分析电影《喜福会》所表现的中西方文化差异英语论文

届毕业论文

Contents

摘要

...... .................................................. .................................................. .......................

i

Abstract

.

....... .................................................. .................................................. .............

i

i

Chapter 1 Introduction................. .................................................. ..............................1

1.1 Brief Introduction to the Author... .................................................. .....................1

1.2 Brief Introduction of the Novel ........................ .................................................. 1

1.3 Introduction About the Thesis.... .................................................. .......................2

Chapter 2 The Differences Between American and Chinese Cultures Presented

in the Movie..... .................................................. .................................................. ...........3

2.1 The Chinese Culture in the Movie......................................... ..............................3

2.2 Different Views on Love and Marriage ............. .................................................3

2.2.1 Maternal Love in

The Joy Luck Club

..

…

. .................................................. .3

2.2.2 Different Views on Marriage

……

............................. .................................6

2.3 Different Senses of Value

……

. .................................................. .........................8

2.3.1 The Differences Between Chinese Family in the Pecking Order

and American Family of Equa lity.............................................. .........................8

2.3.2 The Differences Between Chinese Traditional Family Concept

and American Individualism. .................................................. ............................9

2.3.3 China

’

s Modest Comity and American Foursquare People ....................10

2.4 Different Ways of Language Expression

…

................ .....................................11

2.5 Different Uses of Address Terms.... .................................................. ................12

Chapter 3 Compatibility Between Chinese and American Culture.......................14

Chapter 4 Exploring the Methods of the Harmonious Coexistence of

Sino-US Culture from

The Joy Luck Club

………

< br>…

................................... .............16

4.1To Enhance Political and Cultural Exchanges ........................... .......................16

4.2 To Show Understanding of and Respect for Foreign Cultures.........................17

4.3 To Seek Common Points While Reserving Differences ..................................19

Chapter 5 Conclusion................... .................................................. ............................20

黑龙江外国语学院

2013

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Bibliography............... .................................................. ...............................................21

Acknowledgements....................... .................................................. ............................22

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黑龙江外国语学院

2013

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An Analysis of the Cultural Differences Between China and the

West from

The Joy Luck Club

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1

Brief Introduction to the Author

Amy

Tan

(Chinese:

譚恩美

;

born

February

19,

1952)

is

a

Chinese

American

writer whose works explore mother- daughter relationships. In 1993, Tan

’

s adaptation of

her first novel,

The Joy Luck Club

, became a commercially successful film. The book

has been translated into 35 languages.

1.2 Brief Introduction of the Novel

The

Joy

Luck

Club

is

a

well-known

American-Chinese

writer

Amy

Tan

’

s

representative works.

In the novel, she presented to the reader four Chinese immigrant mothers and their

daughters.

Although

living

in

America,

the

immigrant

mothers

cling

to

Chinese

traditional

culture.

They

organize

the

Joy

Luck

Club

regularly,

a

weekly

meeting

of

best Chinese friends. Four mothers with their own view of the world, their world view

is based on their experiences of life in China. However, the girls from their mothers can

not understand the Chinese culture because they are born in America. So the conflicts

have

been

vividly

described

in

this

book.

As

time

goes

by,

after

a

series

of

misunderstandings

and

conflicts,

they

begin

to

understand

each

other.

The

two

generations go into harmony with their efforts of love.

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1.3

Introduction About the Thesis

The thesis is the discussion about the mother-daughter collision and compatibility

between Chinese and American cultures, it is divided into five major parts: Introduction,

The

difference

between

American

and

Chinese

cultures

presented

in

the

movie,

Compatibility

between

Chinese

&American

culture,

exploring

the

methods

of

the

harmonious

coexistence

of

Sino-US

culture

from

The

Joy

Luck

Club

,

conclusion.

In

addition, the paper argues that mother-daughter conflict presented the different culture

between

China

and

American

in

the

movie.

More

importantly,

after

a

series

of

misunderstandings,

the

two

generations

are

in

harmony

which

means

cultural

compatibility

between

China

and

America.

It

brings

hope

that

contradiction

or

oppositions

in

our

lives

between

past

and

present,

between

generation

and

between

cultures can possibly be well reconciled.

2 < /p>

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Chapter 2 The Differences Between American and Chinese

Cultures

Presented in the Movie

2.1 The Chinese Culture in the Movie

In the movie, we can see that the four mother-immigrants hold The Joy Luck Club

every

week.

All

their

best

friends

and

related

people

will

attend.

They

cook

Chinese

food,

wear

Chinese

traditional

clothes.

Especially,

they

prefer

to

play

mahjong.

It

undoubtedly provides a place for the others to get in retrospect.

In my oppinion, I think that playing mahjong reflects the character of a person and

the

culture

of

a

nation.

In

the

movie

The

Joy

Luck

Club

,

we

can

see

four

vivid

characters at the mahjong table. Jingmei (the leading acterss) plays mahjong with three

eldly

women,

the

expression

and

behavior

of

Auntie

Lindo,

she

is

aggressive

and

mighty

as

we

see

after

the

movie

telling

the

stories

between

she

and

her

daughter.

Analysing

the

character

of

Auntie

Lindo,

culture

of

the

mahjong

can

present.

When

playing mahjong, every person prefers to suppress the others, making every endeavor to

win. If something indicates he will lose, he will destroy all the games to make everyone

lose. But people are enjoying strifing openly and secretly. Such a game mirrors most of

Chinese characters

：

passive, defensive, selfish. Instead, as we know, pokers are more

popular in America. So it is hard to be accepted by the America-born girls.

2.2 Different Views of Love and Marriage

2.2.1 Maternal Love in

the Joy Luck Club

Every mother loves her child or children. Although the Joy Luck Club mothers are

very strict with their daughters, they still love their daughters. And the maternal love

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the four mothers impart to their daughters is just a typical Chinese one. The maternal

love of Chinese mothers is not as direct as that of American mothers. Chinese mothers

do not kiss and hug t

heir daughters and say “I love you” to them like their Americ

an

counterparts. Mothers all love their daughters in a Chinese way.

First, just as the woman in the preface of the

Feathers From A Thousand Li Away

cooes

to

her

swan,

In

America

I

will

have

a

daughter

just

like

me.

But

over

there

nobody will be measured by the loudness of her husband

’

s belch. Over there nobody

will be look down on her, because I will make her speak only perfect American English.

And over there she will always be too full to swallow any sorrow! She will know my

meaning, because I will give her this swan

—

a creature that became more than what was

hoped

for.

the

Joy

Luck

Club

mothers

put

high

expectations

upon

their

daughters.

They

hope

their

daughters

will

become

successful.

They

begin

to

plan

for

their

daughters’ future since they are children. They don’t care whether their daughters like

the plan or not, because in traditional Chinese culture, sons and daughters must obey

their parents, and they cannot rebel against the parents. If they do this, it is filial impiety,

and they will be criticized by the family members and the neighbors and the society.

Second, the Joy Luck Club mothers criticize their daughters much more instead of

praising them more like the American mothers. In their eyes, if they want their children

to

have

power

and

skills

so

that

they

can

survive

in

the

fiercely

competitive

society,

they have to be strict with their offspring. For the Joy Luck Club mothers, in order to

make sure that their daughters are powerful enough in the future, they are very strict

with their daughters and criticize them much instead of praising them. When Ying-ying

thinks that Lena can go to school by herself, she urges again and again: “You must not

walk in any direction but to s

chool and back home”

. But too much criticism makes the

daughters feel dissatisfied and even angry with their mothers. They cannot accept this

kind

of

love

because

they

are

strongly

influenced

by

American

individualism.

They

cannot bear their mothers’ arbit

rariness and criticism no longer. Some of them openly

say “no” to their mothers.

Third, they care too much for their daughters’

life. The Chinese parents hope that

their offspring will have a happy life. Even if their child or children get married, they

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will

still

pay

much

attention

to

their

marital

life,

and

want

to

make

sure

that

their

offspring have a happy life. For the Joy Luck Club mothers, their care and love can be

reflected in the assistance they provide their daughters to solve their marriage problems.

They

never

hesitate

to

help

their

daughters

when

their

daughters

have

marriage

problems.

They

try

their

best

to

pull

their

daughters

out

of

troubles.

Both

Rose

and

Lena

marry

Americans.

In

front

of

their

American

husbands,

they

have

a

sense

of

inferiority. Rose does not make any decision on anything. Instead, she lets her husband

decide

because

she

believes

her

husband’s

decision

is

always

better.

Gradually,

she

begins

to

lose

charms

to

her

husband

who

believes

that

she

is

shouldering

off

responsibili

ty. He even proposes a divorce. Crisis also exists in Lena’s marriage. They

fight to solve the problems, but they are too weak to work out a solution. At this critical

moment,

their

mothers

do

not

walk

away

from

them

but

try

their

best

to

help

their

daughters.

An-

mei

encourages

Rose

to

speak

up,

“Why

do

you

not

speak

up

for

yourself?

Why

can

you

not

talk

to

your

husband?”

When

Rose

takes

her

mother’s

advice and does speak up for herself, she not only astounds her arrogant husband, but

also saves her marriage. Ying-ying shows her daughter what disastrous consequences

would happen if she continues to ignore the imbalance between her and her husband. In

this way, she reminds her daughter to take immediate actions to get rid of the imbalance

in her marriage. From the assistance that their mothers provide them, the two daughters

feel the deep love as well as the powerful strength of their Chinese mothers, although

sometime

they

may

feel

annoyed.

Rose

finally

realizes

that

her

mother

is

more

enthusiastic

and

helpful

than

an

American

psychiatrist

in

pulling

her

out

of

psychological troubles. The American psychiatrist only makes her feel “hulihutu”. As

for Lena, she finds out that her mother loves her better even than her American husband

because

her

mother

still

clearly

remembers

that

she

never

eats

ice-cream

while

her

husband knows nothing about it even though he has been married to her for many years.

From

this

aspect,

the

Joy

Luck

Club

mothers

give

their

daughters

a

lot

of

help

and

comfort.

In fact, the maternal love of the Joy Luck Club mothers exists almost everywhere.

The four daughters come to realize that their mothers are always loving them in every

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possible situation. They find out that their mothers would express maternal love at any

moment. At the crab dinner, Suyuan would not let her daughter Jingmei pick the crab

with a broken leg after every guest has taken away the good ones. In Suyuan’ eyes, a

crab with a broken leg is a symbol of bad luck. She does not want her daughter to suffer

from bad luck. In order to protect Jingmei from bad luck, when there are only two crabs

in the plate, Suyuan picks the one with a broken leg for herself, and gives her daughter

the better one. Again, the maternal love of a Chinese mother is vividly shown here. The

mothers would always protect their daughters and make any sacrifice for them at any

moment.

In all, the maternal love that the Joy Luck Club mothers show to their daughters is

brim

with

Chinese

culture.

In

the

beginning,

because

their

daughters

don’t

know

anyt

hing about their mothers’ motherland culture, they cannot understand their mothers,

but

after

hearing

their

mothers’

experiences

in

China,

and

sensing

their

mothers’

sincere

love,

they

begin

to

understand

and

accept

their

mothers.

Although

they

have

been

soaked

in

the

American

culture,

the

same

blood

of

the

Chinese

people

in

their

bodies

and

their

mothers’

love

reminds

them

that

they

cannot

deny

their

mothers’

culture.

2.2.2 Different Views of Marriage

2.2.2.1 Comparison of the Western Concept of Marriage

Female failed marriage seems to be the theme in the film

“

The Joy Luck Club

”

,

touch one deeply in the heart, for example: the young aunt Lin became a child bride,

When she found her husband

’

s position is determined by the pregnant belly, she used

own

wisdom

ended

her

marriage

without

love

successfully.

The

film

can

be

seen

different

attitudes

and

ideas

about

life

of

the

two

generations

after

emigrated

to

the

United

States,

it

is

the

direct

embodiment

of

the

difference

in

marriage

concept

of

west and east culture. Chinese marriage multi-legged no autonomy. Mothers in the film

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the

marriage

is

good

portrayal;

such

as

marriage,

child

bride.

Theory

of

personality

structure can be a very good explanation of this point, Chinese is based on interpersonal

self

as

the

core

to

forge

their

own

personality,

self

-

not

from

others

of

their

own

requirements. This decision in Chinese parents marriage plays a dominant role in micro,

daughter

and

her

mother's

marriage

is

the

direct

reflection,

micro

in

order

to

get

the

mother

recognized

and

experienced

a

failure

marriage,

while

his

mother

is

the

direct

victims of child bride. In order to interpersonal self as the core personality of Chinese

especially pay attention to their relations with others, pay attention to the opinions of

others on their own. In addition, Chinese marriage represents the reproductive marriage

-

model

of

sex,

also

reflect

the

personality

characteristics

of

R

in

china.

In

Chinese

marriage is based on reproduction, marriage is a personal belongs to family and family,

sex in the secondary position, resulting in a lack of emotional arranged marriage and

child bride.

In

contrast,

American

marriages

are

independent

random.

This

point

can

be

reflected

by

daughters

’

marriages

in

the

film.

Rose

’

s

marriage

is

a

typical

example,

although her husband

’

s mother does not agree, marriage can still realize. According to

the theory of personality structure, Western personality structure is the inner self as the

core, named

“

self-discipline personality

”

. Western marriage reflects a mode:

“

the love,

a marriage, reproduction

”

, so two people have feelings, then have the marriage, which

fundamentally affirmed the autonomy of marriage. Thus Westerners tend to choose a

spouse

independently,

but

cannot

tolerate

any

other

people

involved.

So

her

mother-in-law want to persuade Rose and her son separate in the film. the son is furious

to

her,

with

a

very

rude

word

criticism

mother,

this

is

called

the

mistake

in

china.

Americans

if

you

like,

you

do

not

care

about

the

others

’

opinions,

but

listen

to

your

heart. Thus, the differences beween China and west of the marriage concept.

2.2.2.2 Morphological Characteristics of Chinese and Western Views of Marriage

Different

personality

structure

decides

different

marriage.

China

’

s

interpersonal

self

of

personality

model

decides

marriage:

“

reproduction,

marriage

and

sex

”

.

While

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2013

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< br>

the Chinese marriage is basisd on family of photograph, to maintain family. From the

morphological characteristics of ways, it is these aspects to strengthen the stability and

persistance

of

Chinese

marriage,

Chinese

people

sacrifice

quality

of

personal

sex

in

exchange for stability and persistance of marriage and family. In China, the nature of

marriage

is

two

people

lose

their

independence

and

to

form

a

new

complete

independent person, to form a new personality, named two people into a person. This

kind

of

relationship

depend

on

each

other

mutual

confluence,

add

to

its

stability.

Westerners

’

inner self as the core of the personality structure is decided to the marriage

patterns:

“Love,

marriage

and

reproduction

”

.

This

model

leads

to

the

personal

autonomy of west marriage, and sex as a basic form of marriage, so that their marriage

without stability. Due to personal autonomy. Western marriage and westerners sacrifice

family

stability

and

durability,

In

order

to

gain

personal

sex

of

different

quality,

no

others involved. so sex as a foundation of western marriage is very unstable.

2.3 Different Senses of Value

2.3.1

The

Differences

Between

Chinese

Family

in

the

Pecking

Order

and

American Family of Equality

“

Respect your parents

”

, children honor their parents, children follow their will, is

typical

of

Confucianism,

“

Filial

piety

”

first

performance

in

the

respect

for

parents,

concerned parents

’

health, nearer layer of

“

filial piety

”

means obedience to parents and

elders

will.

Four

mothers

in

the

film

are

grown

in

old

China,

grew

up

in

a

strong

Confucian

culture,

which

imposed

the

“

filial

piety

”

on

their

children

’

s

education

invisibly.

But

in

the

United

States

this

open

advocating

human

rights

culture

background, Parents do everything is not allowed, it impinge on human rights. America

advocates

the

freedom,

equality,

everyone

is

an

independent

individual,

live

for

themselves.

No

one

can

deprived

others

of

freedom

and

independent

choice

of

the

right .

8