The Joy Luck Club is a movie which talk about the difference between China and the United States in the education of children and the difference in the form of maternal love.
China's maternal love is deep and always about sacrifice. Becoming a good mother is especially difficult in the old Chinese society. You have to become strong enough to protect your baby. Facing the cruel reality, you must make sacrifices and sometime even give up your own children. Sacrifice yourself to fulfill your child.
In the Chinese way, children be taught to desire nothing, to swallow other people's misery and to eat their own bitterness.
American maternal love is to let children grow freely, but not too much interference.
The four mothers and their children represent the four typical women in the old Chinese society.
Suyuan, June's mother. She once give up her own children, so she pinned her hopes on June. Only hoping best of her. But from a daughter's perspective, she was hurt. For something she couldn't deliver, because every time her mother hoped and no matter what she hope for. She'll never be more than what she was, she thought her mother never see what she really was. But in the end, her mom tell her ,she see her, she always know she have best quality heart. She told her:"you have style. No one can teach, must be born this way." At that time June see herself and see her mom.
Lindo, waverly's mother. She is a strong women. As a mother she is strict to her daughter. Waverly said to her mom:"You don't know the power you have over me. One word from you, one look.. and I'm four years old again. crying myself to sleep. Because nothing I do can ever, ever please you."
Rose used to have an opinion. And that's why her husband love her. But in her marriage she lose herself, her love is blind and she doesn't know what she was worth. Quote from the movie, Rose said to her husband:" I was the one who told you that my love wasn't good enough that your love worth more than mine. I was so full of shit." At the time she finally realized: She has her own value, she deserves to be loved and respected.
Lena, barely maintained her marriage. She is unhappy but don't have the courage to end this marriage. Her mother told her: "Losing him does not matter. It is you who will be found and cherished." That true, after she end this marriage, she found a man who loved her and respected her.
What really touched me about this movie is that even if the mother's education is different, it contains love. Even if the children do not understand at young age, in the end, they all understand the true intention of the mother. Quote from the movie :"what's Intention? A good intention means everything your mommy wants for you. Like blowing out candles on your birthday cake."
Although Chinese and Western education are different, the purpose is the same: to educate children to become an independent, self-respecting person, create their own value and cherish themselves.
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