Assimilation in the "Joy Luck Club"

Paper Summary:

The paper examines how the film "The Joy Luck Club" describes the experiences and struggles of four women who emigrated from mainland China to the United States. The paper analyzes the characters of the four women and how the film portrays their relationships with their American born daughters. The paper also shows how, through the struggle of assimilation, the film reveals many aspects of traditional Chinese culture, women's roles and attitudes of mainland Chinese for those that have "abandoned" their traditional culture.

From the Paper:

"The mother's experiences in the film serve to compare and contrast the assimilation experiences of themselves. The focus of the story is on how the experiences of the mothers affect the daughters and their sense of identity as Chinese Americans. Through examining the mothers, one can gain insight as to how they cope with the process of assimilation. There are many different reactions and opinions regarding the struggle to maintain ties with their ancestral identity and to cope with life in the new land. Each of the women displays a different set of stereotypical ideals and traits that are associated with Chinese women."

Sample of Sources Used:

• The Joy Luck Club. Director: Wayne Wang. Hollywood Pictures. 1993.

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