11. Pick at least one mother-daughter pair and examine to what degree each has fulfilled the American dream. How does the importance and/or definition of the American Dream change between generations?
The ultimate symbol of the American Dream in The Joy Luck Club is the swan feather in Feathers from a Thousand Li Away. The feather came from a swan the was once a duck who stretched its neck in an attempt to become a goose but instead it became a beautiful swan. The woman who bought the swan revealed her version of the American Dream to said swan." In America I will have a daughter just like me. But over there....nobody will look down on her, because I will make her speak only perfect American English...She will know my meaning, because I will give her this swan--a creature that became more than what was hoped for." (Tan 17) While it is unknown which mother had said this, it is likely that all the Joy Luck mothers had this dream. However, the two mothers that best shared their American Dreams are Suyuan and Lindo. And both were upset that their dreams didn't come true because their daughters couldn't understand them. Not to mention the fact that June and Waverly had their own versions of the American Dream.
Lindo Jong came to America after cleverly escaping a forced marriage. She had lived a difficult life and she didn't want her children to suffer like she had. "I wanted my children to have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character." (Tan 254) When she was about nine years old, Waverly made her mother proud when she discovered she was a chess prodigy. She has a fight with her mother because she liked to show-off about Waverly's chess skills. After mother and daughter reconciled, Waverly began to lose her special chess ability. Years later, Waverly is struggling on telling her mother that she's getting married a second time, but it turns out that Lindo already knew. Then in Lindo's chapter, they are at a beauty parlor and Lindo remembers an event that had happened the day before. " 'Finish your coffee,' I told her yesterday.'Don't throw your blessings away.'
'Don't be so old-fashioned, Ma,' she told me , finishing her coffee down the sink.'I'm my own person.' " (Tan 254) Lindo sees that to Waverly, the American Dream means being your own person and being free to make your own decisions. She is upset because Waverly is ashamed of her, hence the beauty parlor, and that Waverly has the American circumstances but lacks the Chinese character. And Lindo feels that this is her fault. "How could I know these two things do not mix?" (Tan 254) To Lindo, freedom to choose had been very important because she had been forced into an unhappy marriage, but she is upset that Waverly doesn't listen to her mother's mind. But Lindo wasn't the only one who had a daughter who didn't want to listen to her.
Suyuan Woo married June's father Canning and together they came to America. After reluctantly abandoning her twin baby daughters while escaping Kweilin, Suyuan had hoped to start a new life and to later find her daughters. She named the daughter she had with Canning Jing-mei, "jing" meaning the good leftover stuff when impurities are taken out, and "mei" comes from the word for 'little sister', "meimei". In this way, it is revealed that Suyuan's "American Dream" was to have a daughter who was the essence of the abandoned twins. June feels guilty because when she was young, her mother had wanted her to be a prodigy like Waverly. "I feed myself with the old grief, wondering how disappointed she must have been."(Tan 281) When June was about nine or ten years old, Suyuan had her take piano lessons in hopes that she would become a great pianist, like the young Chinese girl on The Ed Sullivan Show. By then, June was so fed up with her mother's attempts to make her a genius that she decided not to try anymore. "I might have become a good pianist at that young age. But I was so determined not to try, not to be anybody different that I learned to play only the most ear-splitting preludes, the most discordant hymns."(Tan 138) Because to June, the American Dream means being free to be yourself and not having to change to please others.
To Lindo and Suyuan, the fulfillment of the American Dream had a lot more importance. In America, they could start a new life, better than the lives they had in China. Their definitions of the American Dream were similar in the sense that they wanted the best for their daughters. But to Waverly and June, the American Dream wasn't really important because they were born and raised without a lot of hardship. In a way, they were already living the American Dream. Therefore, while the American Dream wasn't fulfilled all the way, Lindo and Suyuan had a great bond with their daughters and so all the hardship and struggle was not for nothing.
The ultimate symbol of the American Dream in The Joy Luck Club is the swan feather in Feathers from a Thousand Li Away. The feather came from a swan the was once a duck who stretched its neck in an attempt to become a goose but instead it became a beautiful swan. The woman who bought the swan revealed her version of the American Dream to said swan." In America I will have a daughter just like me. But over there....nobody will look down on her, because I will make her speak only perfect American English...She will know my meaning, because I will give her this swan--a creature that became more than what was hoped for." (Tan 17) While it is unknown which mother had said this, it is likely that all the Joy Luck mothers had this dream. However, the two mothers that best shared their American Dreams are Suyuan and Lindo. And both were upset that their dreams didn't come true because their daughters couldn't understand them. Not to mention the fact that June and Waverly had their own versions of the American Dream.
Lindo Jong came to America after cleverly escaping a forced marriage. She had lived a difficult life and she didn't want her children to suffer like she had. "I wanted my children to have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character." (Tan 254) When she was about nine years old, Waverly made her mother proud when she discovered she was a chess prodigy. She has a fight with her mother because she liked to show-off about Waverly's chess skills. After mother and daughter reconciled, Waverly began to lose her special chess ability. Years later, Waverly is struggling on telling her mother that she's getting married a second time, but it turns out that Lindo already knew. Then in Lindo's chapter, they are at a beauty parlor and Lindo remembers an event that had happened the day before. " 'Finish your coffee,' I told her yesterday.'Don't throw your blessings away.'
'Don't be so old-fashioned, Ma,' she told me , finishing her coffee down the sink.'I'm my own person.' " (Tan 254) Lindo sees that to Waverly, the American Dream means being your own person and being free to make your own decisions. She is upset because Waverly is ashamed of her, hence the beauty parlor, and that Waverly has the American circumstances but lacks the Chinese character. And Lindo feels that this is her fault. "How could I know these two things do not mix?" (Tan 254) To Lindo, freedom to choose had been very important because she had been forced into an unhappy marriage, but she is upset that Waverly doesn't listen to her mother's mind. But Lindo wasn't the only one who had a daughter who didn't want to listen to her.
Suyuan Woo married June's father Canning and together they came to America. After reluctantly abandoning her twin baby daughters while escaping Kweilin, Suyuan had hoped to start a new life and to later find her daughters. She named the daughter she had with Canning Jing-mei, "jing" meaning the good leftover stuff when impurities are taken out, and "mei" comes from the word for 'little sister', "meimei". In this way, it is revealed that Suyuan's "American Dream" was to have a daughter who was the essence of the abandoned twins. June feels guilty because when she was young, her mother had wanted her to be a prodigy like Waverly. "I feed myself with the old grief, wondering how disappointed she must have been."(Tan 281) When June was about nine or ten years old, Suyuan had her take piano lessons in hopes that she would become a great pianist, like the young Chinese girl on The Ed Sullivan Show. By then, June was so fed up with her mother's attempts to make her a genius that she decided not to try anymore. "I might have become a good pianist at that young age. But I was so determined not to try, not to be anybody different that I learned to play only the most ear-splitting preludes, the most discordant hymns."(Tan 138) Because to June, the American Dream means being free to be yourself and not having to change to please others.
To Lindo and Suyuan, the fulfillment of the American Dream had a lot more importance. In America, they could start a new life, better than the lives they had in China. Their definitions of the American Dream were similar in the sense that they wanted the best for their daughters. But to Waverly and June, the American Dream wasn't really important because they were born and raised without a lot of hardship. In a way, they were already living the American Dream. Therefore, while the American Dream wasn't fulfilled all the way, Lindo and Suyuan had a great bond with their daughters and so all the hardship and struggle was not for nothing.
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