论喜福会中东西方文化的冲突与融合

东北林业大学硕士学位论文论《喜福会》中东西方文化的冲突与融合姓名：王宇申请学位级别：硕士专业：英语语言文学指导教师：王新春20070601摘要摘要母亲和子女的矛盾冲突呈现给读者。小说主题表现丰富，除了母女冲突，还侧重f两种文化也必将从冲突走向融合。谭恩美在《喜福会》中，就是通过寻求黄神人与白种人，东方文化与西方文化的差异柬表现中国文化的文化理念与价值观，体现她自己对中国文化难以割舍的情结。作为t-：流文化的“他者”，她利用自己特殊的身份，利用母亲的故事，以不同文化背景F的母女冲突、婚姻作为出发点，着眼于全球视野下的文化碰撞与融合，探讨了中西文化的差异与沟通。本文从多角度讨论谭恩美在作品中反映的“冲突”及“融合”的主题，深入分析产生“冲突”及“融合”的原因，并探讨了在东西方文化中“家”的概念。母女两代共同的“家”，代表了他们共属的母性文化一一中国传统文化。技巧。第二部分从华裔美国文学出发，论述了华裔美国文学的发展历程、现状，并着重提出了女性作家在其中的卓越贡献。第三部分分别从母女两代人及文化的角度具体分析了小说中所反映的“冲突”这一主题。并且结合跨文化交际理论阐述了产生冲突的原因。第四部分从两个角度分析了小说的另一主题“融合”～两代母女最终实现互相也反映了在男性社会中，女性地位日益增强。第五部分探讨了在不同文化下，“家”的概念。并结合小说中“家”对于母女两代人的意义，女儿从“逃家”，到“归家”，指出“家”在小说中所代表的文化意义。第六部分通过上述的论述得出结论：在小说中，母女两代人从误解、冲突到沟通和理解，不仅折射着东西方文化互相碰撞、沟通和交融的历史，也预示着在全球化时期，不㈦的国家、民族和文化相互共存应采取的态度～一理解、沟通与信任。关键词 喜福会；冲突：融合；母女关系：家AbstractAmyAbstractAmyTan。afamousChineseAmericanwriter,hasbecomeoneoftherepresentativesChineseAmericanliterature．卯坩JoyLuckCIub，Tan’Sdebutnovel，iSanarrativeaboutconflictsbetweenChinesemothersandAmericanizeddaughters．111emajorthemesareconflicts，betweentheimmigrantsandAmericanizedsecondgeneration．Shepaysattentiontotheunderstandingandcommunicationbetweentwogenerations．砌PJoyLuckClubstimulatesethnicappreciationwhileallowingreaderstoobjectifytheirownsituations，makingconnectionsbetweentheirownlivesandtheculturallydistantlivesinTan’Scharacters．As‘'theother'’inthemainstream．伽ldiscussedtheconflictsandreconciliationbetweentwocultures，startingfromdescriptionofconflictsbetweengenerationsandtheirmarriages．Thethesiscomprehensivelydiscussesthemajorthemesof“conflict'’and“reconciliation”in77醒JoyLuck(1，曲．exploresthereasonsforconflictandreconciliation．andcompletestheconceptof“family”inEasterncultureandWesternCulture．Inthenovel，thecommonfamilyofmothersanddaughtersistheirmotherculture---Chinesetraditionalculture．PartOneintroducesAmyTan’Slifestory,herdebutnovel砌PJoyLuckClub．anduniquewritingskill．PartTwomainlyfoCBSeSonthedevelopmentofChineseAmericanliterature，itspresentsituationandthecontributionoffemalewriters．PartThreeanalyzesthemaintopicof‘'conflict'’inthenovelfromtwopointsofview-一generationsandcultures．andexplainsthat、vitllthetheoryofInterculturalCommunication．PartFourresearchesanothertopicofthenovel一‘"reconciliation'’．Twogenerationsofmothersanddaughtersachievemutualunderstanding，twodifferentlanguagesandculturesfinallymarchforreconciliation．PartFivestudies“family"asasourceforculturaldevelopment，anditsculturalconnotation．PartSixcomestotheconclusionthatthenovelmakesanattempttoanalyzethedaughterrelationshipbypresentingtheconflicts，communicationandintegrationmothersandtheirdaughtersandbetweentWOcultures，whichreflectstheaUitudesthatdifferentnations，racesandculturesshouldtakeintheageofglobalizationunderstanding，communicationandtrust．Keywords TheJoyLuckClub；conflict；reconciliation；mother-daughterrelation；family．1I．独创性声明本人声明所呈交的学位论文是本人在导师指导下进行的研究工作及取得的研究成果。据我所知，除了文中特别加以标注和致谢的地方外，论文中不包含其他独创性声明本人声明所呈交的学位论文是本人在导师指导下进行的研究工作及取得的研究成果。据我所知，除了文中特别加以标注和致谢的地方外，论文中不包含其他人已经发表或撰写过的研究成果，也不包含为获得壅韭盎些盘堂或其他教育机构的学位或证书而使用过的材料。与我一同工作的同志对本研究所做的任何贡献均己在论文中作了明确的说明并表示谢意。学位论文作者签名：1．罾 签字日期：。驴7年6月“日学位论文版权使用授权书本学位论文作者完全了解盔些盎些盘堂有关保留、使用学位论文的规定，有权保留并向国家有关部门或机构送交论文的复印件和磁盘，允许论文被查阅和借阅。本人授权峦韭盎些盘堂可以将学位论文的全部或部分内容编入有关数据库进行检索，可以采用影印、缩印或扫描等复制手段保存、汇编学位论文。(保密的学位论文在解密后适用本授权书)学位论文作者签名： 导师签名： 乡耘寿签字日期：山司年6月p6日 签字日期：也刀年6、再“日学位论文作者毕业后去向：工作单位：存、龙1姝业天荨 电话：雪夕I，口牛，_，通讯地址：1}、靶抓芷六等瓠目绣芽f屯 邮编2／r神4。1IntroductionBorn1IntroductionBornin1952inOakland，California,AmyRuthTanisthesecondgenerationofaChineseimmigrantfamily．BeingraisedandeducatedinthedominantWesternculture，youngAmyfoundherselfalwaysatoddswithherparents’expectations．Assheonceputit，“砌叫(herparent圳wantedustohaveAmericancircumstancesandChinesecharacter．’’。TanbeganhercollegecareeratLinfieldCollegebutsoontransferredtoSanJoseStateUniversitywhereshereceivedherB，A．degreeinEnglishandlinguisticsandherM．A．degreeinlinguistics．In1975，shemarriedLouisDematteiandaftermarriageshecontinuedhereducationattheUniversityofCaliforniaatSantaCruzandatBerkley．However,decidingtodosomethingotherthancontinuingtobeastudent,Tandroppedherdoctoralprogramwithoutgeaingadegree．Beforeshebecameafull一timewriter,Tanhadavarietyofjobs．everythingfromabartendertocounselorfordevelopmentallydisabledehildren．‘"LikethemshewritesaboutthelimitedidentityofthehyphenatedAmerican．abouttheculturalchasmsbetweenimmigrantparentsandtheirAmerican-bornoffspringandthelinguisticgapsbetweengenerationsand：nat&abouttheneedtodiscoverausableandrecognizablepast．ButshedoesnotwriteexclusivelyabouttheAsianexperience。nor捃stylespecificallyandwhollyAsiandespiteitsfrequentallusionstotraditionalChinesegenresanditsborrowingsfromthetalkstorytradition．“Herfirstnovel弛eJoyLuckClub(1989)isabelovedinternationalbest-sellingnovelwhichexplorestherelationshipsofChinesewomenandtheirChinese-AmericandaughtersintheUnitedStates．Publishedin1989,11lcJoyLuckClubwasenthusiasticallyreceivedbycriticsandthepublic．ItlandedontheNew场地17ruesbest-sellerlistforninemonths．ItalsonominatedandthenselectedasafinalistfortheNationalBookAwardandtheNationalBookCriticsCircleAward,Inaddition,itreceivedtheBayAreaBookReviewersAwardFictionandtheCommonwealthClubGoldAward．TheBookhasbeentranslatedinto25languagesincludingChinese，andhasbeenmadeintoamajormotionpicture．Tan’snovelshavedrawnherwidereadershipthroughouttheUnitedStatesandtheworldandalsodrawnherextensivecriticalat￡ention，mostofwhichwerehighlycomplimentary．ThereceptionofherworkssuggeststhatherworksresonatesamongreadersofallShewritesaboutrelationshipsandfamilialbondsandselfandidentity,whicharetheuniversalconcernsandcommonlyrecognizedthemes．Tanhassaidthatherintentioninwritingisnotto‘"providehistoricalinformation，buttocreateaworkofart．”CriticshavesaidthatherworksarenotnecessarilyChineseinbutareinsteadstorieswithuniversalthemes(generationalconflicts，warofthesexes，etc．)thathavehaveanaddeddimensionofbeingtoldthroughnarratorsthatareconstantlysearchingforbalancebetweentheirChineseheritageandAmericanlifestyle．DifferentfromotherChineseAmericanfemalewriters，AmyTancannotgetridofChinesecomplex．Infact．thishasalSObecomeTan’Suniqueness．Likeotherwriters，herworksreflecttheconflictsoftwocultures，twoworlds，twogenerationsandtwocountries．TheconflictsbetweentwoculturesarewhatmostChineseAmericanwriterspayattentiontowhentheyexploreSino—Americanrelationship．WhileTanhasmadegreatcontributiontothespreadofChineseculturewithherworks。shehassetamodelasaculturalcommunicator．劢eJoyLuckClubisthestoryofeightChinesewomen．FouraremotherswhosuffereddifferenthardshipthatforcedthemtolcaveChina；andfourarethedaughterswhofacetheirownstrugglesintheireverydaylives．Eachchapterisavignetteofeachwoman’sviewpointofevents．ThefirstmaincharacteristhedaughterJing—meiWoo，whosemotherpassedaway，Sheisaskedtojointhe‘'JoyLuckClub”andplayMahJongwithheradoptiveaunts．AllplotsIinkedtogetherbythenarrativeofJing—meiWoo．whosemotherhadfoundedawomen’SsocialclubinChinatomakeitsmemberstellabouttheirpastexperiencesnotonlytoempowerthemselves，butalsotopasswisdomontotheirdaughters，whoarealluncertainabouttheirmaritalrelationships．ThestoriesarereminiscentofMaxineHangKingston’Sportrayalmother-daughterconflictsinthatthesedaughters。too，aretryingtoestablishtheiridentitiesinthemainstreamofAmericanlifewithoutalienatingtheirmotherswhoarethepurveyorsChinesetraditionalculture．In“SugarSisterhood：SituatingtheAmyTanPhenomenon”，Sau—lingWanganalyzespopularityofAmyTan’SworksaSaculturalphenomenonandcomparesitwithotherbeforeTan：‘‘thefortunesofonce-popular,nowoverlookedculturalinterpretersinAmericanliteraryhistory,suchasLinYutang,andJadeSnowWang,suggestthatculturalmediationoftheOrientforthe‘mainstream’readershiprequirescontinualrepackagingtoremaininsyncwithchangingtimesandresultantshifts加ideologicalneeds．“Suchconflictsandchallengesarecircumscribedbyaspecificethnicculture theChinese．AmericancultureofnorthernCalifomia一．theyareuniversaIinnaturesignificance．Themothersinthenovelareforeign．bornAmericanswithAmerican．borndaughters．Tan’SnovelsstimulateethnicappreciationbetweentWOgenerationsandtwoculturesAlthoughalotofresearchhasbeendoneonAmyTanand砌PJoyLuckClub．mostthemareabout“identityissues”．TheauthorofthisthesiswantstogiveamorecomprehensivestudyofAmyTan’Sfavoritethemes-therelationbetweenChinese—bommothersandAmerican—borndaughters，andbetweentwocultures，completethe‘‘family’’philosophybetweenthem．．2．：!!!呈竺!12尘竺：!塑：堡垒尘坠!!坠些堡2：!!!呈竺!12尘竺：!塑：堡垒尘坠!!坠些堡2TheDevelopmentofChineseAmericanLiterature2．1 TheHistoryofChineseAmericanLiteratureIn1982，ElaineKim’Sstudy,AsianAmericanLiterature：AnIntroductiontotheWritingsandSocialContext,essentiallybroughtanentirebodyoflittleknownliteratureintoAmericanliteraryconsciousness，andhelpedAsianAmericanliteraturegainrecognitionasasignificantbodyofwritingwithbotha‘*newtradition”ofliterarycreationandadiscernible～一．andveryfluid一canon．’’5InherworLKimdefinedAsianAmericanliteratureas‘"publishedcreativewritingsinEnglishbyAmericansofChinese,Japanese，Korean,andFilipinodescent．”AlthoughthatdefinitionlostitscurrencyasimmigrantsfromCambodia．Vietnam，India,Pakistan，andotherAsiancountriesbegantomaketheirhomesintheStatesandtowriteabouttheirexperiences．onecrucialelementofKim’sdefinitionstilltrue．ThehistoryofAsianAmericansgoesback'tothenineteentheenau3,whenthousandsmenlefttheirfamiliesandhomesinChina,Japan，Korea，andthePhilippinestoseekfortunesintheUnitedStates，acountrythattheChinesereferredtoasgumsanor‘'theGoldMountain”，Seekingopportunity,possibilityandwealth。thesemenfoundworkontheingold-and-silverminingtowns，andinlumbercampsinthewestoftheUnitedStates,industriouslysettingaboutmakinglivesforthemselvesandforthepicturebridesfromChinaandJapanwhoeventuallytraveledtotheUnitedStatestomarrythementheyhadneverTheearliestofficialimmigrantarrivalsseemtohavebeenmenfromGuangdongProvinceinChina．Perhapsbecausetheywerefirsttoarrive，theChineseformedthelargestimmigrantgroup，andtheybecamethefirstAsianstoexperienceinstitutionalizeddiscriminationwhentheChineseExclusionActof1882waspassedbyCongress，barfingmajorityofChinesefromenteringtheUnitedStates．Notuntil1943WasexclusionlegallyendedwiththepassageoftheMagnusonAct，whichallowed105ChineseimmigrantstoentertheUnitedStateslegallyeachyearandgaveChinesetheprivilegeofearningcitizenshipthroughnaturalization．TheoldergenerationportrayedinAmyTan’SnovelsrepresentsthatgroupofnewChineseimmigrants一especiallythewomenwhohadlongbeendeniedentry．一····whoenteredtheUnitedStatesafterthewarintheyearsimmediatelyfollowingtheMagnusonAct．2．2ThePresentSituationofChineseAmerieanLiteratureOwingtothedifficultconditionsthattheChineseimmigrantsencountered，manyconsideredthemselveshuaqiao(overseasChinese)whointendedtoreturntoChina．andthis．3．!!坚呈：：窒!g竺：坠：!三!!!：兰垒呈：：尘!：!!!：竺!：呈inevitably!!坚呈：：窒!g竺：坠：!三!!!：兰垒呈：：尘!：!!!：竺!：呈inevitablyinfluencedtheemergenceofChineseAiD_ericanliterature，AsElaineKimdiscussesatlengthinAsianAmericanLiterature：AnIntroductiontotheWritingsandtheirSocialContext，earlyChineseAmericanliteraryproductionismainlylimitedtoafewautobiographiesandtestimoniesbymalewriters．ofteninChinese．ManyofthefirstChineseAmericannarrativesinEnglishwerewrittenbystudents．LeeYanPhou’SWhen，WasaBoy(1887)，hasrecentlyreceivedextensivecriticalattentionasaproto—AsianAmericanautobiography,andwasoneofthefirsttobewritteninEnglish．SomeofthefirstChineseAmericanfemalewriting，asAmyLinghasmadeclearinBetweenWorlds：WomenWritersChineseAncestry,wasbyupper-classfemaleimmigrants，includingHelenaKuo．Mai-maiSzeandLinTai．yi．whowereChine鼬ornandwesternized，andwhooftencamefromdiplomaticbackgrounds．Inlightofthisfact，itisunsurprisingthatsubsequentChineseAmericancontinuedtOshowaheightenedawarenessofracismtowardsAsians．OwingtothegenderimbalanceofearlyChineseAmericanimmigration，onespecificfeatureofaseriesofnarrativeswrittenbyChineseimmigrantsistheirfocusuponbachelorsociety．Forexample，LouisChu’SEataBowlofTea(1961)，ChinYangLee’SFlowerDrumsong(1957)、andLinYutang!SChinatownFamily(1948)，ThecontemporaryChineseAmericanwritersfocusedonracesandculturalidentityallthetime．AnotablefeatureofmorecontemporaryChineseAmericanwomen’SwritingisaJlemphasisuponmother-daughterrelationship，whichCanbeseeninthenovelsandmemoirsMaxineHongKingston(TheWomanWarrior(1976)，TripmasterMonkey(1989))，thenovelsofAmyTan(TheJoyLuckClub(1989)，TheKitchenGod'sWife(199I)，TheHundredSecretSenses(1995)。TheBonesetter§Daughter但001))。FaeMyenneNg’SBone(1993)，andGishJen(TypicalAmerican(1992))，andMomaintheProm括edLand(199∥)，Thesetextsinparticularhavebeensuccessful，perhapsbecausetIleyhavekeyedintoapopularareaofattentionfurfeministsinthelatetwentiethcentury．2．3TheCauseoftheDevelopmentofChineseAmericanLiteratureThehistoricalprocessoftheformationoftheUSAtellsthatthecultureinthishadforalongtimeexperiencedtheprocessofthe“meltingpot”，especiallyafteralltheyearsoftheminorityresistingthedominantculture，suchasblackcultureandJewishculturewhiteculture，feministmovementagainstmaledominance，siblingliteratureforitsdeservedattention．However,withtheexpansionofthedominantAmericancultureacrossthewholetheminoritybegantorealizethatthemetaphor‘‘meltingpot'’ishardlyrepresentativefortheirhopetowardsthedevelopmentoftheirculture．Oncebeingdumpedintotheseeminglygenerous‘‘meltingpot'’，theminorityculturewilleitherbeignoredandlefttothemargin，void．4．!!!：呈：：：!：￡尘望!!!!!!!：彗垒尘：：尘竺坠：些坚of!!!：呈：：：!：￡尘望!!!!!!!：彗垒尘：：尘竺坠：些坚ofanychanceforsay,OrbemeltedintothepotandassimilatedtOlosetheirownethnictradition．Thuswiththeactiveendeavorofalltheminorityrepresentatives，therearoserapidchangeswithinthecultureoftheUSA,especiallyintheendofthe1970sandinthe1980s．Itseemedthat，suddenly,conceptionof‘'multiculturalism'’becamethetopicwithintheliterary,economicandpoliticalfields．NomatterhowmuchtheexpectationhasbeenconceptionmoreorlessexpressesthehopefortotallyequalCO—existenceofdiversecultures．Multiculturalism，asthebackground，offeredpreciouschancesforpromptgrowingstrengtheningoftheminorityculture，whichhadlongbeenexcludedandignored．Theyaskedforrecognitionandevaluationtheydeservedandshowedtheiruniqueglamourasmuchasthesocialopportunityprovided．Thus．therecameatimefortheexpressionandrevelationChineseAmericanwriters．W汕thepromotionofmulticulturalismandactivemovementfordifferentidentities．thesubJectofimmigrantexperience，immigrantcultureandliteraryworksaboutassimilationandacculturationhavegainedincreasingconcernfromliterarycritics，andevensocialistshistorians．ChineseliteraturealSOenteredtheclassroomoftheAmericanuniversities．EvensomebooksoressaysabouthowtoteachAsianAmericanworks(forexample．Kingston’sWomanWarriorlhavebeenignored．111eemphasisofAmericanliteratureconsequentlymovestolifeexperience，ChineseAmericanliteraturetosomedegreesatisfiestheinterestandconcemofthewesternreaders．Suchpopularity,thou曲notwelcomedbyeveryChinesewriter,willhelpthedevelopmentofChineseAmericanliteratureatitsverybeginning．2．4TheAwakeningSenseofResponsibilityofChineseAmericanWritersThoughtheChineseimmigrantshadchangedtobebothinvoluntaryandSenseofresponsibilitytowardsChineseculturehasnotbeendiminished，thoughleftunrealizedorhiddeninsomeperiods．ChineseAmericanbegantOdoubtthestrengthsorweaknessesofChinesetraditionwhenthey,mostly,activelytriedtoassimilateandbecomeAmericanized．especiallywhenconfrontedcomplicatedculturalclashes．Afternumerousdoubtsuponthenecessitytothetradition，matureimmigrantswouldeventuallychoosetOmakeuseoftheirspecialstatusbetweenthetwoworlds，tomediatetheclashesandmaintainbalance．Theregainedfavortheirethnicidentitywouldleadthemtofindthereasonsforallthedoubtstheyfelt．whichwillsuddenlybecometheadvantagestOhelptheminthenewworld．TheconclusiontheymadewillresumetheirresponsibilitytoactivateChineseAmericancultureandwinbackthedignitybeingChineseAmericans．ToviewAsianAmericanliterature鹊awhole，itisnothardtofindspecificinter-．intra-．．5．：!坠呈：兰!!￡尘：尘!!!!!!：琶垒尘：：!：竺坠：：：：尘錾and：!坠呈：兰!!￡尘：尘!!!!!!：琶垒尘：：!：竺坠：：：：尘錾andCROSS—culturalconflictspermeatingtheworksthroughwhichthespecificationsofculturearede’monstrated．Theseconflictsincludesocial-culturalconflicts，generationalconflicts，languageconflicts，raceconflictsandgenderconflicts．．6．：!：：些!：!!兰!呈：!!壁：：彗型!：：：：型坚：3：!：：些!：!!兰!呈：!!壁：：彗型!：：：：型坚：3ConflictofTw0GenerationsandTw0Cultures3．1TheCauseofConflictbetweenTwoGenerationsReviewerCarolynSeeclaimsitiSadevotionaltourdeforce．seizedtheWesternworld’Simaginationandcontributedtothecanonoffeministliterature．ItgivesvoicetopreviouslysilencedChinesewomen,someofwhomwerevictimsofpatriarchalfamiliesandfeudalmarriages．CriticAmyLingcharacterizesTan’Sfictionas‘"anechoandresponseandinpartscontinuationandexpansion’’7ofherpredecessor’Snovel．Structuredasaseriesofpersonalnarrativesabouteightwomen一·fourpairsofmothersanddaughters—TheJoyLuckchroniclesthelivesofitsprotagonistsandRacestheconnectionsbetweenthemultiplethroughwhichthewomenmustnegotiatetheirlives．TheClubofthetitleisamah-jonginvestmentgroupformedbyfourChineseimmigrantwomeninthelate1940s．TheJoyLuckClubintroduceslife—definingepisodesfromthelivesoffourChineseimmigrantmothersandtheirAmerican-borndaughters．TanUSeSthemahjongclubtostructurethedevelopmentofmother-daughterpairs．OnecritichassuggestedthattheintroductionmultiplenarrativesabouttwogenerationsofChineseAmericanwomenisinherentlychallengingtostereotypicalreadingsthattreatChinesewomenasfungiblebecausetheysharedefiningChinese‘‘essence”，andMelanieMcAlisterargues，alongthesaInelines，that“thenovel'scomplexrepresentationofChinesesubjectivitiesrequirescarefulattentiontOrangeoftemperaments,clnssvariations,anddifferencesinpersonalhistory,particularlyamongthefourmothers．’’8Tanusesthefour-playermahjongclubtostructurethefourmother-daughterrelationships：SuyuanWooandJiIlg-meiJuneWoo；An-meiHsuandRoseHsuJordan；LindoJongWaverlyJong；andYing—yingSt．ClairandLenaSt．Clair．Thestoriesofthesepairsinterwoveninfourmajorsegmentswhereeachwomannarrateshowshehasbecomewhatisataparticularpointinherlife．Eachofthefourmajorsections，startingwithavignetteasanintroduction，includesfourchapters．Thedaughtersgrowupundertheirmothers’incessantsupervisionandinterventionagainsttheircompleteculturelassimilation．IntheJoyLuckClub，Tan’ScontributiontotheproblemofnarratingAsianAmericansubjectformationliesinherelaborationofanestablishedform，themother-daughterplot，inwhichtheimmigrantmother’SdesireforAmericabecomesfocusedonherdaughter．3．2TheConflictbetweenTwoG}enerations“TanfoundanuntappedaudienceforstoriesofChineseAmericanmothersand!!些坚!!!：：塑!型：：娑!!：：型坚：daughters．”9!!些坚!!!：：塑!型：：娑!!：：型坚：daughters．”9Inthenovel。theAmerican—bomdaughtersknowverylittleabouttheirmothers．AlltheirlivestheyhavetriedhardtoassimilmeintomainstreamAmerica．whichChinesearebestavoided，atworstshameful．Byignoringtheirmothers’efforttoinculcateChinesetraditionintothem，thedanghtershavefrustratedthehopesofthemothersthattheirdaughtersmaintaintheirChinesecharactersunderAmericancircumstances．Thepricethedaughterspayfortheirseeminglysuccessfulassimilationis“theirnaggingsense∥uneaseintheidentitiesthattheyhavelaboriouslycreatedforthemselves．’’Ontheotherhand，themothersgiveupthehopeofimpalingtheirChinesecharacterandwisdomtotheirdaughters。somethingthatisoftenperceivedbytheirchildrenasmanipulationandcontr01．Theconsequenceisacompletebreakdownofcommunicationbetweenthemothersanddaughters．Thedisparitybetweenparents’hopesandchildren’sfailuresbringstension．Theduckisasymbolofthemother’sunrealisticambitionsforherdaughterwhoismerelyaduckbutwhomthemotherwantstoseeasaswan．TheoldwomanrememberedaswanshehadboughtmanyyearsagoinShanghaifoolishsum．砌妇bird,boastedthemarketvendor,wasonceaduckthatstretcheditsneckhopes《becomingagoose．andnowlook．，～ItiStoobeautifultoeat．“SuyuanWoohasenormousfaiththateverythingispossibleinAmericaandexpectedchildtobeaprodigy．First，shewantedJing—meitobeanotherShirleyTemple，andwhenthatseemedunlikely,thenatleastaconceapianist．Itistouchingyetridiculous．Thedaughtersexasperatedbytheirmother’simpossibledemand，resentfuloftheirmother’sinstructionsontheirlivesandsometimesashamedoftheirstubborn，superstitiousolddays．Inthefirstprologue，theswanbecomesasymbolofthemother’spastlifeinChina，allexperiencewantstosharewithherdaughter．WhenthewomanfromChinaarrivedintheUnitedAmericanofficialsconfiscatedtheswanleavingherwithonlyonefeatherandthememoryofthebeautifulbird．Shewantstotellherdaughteraboutthebird，thoughanoldwomanisstillwaitingforthedaywhenshecantellherstoryin“perfectAmericanEnglish”．Shesays，“overtherenobodywilllookdownonher,because1willmakeherspeakon,pcryectEnglish’’“However,becausethedaughterhasachievedthisdream，themotherherself．whohasnotmasteredEnglish，cannotspeakwithherowndaughter．Ironically,themother’sdreamforherdaughter,whichismarkedbytheirphysicalremovalfromthemotherland，resultsinthealienationofmotheranddaughter．Thedaughterreadilyandentirelyadaptstothecustomsandlanguageofthenewland，whilethemotherstillholdsontothoseoftheold．It’sjustlikeLindoJongsays．‘Ywantedmychildrentohavethebestcombination：AmericancircumstancesChinesecharacter,howcouMIknowthesetwothingsdonotm打?’’13‘‘ToliveagoodlifeintheUSA'’，recallsthemotherhopesthatthedaughterwillspeakexcellentEnglishandliveanAmericanizedlifeofmiddleclass．Thedaughtersarethusraised．8．!!型坠!!!兰!呈：!些：：錾型!圣：型些譬and!!型坠!!!兰!呈：!些：：錾型!圣：型些譬andshapedintheAmericaneducationalsystemandinthesocietymarkedbyAmericanvalues．Consequently,theynaturallyresisttheChinesenormswiththeirAmericanthought，carriedtheirEnglishlanguage，thoughsometimestheyhavetoretuNltoChinesestrengthwhenfailtogetpsychologicalbalancewiththeirAmericanideas．‘‘ForChineseAmericanwomen,speakingEnglishaffirmstheirpublicidentityandthemalegitimateculturalvoicetoclaimfo，aspace伽thissocietyEnglishgivesthematoasserttheirindependenceandatooltofightagainstsexismandracismthattheyencounter．’’14TheabilitytospeakexcellentAmericanEnglish．andthustoshareadominantlanguagegenerallyusedwithinthecommunity,equipsthedaughterswithnecessaryconfidencesoastosucceedasCaucasianmiddleclasspeople-······-thisisnotonlytheAmericandreamofgenerationsofnativeAmericans，butalsothedreamheldbythemotherswhohadoncetraveledwithaswanandanaiveAmericandream，asintheprelude，andtheirgenerationsafteraswell．Ironically,itissuchadreamthatwidensthegenerationgapbetweenthemothersanddaughters．Foronething，thedaughters，whoacceptthedominantwhiteconceptionofnon—standardEnglish···-····thoughEnglishwithdifferentdialectsaleacceptedasEnglishvariationsnow,cannotconcealtheirimpatiencewhentheirmothersspeakbrokenEnglish．TheircontemptuouslanguageattitudetowardstheawkwardEnglishspokenbytheirpowerlessmothersanddifficultyinunderstandingChinesehavebothforcedtheirmothersinsilencemostofthetime．YingyingSt．Clairsaid，‘‘ForalltheseyearsIkeptmymouthclosedsoselfishdesireswouldnotfallOUt．Andbecause1remainedquietforSOlongnowmydaughterdoesnothearme．Shesitsbyherfancyswimmingpoolandhearsonlyher勋砂Walkman，hercordlessphone，herimportanthusbandaskingherwhytheyhavecharcoalandnolighterfluid．’’1’AsJing—meilaments，‘‘ThesekindsofexplanationsmademefeelmymotherandItwodifferentlanguages,whichwecfid．ItalkedtoherinEnglish，sheansweredbackinChinese”’6and‘"MymotherandIneverreallyunderstoodoneanother．geetranslatedeachotherimeaningsandIseemedtohearlessthanwhatwagsaid,whilemymothermore．’’1’Thecomprehensiondiscrepancyissostartlinglysadthatourconcemaboutthemother-daughterrelationshipnaturallyextendstothesurvivalconditionforChineseAmericanandalsootherminorityethnicity．‘‘Th／sabsencetranscendsthesimplelinguisticdichotomiesorculturalmisunderstandings；bothmothersanddaughtersarenegotiatingtheirrelationalsocialpositionsandcontestingtheiridentitiesasChineseAmericanwomeninthelanguagesthatcanenhanceorunderminetheirpower,legitimacy,andvoice．”15Jing-meidoesnotunderstandorevenfullyknowshermotherbecauseshedoesn’thertragicpastandthepainshestillfeelsfromthememoryofit．BecauseSuyuanlosttwodaughtersinChinaandherentirefamilywaskilledinthewar,sheleavesthisplacebehindandplacesallofherhopesinAmericaandherfamilythere．Shewantstheverybestfor．9．!!：尘呈：!!圣：!!：坚篓：：些型!圣!型些：daughter!!：尘呈：!!圣：!!：坚篓：：些型!圣!型些：daughterJing-mei．EvenhernameSuyuanmeaning‘’long-cherishedwish”。speaksofthishopeforJing—meimeaning“thepureessential，bestqualityyoungersister'’．SuyuantellsherdaughterJing—meithatshecanbeanythingshewantstobe，andthatshehasgreattalent．Atfirst，Jing—meiisexcitedanddreamsaboutwhatshewillbecome：“／nallmyimaginations．1wasfilledwithasensethat1wouldsoonbecomeperfect．Mymotherandfatherwouldadoreme．1wouldbebeyondapproach．1wouldneverfeeltheneedtosulkyoranything．’’‘9Afterfailingtoexcelateachtasksetbeforeher,Jing—meibeginstofeelmoreandmoreresentfultowardshermother．Sheseeshermother’shopesasexpectations，andwhenshedoesnotliveuptothese，shefeelslikealoser．Finally,whenJing-meiperformsapianofilledwithmistakesatatalentshow,shebelievesthathermotheriscompletelyashamedanddisappointedwithWhatJing—meididnotrealizewasthattherealreasonwhyhermotherwasupsetwasnotbecauseshehadnotliveduptoherexpectations。butbecauseJing-meididnotcarehavingthebestforherself．Shedidnothavehighhopesorpassiontobesuccessfulatanything．Shefailedbecauseshedidnottryandshedidnotcare．ThisisstrongoppositiontoSuyuan’shighhopesthatoriginatedfromthestrongloveshehasforherdaughterMothersareestrangedfromtheirdaughters，anddaughtersbecomeemotionallycrippledbytheirmothers．In“RiceHusband，”forexample，LenaSt．Clmrcomplainsthathermotherhas“themysteriousabilitytoseethingsbeforetheyhappensheseesonlybadthings"aboutourfamily．Sheneverdidanythingtostopthem．’“OncewhenLenaisayounggirl，hermothertakesalookatLena’sricebowlandcommentsthat‘'yourfuturehusbandhasonepockmarkjoveveryriceyounotfinishlonceknowapockmarkman。Meanmanjbadmanj“。ThisremarkleadsyoungLenatoseeArnold，aneighborhoodbully,asherfuturehusbandandhimbyleavingmorericeinherbowl．Manyyearslater,whenLenareadsinthe