PS+JLC+Rough+Draft

The Joy Luck Club Essay Pola Shim By sharing similarities, each daughter is a different translation of her mother. Sharing similarities with her mother, Rose is an “American Translation” of An-Mei. An-Mei and Rose foresee things before they happen, deny their thoughts and reality, but later both of them realize that they must speak up about their beliefs and desires. Any Tan writes about An-Mei and Rose’s experiences in __The Joy Luck Club__, which are similar processes of acknowledging their mother’s love, becoming aware of what they have been foreseeing and denying their selves. Being able to foresee an event is a talent that An-Mei and Rose have. Although they have such ability, they do not act to prevent the happenings, such as Bing’s death. Rose is aware that “[Bing is] going to fall in [the water]” by watching him move closely to the “water’s edge” (Tan 133). Her ability to foresee her brother falling into the ocean does not necessarily tell her to prevent it from occurring. Not only does Rose predict such event, but does also An-Mei. As An-Mei praises to God, she states that “[she] knew [it] would come” and admitting Bing’s death as her faith (136). An-Mei is convincing herself that certain things happen due to faith given by God. Rose also describes fate that it “is shaped half by expectation, half by inattention,” which explains why she is able to expect what is going to happen, but in a different method from her mother, who foresees from the belief of God (140). Although An-Mei believes in the fate given by God, she pretends and denies such belief. Rose knows her mother is “pretend[ing] that Bible isn’t [under the table leg]” because she sees An-Mei wipe the dust off and write in it (122). Despite the fact that Rose notices her mother’s denying attitude, Rose is not clearly conscious of her own. “Living in Ted’s shadow,” Rose fakes that she is handling the divorce with Ted fairly well to her mother. Again her ability to foresee displays by stating that she was expecting the divorce. Rose also pretends to act unemotional in front of Ted about their divorce saying “don’t worry you’ll get your papers” (218). When internally she wants to say, “Ted, you’re such an impotent bastard” (211). An-Mei encourages Rose to “speak up” what she truly wants because, An-Mei knows, through experience, how it feels to hide her desires (216). Being protected by her mother from the manipulation of the Second Wife, An-Mei did not have a chance to directly fight the Second Wife. An-Mei’s mother is alert that the Second Wife “is trying to trick [An-Mei]” with fake pearls that “bought [An-Mei’s] heart and mind” (260-261). It is when An-Mei’s mother kills herself that An-Mei not only realizes the “Second Wife’s true nature,” but she also “learn[s] to shout” her true words and beliefs (268, 272). Although not the same hardships like An-Mei, Rose is able to speak up under the encouragement of her mother and recognizing want she herself wants. Rose saying “You can’t just pull me out of your life and throw me away,” shows her desire that she does not want to be someone that can be replaced easily in Ted’s memories and her realization of “the power of [her] words” (219). Both An-Mei and Rose are able to allow and find themselves to express their feelings towards another. The likeliness of the Hsu mother and daughter pair that Amy Tan illustrates in __The Joy Luck Club__ are not only in An-Mei and Rose’s characteristics, but also in their way of solving and understanding a similar problem they experienced. Throughout such process of seeking and knowing the mother and daughter, both are mindful of their relationship and love, which allows Rose, the daughter, to be the “American Translation” of her mother, An-Mei.

Tan, Amy. __The Joy Luck Club__. New York: Ivy Books, 1989. Print.