Ghosts

I believe that what Lena’s mother meant was something deeper. She did not just mean what she said. She was insinuating something else. I think she probably meant that where she stands has disappeared. By this I mean that Lena’s mother meant that who she is, has become a blur. Since Lena is half Chinese, she cannot be fully considered Chinese. So I believe that her mother feels that she does not entirely exhibit Chinese culture. I also think that what her mum means is that, she does not know any of her background cultures. She does not know any Irish, and she definitely knows very little about her Chinese background. I feel she could also be saying she is a ghost because she no longer has a unique culture in America that stands. People are no longer fascinated by her. She has now become like the rest of the American society. Her mum does not like that and is angry that she no longer wants to be Chinese. I feel her mum is saying that because her mum feels that the Chinese in her will one day die completely and that she will forget who she was and where she came from. Then her mother’s Chinese legacy will die.

Waverly Jong

Virtues

Waverly is a very intelligent person. She always knows how to figure things out, especially when it comes to chess. She is able to tell how to see things differently. She is not afraid. She is very adventurous. She is not afraid to voice her opinions. She does not regret what she does. She does not like hurting her mother.

Negatives       

She is too proud. She thinks that she knows more than most people. She does not believe that she has consequences. She is very demanding, like the time that she told her mum to go away because she had to work on her chess. She feels that she is very important. She feels that she can do whatever she likes.

Women of the Joy Luck Club

I feel that each story is individual.  All the mothers have told the beginning of their stories. Most of these stories were not happy go-lucky stories. Instead, they were sad, and usually did not end well. They have been, burnt, married off, and have lost children. This already shows they have things in common. These women have endured hardships that we cannot even fathom, that they did not deserve.  China had its issues with the war, and its culture practicing traditions from several centuries before. However, most of these cultures did not benefit anyone but their own families. Yet, we see in one story that even the mother does not want to conform to these cultural practices.  There is a lot of referral to ancestors, loyalty and duty. Most of these women, do not want to follow their customs, they want something better. They want something more.  They are hopeful that it is out there. They are on a search for joy and contentment. One can see that they would do things that would keep them hopeful.  They are the members of the Joy Luck Club. It is a place to play mah jong, gossip and enjoy. They did this instead of crying over their sad situations. They did not sit and say that this was the way it had to be. These women are all intelligent. These women are all family oriented. They love their families. They are loyal to their families, and would do almost anything for these families. However, one can tell that they are not necessarily content with how their daughters have been americanised. I believe that they feel that their daughters have forgotten who they truly are, and where they are truly from.  

The Big House

The house was greying and the trees around it were swaying,

The people would look at it as if it were cursed, the time had killed it and now it had passed,

Its door was hanging on its lust limb,

The light seeping through the windows was dim,

It was a structure left for the animals to take shelter,

The moss stained the red roof, and plants grew in the gutter

It was quiet; there was no noise or clutter.

One could tell this was a big investment,

And yet nature continued its torment,

This big house always left me wondering,

How much sadness, money can bring.