喜福会英文背景及人物赏析.docx

喜福会英文背景及人物赏析.docx

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喜福会英文背景及人物赏析

TheJoyLuckClub（1989）isabest-sellingnovelwrittenbyAmyTan.ItfocusesonfourChineseAmericanimmigrantfamiliesinSanFrancisco,Californiawhostartaclubknownas"theJoyLuckClub,"playingtheChinesegameofmahjongformoneywhilefeastingonavarietyoffoods.Thebookisstructuredsomewhatlikeamahjonggame,withfourpartsdividedintofoursectionstocreatesixteenchapters.Thethreemothersandfourdaughters（onemother,SuyuanWoo,diesbeforethenovelopens）sharestoriesabouttheirlivesintheformofvignettes.Eachpartisprecededbyaparablerelatingtothegame.

In1993,thenovelwasadaptedintoafeaturefilmdirectedbyWayneWangandstarringMing-Na,LaurenTom,TamlynTomita,FranceNguyen,RosalindChao,KieuChinh,TsaiChin,LisaLu,andVivianWu.ThescreenplaywaswrittenbytheauthorAmyTanalongwithRonaldBass.Thenovelwasalsoadaptedintoaplay,bySusanKim,whichpremieredatPanAsianRepertoryTheatreinNewYork.

Characters

Mothers

SuyuanWoo

DuringtheSecondWorldWar,SuyuanlivesinChinawhileherhusbandatthetimeservedasanofficerinChungking（Chongqing）.ShestartstheoriginalJoyLuckClubwithherthreefriendstocopewiththewar.Thereislittletoeat,buttheypretenditisafeast,andtalkabouttheirhopesforthefuture.OnthedayoftheJapaneseinvasion,Suyuanleavesherhousewithnothingbutabagofclothes,abagoffood,andhertwinbabydaughters.

Duringthelongjourney,Suyuancontractssuchseveredysenterythatshefeelscertainshewilldie.Fearingthatadeadmotherwoulddoomherbabies'chancesofrescue,shereluctantlyandemotionallyleavesherdaughtersunderabarrentree,togetherwithallherbelongings,alongwithanoteaskinganyonewhomightfindthebabiestocareforthemandcontactthefather.Suyuanthendeparts,expectingtodie.However,sheisrescuedbyatruckandfindsoutherhusbandhasdied.Shelaterremarries,comestoAmerica,formsanewJoyLuckClubwiththreeotherChinesefemaleimmigrantsshemetatchurch,andgivesbirthtoanotherdaughter.Butherabandonmentofthetwingirlshauntsherfortherestofherlife.Aftermanyyears,Suyuanlearnsthatthetwinswereadopted,butdiesofabrainaneurysmbeforeshecanmeetthem.ItisherAmerican-borndaughterJing-meiwhofulfillsherlong-cherishedwishofreunitingwithhereldertwinhalf-sisters.

AsSuyuandiesbeforethenovelbegins,herhistoryistoldbyJing-mei,basedonherknowledgeofhermother'sstories,anecdotesfromherfather,andwhattheothermembersoftheJoyLuckClubtellher.

An-MeiHsu

An-MeiisraisedbyhergrandparentsandotherrelativesduringherearlyyearsinNingboafterherwidowedmothershocksthefamilybybecomingaconcubinetoamiddle-agedwealthymanafterherfirsthusband'sdeath.ThisbecomesasourceofconflictfortheyoungAn-Mei,asherauntsandunclesdeeplyresenthermotherforsuchadishonorableact.TheytrytoconvinceAn-Meithatitisnotfittingforhertolivewithherdisgracedmother,whoisnowforbiddentoenterthefamilyhome.An-Mei'smother,however,stillwishestobepartofherdaughter'slife.AfterAn-Mei'sgrandmotherdies,An-meimovesouttolivewithhermotherinthehomeofhermother'snewhusband,Wu-Tsing.

An-MeilearnsthathermotherwascoercedintobeingWu-Tsing'sconcubinethroughthemanipulationsofhisSecondWife,thefavorite.ThiswomanarrangedforAn-Mei'smother,stillinmourningforheroriginalhusband,toberapedbyWu-Tsing.ThestigmaleftAn-Mei'smotherwithnochoicebuttomarryWu-TsingandbecomehisnewbutlowlyFourthWife.ShelaterlostherbabysontoSecondWife,whoclaimedtheboyasherownchildtoensureherplaceinthehousehold.SecondWifealsotriedtowinoverAn-meiuponherarrivalinWu-Tsing'smansion,givingheranecklacemadeof"pearls"thathermotherlaterrevealedwereactuallyglassbeadsbycrushingonewithherteacup.An-Mei'smotherre-knotsthenecklacetohidethemissingbead,butnowAn-MeiknowsthetruthaboutSecondWife'sseeminggenerosity.

Wu-Tsingisahighlysuperstitiousman,andSecondWifetakesadvantageofthisweaknessbymakingfalsesuicideattemptsandthreateningtohaunthimasaghostifhedoesnotletherhaveherway.AccordingtoChinesetradition,aperson'ssoulcomesbackafterthreedaystosettlescoreswiththeliving.Wu-Tsing,therefore,isknowntobeafraidtofacetheghostofanangryorscornedwife.AfterSecondWifefakesasuicideattempttopreventAn-Meiandhermotherfromgettingtheirownsmallhouse,An-Mei'smothersuccessfullycommitssuicideherself,eatingtangyuanlacedwithlethalamountsofopium.Shetimesherdeathsothathersoulisduetoreturnonthefirstdayofthenewyear,adaywhenalldebtsmustbesettledlestthedebtorsuffergreatmisfortune.Withthisinmind,Wu-TsingpromisestotreathisFourthWife'schildren,includingAn-Mei,asiftheywerehisveryownfleshandbloodbyanhonoredFirstWife.WhenSecondWifeattemptstodisruptthis,An-MeicrushesthefakepearlnecklaceSecondWifegaveherbeneathherfeettoshowherawarenessofallSecondWife'sdeceptionandtosymbolizehernewpoweroverSecondWife,whonowfearsherandrealizesthebadkarmashehasbroughtuponherself.

An-MeilaterimmigratestoAmerica,marries,andgivesbirthtosevenchildren（foursons,threedaughters）.Theyoungest,asonnamedBing,drownsatagefour.

LindoJong

Lindoisastrong-willedwoman,atraitthatherdaughterWaverlyattributestoherhavingbeenbornintheyearoftheHorse.WhenLindowasonlytwelve,shewasforcedtomoveinwithaneighbor'syoungson,HuangTyan-yu,throughthemachinationsofthevillagematchmaker.Aftersometrainingforhouseholddutiesthroughherin-laws,sheandTyan-yumarriedwhensheturnedsixteen.Shesoonrealizedthatherhusbandwasjustalittleboyatheartandhadnosexualinterestinher.Lindobegantocareforherhusbandasabrother,buthercruelmother-in-lawexpectedLindotoproduceagrandson.SherestrictedmostofLindo'sdailyactivities,eventuallyorderinghertoremainonbedrestuntilshecouldconceiveanddeliverachild.

Determinedtoescapethisunfortunatesituation,Lindocarefullyobservedtheotherpeopleinthehouseholdandeventuallyformedacleverplantoescapehermarriagewithoutdishonoringherselforherfamily.Shemanagedtotrickheryounghusband'sfamilyintobelievingthathewasactuallyfatedtomarryanothergirlwhowasalreadypregnantwithhis"spiritualchild",andthathermarriagetoHuangTyanYuwouldonlybringbadlucktothefamily.Inreality,thegirlinquestionwasamereservantinthehouseholdandindeedpregnant,butabandonedbyherlover.

Freedfromherfirstmarriage,LindodecidedtoemigratetoAmerica.ShemarriedaChinese-AmericanmannamedTinJongandhasthreechildren:

sonsWinstonandVincent,anddaughterWaverly.

LindoexperiencesregretoverlosingsomeofherChineseidentitybylivingsolonginAmerica（sheistreatedlikeatouristonavisittoChina）;however,sheexpressesconcernthatWaverly'sAmericanupbringinghasformedabarrierbetweenthem.

Ying-Ying"Betty"St.Clair

Fromayoungage,Ying-YingistoldbyherwealthyandconservativefamilythatChinesegirlsshouldbemeekandgentle.Thisisespeciallydifficultforher,shefeels,becausesheisaTigercharacter.ShebeginstodevelopapassivepersonalityandrepressherfeelingsasshegrowsupinWuxi.Ying-YingmarriesacharismaticmannamedLinXiao,notoutoflove,butbecauseshebelieveditwasherfate.Herhusbandisrevealedtobeabusiveandopenlyhasextramaritalrelationshipswithotherwomen.WhenYing-Yingdiscoverssheispregnant,shegetsanabortionandmakesthedecisiontolivewithherrelativesinasmallercityinChina.

Aftertenyears,shemovestoShanghaiandworksinaclothingstore,whereshemeetsanAmericanmannamedCliffordSt.Clair.Hefallsinlovewithher,butYing-Yingcannotexpressanystrongemotionafterherfirstmarriage.HecourtsherforfouryearsbeforesheagreestomarryhimafterlearningthatLinXiaohaddied,whichshetakesasthepropersigntomoveon.SheallowsCliffordtocontrolmostaspectsofherlife,mistranslatingherwordsandactions,andevenchanginghernameto"Betty".Ying-Yinggivesbirthtoherdaughter,Lena,aftermovingtoSanFranciscowithSt.Clair.WhenLenaisaroundtenyearsold,Ying-Yingbecomespregnantathirdtime,butthebabyboyisanencephalicandsoondies.

Ying-YingishorrifiedwhensherealizesthatLena,aTigerlikeherself,hasinheritedoremulatedherpassivebehaviorsandtrappedherselfinalovelessmarriagewithacontrollinghusband.ShefinallyresolvestocalluponthemoreassertivequalitiesofherTigernature,toappealtothosequalitiesinLena.ShewilltellLenaherstoryinthehopethatshewillbeabletobreakfreefromthesamepassivitythatruinedmostofheryounglifebackinChina.

Daughters

Jing-Mei"June"Woo

Jing-Meihasneverfullyunderstoodhermotherandseemsdirectionlessinlife.DuringJune'schildhood,hermotherusedtotellherthatshecouldbeanythingshewants;however,sheparticularlywantedherdaughtertobegifted,achildstarwhoamazestheworld,likeGinnyTiu（seenbrieflyontelevision）orJune'srivalWaverly.Atthebeginningofthenovel,Juneischosentoreplacehermother'sseatintheJoyLuckClubafterhermother'sdeath.Attheendofthenovel,Juneisstilltryingtodealwithhermother'sdeath,andshevisitsChinatoseethetwinhalf-sisters（WangChwunYuandWangChwungHwa）whomhermotherhadbeenforcedtoabandonwhentheJapaneseattackedChina.

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