Amy Tan's "The Kitchen God's Wife"

Paper Summary:

In this article the writer notes that the main protagonists in 'The Kitchen God's Wife' by Amy Tan spend several decades fighting each other because of their differences that come from having completely different pasts. The writer explains that Winnie, the mother, was born and brought up in China and her daughter Pearl, lived all of her life in the United States. The writer then points out that when they finally begin to listen to each other, they realize that despite their different upbringing, they share more than they ever realized as women and mother and daughter. The writer concludes that with changing circumstances, the two are eventually able to begin to open up and peel away the layers that keep them apart.

From the Paper:

"Even if these two women were more open, their differences would have created barriers between them. Pearl, due to the death of her father when she was a teenager, has not completely grown up emotionally--despite the fact that she now is a wife and mother, herself. Her trauma has kept part of her from reaching maturity and being more patient and understanding of her mother. As children often do, she has a difficult time tolerating some of Winnie's personality traits and human quirks. Phil, Pearl's husband, who gets along well with his mother-in-law, tries to enhance the communication between the two women. He tells Pearl that she is being selfish and life is not always exactly as you want it. He is no more successful in bringing the mother and daughter together. In fact, in some ways he worsens the situation by making Pearl more resistant to change. Meanwhile, Winnie's experiences in the past have made her more negative and less patient overall with life. Whereas once she was a hopeful and happy young woman, she has turned into a much more fearful, superstitious and cautious individual."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bloom, Harold. Amy Tan. Philadelphia, PA: Chelsea House, 2001.
• Huntley, E.D. Critical Companion. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998.
• Lee, Ken-Fang. Cultural Translation and the Exorcist: A Reading of Kingston's and Tan's Ghost Stories. Mellus (2004). 29.2
• Nelson, Emmanuel S. Asian American Novelists: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000: 105+.

More papers on Amy Tan's "The Kitchen God's Wife":

• Analytical Essay # 22366 : "Amy Tan "The Kitchen God's Wife"
• Book Review # 97146 : "The Kitchen God's Wife"--A Review"
• Book Review # 97510 : "The Kitchen God's Wife"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: