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Who Is Jing Mei Woo In The Joy Luck Club

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In the Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, a American born daughter of Chinese immigrants, a variety of collisions within Chinese-American cultures is explained. Most significantly the characters of Jing-Mei, representing the Americanized new generation of Chinese culture, and Suyuan, representing the Old Chinese generation, exemplify this throughout the novel.
For instance, when Jing-Mei Woo or “June”, the daughter of Suyuan Woo, who founded the Joy Luck Club, is introduced, she represents the Americanized new generation of the Chinese daughters in the story, which can already be inferred because of the Americanization of her name from Jing-Mei to “June”. She struggles with accepting her heritage and -like the other daughters in the novel- is a conformist to American culture and society, trying to abandon Chinese customs and values. While her mother, Suyuan Woo, represents the mothers in the story who are the older Chinese generation with laid back values and expectations trying to ensure an opulent life for their children. …show more content…
Suyuan for example always wanted Jing-mei to be gifted and tried to make her a genius, but gave up when Jing-mei’s stubbornness hindered her from being a talented Pianist, which only brought her Suyuan's disappointment and disapproval causing a big wage between them. The wage between them also contributes to the collision between their differing cultures. And also gives a clear light onto the fears of the mothers who are are afraid that giving their daughters American opportunities and self-sufficiency has alienated them from their Chinese

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