2。1 Factors Leading to the Conflicts 6

2。1。1 Different Views on Marriage and Family 6

2。1。2 Different Role Awareness and Sense of Value 7

2。1。3 Different Ways of Expressions 8

2。2 The Cultural Identity of the Two Generations 9

3。 Cultural Integration 11

3。1 Mothers and Daughters’ Mutual Efforts to Reconcile 11

3。2 Cultural Integration 13

4。 Conclusion 14

References 15

1。 Introduction

The world nowadays is a melting pot of different cultures and no culture can go forward without being affected。 Today, the integration of cultures has become a commonplace, especially between eastern and western countries。 As people all know, America, a country accommodating people from all over the world, contains almost all kinds of cultures in its cultural system。 And China has a profound cultural heritage rooted in its 5000-year-long history。 In fact, cultural integration between China and America embodies the mainstream of the integration of eastern and western cultures。

Literature is an important part in culture。 On the one hand, it widely reflects the content of a culture; on the other hand, the idea a writer expresses in his works can influence readers。 When more and more people agree with and accept this idea, it can influence or change the culture in return。来自优Y尔L论W文Q网wWw.YouERw.com 加QQ7520~18766

Chinese American literary works, defined as works written in English by Chinese Americans, appeared in the early 19th century and flourished in the 20th century。 The evolution of Chinese American literature can be pided into three phases。 The first phase focuses on the difficulties and hardships on work and life of Chinese American workers。 The second period is mainly about conflicts and collisions between Chinese and American cultures during the process in which Chinese Americans tried hard to join the mainstream society。 And the last one is about an appeal to coexistence of cultures in the background of globalization(胡铁生 2008)。 Nowadays, through the efforts of three generations of Chinese American writers, Chinese American literature has become a thriving force in American literature and plays a significant role in the cultural communication between China and America。 In these works, not only can readers have a better understanding of American society and how colored people endeavored to fit into it; but also help both Chinese and Americans to know their nation and their cultures more objectively。 Among all these works, The Joy Luck Club stands out。 It is a novel written by Amy Tan, one of the most famous writers in the contemporary Chinese American literature。

1。1 A Brief Introduction to The Joy Luck Club and Its Author Amy Tan

1。1。1 Introduction to The Joy Luck Club

The Joy Luck Club is about the story of four Chinese mothers and their four American daughters。 The novel began after the death of Suyuan Woo and her daughter Jing-mei took her place in the Joy Luck Club, in which four mothers play mah-jong。 

The four mothers, named Suyuan Woo, An-Mei Hsu, Lindo-Jong and Ying- Ying St。 Clair, all left China in order to find a better place where they could bury their miserable past and a land of hope where their daughters could become outstanding persons someday。 But the reality turned out not as bright as they had hoped。 On the one hand, they couldn’t let their past go and got stuck to the Chinese culture they held in their previous life。 And they were unwilling to learn English, the language, let alone to adapt themselves to the life in the American society。 In this case, the land of dream could never fulfill their dreams。 On the other hand, they wanted their daughters to keep something Chinese in them and raised daughters in the way they themselves were brought up, regardless of the social environment。 The four daughters, Jing-Mei Woo, Rose Hsu Jordan, Waverly Jong, and Lena St。 Clair, grew up in America and received the same education as the Americans did。 It was possible that they regarded themselves as Americans。 They refused Chinese culture which their mothers insisted on instilling in them。 How could they understand the culture when even knew nothing about its language! They didn’t know what had happened to their mothers nor could they understand their mothers’ expectations。 Conflicts arose between the two generations。