Project 3, Week 15, The Joy Luck Club

Project 3: Choose a reading selection. Explore the relationship between elements of the selection. 

How does setting influence character development – China vs San Francisco, California, US.

In the book, The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tran, there are four mothers, who were born and raised in China. All four woman immigrated to San Francisco, California, and had children of their own. Their children were born and raised in San Francisco, which was very different from China. Each mother had at least one daughter. The mothers wanted a different life for their children, a better one, but at the same time tried to instill their cultural values. Many years later, the mothers realized that although they wanted a better life for their children in America, it was very different from what they wanted and expected.

The author Amy Tran used many different literary devices throughout the book. The four literary devices that are used to tell the story of their current and past lives are flashback, characterization, paradox, and simile.

Flashback is used as a literary device in the following quote; “My mother, she suffered. She lost her face and tried to hide it. She found only greater misery and finally could not hide that. There is nothing more to understand. That was China… They had no choice. They could not speak up. They could not run away. That was their fate. But now they can do something else. Now they no longer have to swallow their own tears…” (241) The mother is flashing back to her childhood, tells a memory of her mother and how she could not have a voice for herself, she had to keep her feelings to herself, which lead to her misery and killing herself with an overdose of opioids.

“My daughter did not look pleases when I told her this, that she did not look Chinese. She had a sour American look on her face. Oh, maybe ten years ago, she would have clapped her hands – hurray!- as if it were good news. But now she wants to be Chinese, it is so fashionable. And I know it is too late. All those years I tried to teach her!” (253) This quote is using characterization as a literary device as the mother tried to explain to her daughter even though, she is Chinese, when she goes to visit China, they will know that she is a foreigner. She also explains her frustration about all of the years she tired to teach her daughter about her Chinese culture, she did not want to have anything to do with it or learn and now that she is an adult she wants to know and also her mother can teach her, it’s too late to learn everything.  

An example of a paradox from the story is “.. Chinese New Year, my mother gave me my “life’s importance,” a jade pendant on a gold chain. …..I stuffed the necklace in my lacquer box and forgot about it. ….I wonder what it means, because my mother died three months ago…. Shes the only person I could have asked, to tell me about life’s importance to help me understand my grief. I now wear that pendant every day” (197) This quote shows that although the jade pendant was suppose to show life’s importance but it did not mean anything until her mother was gone and now she wants to know what her life’s importance is.

The following quote is an example of simile, used as a literary device in the story. “She lies down on a psychiatrist couch, squeezing the tears out about this shame…..I know this, because I was raised the Chinese way. I was taught to desire nothing, to swallow other people’s misery, to eat my own bitterness. And even though I taught my daughter the opposite, still she came out the same way!” (215) The mother expresses her frustration about her daughter being able to tell a psychiatrist about her failures but does not tell her mother. She also gives a perfect example about how she was raised the “Chinese way” and she tried to teach her daughter the opposite. Although, she wanted differently for her daughter, still turned out the same way. The mother blames herself because her daughter watched her desire nothing and learned it from her.

The following are quotes from the last few chapters when the mothers realize that although they wanted a better life for their children and they tried to find a balance and teach them the Chinese and American cultures, it could not be done and they feel like they failed and now it is too late.

 “It’s my fault she is this way. I wanted my children to have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character. How could I know these two things did not mix?” (254)

“…but I couldn’t teach her about Chinese character. How to obey parents and listen to your mother’s mind. How not to show your own thoughts, to put your feelings behind your face so you can take advantage of hidden opportunities.” (254)

I really enjoyed reading this book and seeing the difference from the Chinese and American cultures and how hard it is to find a balance and teach children a different culture when they are surrounded by another and the children can not see the benefits of knowing both. The children also want to be like the other children and families they see which a part of assimilation, wanting to be like others and not being different because they might stand out.

Cited Work

Tran, Amy, et at “The Joy Luck Club”, Penguin Books, 2006

Literary Analysis, Week 15, Orientation: A Short Story by Daniel Orozco

This week I read and am using Orientation: A Short Story by Daniel Orozco, which was about an employee’s first day of work and is given an orientation by another co-worker for my analysis. The information given was too much, would be very overwhelming, and could cause anxiety. As I was reading this story I was getting anxiety with the information overload and trying to figure out who everyone is, and how to process all of the information given to me. I have given many new employee orientations and they were nothing like this. During the reading, I was envisioning the new employee’s face during this orientation and was laughing to myself.

Literary Elements: The character I will be analyzing as my literary element is the employee giving the Orientation. From the beginning of Orientation: A Short Story by Daniel Orozco, the employee giving the new employee the first day orientation provided too much information at one time and also provided information that was not needed and did not relate to the job. He was too concerned with sharing the other’s personal business and not focused on the new employee. Additionally, the information he provided was very vague and overwhelming, “This is your phone. Never answer your phone. Let the Voicemail System answer it. This is your Voicemail System Manual.” Paragraph 1.

Themes: The whole short story was about information given during a new employee orientation. During this time the employee was given a lot of information about his workplace, however much of this information had nothing to do with his actual job. I feel like of the personal information given about the co workers was inappropriate, not related, and could cause pre-judgement of them. It is important to learn about others character for yourself because the experience or view someone else has may not be yours and can cause issues.

Context: The amount of personal and non-work related information given was inappropriate. “Russell Nash, who sits in the cubicle to your left, is in love with Amanda Pierce, who sits in the cubicle to your right. They ride the same bus together afterwork.” Paragraph 4. This is a perfect example of information given and not needed.

This was a good short story to read because it made me think about how I have felt during a first day orientation of a new job. I already feel anxious, nervous, and unsure, if I had this orientation, I honestly would not come back. I believe first impressions are everything.

Cited Work
https://fsgworkinprogress.com/2011/05/17/orientation-by-daniel-orozco/

Reading Notes B, Week 15, Cathedral By Raymond Carver (1981)

This blind man, an old friend of my wife’s, he was on his way to spend the night.

She hadn’t seen him since she worked for him one summer in Seattle ten years ago.

I wasn’t enthusiastic about his visit.

And his being blind bothered me.

My idea of blindness came from the movies.

She told me he touched his fingers to every part of her face, her nose- even her neck!

“I don’t have blind friends,” I said.

They’d married, lived and worked together, slept together – had sex, sure – and then the blind man had to bury her.

Imagine a woman who could never see herself as she was seen in the eyes of her loved one.

I saw my wife laughing as she parked the car. I saw her get of the car and shut the door. She was still wearing a smile. Just amazing.

This blind man was late forties, a heavy-set, balding man with stooped shoulders, as if he carried a great weight there. He wore brown slack, brown shoes, a light brown shirt, a tie, a sports coat. Spiffy. He also had this full beard.

I watched with admiration as he used his knife and fork on the meat. He’d cut two pieces of the meat, fork the meat into his mouth, and then go all out for the scalloped potatoes, the beans next, and then he’d tear off a hunk of butter bread and eat that.

“Close your eyes now,” the blind man said to me.

So we kept on with it. His fingers rose my fingers as my hand went over the paper. It was like nothing else in my life up to now.

My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything.

“It’s really something,” I said.

Literary devices used

Imagery

Setting

Characterization

Reading Notes A, Week 15, Orientation: A Short Story by Daniel Orozco

An employee is hired at a company. It is first day and is having an orientation about his workplace. The employee is being shown around the office and is even way too much information regarding his job, his surroundings, and co-workers. As I was reading it, I felt overwhelmed, I could not imagine being the employee. I also thought it was funny because of all of the details included.

Quotes from the reading:  

·         Those are the offices and these are the cubicles. That’s my cubicle there, and this is your cubicle. This is your phone. Never answer your phone. Let the Voicemail System answer it.

·         You must pace your work. If you have twelve hours of work in your in-box, for example, you must compress that work into the eight-hour day. If you have one hour of work in your in-box, you must expand that work to fill the eight- hour day.

·         Feel free to ask questions. Ask too many questions, however, and you may be let go.

·         Russell Nash, who sits in the cubicle to your left, is in love with Amanda Pierce, who sits in the cubicle to your right.

·         This is the fire exit. There are several on this floor, and they are marked accordingly. These are precautions only. These things never happen.

·         This is the micro wave oven. You are allowed to heat food in the microwave oven. You are not, however, allowed to cook food in the microwave oven.

·         Barry Hacker, who sits over there, steals food from this refrigerator. His petty theft is an outlet for his grief. Last New Year’s Eve, while kissing his wife, a blood vessel burst in her brain.

·         Do not touch the shredder, which is located over there. The shredder is of no concern to you.

·         If you have problems with the photocopier, see Russell Nash. If you have any questions, ask your supervisor. If you can’t find your supervisor, ask Phillip Spiers. He sits over there. He’ll check with Clarissa Nicks. She sits over there. If you can’t find them, feel free to ask me. That’s my cubicle. I sit in there.

Cited work
https://fsgworkinprogress.com/2011/05/17/orientation-by-daniel-orozco/