The Woman Warrior and The Joy Luck Club: A Search for an Ethnic and Female Identity
-
-
[1] Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Madrid, España
-
- Localización: Evolving origins, transplanting cultures: literary Legacies of the news Americans / coord. por Laura Alonso Gallo; Antonia Domínguez Miguela (aut.), 2002, ISBN 978-84-95699-70-1, págs. 129-136
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
-
Resumen
This essay deals with the issue of the quest of ethnic and female identity portrayed in Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior and Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club, through the female characters and their voices. On the one hand, there is a search for their identity, as they are hybrid beings (either Chinese—Chinese-born—or Asian American —American-born) and feel they do not belong anywhere. They even regard themselves as beings having two faces, sacrificing one when showing the other. On the other hand, the essay explores the subject of gender identity—female wish of freedom versus male chauvinist tradition—that has undermined women in several ways. It could be said the most important aspect in this essay is the dichotomy voice-voicelessness, which corresponds with that of power-powerlessness. We notice how women equal men through voice in the moment they dare to express verbally and overtly their feelings, thoughts, and so on. The tradition of silent women is left out and 'voiced' female characters arise. Definitely, the patriarchal model is deconstructed. It is also mentioned the matrilineal tradition of story-telling which passes from generation to generation. In doing so, women are considered the real keepers of an oral tradition. The achievement of female younger generations in their search for ethnic and female identity is also highlighted in the analysis of both novels.
