Superstition In Amy Tan's Scar
With fear in her heart, Lindo Jong questions, “‘What is a true person?’ Would I change in the same ways the river changes color but still be the same person?” (Tan 58). Upon the journeys of life, a multitude of people question themselves, their lives, and their stances in this world. Within many cultures, the beliefs which ethnic backgrounds instill within the youth tend to lead these people to their self-identities. Within the short story “Scar” by Amy Tan, one woman named An-mei Hsu relives the story of her childhood. While growing up, she lives with her aunt and uncle and her grandmother, Popo, raises her. During this time she discovers her mother has become a disgrace to the family by leaving her husband to become a concubine for a wealthy …show more content…
Within “Scars” the grandmother tells the young girl many wise-tales with morbid endings do to young girls misbehaviors (Tan 42-43). The stories forever leave impressions on the young girl, who grows to follow her grandmother’s stories out of fear of the grotesque punishments which followed the misbehavior in the stories. The superstitions appear within “The Red Candle” also. The narrator retells, “‘I had a dream… our ancestors came to me and said they wanted to see our wedding… They shouted that the marriage was doomed!” (Tan 64). With this elaborate fake dream, the narrator scares her dreaded family through marriage into believing the arranged marriage was not approved by the ancestors of their past. With the Chinese superstition that ancestors must approve and be honored, the family allows the marriage to come to an end, which allows Lindo Jong to leave without dishonoring her family.
To commence, the ideas of family relationships, tradition, and superstitions within both Amy Tan’s short stories, “Scar” and “The Red Candle”, possess major effects on the main characters. Without the usages of these ideas of Chinese culture many of the morals, beliefs, and understandings of the characters would not exist as they do. I really do not have any questions on the selections, and surprisingly found these stories enjoyable to
Why Obama Should Not Have Checked Black On His Census Form By Elizabeth Chang
854 Words | 4 PagesEmbracing Your Identity The world that we live in today is full of diverse individuals, people from all around the world come together as one and represent who they are. Self-identity is extremely important because it represents an individual as a whole, everyone is different and unique in their own way. It is essential that individuals claim their full race and culture because it makes them stand out from everybody else. It is crucial that one knows their true identity to be able to represent and accept who they really are. In this article the writer Chang, used a good amount of pathos towards the reader, she also showed a significant amount of ethos, finishing off with logic facts.
Growing Up Asian In Australia 'And Foreign Soil' By Alice Pung
1466 Words | 6 PagesThe collective autobiography edited by Alice Pung “Growing Up Asian in Australia” and the short story collection written by Maxine Beneba Clarke, “Foreign Soil” both illustrate the impact of family and cultural expectations on one’s identity. Both authors emphasise how the personal desires and beliefs of individuals brought about by the expectations imposed by their family, their culture and the society on them can serve as a motivation to change and establish their identity. The desire for acceptance and love can motivate an individual to satisfy a certain expectation. Similarly, pressure brought by individuals around a character may bring them to feel obligated to meet standards.
Old Man's Tale Analysis
786 Words | 4 PagesIn my absence my wife, this cousin of mine, learned soothsaying and magic and cast a spell on my son and turned him into a young bull.” Each of the Old Man’s Tales has a similar quote. However, this quote stands out to me more than the rest. This quote is special because not only is the father, the person Shahrayar can most relate, being wronged by his wife, but also, this situation is even more unfair for the son who has done nothing wrong. This is a theme that resonates with Shahrayar.
Two Kinds By Amy Tan Thesis Statement
2019 Words | 9 PagesThesis Statement: In the short story, Two Kinds, Amy Tan develops a narrator who as a child seeks her mother’s approval of her, but develops into a child with her own mind, and by the end of the story embodies a woman who realizes that her mother has her own expression of love for her daughter. Thus, Amy Tan depicts a message about Jing-Mei, the narrator, accepting that everyone, especially her mother, has their own expressions of love. This will look different depending on who a person is and their background. Even though Jing-Mei does not always feel her mother loves her, she learns that her mother loves her by reflecting on her childhood and struggles.
Summary Of Ban Zhao's 'Lessons For A Women'
602 Words | 3 Pages"Lessons for a Women" by Ban Zhao is an insightful telling of life lessons and clever advice that any young women can apply to their life. The author is Ban Zhao who is seriously ill and not sure if she 'll live so she feels the need to teach her daughters things they have not yet been taught. "I am now seriously ill, life is uncertain. "
Amy Tan Foils
767 Words | 4 PagesTan used these characters as foils through their conflicting dreams and hopes; their bond is broken because of their conflicts. As a result of Ni Kan losing her mother, Ni Kan realizes that she had fulfilled her dream of finding her own identity. Ni Kan, without her mother, explores her own personality. This exploration is included in Ni Kan’s dream to express Tan ’s belief in the American dream.
Plot Elements In American Born Chinese
461 Words | 2 PagesIn American Born Chinese, there are many plot elements used to make readers feel multiple things. Three elements I will be talking about in this essay are parallel plots, foreshadowing, and conflict. I will give some examples from the story that show how the author used the three plot elements. I will also explain whether or not I think these plot elements were successfully used.
Compare And Contrast Tan And Hurston
1409 Words | 6 PagesFor instance, her famous novel ‘The Joy Luck Club’ depicts the Chinese mother and her American daughter relationship where they go through various circumstances trying to understand each other including the evolvement that comes in their relationships as the daughters know more about their mother’s life stories. Secondly, Tan considers the theme of identity in terms of Chinese immigrants and their life experiences as an immigrant in the United States. She reveals how the children born to the immigrants strive in an environment which is a mixture of American and Chinese influence. Moreover, Tan is found to have explored identity issues through her fictive creations and tackled the issue of authorial identity (Becnel, 2010). Similarly, romantic love is another subject included in the literary artworks of Amy Tan which considers the relationships and romance an important aspect of human’s life.
Like Water For Chocolate Tradition Analysis
969 Words | 4 PagesSome traditions can be seen as a way of comfort and a way of bringing the family together, and in some circumstances it might ruin someone's life. In the novel, Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, it reveals family conflict about traditions, and how it can cause a person to become captive. Tita, the youngest daughter of Mama Elena, is unwillingly following a tradition that doesn’t allow her to marry and to serve her mother until she dies. Pedro is Tita’s lover and they wish to marry, but Mama Elena opposes it. Then Mama Elena introduces Tita’s older sister, Rosaura, who is free.
Identity In David Hwang's Play 'Trying To Find Chinatown'
536 Words | 3 PagesHwangs play discusses how to define identity from the different perspective that his two protagonists have about what it means to be Asian American. Using the two characters, Ronnie and Benjamin, Hwang expresses his ideas on how identity is defined.
Sociology Essay On Race And Ethnicity
957 Words | 4 PagesIntroduction The concept of identity has been a notion of significant interest not just to sociologists and psychologists, but also to individuals found in a social context of perpetually trying to define themselves. Often times, identities are given to individuals based on their social status within a certain community, after the assessment of predominant characteristics that said individual has. However, within the context of an ethnicity, the concept identity is most probably applied to all members of the ethnical group, and not just one individual. When there is one identity designated for the entire group, often times the factor of “individuality” loses its significance, especially when referring to the relationship between the ethnic
Charles Taylor's The Politics Of Recognition
625 Words | 3 PagesOne’s identity crucially depends on being able to communicate with others, be it family members, acquaintances and so on, it is stated that our relationships help to fulfill us and contribute to our identity but do not define them. These exchanges with others are necessary in order to transfer over an accurate interpretation of who we are. It is known that societies come to give their own interpretations to describe groups of individuals which fall out of the realm of what they consider to be “like them” and with it provide a damaging image, in order to prevent a damaging or inaccurate interpretation of who we are then it is not only necessary to be able to communicate what substance lies within our identity, but to be acknowledge that originality and uniqueness within all
Amy Tan Research Paper
737 Words | 3 PagesAmy Tan is a Chinese-American author who was born on February 19, 1952, in Oakland, California. In Tan’s early life she had many struggles because her parents desired for her “to hold onto Chinese traditions and her own longings to become more Americanized” (Encyclopedia). While she wanted to become a writer when she was still young, her parents wanted her to become a neurosurgeon. When she got older and went to college she majored in English then started her career in the 1970’s. She was a technical writer and then started writing fiction stories.
Amy Tan Magic Realism Analysis
2046 Words | 9 PagesAmy Tan, who is a Chinese-American writer, utilizes techniques of magic realism in her novel “The Hundred Secret Senses” (first published in 1995). She was born on February 19, 1952, and is widely known for his stories about Chinese and American cultures, and the portrait of mother-daughter relationships. (Biography.com Editors). This novel centers on the character of Olivia Bishop, her relationship with members of her family, her husband and, most importantly, with her half-sister Kwan, who comes from China after Olivia’s father dies. In “The Hundred Secret Senses” particularly, Tan presents descriptions of everyday situations and problems common to any human being along various magical elements.
Cultural Identity In Cross-Cultural Communication
1010 Words | 5 PagesIt is for this reason that Pinney, suggested that, identity build up is the most fundamental objective of a person 's adolescence, and "those who fail to achieve a secure identity are faced with identity confusion, a lack of clarity about who they are and what their role is in life” (Pinney, 1993). This brings out the fact that identity builds up and understanding is an inevitable and unexplainable. An understanding of identity an important aspect of crosses cultural communication, because it will help provide a guideline for communication interaction with others who have different cultural identity (Samorava , Porter, & McDaniel, 2009, p.
More about Superstition In Amy Tan's Scar
Why Obama Should Not Have Checked Black On His Census Form By Elizabeth Chang
854 Words | 4 PagesGrowing Up Asian In Australia 'And Foreign Soil' By Alice Pung
1466 Words | 6 PagesOld Man's Tale Analysis
786 Words | 4 PagesTwo Kinds By Amy Tan Thesis Statement
2019 Words | 9 PagesSummary Of Ban Zhao's 'Lessons For A Women'
602 Words | 3 PagesAmy Tan Foils
767 Words | 4 PagesPlot Elements In American Born Chinese
461 Words | 2 PagesCompare And Contrast Tan And Hurston
1409 Words | 6 PagesLike Water For Chocolate Tradition Analysis
969 Words | 4 PagesIdentity In David Hwang's Play 'Trying To Find Chinatown'
536 Words | 3 PagesSociology Essay On Race And Ethnicity
957 Words | 4 PagesCharles Taylor's The Politics Of Recognition
625 Words | 3 PagesAmy Tan Research Paper
737 Words | 3 PagesAmy Tan Magic Realism Analysis
2046 Words | 9 PagesCultural Identity In Cross-Cultural Communication
1010 Words | 5 Pages