Like a lot of
mothers and daughters in reality, there were very many miscommunications shared
between mothers and daughters throughout the book The Joy Luck Club. I
think that many of the conflicts that these mothers and daughters had were
because of the variation between their cultures, the mothers being Chinese and
the daughters being American. If instead of the characters being mothers and
daughters, they were fathers in sons, then the book would completely change.
The arguments between a mother and her daughter is different from a father and sons
for several reasons. First off, they are less influential than women. Another reason
would be that men would have less conflict. Lastly, men are slightly emotional.
My first
reason is that men are less prominent than women. It was June’s call to take
over her mother’s legacy and fulfill her wish after Suyan’s death. June was
influenced by her mother and legacy to fly to China to find her long lost
sister to give them Suyan’s message. Men do not typically influence others or
even have a sense of control over someone. This is why it would be a diverse
book if the women were instead men.
Another
reason to think why the book would change if the Chinese characters were men
instead, is that men seem to have less conflict with others in general. When Waverly
Jong gets overwhelmed by her mother’s constant pressure for chess in the
chapter called Rules of the Game, is one example. She breaks in emotion one day
with her mother and asks her why she has always tried to take credit for her
accomplishments. Waverly lost passion for chess just because of her mother’s
selfishness because of these conflicts.
The
last reason the book the book would be different if it revolved around men is
because men are not as emotional as women. They do not express or show their
feelings like women tend to do. They do not have any breakdowns or go from
being happy to mad or sad in seconds like women. Lena is confused from her
mother’s actions and state of mind in the chapter The Voice from the Wall. Lena’s
mom, Ying-Ying suffered from losing a baby, she would cry and not say much. She
even claimed to see the future, which affected Lena’s life because they never
interacted throughout Lena’s childhood. This barrier between them creates
diversity.
In
conclusion, I think this book would be different if the women were replaced by
men because of three reasons. First women are more influential than men. Also men
tend to have less conflict than women. And finally, men are generally less
emotional. I thought this book was inspirational because it shows the readers
to be grateful for the people and things in our lives because you never know
when you could lose it all. It taught me it’s better to enjoy my life instead
of constantly fighting because one day you can’t turn back the clock when you
miss it all. It is better to solve a problem than to have words that are left
unsaid.
