Lena Ying In The Joy Luck Club
Ying-ying and Lena’s Dark Side
Amy Tan is a Chinese-American and she is the author of the novel The Joy Luck Club. Suyuan Woo, An-Mei Hsu, Lindo Jong and Ying-ying St. Clair are in The Joy Luck Club. The novel is about these four different characters and their relationships with their daughters. Lena and her mother, Ying-ying, are similar in many ways. Both can see what others can’t. Lena explains, “Because even as a young child, I could sense the unspoken terrors that surrounded our house, the ones that chased my mother until she hid in a secret dark corner of her mind. And still they found her. I watched, over the years, as they devoured her, piece by piece, until she disappeared and became a ghost.” Ying-ying married with a bad man when
she was young in China. She was so proud of herself before she got married. But after her husband died, she shamed of herself more. First, she felt shame because she was born in a rich family and she should listened to her parents about who should marry, but she didn’t. In the past year China, all girls should stay at home until they married with someone and someone who they should be married with, should be listen from their parents. Her parents ordered her should meek and be a “good” girl. After her first husband left her for an opera singer, she found out years later that her husband because the opera singer killed him. Ying-ying felt fault about her life because her marry unsuccessful. But she did nothing about it. After Ying-ying met her second husband, Clifford St. Clair, she decided to get marry and followed him to America. Ying-ying didn’t like their apartment at all. She moved the furniture a lot saying, “When something goes against your nature, you are not in balance.” Ying-ying hid herself in a small secret dark corner. Ying-ying scared to tell Lena about her past in the beginning, she allowed her husband, Clifford translate for her incorrectly. But in the end, Ying-ying felt Lena was going to the same road. Ying-ying started to talk about her past to Lena and she hoped Lena can learn something from her past. Lena had a dark side, too. She born in a tiger year just like her mother. Lena and Harold met each other at work. In the beginning, she felt Harold was the right person she wanted to marry. However, after they got married, she found a lot of weaknesses. Harold would make a list that included what they spent on each area so they can pay separate. He asked, “Who’s ready for dessert?” Not because he was happy to share, but because he wanted to pay less. After Lena listened her mother’s story, she realized that she wanted to be herself, a true person that followed her mind.
Amy Tan is a Chinese-American and she is the author of the novel The Joy Luck Club. Suyuan Woo, An-Mei Hsu, Lindo Jong and Ying-ying St. Clair are in The Joy Luck Club. The novel is about these four different characters and their relationships with their daughters. Lena and her mother, Ying-ying, are similar in many ways. Both can see what others can’t. Lena explains, “Because even as a young child, I could sense the unspoken terrors that surrounded our house, the ones that chased my mother until she hid in a secret dark corner of her mind. And still they found her. I watched, over the years, as they devoured her, piece by piece, until she disappeared and became a ghost.” Ying-ying married with a bad man when
she was young in China. She was so proud of herself before she got married. But after her husband died, she shamed of herself more. First, she felt shame because she was born in a rich family and she should listened to her parents about who should marry, but she didn’t. In the past year China, all girls should stay at home until they married with someone and someone who they should be married with, should be listen from their parents. Her parents ordered her should meek and be a “good” girl. After her first husband left her for an opera singer, she found out years later that her husband because the opera singer killed him. Ying-ying felt fault about her life because her marry unsuccessful. But she did nothing about it. After Ying-ying met her second husband, Clifford St. Clair, she decided to get marry and followed him to America. Ying-ying didn’t like their apartment at all. She moved the furniture a lot saying, “When something goes against your nature, you are not in balance.” Ying-ying hid herself in a small secret dark corner. Ying-ying scared to tell Lena about her past in the beginning, she allowed her husband, Clifford translate for her incorrectly. But in the end, Ying-ying felt Lena was going to the same road. Ying-ying started to talk about her past to Lena and she hoped Lena can learn something from her past. Lena had a dark side, too. She born in a tiger year just like her mother. Lena and Harold met each other at work. In the beginning, she felt Harold was the right person she wanted to marry. However, after they got married, she found a lot of weaknesses. Harold would make a list that included what they spent on each area so they can pay separate. He asked, “Who’s ready for dessert?” Not because he was happy to share, but because he wanted to pay less. After Lena listened her mother’s story, she realized that she wanted to be herself, a true person that followed her mind.