“Understanding nourishes belonging ...a lack of understanding prevents it. “
Demonstrate how your prescribed text and ONE other related text of your own choosing represent this interpretation of belonging.
Belonging is a multi-facetated concept that encompasses both beneficial and detrimental aspects, as it can either provide feelings of sense of security and companionship, or have the exact opposite effect and produce feelings of animosity, disaffection and estrangement. The texts ‘The Joy Luck club’ and ‘Devil wears Prada’ are both exemplary texts in depicting the interpretation of understanding and a lack of understanding which acts as a catalyst to belong. ‘The Joy Luck Club’ tells the story of four Chinese immigrants and their Americanised daughters who tell the stories of their mothers through four parables. ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ tells the story of a young woman, Andy, who in her newly gained job as a co-assistant in the chaotic unfamiliar world of high-end fashion, portrays the concept that understanding can nourish belonging or a lack of understanding can hinder belonging, thus portraying an absence of belonging.
Belonging to a culture brings stability at a place. This aspect is widely expressed through the text ‘The Joy Luck Club’ with Jing-Mei as the focus. After the death of her mother, Jing-Mei is forced to carry on the role as the ‘fourth corner’ in the parable ‘Joy Luck Club.’ Through her barriers of lack of understanding and knowledge of her Chinese culture, it is evident from the outset that she doesn’t belong to the Joy Luck Club, and thus feeling a sense of isolation and displacement. This is evident through the quote, “Nobody says to me ‘come sit here, this is where your mother used to sit’” (pg 32). Throughout the chapter, Jing-Mei suffers silently as she receives criticisms for dropping out of school. The mood in this chapter is quite nostalgic, due to the use of flashbacks. As Jing-Mei has flashbacks of her mother’s reason for establishing the Joy Luck Club, the tone was bright and full of hope and dreams that Suyan Woo had for her daughter. The chapter is constructed with a number of different flashbacks. This allows Tan to show how the past impinges with the present and how ones heritage flows through one-self’s life. However, Jing-Mei feels more connected to her mother by establishing more connection to her Chinese culture through broadening an understanding and adapting traditions by conforming. She gains determination by fulfilling her mother’s wish, which was meeting her long lost sisters in China that her mother left behind when she migrated to America. This concept is also evident when Jing-Mei begins to realise the best qualities of herself, her mother and her culture when she is given the Jade pendant. Her self-worth is enhanced, and thus feels more stable and synchronised in the Joy Luck club. This is evident through the quote, “And, I think my mother was right, I am becoming Chinese” (pg 267). Through a connection to her culture, it creates a distinctive bond with her and the Joy Luck club, thus feeling a song sense of connection to a place by nourishing an understanding on the culture. Even though Jing-Mei suffered a loss of her mother, she still gained two siblings and realise the importance of her mother’s teachings, and thus, connect to the Joy Luck club by developing feelings of satisfaction and contentment.
Belonging can be derived from belonging to a culture by feeling stability at a place, which is demonstrated in the text ‘The Devil Wears Prada.’ At the beginning of the text, the protagonist Andy, is introduced to the upper-end fashion couture, a chaotic and stressful workplace environment and the cynical and demanding magazine editor, Miranda Priestly. Through these barriers, it is evident from the outset she doesn’t belong through her lack of knowledge on the fashion elite. Multiple sequences are used to clearly illustrate the stressful and chaotic world that Andy is introduced to. It also exemplifies the idea that she clearly isn’t comfortable with the transition in the metamorphosis of the fashion world. The juxtaposition of Andy’s appearance to the appearance of the fashion environment also assists and shapes the audiences understanding that she clearly doesn’t belong, which further symbolises the barriers of belonging. This is further evident in the quote, “You’re right, I don’t fit in here, I’m not skinny or glamorous, and I don’t know a lot about fashion.” Through this, it is evident that she feels displaced and a sense of disarray. However, Andy conforms to the workplace by altering her appearance and broadening her knowledge on the fashion industry and influential icons. This is evident when Andy is complimented by her co-assistant – “you look chic.” This brings about feelings of achievement, and officially symbolises the successful transition into the fashion elite ‘world’ by belonging to all aspects of the workplace.
Belonging is also derived from comfortability within oneself. This concept is effectively demonstrated in the ‘Joy Luck Club’ and the character of Lindo Jong as she expresses the most anxiety over her cultural identity. She has always believed in her ability to shift between her two faces – one was used to comply with the traditions and culture, and the other was used to represent her true self. Both faces were exchangeable, but not compatible. Lindo’s inability to reconcile her Chinese heritage with her American surroundings acts as a barrier for Lindo’s true identity to be established, which is expressed through the parable ‘The Red Candle.’ From a young age, Lindo was arranged to marry a man she didn’t know. The Red Candle symbolises Chinese culture and traditions. If it blew out, the marriage wouldn’t end happily. This is demonstrated through the quote, “it meant that I couldn’t divorce, or even re-marry, even if Tyan-yu died” (pg 59). Lindo was able to extricate herself from an unhappy marriage, and the tyranny and oppression of her mother-in-law without dishonouring the promise to her family, thus increasing her self-esteem. Tan’s use of first person allows the audience to experience the challenges and experiences of Lindo. Further, it allows the audience to connect to the persona on a personal level, and can understand Lindo’s feelings of confusion and isolation. A cyclical structure is used, representing the mothers and daughters stories and how they diverge in their paths, but all come back to a single point of unconditional love and understanding. Moreover, it suggests that the stories occurred in the past, will recur in future generations. Lindo’s ability to shift between two faces is expressed through the quotes, “I smile, I use my American face.” (pg 255) and “I smile. Only this time I use my Chinese face” (pg 256). After developing a greater connection to her daughter, Waverly, Lindo realises that her ability to shift between her true self and her public self, may not always be used and wonders if her public self is not, infact, her true self. Lindo gains a greater understanding of herself through the greater knowledge of herself and her capabilities, thus feeling a sense of security.
‘The Devil Wears Prada’ is also an effective text in effectively portraying the concept of comfortability with oneself. After Andy is confronted with the reality that she is becoming more like her cynical boss Miranda, she realises that she doesn’t want to belong to her unorthodox and shallow nature due to its emotionless concept. Andy also realises that her world, with the inclusion of her friends and devoted partner Nate, conflicts with the nature of her workplace, and cannot be compatible. This is due to the fact that she has sacrificed her friends to belong in the workplace. This is evident when Nate tells Andy, “I liked the old you.” Andy feels derived from her true-self and isolated from her loved ones. After Miranda tells Andy “I see a great deal of myself in you,” Andy replies “what if I don’t want to live the way you live.” This exemplification brings about Andy’s self-realisation and her greater understanding of her capabilities and herself. The use of wide shots and long shots symbolise the ‘bigger picture’ of Andy walking away from Miranda’s world. It also symbolises the fact that Andy’s understanding has acted as a catalyst for her withdrawal from Miranda’s world, and thus, being able to nourish belonging. Additionally, joyful music is used to enhance this concept further, generating a content mood in the final scenes of the film. Andy therefore generates feelings of satisfaction and contentment with being her ‘true self.’
In conclusion, it cannot be doubted that both texts are exemplary in portraying an absence of connection through a lack of understanding, and understanding that nourishes belonging. It is through cinematic techniques, that this aspect can be effectively depicted to the responders.