Abstract

The Joy Luck Club is Amy Tan’s magnum opus, is widely considered to be one of the most significant works to study the cultural difference between the east and west, and it is thus often included on the list of the most influential or greatest books. The novel mainly tells the story about four immigrant mother and their American-born daughters. Four mothers are born, raised and educated in China, so they can hardly forget their traditional cultures although they are in America. They hope their daughters have patience, submission and be obedient and can complete the goal they can not realize. But their American daughter  emphasize independence and self realization and want to strive on their own. Due to the difference between the East and West, American-born daughters and their immigrant mothers have misunderstanding and conflict. 

This thesis begins with the story of four Chinese immigrant mothers and their American daughters in The Joy Luck Club. The paper will mainly analyze the difference between the east and west in the following aspects: attitudes towards marriage; educational philosophy; characters difference and finally explore the reasons for this difference. It aims to reveal the cultural conflicts and integration between the east and west.

Keywords:  cultural difference; The Joy Luck Club; east and west

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. Literature Review-1

2.1 Amy Tan and the work The Joy Luck Club-1

2.2 Relevant researches on The Joy Luck Club-2

3. Differences of the West and East-3

3.1 Attitudes differences towards marriage-3

3.2 Attitudes differences towards education-3

3.3 Relationship differences among family members-5

3.4 Character differences between the East and West-7

4. Reasons for the Differences-9

4.1 Educational reasons-9

4.2 Cultural reasons-9

4.3 Economical reasons-10

5. Conclusion-10

Works Cited-12