A Synopsis of Amy Tans Book The Joy Luck Club

A Synopsis of Amy Tan's Book The Joy Luck Club â€Å"There are times when even the tiger sleeps.† This Chinese proverb is essential in understanding the character of Lindo Jong, mother of Waverly Jong, in Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club. The book, written as a series of interwoven vignettes, delves into the world of Chinese mother-daughter relationships. The Joy Luck Club tells about four Chinese families: the Woos, the Hsus, the Jongs, and the St. Clairs. Waverly Jong’s mother, Lindo, has always been strong and stubborn, criticizing everything around her and not yielding to persuasion. This pugnacity bothers Waverly, who has spent her entire life subconsciously trying to impress her mother, a seemingly impossible task. Waverly has always been plagued by her mother’s criticism, becoming increasingly agonized thinking that she cannot live up to her mother’s lofty standards. After finally deciding to confront her mother about her implacable personality, Waverly realizes that her mother is just a vulne rable old woman despite her inner strength. The Chinese proverb, â€Å"There are times when even the tiger sleeps†, suggests that even the strongest have an Achilles heel. This proverb is particularly relevant to the sleeping scene with Lindo Jong because even though Lindo is strong and combative, she is still a fallible old woman who worries about her daughter. The proverb can be interpreted literally, but it also has a deeper figurative meaning. The tiger, a powerful predator, is seen as an almost faultless warrior in the animal kingdom. Always on its guard, the tiger is a fearsome creature that is not to be meddled with. As with every creature, the tiger needs to sleep, thus making it vulnerable to attack. Viewing tigers as a dominant adversary and viewing sleep as a universally held moment of vulnerability, this ancient Chinese proverb correctly asserts that no creature is without its weaknesses or moments of weakness. Waverly and Lindo’s contrasting personalities highlight both of their personal weaknesses. By the Chinese Zodiac, Waverly was born a Rabbit, making her â€Å"supposedly sensitive, with tendencies toward being thin-skinned and skittery at the first sign of criticism† while her mother Lindo was born a Horse, making her â€Å"obstinate and frank to the point of tactlessness† (183). These two an animal signs do not bode well together, leading to a plethora of conflicts between the two Jongs. Lindo constantly criticizes everything from the food she is eating to the people around her. A good example of Lindo’s hurtful criticism is when she calls Waverly’s expensive fur coat present from her fianc? â€Å"just leftover strips† (186). As stated by Waverly, â€Å"[Lindo] never thinks anybody is good enough for anything† (183). This insatiability infuriates Waverly, who simply wants her mother to accept her surroundings. The proverb’s pertinence to Lindo Jong becomes apparent when Waverly discovers her mother sleeping. Waverly has always been angry at her manipulative mother for her â€Å"scheming ways of making†¦ [Waverly] miserable† (199). Waverly leaves early in the morning to go to her parents’ apartment and yell at her mother. When she finds Lindo, she sees a side of her mother she had never previously observed: The back of her head was resting on a white embroidered doily. Her mouth was slack and all the lines in her face were gone. With her smooth face, she looked like a young girl, frail, guileless, and innocent. One arm hung limply down the side of the sofa. Her chest was still. All her strength was gone. She had no weapons, no demons surrounding her. She looked powerless. Defeated. (199-200) Upon seeing her mother in this state, Waverly’s immediate thought was that her mother was dead; dead while she was thinking terrible things about her mother. Waverly shouts at her mother, tears flowing down her face. Lindo then wakes up, and with a look of motherly worry, says to Waverly, â€Å"Shemma? Meimei-ah? Is that you? Why are you here? Why are you crying? Something has happened!† Lindo had not called Waverly Meimei, her childhood name, in many years. After this, Waverly had realized the true state of mother: she was just a tired, worn old woman who only wanted the best for her daughter. The criticisms and the subtle, sneaky comments were only made so that Waverly would make a better life for herself and analyze the faults of her present environment. This epiphanous moment for Waverly helped her realize the subtle meaning behind the Chinese proverb, â€Å"â€Å"There are times when even the tiger sleeps.† Although it is never explicitly mentioned that Wav erly is familiar with the proverb, she soon learns of its meaning and verisimilitude. Waverly had always viewed her mother as the proverbial queen of the chessboard, â€Å"Able to move in all directions, relentless in her pursuit, able to find my weakest spots† (199). After seeing her tiger-like mother not on her guard, Waverly realizes that even Lindo sleeps. Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club is not only a story of Chinese mother-daughter relationships, but it is also an insight into the nature and mannerisms of humanity. Lindo Jong is a feisty, critical woman who is never happy with her circumstances. Despite this, she is still old, caring, and vulnerable. For these reasons, Lindo Jong of The Joy Luck Club truly exemplifies the ancient Chinese proverb â€Å"There are times when even the tiger sleeps.†

Apology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Apology - Essay Example like me, who, if I may use such a ludicrous figure of speech, am a sort of gadfly, given to the state by the god; and the state is like a great and noble steed who is tardy in his motions owing to his very size, and requires to be stirred into life (Plato, in McIntyre 20). In this statement, Socrates compares himself to a gadfly – a biting, noisy insect commonly found buzzing around and refers to the state as the horses. What Socrates meant by this is that his frequent questioning (or â€Å"biting†) is intended to wake the state up. For him, the people during that era were in an idle stage because they are just accepting the things that have been set for them by the previous generations, by the government, the rich and powerful, or by the church. Socrates does not want that. Socrates would like the people to wake up, ask questions that challenge their minds, like – Where are we from? Is there really a god? Why do we live? He wanted to bring the people to reality by taking them out of their ignorance. I think what Socrates feels is that ignorance is like a chain that restrains the people and the first way to make them free is to recognize that they still do not know everything. For Socrates, the â€Å"horses† (referred in his statement as the state) only looks at him as a â€Å"gadfly† or a nuisance. But what the people do not understand is that they actually in debt to him. For him, his questionings is like a service for the people. This is demonstrated by the lines in his passage: Socrates sees himself as a catalyst whose purpose is to formulate questions to irritate a person’s minds. Socrates understands that this is the foundation of progress and change. He asked questions and attempted to find answers for them; questions that lead to another questions; questions that probably made the citizens annoyed of him; questions that reduced the nobles and the most powerful into blubbering idiots (Ober â€Å"Socrates† 11). I daresay that you may feel irritated at

The Rationale for Banning The Outsiders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Rationale for Banning The Outsiders - Essay Example As an initial matter, before addressing why the book was banned in certain schools, it is useful to summarize the plot generally. The protagonist in this story was Pony Curtis. Pony was a young boy whose parents had died in a car accident; as a result, he was cared for by his twenty year old brother, Darry. Pony was poor, though clever and a good student, and he did what all boys in this neighborhood did. He joined a gang, named the Greasers, and hung out with his gang as if they were an extended family. There was a rival gang, the Socs, made up of rich boys from a another neighborhood. A gang rivalry existed between the two, and one day a fight ensued in which Pony's good friend killed a member of the Socs gang in self-defense. Pony's friend later died, and another friend was shot by the police after going crazy and trying to rob a store with a gun. Pony, however, did not suffer the same fate as his friends; rather, after being inspired by a letter from Johnny, he decided to reconci le with his older brother and to try and improve his life. In short, Pony decided to reject the outsider lifestyle and to participate more productively in his society and community. Given the hopeful ending, the transcending of obstacles, it seems odd that the book was so heavily criticized. The first The first basis for criticism was that the novel promoted gangs. More specifically, this line of reasoning argued that the novel, by including both rich and poor children in gangs, glamorized and encouraged young readers to pursue similar affiliations. In this way, the novel's critics believed that the novel was divisive, socially destructive, and immoral. It was socially divisive because it pitted rich boys against poor boys; it was socially destructive because violence was used as a conflict resolution tool for disputes; and, finally, it was immoral because the gang lifestyle promoted laziness, substance use, and revenge. Indeed, the central role of gangs in the novel was a central foundation for the criticism which ensued. A second criticism was the use of violence by young boys. One can distinguish between clubs with mild-mannered rivalries and gangs with deeper notions of rivalry and revenge. It is one thing to portray youthful pranks; in the minds of the novel's critics, however, it was quite another thing to portray children and adolescents intending to cause serious physical harm and genuine emotional trauma on their rivals. A particular example was the use of weapons in the novel. These gang members, for instance, carried knives, bats, and guns. Rivals weren't simply embarrassed. Quite the contrary, as in the case of Johnny's conflict with Bob, some people were killed. Thus, in addition to the portrayal of gangs, the vivid depiction of violence also furnished a strong basis for the subsequent criticism. A third criticism was the prevalence of substance use and abuse by underage boys. The references to cigarettes and alcohol were also found objectionable. These boys were underage. By associating public figures, in this case fictional characters from a popular novel, with substance abuse, many people argued that schoolchildren would be influenced to behave similarly. Today's cigarette-smoking adolescents will become tomorrow's marijuana users was the fundamental criticism. These

Regions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Regions - Research Paper Example The research also analyzed the government involvement in promoting good relations between the people and the international capital market. The research examined the relations in the fisheries, mining, and equipment applied and the overall contribution to the growth of the economy. The researchers based their arguments on the literatures published on the canoe trade in Central American Mosquitia region. It then contrasted the literatures with the contribution of the canoe trade to the economic and social relations development. The researchers analyzed the statistical data on the region and drew the relevant conclusions. The trade practices open up a people’s imagination and appreciation of the motives of trade, that is, profit oriented. The trade between the international markets and the remote isolated rural populations re-synthesizes the aspects of the people’s livelihoods. The objective of this research is to establish the dependence of wealth generation to the social relationships between the trading parties. The economic growth of a particular region depends on the trade activities of that region. Trade results into the exchange of cultural activities and crucial information between the partners. The information opens up the people’s perception of the natural phenomena and hence appreciates the essence of trade activities and good relations. The research herein reviewed three resources and drafted reasonable conclusions. Analysis of trading activities takes into account the measures put across to help establish the favorable business culture. Sound infrastructural facilities, equipments and social relations are essential aspects for consideration. Trade promotes the economic growth, which in effect promotes establishments of social amenities such as education centers. The investors also introduce endogenous projects into the regions that promote the rural development in effect. The development takes into

Shakespeares Use of Subplots in King Lear Essay

Shakespeares Use of Subplots in King Lear - Essay Example The author has rightly presented that King Lear main plot revolves around Lear’s bad decision making that sees him disowning his own daughter Cordelia who is faithful to him and awarding his two treacherous daughters Goneril and Regan with a portion of his immense wealth. The subplot kicks in when Earl Gloucester and his two controversial sons get introduced into the story of the play, the illegitimate Edmund and Edgar the loyal one. A clear relationship is seen between the main plot and the subplot by two characters who assume the leadership and fatherly role, King Lear and Earl of Gloucester, they are both deceived by their children. Characters that constitute the subplot in Earl of Gloucester, Edmund and Edgar touch on the reflection on the major acts such as betrayal and madness hence highlight major themes. In William Shakespeare’s King Lear subplot development elaborated by Earl Gloucester, Edmund and Edgar's characters has been influential in giving a strong sens e of resonance, contradiction and complication to the major themes of father-child relationship, reconciliation and good versus evil hence strengthening the fact that subplot as a literature tool is an important asset in plays or stories plot development and helps to boldly portray the important message intended. Resonance as a subplot aspect in ‘King Lear’ resonates or binds the subplot and main plot and helps in bringing out the major theme the play was intended to portray. Father-child relationship is seen to be twisted in both positive and negative way.

Research paper '' email habit of UCLAN staff and students'' Essay

Research paper '' email habit of UCLAN staff and students'' - Essay Example The study has analyzed the importance of email in the campus life. It has accessed of how frequently and for what purpose emailing assists teachers and students in the campus. Keywords Communication; information; technology; email; emailing habits; electronic mail. Research Aims & Objectives To uncover the literature highlighting the importance of electronic mails. To analyze and comprehend email as a tool of campus communication. To determine the patterns of the use of the electronic mail by UCLAN staff and students. To draw understanding of the importance of electronic mail. Literature Review Introduction & Background In the modern era, where technology (computers and internet) is at every door step, people want to remain connected. Being connected means the way of life of the modern digital world [1]. No matter those are working men, teachers or students everyone is found interacted and engaged in this post modern system. This is all due to the vibrant World Wide Web media which i ncarnates strongest integration with the removal of the gaps of communication [1]. Communication is to have each others’ guidance and support at the time during work or during leisure period. This requirement of communication is fulfilled through internet which has closed down the spaces of society, community and the people of the system [8]. Students which are part of the society and are in the fast track bring the best use of internet. They get integrated with peers and teachers using different connecting mediums on the internet and on the World Wide Web media [13]. For exchanging thoughts during leisure time social media is mostly popular in students, but when a formal approach is needed, emailing is the right way to get connected [13]. Adapting the email format comes out suitable and sufficient for both teachers and students, as this is the method majority of institutions and colleges apply [2]. Emailing effectively connects students and teachers. It connects students, te achers and peers and maintains the relationship of the groups during the college time and the off time status. This is how through emailing habits, use of computer is there among students and among the faculty staff members [3]. A communication circle is maintained and regulated by emailing and the emailing habits [2]. Theoretical Framework The contemporary literature highlights that the use of technology (computers) and internet is extensive in college and high school level [9]. There are considerations given to college students in understanding their behaviors and their routine habits. The researchers have pointed out that the majority of students are habitual in using internet where the use of social media is most vibrant and adaptive. In perceptions of faculty staff members, students use internet to communicate [9]. They use it to create a social circle with peers and also to acquire lectures and tutorials during their off campus times. The literature highlights two types of com munication patterns that emerge from students and faculty staff members. The patterns identified are casual in which students come across to communicate peers and formal in which students concisely communicate with teachers. The authors identify that most formal communications are based on emailing [5]. Such formal communications are frequent through regular emails. Students send emails to teachers to take off time support on class lectures and

Man and the Machine Essay Example for Free

Man and the Machine Essay From the aeon of the history, we have perceived that man has been developing at jet speed in the fields of science and technology. Man, who once lived in the forest, in the natural state, is now on the cliff of mechanical advancement. The question arises today is, â€Å"who made whom? Did machine make man or man made the machine? The question might seem obscure or absurd but it intrigues us to ruminate over. The life leaning upon the Nature has taken a hue turn towards machines. Hence it’s difficult to operate man away from machines and visa versa. With the embrace of machines man has become systematic and machine perspective towards living. Man in history invented machines but became dependent too. Once man had cure in the nature, joy in the lap of nature and lived a satiated life in the bosom of Nature. Machines have denatured man. Machines that assumed â€Å"Nano† forms became part of man. Today one can’t but has to lean on them to survive. At present the machine is helping a small minority to live on at the exploitation of the masses. The motive force of this minority is not humanity and love of their kind, but greed and avarice. The craze of cell-phones is the best example today. We find no men without mobile. It’s a small machine that operates man in all his advancements. It’s not wrong to have such machines but the attachment and dependency of living on them has curtailed human freedom, energy and the strength. Ostensibly, it has become inseparable part of human living. Advances in technology have resulted in man feeling more isolated, alienated and lonesome as computers and i-pods have replaced human interaction. No man is sensitive to their feelings like machines when they are engaged by them. Should machines dominate us –rational, free human beings or should they be used for the development of our skills, talents and relationship? The question is applicable to all. Let us make the best of it to make the world a beautiful place to live in.