Double Face & A Pair of Tickets: Lindo Jong & Jing-Mei Woo

"And although we don't speak, I know that we all see it: Together we look like our mother. Her same eyes, her same mouth, open in surprise to see, at last, her long-cherished wish"(288, Jing-Mei Woo).

Danielle comes into her own and lives happily ever after

This quote shows that Jing-Mei Woo is a round character, because she changes her image of herself and her mother. In these last two chapters, the narrators see how they are connected to their heritage. Lindo fears that she has made Waverly unlike any Chinese, but sees that shes wrong. When Jing-Mei goes to China to meet her sisters she isn't sure how Chinese and like her mother she really is.  I can compare this to the movie Ever After. In the movie, the main character Danielle disguises herself as a high ranking woman. She meets and falls in love with the prince, who after finding out that she was simply a peasant, wants nothing to do with her. Even though it hurts, Danielle realizes that she is who she is and that she is proud of herself regardless. The Prince soon realizes that he loves her no matter what her social standing. The moral of the story, and of The Joy Luck Club, is to be who you are no matter what, and never be ashamed of what or where you come from. 

Magpies & Waiting Between the Trees: An-Mei Hsu & Ying-ying St.Clair

" What my uncle has said was true. After I saw my brother this way, I could not keep my head lifted"(219, An-Mei Hsu).

skip to 4:20 

This quote shows a new mood for the mothers in the book. The reader really starts to see the guilt behind the mothers. An-Mei talks about feeling guilty for leaving her little brother behind in the quote. Ying-ying shows her guilt by acknowledging that she has set a bad example for her daughter, and that is the reason that Lena is the way she is. They realize that they should have taught their daughters to be stronger and to be more assertive. I can relate this to the  movie and book Ella Enchanted. In the story, Ella is given the "gift" of obedience from her fairy godmother. The so called gift becomes a curse when she is told to murder the man she loves. Ella finally breaks her own curse by taking control of her life and being assertive. Like Ella, the daughters are becoming stronger, but the mothers feel like they have "cursed" their daughter by not setting a good example.

Without Wood & Best Quality: Rose Hsu Jordan & Jing-Mei Woo

"Why you want to follow behind her, chasing her words?"(208, Suyuan Woo).

This quote kind of triggers Jing-Mei's epiphany, and helps describe Rose's as well. In these chapters these two women finally realize that they have to stand up for themselves. Rose stands up for herself against Ted, and Jing-Mei realizes her self-worth. They both start to understand that their mothers wanted them to be strong and really love them exactly how they are. I can relate this to the song "Lovely" by: Sara Haze. In the song she says," I know you want the best/ Yeah only good things for me/ But you have to realize/ I can be all these things you project on me/ Cause I'm beautiful to me/ Doesn't that mean a thing?/ 'Cause I feel lovely/ Just the way that I am." Just like the women in the book, the writer is saying that she can act like whatever someone wants her to be, but deep inside she will always be herself. This song shows that she is a strong and confident person, just like Rose and Jing-Mei are becoming. The love of their mothers gave them this newly found self-respect and confidence.  

Four Directions: Waverly Jong

"I was ten years old"(170,Waverly Jong).

This quote is an example of a simple sentence, because it has a very basic and simple sentence structure that conveys a complete thought. In this chapter, Waverly is afraid to tell her mother that she is going to marry a white man. She tells the reader about how she tried to pick chess back up, but without the love a support of her mother she is unable to excel. I can relate this to many actors. Actors can be good, but with out the love of their craft, they will always be mediocre. The audience will never believe that what is happening on stage is real unless they can see true human emotion. Some say that acting is just a hobby and that they are just "faking it", but in reality, the actor have to use their emotions to motivate them to put on a truly great performance. Just like actors, Waverly found that when the love and support is gone, the talent goes right out the window.

Its all about the love and emotion.

Rice Husband: Lena St. Clair

"And then wouldn't I feel worse, less than equal?"(164, Lena St.Clair) .

Will Shakespeare from Shakespeare in Love

This quote is an example of a hypothetical question because it asks a question that raises a conjecture. In this chapter, the audience sees Lena in a different light. She has a complex relationship with her husband that shows that their marriage is more of independence than co-dependence. She tells a story about how she felt so much guilt for wishing someone dead, and then the person actually died. I can relate this to the movie Shakespeare in Love. In the movie, Will Shakespeare says that he is Kit Marlow to avoid a fight with the villain. Later in the movie Kit Marlow dies, and Will believes that the villain killed Kit and he is filled with guilt. Even after it is proven that Kit died in a bar fight, William still feels the guilt. Like Lena, he had no part in the death of someone, but they still feel some responsibility for the tragedy. 

Two Kinds: Jing-Mei Woo

" 'Then I wish I'd never been born!' I shouted. 'I wish I were dead! Like them.' "(142, Jing-Mei Woo).

George Bailey returns home after his new revelation.

This quote is an example of an exclamatory sentence, because it get the strong feelings and emotions of the character across to the reader accurately. In this chapter Jing-Mei's mother forces her to take piano lessons, even though she has no desire to. After Jing-Mei plays terribly at a recital, her mother continues to force her to play. Then, Jing-Mei says the above quote. I can relate this to the movie It's a Wonderful Life. After some hard times, the main character, George Baily, wishes that he was never born. Soon after he is visited by an angel that is assigned to show him how life and his loved ones would be if he was never born. When he realizes his actual self-worth, he regrets having thought himself so trivial. I think that if she had the same opportunity, Jing-Mei would not have underestimated the love her mother has for her or her worth. 

Half and Half: Rose Hsu Jordan

"After you pick yourself up, you realize you can't trust anybody to save you-not your husband, not your mother, not God. So what can you do to stop yourself from tilting and falling all over again?"(121, Rose Hsu Jordan).

Peter started to sink when he questioned his faith.

This quote displays a rhetorical question because the question is used to provoke thought, not to be answered. In this chapter Rose tells the reader that she is getting a divorce from her husband. She relates to the audience how their relation worked and failed, and how her mother told her to have faith. She then tells about how her mother lost her faith after her youngest son, Bing, drown at the beach. I can relate it to real life instances today. many people lose their faith in God and in themselves after the death of a loved one. We blame ourselves or God, and constantly ask "why". I myself, along with many other teens, lose my faith and regain it regularly. It is always a very confusing rollercoaster of emotions, and Rose's mother went through the same thing with her. Just like Peter did in the Bible, they start to sink because of their loss of faith.