Demonstration Of The Plight Of Immigrants in 'The Joy Luck Club' By Amy Tan

In The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, family connections are a significant point of convergence in deciding the unpredictability of immigrant families, explicitly between Chinese mothers and their Chinese-American daughters. Cultural expectations frequently become possibly the most important factor when one age doesn't follow similar customary desires as the other. During the 1940s, four Chinese women immigrated to America on account of the Sino-Japanese war and to take on an opportunity of enhancing their lifestyles, not just for themselves but for their daughters as well. In the novel, there are numerous events of this issue. The ramifications of social lust among immigrant families are clearly disclosed in Waverly Jong's relationship with her mom, Lindo Jong.

Waverly’s younger self challenged her mother’s expectations in The Joy Luck Club. Waverly was desired by the press while being extremely praised by her mother as well; even so, as her wins became subsidiarily repetitive so did her mother’s boasting regarding her wins did. Waverly disliked her mom for such actions. But afterward, she performs a recreation of tug-a-war alongside her mother, her negligible efforts aren't reapproached. Consequently, Waverly expresses, “I discovered that, really, my mother had changed. She no longer hovered over me as I practiced different chess games. She did not polish my trophies every day. She did not cut out a small newspaper item that mentioned my name. It was as if she had erected an invisible wall and I was secretly groping each day to see how high and wide it was. ” (Tan 190) Waverly put a pause on practicing chess to seek a response from her mother. As a substitute for her mom worrying over her and her inactivity, her mother by no means set forth a response to which Waverly by no means understood. Waverly’s expectations of her mother paying her consideration when she didn’t observe them modified the way in which Waverly viewed their relationship. Expectations from a youthful age likely dominate the character of an individual in their adulthood.

Asian-American women from immigrant families experience cultural expectations set by their parents that affect their own customs. Waverly had won a chess match and her mother, Lindo, was boasting about Waverly winning. Waverly feels a sense of nervousness and is embarrassed by her mother. This is expressed by Waverly as, “One day after we left the shop I said under my breath, ‘“I wish you wouldn’t do that, telling everybody I’m your daughter.”’ My mother stopped walking... “‘Why do you have to use me to show off? If you want me to show off, then why don’t you learn to play chess?”’ My mother’s eyes turned into dangerous black slits. She has no words for me, just sharp silence.” (Tan 102) Waverly desires to place a discontinue to this and initially mumbles it but then yells as a result of her furiousness. Lindo had high expectations for Waverly but when Waverly met these expectations she loathed how her mother would show her off and brag about her accomplishments. She felt as if she had to satisfy her mother’s expectations but as she grew older she did not wish to fulfill these expectations anymore. The expectations that Waverly has in the direction of her mom influence her relationships and thoughts.

Even in Waverly’s adulthood she struggles with her mother’s expectations and displays her own insecurities in her marriage. This is seen when Waverly conveys, “He saw all those private aspects of me-and I mean not just sexual private parts, but my darker side, my meanness, my pettiness, my self-loathing-all the things I kept hidden” (Tan 194) In her marriage she felt like she had nothing to hide and showed Rich her vulnerable side. Comfortable with her marriage partner as he showed no judgement towards her, Waverly pushes the narrative that she solely feels uncomfortable with the expectations from her mother. In Waverly’s adulthood she still experiences her mother’s set expectations that affect her customs and personality. During a family dinner, Rich doesn't correspond to Waverly’s traditional customs which results in Waverly contemplating his actions. In addition, Waverly explains, “But I worried for Rich. Because I knew my feelings for him were vulnerable to being felled by my mother’s suspicions, passing remarks, and innuendos. And I was afraid of what I would then lose, because Rich adored me…” (Tan 193) The effect of the expectations of Waverly’s mother was apparent in her marriage to her husband, RIch. Whereas Waverly believes her vital mother disapproves of her husband, she finds consolation in her relationship with Rich, who contrasts along with her mother’s behavior. Asian-American women experience cultural variations and expectations, but those same influences that shape their identification in a western society, contrast from what their immigrant mothers are accustomed to.

Asian American immigrants coming to the US influenced options of the connection between immigrant parents and their children. As these immigrant parents combine into western society, they haven’t forgotten their roots yet; so that they nonetheless impose cultural expectations onto their children. In The Joy Luck Club, cultural expectations have an effect on Waverly Jong’s character and relationships she encounters with family members and friends. Instead of complying with the recommendation of being a quiet and submissive wife, she permits herself to be susceptible together with her partner and extra outspoken. Yet, in spite of not following the values her mom teaches her, she constantly struggles with validation of achievements. Still, the impact of one’s own cultural expectations impacts the beliefs that people share to family, friends, along with themselves.