Joy_Luck_Club

Like Mother, Like Daughter In her novel The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan clearly portrays the importance of characters’ past has been revealed and lived out in the same characters present manner, identity, and individuals sense of self and life circumstances. Amy Tan states how much of an impact someone’s pasts life affects his or her future. Some say that the past is forgotten and that it is time to live in the present; however, forgetting what happened in the past does not mean it lacks a significant impact on one’s personality. Lindo Jong and Waverly Jong exemplify that a past experience or hardship often shapes the future of a person’s way of life. Lindo and Waverly past lives shine through into their future as something that has strengthened their overall way of life and everyday attitude. Lindo Jong’s past experiences and hardships have had an overall effect for the better on her present life and her way of motherhood towards her daughter, Waverly. Moving in with Tywaun at the age of twelve taught Lindo how to cope with the toughest situations and how to be able to see the way out of every situation. Lindo Jong was not happy in the marriage and she worked hard everyday. When things are wrong, she takes the blame. Lindo Jong also wants her children to have American circumstances and Chinese character. This means that living the way an American lived was fine, but acting the way an American did was not acceptable. Lindo Jong is ashamed by the way that Americans acted and does not want her daughter to behave this way because she has suffered so much in her childhood but becomes stronger from her experiences. She does not people to know about her past experiences. Lindo Jong learns that “It is hard to hide her true self” but was able to try her best(Tan 258). Lindo Jong had to hide her true identity, and when she came to America, she adapted the American circumstances but tried not to lose her Chinese character. Lindo knows what she wants for her daughter, but Waverly’s experiences as a child who made her feel like she could make her own decisions and control everyone else in her environment. Waverly got so angry that her mother was “using me to show off” that she told her mother “If you want to show off, why don’t you learn to play chess'”(99). Waverly’s manipulative ways and desire for attention steer her away from her mother and left Waverly making mean remarks, without knowing how much they really hurt her mother. When it was time to talk to her mother, Waverly was at a loss for words and could not bring herself to tell Lindo about her marriage to Rich. She was in fear that her mother would make her see the bad in her future husband. Waverly’s past made her aware of the fact that taking something for granted in the past will lead to the agonizing fear in the future of not wanting anything to do with that person. Waverly and her mother had rough patches when Waverly thought acts superior to her, but a sudden change in direction taught Waverly that she was able to learn from her mistakes, and show her mother the respect she should have a long time ago. All of the female characters in The Joy Luck Club find out that what may be thought of as a negative experience in the past can soon be turned around to something that mentally and physically strengthens her for future life. Daughters lean on their mothers for physical and mental support weather they know it or not; Waverly does not know the support her mother gives her until it is almost too late. Amy Tan clearly is able to take ones past mistakes or hardships and weave them into one’s present everyday life. The charters sometimes do not even realize that most of their character and attitude is the experiences in life that they have been through already. Lindo and Waverley are complex individuals whose rich history helps to form their present day character.