It consists of parents’ love and children’s filial piety, in which the latter is the core of Chinese traditional ethics, which is considered the root of all moralities.
The dominant position of parents, especially the father’s also reflects the unequal situation in a Chinese family. In Chinese people's traditional ethical conceptions, the parents always stand for authority. In the old teaching, the father’s words are almost the same as the law in the son's eyes which can not be defied, and the son could only obey. Under this influence, Chinese parents take their children as a kind of possession, and the relation between them are always “dominator and subordinator”.
Differently, the parents-children relationship in the west is in an equal situation, that is to say, children in their eyes are friends more than possession. Parents seldom force them and they are glad to be a learner as well as a teacher. Equality of communication among them is an important feature in the west. This is why the parents often discuss with their children and gain their suggestion before tackling family issues. They show full respect for their kids, including the privacy, choices and thoughts. Maybe it’s because the westerners, especially Christians believe that it is God who gives the lives to the human being, so that both parents and children are God's subjects. No one in family is more special or less significant.
2) Different educational methods
In Chinese families, the parents are likely to impose their ideas on the kids and arrange most of things for them. Such behavior causes either the children’s resistance or the extreme awe. This can be seen in the novel “The Joy Luck Club”.
In June’s childhood, her mother desperately wanted her to be a pianist. The mother carried high hopes for her daughter’s future, but the latter couldn’t help evading. Therefore, June always defended herself against the imposition of ideas and behavior from her mother.
Mother: 4:00. Turn off TV. Practice piano time… What I say? 4:00.
June: I’m not going to play any more. Why should I?
Mother: what did you say?
June: I’m not your slave. This isn’t China. You can’t make me!
Mother: Get up!
June: No, no, no, I won’t. You want me to be someone I’m not! I’ll never be the kind of daughter that you want me to be!
Mother: There are two kinds of daughter: obedient or follow own mind. Only one kind of daughter could live in this house: obedient kind.
June: Then I wish I wasn’t your daughter! I wish you weren’t my mom!
Mother: Too late to change this.
Besides, Chinese parents more incline to inoculate children with the idea of successive learning but less notice the important role of practical activities. It is outright that Chinese kids have few outdoor activities just because they have to stay in school from morning to night and have been overwhelmed by homework.
Different from us, American parents encourage children to participate in family affairs, declare their standpoint and hold on to the right opinion. Thus, American children have the right to choose and American parents won’t decide anything to replace their children’s choice. They are mainly guide children how to choose, or stand behind giving the confidence to encourage them to “use your eyes to observe”.
In all, American parents prefer to “give their children the key to open the door” rather than “open the door for their children”. They more focus on practical training, work experience and communication skills, all of which can enhance their children’s self-confidence and responsibility.
This topic consists of two parts. One is the different attitudes on marriage and sex. The other is the different positions of a wife in a family. Here, the former goes first as follows.
1) Different attitudes on marriage and sex
1) From ancient times, Chinese traditional culture emphasizes the division of men and women from an early age and calls for the concept that a girl should get married with only one man, then to be an obedient wife and an amiable mother. If not, the woman will be seen as unchastity and humiliation. Let’s see what is reflected in “The Joy Luck Club”.
An Mei’s mother was a widow, but later she was raped by a squire and pregnant. Unfortunately, no one believed that she was compelled, even did her mother. As a result, she was forced to leave home and sought refuge with the squire.
Many years later, her mother was dying. Although she had been shut out, she still reached home to save mother’s life by feeding on a cut of her flesh (a traditional superstition). At the last moment of life，her mother held her hand— still not because of a mother’s deep affection but only a moving emotion. Until the last, she is still the "shameless and degrading thing" in people's mouth. The fate of An Mei’s mother cannot say that it is not a tragedy caused by Chinese feudal tradition.
Talking about marriage, “sex” can’t be ignored. However, it is always such a scary topic in China that people intend to evade. Needless to say, sex is a kind of life experience everyone desires, but Chinese people are very conservative on sexual issues. Sexuality has not only been strongly repressed, but also seen as a synonym of obscenity, so that even a couple can’t kiss in the public place. It’s pretty odd in foreigners’ eyes. Differently, in Western countries, people's attitudes towards sex are quite open and comprehensive. Two lovers can embrace, kiss or make love as long as they want at the right time and place no matter whether married or not. Likewise, very few westerners care about others being a virgin or not, because they only care about the love between two people. In other word, westerners pay less attention to chastity but more to the unity of spirit.
2) Different positions of a wife in a family
In old China, a wife attaches to her husband. She has no job, no knowledge, even no freedom. In general, the man is the pillar of a family. Thanks to the development of society, nowadays a wife obtains the respect from her husband. The relation between these two sides is becoming more and more balanced. This is a good phenomenon, but we still have a long way to go. The following are two dialogues in “The Joy Luck Club”.
Dialogue 1:
Lena: Mom?
Ying Ying: Do you know what you want? I mean from him.
Lena: Respect… Tenderness.
Ying Ying: Tell him now. And leave this lopsided house. Do not come back until he gives you those things. With both hands open..
Lena: I can’t.
Ying Ying: Losing him does not matter. It is you who will be found and cherished.
Dialogue 2:
An Mei: What ever you want? Really, it’ll be great. You ask yourself why you make this. Because I know, even if you don’t…
Rosie: I like being tragic, Ma. I learnt it from you
An Mei: You think he sees this pie…now he’s so sorry take you for granted. You think this, you the foolish one. Every time you give him gift…like begging. “Take this… Oh, sorry… Please forgive me. I’m not worth as much as you.” So he only takes you more for granted. You’re just like my mother. Never know what you’re worth until too late.
From above, we see that there are still a large group of women who are not brave enough to accept divorce. They will feel shameful even just thinking about to be a single mother. In many cases, they prefer to firmly grasp the marriage without love rather than seize for another kind of happiness. Their endurance is always out of our imagination.
As to American people, more than 80% believe that love is the foundation of marriage. Without love, there is no reason which can bind them up whose hearts aren’t with each other any more. Therefore, a famous saying has appeared: “I will love you until I don’t.” To our great surprise, many of them are so rational that they consider divorce when preparing their weddings. This may be the reason for why they can still be friends after departing.
The causes of cultural differences reflected in these two movies
Everything has the source. The differences between Chinese and Western cultures reflected in these films of course have their reasons for the emergence and existence. Specifically, it’s inevitable for the conflict existing, due to the differences of natural environment, economics, philosophic ideology and national traditions. These vital problems worth our more attention and recognition while in studying cultures. Therefore, it’s necessary to dig out the source of differences between Chinese and Western cultures.
The natural environment has played a crucial role in the process of the formation of a culture. To a large extent, human activity is limited and dependent on its natural environment. The different geographical locations create the different features of culture. Li Xinliu said Chinese natural environment has four major characteristics. First is the wide land area. The third largest one in the world makes the Chinese culture so vast and profound. Second, her population accounts for a quarter of the world so that Chinese culture contains diversified ethnic cultures. Third is the most diverse terrain, especially marked by innumerable mountains and rivers. All the lives and cultures were born in such environment. Fourth is the climate of the most complex. All kinds of weather have created the colorful, inclusive and recondite Chinese culture. The four features of the natural environment above shape the Chinese culture as a kind of profound national culture containing all her greatness and sweetness.
The main features of the natural environment in western ones are exactly the opposite. Most of them overlook the sea which is not only the cradle of America and Oceania, but also Western culture, of which the birthplace is Europe whose natural features have a direct impact on its characteristics. There are three. First, more than four-fifths of the boundary line in Europe faces the ocean. Second, two plains with low relief, mild and humid climate dominate the mainland. Such a “land of plenty” raises a strong nation. Third is the history of great national migration, frequent expeditions and unabated border dispute. In all, such environment surrounded by the sea is a harsh condition for people to survive. It causes them to fight with the nature and conquer the sea. Thus raises numerous adventurers, such as Columbus, and also arises their unyielding spirit.
In brief, the east of China faces the sea and the west backs on the mountains, so that China is a landlocked self-sufficient agricultural country. This situation makes Chinese avert external interference for a long time, and foster a kind of independent spirit and exclusive psychology. Conversely, frequent exchanges on the sea have cultivated the West a strong national open spirit. Therefore, Chinese culture is conservative, stable and self-controlled; whereas, Western culture is expansionary, arrogant and risk-taking.
American economic conditions, including its advanced productivity, well-developed commodity economy, abundant employment opportunities, and little survival pressure decide it to be a “capacity needing society”. Therefore, Americans have an open view of careers and a wide-range of choices to select. This is why the aim of U.S. education focuses on students’ abilities, which is to ensure everyone can be competent for diversified jobs to adapt to the changing society. American parents believe that what their children have to do is to be able to survive in society. Besides, the “commodity economy makes the productive relations always in restless flux”, so that American parents tell their children in very early time that the definition of life isn’t to get something done once and for all. In their eyes, it is common that people constantly change jobs, and all legal careers are of equal status regardless of the level.
Comparatively speaking, in China, the backward economic, the great survival pressure and the poor industry circulation lead our country to a “diploma needing society”. Chinese parents believe it is the best way out for a person to reach a high education level, find a satisfying job and obtain a stable life. Therefore, the aim of Chinese education focuses on children’s academic excellence.
In addition, the U.S. social old-age security is strengthening owing to its good economic conditions. American parents don’t think that raising children is in order to support them in return in their old days. Instead, they are glad to enter the nursing home. As to the task of raising children, they think it’s just one of their obligations for the society. They will fulfill it when the children grow up to 18 years old, being an independent, responsible and compassionate adult. Then, which way should the children go, and would they be able to make a fortune—the questions of this kind will not be considered by American parents.
Compared with it, China is relatively poor because of economic conditions. Thus makes raising children become a kind of old-aged pension. The children are seen as parents’ own private property, and they are told to be indebted all the time. This also fully reflects in the educated ways. Many parents take it for granted to beat their children, which they think is a regular family private matter without others’ interference and legal binding force.
Owing to distinct understanding of things, people in different countries certainly have diverse thinking modes. The core of Chinese ideology focuses on the “Unity of Heaven and Man”. China stresses collectivism in order to safeguard the values of the overall interests, which differs from the western countries utterly emphasizing on individuals. These constitute the common mentality trends and the mainstream national psychology. Chinese mode of thinking lays stress on the intuitive holist, with the characteristics of the image and intention thought, so that the route of our mind-set goes from imagery to association to imagination. On the contrary, the westerners hold "subject-object dichotomy" mode of thinking, which focuses on the logical analysis, with emphasis on hard evidence, rational knowledge, logical thoughts, scientific theory and rigorous truth-seeking.
These two different kinds of ideology reflected obviously in a film named “Gua Sha” which I have seen when I was a sophomore. For instance, in court, the prosecution counsel inferred that Datong had violent tendencies just because he told his son the stories of “Journey to the West”, in which the Monkey King stealthily ate flat peaches and elixirs, up roaring in Heaven. This conclusion was drawn by the prosecution counsel with “logical thinking, rational demonstrating and reasonable judging”. This unexpected way utterly enraged Datong so that he lost his mind in court, thereby leading the judge to bereave his custody of his son, which caused him a heavy blow. In our view, the prosecution counsel’s way of reasoning is undoubtedly absurd and ridiculous, but such sort of logic has been accorded with the western cultural background. Obviously, the understandings of the judge, prosecution lawyer and Datong to “Journey to the West” and the Monkey King are definitely different. The first two people can not be able to comprehend the underlying culture in “Journey to the West”, not even associate and imagine to enjoy anything marvelous unspeakable outside. Therefore, “we cannot separately think about culture and individual psychology but in a whole perspective, therefore we will possibly manage to have a comprehensive understanding of human behaviors.
Conclusion
Till today, many people, including English majors, teachers and even someone studying abroad, have big difficulties in overcoming the culture shock and promoting the cultural integration. They definitely know the possibility of cross-cultural communicating, understanding and learning, but what they don’t know is the reasonable ways to see, to feel and to comprehend. Therefore, we need the literature and this is what the literature can absolutely help us.
A good literary work will bring us not only enjoyment, but also more spiritual edification and expansion of knowledge. We should make the most use of this material, including finding out the phenomena, looking for the causes and thinking about some solutions. Following these steps, both of the Chinese and foreigners can easily seek their own methods of solving culture shock.
