FREE ESSAY ON JOY LUCK CLUB

JOY LUCK CLUB

The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan, is a powerful portrayal of four Chinese women and the lives
of their children in America. The book discusses the conflicting cultures between the
United States and China, and how men treat women throughout their lives. People living in
the United States usually take for granted their roles as a male or female. The culture
of each country shapes the treatment one receives based on the sex of the individual.
There are obvious differences within the different cultures. These differences show
themselves in the work force, the distinct tasks performed in the home, and the
privileges one receives in society.
In the work force, the women of America hold many positions of importance. They are
usually treated as equals with men and there are few jobs from which they are excluded.
In China, women are expected to stay at home and are not permitted to be in a work force
that is held exclusively for men. The women of America receive fair wages and have earned
the right to work with men. In China, women are assigned the role of housewives and must
stay at home to clean the house and raise the children. Women in America receive
educations that will prepare them for the high paying jobs of a professional. The women
in China are known for taking orders from their husbands.
Another feature that is found to be different in China from America is the different
roles women take in the home. The author explains that a Chinese woman is expected to be
a good wife for her chosen husband. Girls are promised at an early age to a man. The
story "The Red Candle" shows an arranged marriage where the author sacrificed her life to
fulfill her parents' promise of marriage when she was only two years old. At the marriage
ceremony the candle is lit at both ends and if neither end goes out it will be a
successful marriage. Of course, the woman was the one held responsible for making the
marriage a successful one. In an American marriage, each person is held accountable for
the success of a marriage. There are no arranged marriages and no matchmakers as in the
Chinese culture. Marriage is expected to be for love not to fulfill promises between
families.
Another difference reflected in the book is that the women in China have different
privileges than men. In the story, Amy Tan, showed how women were not important enough to
choose many things for themselves. They were given all the orders and were expected to
follow them without question. They did not have choice in whom they married and whether
they worked. Girls were also given to other families when they were young. A son could
never go to another home to live. The women of America would never stand for this
treatment. They are educated and make their own decisions.
Differences in the cultures of Chinese and American women are numerous. Lena St. Clair
says it best when she talks about the equality she has with her coworker, Harold. This is
not possible in China, however, it is expected in America. The women in China appear to
accept their misery. The women in America make every effort to rise above a life that
does not place them at equal level as a man.