Tuesday, May 13
Comparision
Think about what you know, or think you know about the Chinese. Compare your view with how the book portrays the Chinese. Are there any similarities? Differences? Is there anything you are surprised by? But to be fair, you should mention if you think the novel does a good job of portraying this race.
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4 comments:
The Chinese people I know stick very closely to tradition. Even in America, they stick closely to any Chinese tradition, which I have to admit, does have some sort of logical origin most of the time. Chinese people also tend to be very big givers. When eating at a restaurant, the adults fight over the bill. When eating, they are always piling more onto your plate. At times, they can also be painfully polite. I believe Amy Tan makes a rather accurate representation of the Chinese. In fact, I would be surprised if she didn't. I beleive she, too, is Chinese.
I think the book does a very good job at prtraying the Chinese customs. She shows the contrast between American and Chinese ways of thinking. The mothers are always trying to teach their children "why chinese thinking is best" and it might not be the best, but I believe it to be better than American ways in some circumstances.
She also shows the things the Chinese went through in mainland China. She used concubines, what Chinese refugess had to give up, and the difficulty of raising a child in a foreign country where everything is different to show the struggles.
And Chinese people (mostly elders) always talk through parables.
She seems to have covered mostly everything.
The way this novel portrays the Chinese is surprising, reading this fictional book I would this these Chinese families are true! There are differences though, it seems the mothers and daughters actions and personality are much too extreme, but I guess this is the reason why this book is good.
I think this book does a good job in playing on stereotypes of Chinese people but still shows the reader a deeper part of the culture. The broken English speaking of the adults is definitely a stereotype. The conflict between cultures is always a problem with people and generations.
Amy Tan does a good job in portraying Chinese culture through her novel. Her use of the characters stories to present the history of the Chinese plays a great part to her success. For example, immersing the reader into the custom of arranged marriages and old Chinese tales.
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