论文总字数：35773字

摘 要

《喜福会》是美国著名华裔女作家谭恩美的处女作，小说描述了四对移民母女之间复杂的情感故事，生动演绎了两代人在中美不同文化背景下由激烈误会冲突到逐渐包容理解的过程。本文基于对小说中主要人物性格、两代人不同的命运以及母女关系的变化的研究，主要从爱情婚姻观，家庭观，个人价值观以及语言表达方式等角度，对比分析中美文化的诸多差异和融合；进一步全面探讨产生文化冲突的原因，号召人们在全球化日益加强的背景下，以开放包容的态度对待中西方文化冲突，积极促进文化交流与融合。

关键词：喜福会；文化冲突；文化融合

Content

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 2

2.1 Previous Research on This Topic 2

2.2 Significance of the Study 3

3. The Cultural Conflicts Between China and America in The Joy Luck Club 3

3.1 Differences in Marital Views 4

3.2 Differences in Expressing Manners 6

3.3 Differences in Family Concepts 8

4. Causes of Cultural Conflicts in The Joy Luck Club 10

4.1 The Environmental Cause 10

4.2 The Cultural Cause 11

5. The Cultural Compatibility Between China and America in The Joy Luck Club 11

5.1 Compatibility of Mothers and Daughters 11

5.2 Compatibility of Cultural Identity 13

6. Conclusion 13

Works Cited 15

1. Introduction

Born in 1952 in Oakland, California, Amy Tan is brought up in a Chinese immigrant family. After the death of her elder brother and father, she moved with her mother to Switzerland at the age of fifteen where she finished her high school. Later she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and linguistics from San José State University. In 1974, she married Louis DeMattei and they lived in New York and San Francisco after marriage. Before she became a renowned Chinese-American writer, she has been engaged in a lot of occupations, such as consultant, literary editor and onscreen writer. The Joy Luck Club, the first book written by Amy Tan, has achieved a huge success after its publication in 1989. It not only won National Book Award, but also remained on New York Times best-seller list for several months and later was translated into nearly 35 languages.

The Joy Luck Club, based on the thread of the main character June’s life experience, is composed of sixteen intricate interlocking stories about the lives of eight Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters. In the novel, all the mothers have experienced the disastrous upheaval in pre-liberation China. Tough they have lived in the United States for a very long time, to a large extent, they are still greatly influenced by the remnants of Chinese cultural beliefs and they are a carrier of Chinese heritage. Their daughters, however, exposed to the American culture from birth and accustomed to the westerners’ independent way of thinking, couldn’t understand their mothers’ heart and even view them as the fossils of feudal society. On one hand, mothers make every effort to train their daughters to be perfect so as to avoid being looked down upon in the melting pot. On the other hand, their daughters, however, imbued with deep-rooted American moral standards and acting principles, are not willing to be interfered and controlled by anyone. Therefore, a number of problems have arisen in the unique American Context, such as arguments about different teaching methods, family concepts, views on love and dining manners.

However, as time goes by, after undergoing a series of conflicts, the two generations begin to understand each other and live in harmony due to their combined efforts of understanding and love. More importantly, it represents that contradiction or disputes in our lives between generations or different cultures can possibly be well reconciled.

2. Literature Review

2.1 Previous Research on This Topic

The Joy Luck Club written by Amy Tan is considered to be one of the prominent representative works of Chinese American literature, which has aroused great interest both at home and abroad among the scholars, readers as well as the critics. Specifically, they probe into the study from the following perspective:

Firstly, some scholars think the novel endeavors an attempt to unveil the mysteries of Chinese culture through the miserable life experiences of the four immigrant mothers. Through the description of the acceptance of the two cultures between the two generations, most studies center on the orientalism embodied in this novel. Edward Said has pointed out, “Orientalism is a way of thinking which is based on the distinction between ontology and epistemology of the‘east’and‘west’” (Zhou Chaobo amp; Zhang Yuejia, 2013:231) Zhangjun once said that the whole process from the misunderstandings to the compatibility in The Joy Luck Club was the best proof of the eradication of the oriental ideology. (Zhang Jun, 2013:100)

Secondly, the images of the women in the novel are distinctive and all of them have striking personalities, which leave great impressions on all the researchers. After going through a series of incredible tragedies, the four immigrant mothers begin to rebel against the feudal society in search of a new life. Thus, a vast majority of scholars focus their studies from the perspective of feminism awakening and the concept of the gender equality reflected in this novel. “Unwilling to yield to the unfair fate, the mothers in The Joy Luck Club try to struggle with the life and achieve their own value, which indicates the awakening of the feminisim.” (Sun Gang, 2010:141)

Last but not least, nowadays context has played an important role in communication. The leading anthropologist Edward T. Hall defines high and low contexts cultural factors in his famous book Beyond Culture in 1976. He proposed that a high context communication or message is one in which most of the information is already in the person, while very little is in the coded, explicitly transmitted part of the message. (Hall, 1976: 79) A low context communication is just the opposite: the mass of the information is vested in the explicit code. (Hall, 1976:70) Meanwhile, as the representative work of Chinese-American literature, the novel The Joy Luck Club details the different contexts between four Chinese immigrant mothers and their American born daughters. Therefore, quite a few critics focus on the international communication between the two generations in the light of high-context and low-context theory proposed by Edward T. Hall. (Li Yan, 2010:26)

2.2 Significance of the Study

Nowadays, the international economic, technological and cultural exchanges between China and America have become more frequent. In order to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings during the international communication and cooperation, we Chinese should pay more attention to cultural differences reflected on different occasions. The Joy Luck Club focuses on complicated conflicts from different perspectives such as family concepts, table manners, educational method. It vividly shows the oppositions of the two generations, two cultures and two nations. What is revealed in this novel about cultural differences enables us to have a specific understanding of cultural differences of different aspects. Meanwhile, with the harmonious settlements of the conflicts, it also heralds that in the foreseeable future different cultures could seek compatibility and coexist harmoniously.

As the world is getting smaller and smaller, culture exchanges between China and the USA are becoming increasingly frequent. We should not only show respect for the foreign culture but also absorb the essence to create our unique modern Chinese culture. For one thing, we must retain our fine traditional culture and spare no effort to demonstrate the beauty of the oriental to the world. For another, we should seek common grounds while reserving differences of different cultures so as to promote dialogue and compatibility among different civilizations.

3. The Cultural Conflicts Between China and America in The Joy Luck Club

Conflicts between the mothers and their daughters are the main plot in The Joy Luck Club as their cultural backgrounds are totally different from each other. For one thing, the mothers are deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture. For another, their daughters are born and brought up in American mainstream culture. Thus in the beginning, the daughters inevitably hold a strong prejudice against their mothers and the Chinese culture, and a number of problems have arisen when they get along with each other.

3.1 Differences in Marital Views

As a fundamental institution, marriage has existed for thousands of years since the dawn of history. The marriage tie is also the closest and longest relationship among interpersonal relations. Every nation has its unique marriage culture and wedding customs owing to the influences of special geographical environment and historical background. What’s more, marriage relationship is playing an important role in comprehending social relationships, which not only reflects the political status, but also indicates financial conditions and social customs.

3.1.1 Chinese Views on Marriage

To contract a marriage by parents order and on the matchmaker’s word is the traditional way of selecting a spouse in pre-liberation China, which has been in existence for thousands of years. In other words, affiance plays an important role in selecting a spouse in China and the vast majority of parents would choose a wife for their son with the help of a matchmaker. In the novel The Joy Luck Club, Lindo Jong is the best example. When she was only two years old, the village matchmaker and Huang Taitai came to her family to look for a child bride. They watched her carefully and inspected a lot of aspects and conditions. In such a simple meeting with her parents, she became betrothed to Huang Taitai’s son, someone she has never met before. As mentioned in the novel, “An earth horse for an earth sheep. This is the best marriage combination.”(Amy Tan, 1989: 50) Though Lindo Jong was unwilling to marry a stranger, she had no choice but to obey the orders. As the old saying goes that a married daughter is split water. After the contract, the whole family treated her like a guest as if she has belonged to someone else. Her mother would remind her of the regulations and etiquettes all the time and teach her to be obedient, care for the old and so on.

In their opinion, marriage is not only a joining together of two individuals, but also a union between two families, which always serves the interests of two families. Raising proper sons and carrying on the family line may be the most significant function of the marriage. When Lindo became a daughter-in-law officially, the first thing she had to do was to worship the ancestors, please her mother-in-law and follow the instructions without question. No one cared about her well-being but whether she was pregnant or not. When months had gone by, her stomach still remained flat and had no result. Huang Taitai became furious and outraged, shouting at her: “My son says he’s planted enough seeds for thousands of my grandchildren. Where are they? It must be you are doing something wrong.” (Amy Tan, 1989: 62)

Even in today’s society, on the surface, we have the rights and freedom to marry anyone we love, but in reality growing under the wings of parents, we are more or less manipulated by our parents because conventional principles and ethics have a deep impact on us, not to mention the girls in the feudal society. Whether they are satisfied with the spouse or whether they could get along well with each other makes no sense because they couldn’t take hold of their own marriages. Nowadays, most people in China still put weight on a decent background and equal social rank rather than common interests and love. In a sense, marriage is not so much combination of congenial spirits as a stable economic income.

3.1.2 American Views on Marriage

In contrast, American marriages attach more significance to true love than economic conditions. The vast majority of Americans consider marriage as a combination of two individuals and a union of love. As is known to us all, the United States is renowned for its free love. According to the survey, 90% of the Americans believe that love is the first condition to maintain a good marriage. (Cai Qi, 2000:90) In their views, marriage with love is of high quality regardless of family backgrounds or social status, which can be reflected by daughter Rose’s marriage in the novel The Joy Luck Club. Unlike those girls who abide by the principles of “three obedience and four virtues” in China, Rose had the courage to express her own ideas, which drew Ted’s attention. Ted was born in a rich family with numerous property and possessions, and more importantly, he is white. In America, race is one of the greatest barriers in the marriage. Allowing for Ted’s future career, Ted’s mother once looked down upon Rose’s Asian descent and disapproved of their love. But, Ted still fell in love with Rose at all costs, and made his utmost efforts to fight for his love. In some degree, he believed that love is the primary element to maintain a harmonious marriage. With combined efforts from Ted and Rose, they finally persuaded his family and got married. In the United States, it is not uncommon to find that a boy with a silver spoon marries a modern Cinderella of humble origin in the end because westerners think love is impulsive and out of intuition. Other factors such as the social status, educational level, or family background, will not be taken into consideration.

Meanwhile, marriage is just a kind of form. Once the feelings are gone, the marriage may break up. As time goes by, owing to less communication and understanding, Rose and Ted began to quarrel about numerous trivial matters, such as what to eat, where to go and when to leave. As is mentioned in the novel, “This was such a big leap in logic, between what I said and what he said, that I thought we were like two people standing apart on separate mountain peaks, recklessly leaning forward to throw stones at one another, unaware of the dangerous chasm that separated us.” (Amy Tan, 1989: 120) Rose realized that her marriage was on the verge of ending, and she was inclined to separate with Ted. When she chose a right moment to tell her mother An Mei about divorce, as expected, her mother was amazed at the news and tried every means to persuade her to restore the relationships with Ted because for Chinese divorce is regarded as a misfortune and it is like dark bruises that you can not get rid of in the rest of your life. But for Rose, marriage without love and feelings is hopeless and at last after careful consideration she chose to get divorced with Ted.

3.2 Differences in Expressing Manners

Along with cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, expressing manners have been playing an increasingly important role in our daily life. Decent expressing manners not only make a good impression on others and enhance friendship but also even bring you success. China, as one of the world"s oldest cradles of civilization, is famous for its etiquette; meanwhile, western countries have also formed unique expressing manners. So to fully understand the differences of expressing manners on different occasions is particularly important.

3.2.1 Chinese Expressing Manners

China is a country of courtesy and propriety. Therefore, no matter what happens or given any situation, they need to consider the feelings of others and the euphemistic expression is a typical method to show their politeness. Chinese are not used to convey the meanings straightforwardly and there are always a lot of connotations hidden in the sentences.

In the first story of Jing-Mei Woo, there are some examples. When all the members had a family gathering in An-Mei’s house, June’s mother said to June: “You’re responsible.” (Amy Tan, 1989: 28) In other words, it means that you would be in trouble if anything is broken or there is something wrong with other babies. Another example is that when they played mah jong and chatted with each other, Auntie Ying said: “Police arrested Mrs. Emerson’s son last weekend. Mrs. Chan told me at church. Too many TV sets found in his car.” (Amy Tan, 1989: 35) Then Auntie Lin quickly replied: “Aii-ya, Mrs. Emerson good lady.” (Amy Tan, 1989: 35) In other words, Mrs. Emerson didn’t deserve such a terrible son. But in fact there is a deeper message hidden in this sentence. Because An Mei’s youngest son was arrested for selling stolen car stereos. So Auntie Lin’s reply was just intended to avoid any embarrassments and awkward silences.

What’s more, influenced by Confucian culture, Chinese hold the belief that modesty is a certain kind of virtue. To some degree, self-depreciation is another performance of modesty. Lindo Jong was proficient at cooking and it was what she always took pride in. When Waverly took her boyfriend for dinner, Lindo prepared a lot of delicious food. Things happened. “That night she chose to direct it toward her famous steamed pork and preserved vegetable dish, which she always served with special pride. ‘Ai! This dish not salty enough, no flavor,’ she complained after tasting a small bite. ’It is too bad to eat.’” (Amy Tan, 1989: 178) For the other family members, although Lindo didn’t think highly of the dishes explicitly, they all knew it’s a cue to proclaim that the dish was the best she had ever made. They have been accustomed to this implicit style of communication.

3.2.2 American Expressing Manners

In China, people always spare no effort to show great hospitality for entertaining the guests. Unlike that Chinese are in the habit of using some obscure connotations to express their feelings, Americans prefer to clearly speak out their ideas, feelings, and so on.

In the novel The Joy Luck Club, when Aunt Lindo took out of her adept dish. Although she said that this dish is not salty enough, no flavor, it’s too bad to eat. We Chinese all know that it’s a cue to praise it. “But before we could do so, Rich said: ‘You know, all it needs a little soy sauce.’ And he proceeded to pour a riverful of the salty black stuff on the platter.”(Amy Tan, 1989: 178) You can imagine how others were shocked at his reflection towards this dish. More importantly, when they finished the dinner and went home, Rich even thought that everything was OK and he could get along well with her parents. In other words, he never realized that there was something wrong with his behavior. Because we Chinese enjoy the pleasant atmosphere of family unions, and we are willing to praise others even though something is not satisfying. Sometimes flattery is essential and it is a basic skill. However, to some degree, Americans aren’t familiar with such mild and roundabout way of expressing; they prefer to express their ideas in a rigid and direct way.

Much worse, when Rich left Waverly’s house, he said goodbye to her parents by their first names. “‘Linda, Tim,’ he said, “we will see you again soon, I’m sure.’” (Amy Tan, 1989: 179) In China, the younger generation is not allowed to call the elders’ names directly as it is regarded as not respecting others. While in America, such behavior is considered as a way to show their intimacy and love.

3.3 Differences in Family Concepts

Family is a basic unit to carry on cultural heritage. It is the cradle of human culture in terms of education, ethics and so on. As exposed to different cultures, different people hold different family concepts and personal values.

3.3.1 Chinese Family Concepts

In China, family tie is based on blood, which is supported by strict hierarchy system. (Guan Peilan amp; Shi Ning, 1998:32) We are educated to respect the old and take care of the young at a very early age. There is no denying that you should be filial to your parents and obey their orders without any question. If you say “shut up” to your parents, it is considered to be rather aggressive and you would be condemned morally. For the parents, they think that they are entitled to arrange everything for their children, who have no choice but to be absolutely obedient. In this case Chinese usually regard the family as an integral unit, which binds them together and all family members stand or fall together.

In the novel The Joy Luck Club, Jing-Mei’s mother always believed that she could be a prodigy and could do well in everything. One day when she watched The Ed Sulliwan Show on TV, she was deeply attracted by the program and believed that her daughter Jing-Mei also had the gift and would be a brilliant pianist in the near future. Later Jing-Mei was forced to learn from a retired piano teacher regardless of her interest. After that, she kept fighting with her mother and made every effort to disappoint her mother. In a talent-show, she played awfully on purpose. She had thought that after that failure her mother wouldn’t compel her to practice playing the piano. Instead, her mother became more strict with her than ever before and Jing-Mei tried every means to rebel her. Then Jing-Mei screamed and shouted that she would never play any more. But the reply from her mother is quite determined. “Only two kinds of daughters. Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter! ” (Amy Tan, 1989: 142)

Therefore, we can know that in a collectivism-oriented culture, family is not a place where you can do whatever you like and follow your heart. It is valued as the place where people acquire their identities. Each member should put the honor of a family in the first place and whatever he does should bring credit for the whole family.

3.3.2 American Family Concepts

As is known to us all, America is renowned for its freedom and individuality. Unlike the first immigrant mothers who wanted to achieve their self-worth through cultivating their daughters, the America-born daughters were more concerned about their own feelings instead of others’ opinions. All these changes indicate that with the rapid development of the economy, people l have their own values and thoughts and long for more independent space and. (Li Yuyan amp; Li Jing, 2007:175)

In the story of Rules of the Game, Waverly had a gift for playing chess. As she attended more tournaments, she won all games in all divisions and she was honored as Chinatown Chess Champion. Her mother was so proud and flattered every time she brought her daughter to visit many places and introduced her to a lot of people. For Waverly, that was just a form of showing. “Why do you have to use me to show off? If you want to show off, then why don’t you learn to play chess.’’ (Amy Tan, 1989: 99) She no longer wanted to regard her mother as the authority and tried to rebel against her mother. Generally speaking, children in America are reluctant to be interfered with their private affairs, because they want to enhance their all-round abilities when they are young. (Xie Lijun, 2010:108)

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