What does the jade pendant symbolize in The Joy Luck Club? The jade pendant symbolizes both Jing-mei's relationship with her mother and her Chinese heritage. PDF Cite Share Expert Answers Dolly Doyle | Certified Educator
What does the jade pendant symbolize in best quality?
In Jing-mei's story “Best Quality,” she discusses the jade pendant her mother, Suyuan, gave her, which she called her “life's importance.” Over the course of the story, the symbolic meaning of the pendant changes. After Suyuan's death, however, Jing-mei comes to see it as a symbol of her mother's love and concern.
What does the jewelry symbolize in the Joy Luck Club?
More than just an inherited object, the jewelry represents a mother’s constant love and a daughter’s priceless value. Get the entire The Joy Luck Club LitChart as a printable PDF.
What does the pendant symbolize in Jing Mei?
Over the course of the story, the symbolic meaning of the pendant changes. At first, Jing-mei found the pendant garish and unstylish; to her it represented the cultural differences between herself and her mother. After Suyuan’s death, however, Jing-mei comes to see it as a symbol of her mother’s love and concern.
What is the significance of a pendant?
It is particularly interesting to note that, in its very ability to change meanings, the pendant gains an additional symbolism: it symbolizes the human power to assign new meanings to the phenomena around us.
What does jewelry symbolize in The Joy Luck Club?
Throughout the novel, valuable jewelry is passed from mothers to daughters, symbolizing inheritance and sacrifice. Almost all the main characters grow up in impoverished families without many luxuries.
Why does Suyuan give Jing-Mei The jade pendant?
By giving her the precious necklace, Suyuan indicates to Jing-Mei that she worthy of jade of “best quality.” Through the gift she has, therefore, boosted the confidence of Jing-Mei, who has always been extremely hard on herself. With the pendant, Suyuan makes Jing-Mei realize her own worth.
What is the significance of the red candle in Joy Luck Club?
According to tradition, a candle is decorated with her name on one end and Tyan-yu's name on the other, and the two ends are simultaneously burned. If the candle stays lit through the night and neither end goes out, then the marriage can never be broken.
What does the crab symbolize in Joy Luck Club?
Answer and Explanation: The crab with the missing leg symbolizes June's charitable heart, which does not aim for the best quality in a self-interested way. At the grocery store, one crab loses a leg during a crab fight. June's mother tries to put the crab back but is forced to buy it from the grocer.
What was the necklace second wife gave An-mei made of?
Upon first meeting An-mei, Second Wife gave her a pearl necklace. An-mei felt honored by the attention, but her mother warned her not to be manipulated by Second Wife. Later, An-mei's mother crushed one “pearl” of the necklace under her shoe, proving to An-mei that it was made of mere glass.
What was unusual about Lena and Harold's marriage?
What was unusual about Lena and Harold's marriage? They tried to keep everything separate but equal.
What does the swan feather represent?
The Swan and the Swan Feather Well, we would argue that Tan is making a really strong case for the swan/swan feather to represent all the best wishes and hope for a better life in the new world.
What does An-mei's scar symbolize?
An-mei, too, carries a scar that represents her tie to her mother. These bodily wounds function as symbols for An-mei of a daughter's corporeal bond to her mother, as reminders that one's mother is in one's bones. Even Ying-ying remains loyal to her ancestral traditions.
What does feathers from a thousand li away mean?
The swan has vanished and its single, remaining feather symbolizes a mother's almost extinguished expectations, the sparse remnants of her hopes and plans to bequeath her fierce optimism and rich Oriental heritage to her daughter. As with most parables, there is a lesson here: Be careful what you dream.
What does food symbolize in the Joy Luck Club?
In The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan uses food as a means of exploring cultural identity by situating the consumption of food within the mother-daughter dyad. As Wenying Xu points out, food is one of the 'keen sensual pleasures of our childhood' - attached to our memories of food is an enjoyment of limitless expression.
Why did An-mei's mother crush the pearl necklace?
She makes this stand clear to An-mei: "When the poison broke in her body, she whispered to me that she would rather kill her own weak spirit so she could give me a stronger one." An-mei seized power from her mother's sacrifice. By crushing the false pearls, she is announcing her independence.
What means without wood?
In her mother's words, Rose was "without wood," lacking both strength and substance. She rejected her mother's wisdom and looked to Americans' opinions of her. This characterization echoes Tan's own rejection of her mother and her heritage.
What is the significance of jewelry in Joy Luck Club?
Owning a single piece of jewelry speaks to the hard work it took to earn it, and to the preciousness of the material possession. In Chinese tradition, jewelry has additional significance; they’re often worn as protection charms from harm. In The Joy Luck Club however, the initial owner never keeps jewelry for herself, but gives it to her daughter. Lindo’s mother’s jade pendant is her only prized possession, but she presents it to Lindo on their last day together, hoping it brings her daughter good fortune and protection. Material sacrifice, no matter how great, doesn’t matter if it protects her daughter. Lindo continues the legacy by giving the same pendant to her daughter Waverly before Waverly’s first chess competition. Similar gifts are given to June by Suyuan, and to An-mei by An-mei’s mother. More than just an inherited object, the jewelry represents a mother’s constant love and a daughter’s priceless value.
Who gave the pendant to Waverly?
Lindo continues the legacy by giving the same pendant to her daughter Waverly before Waverly’s first chess competition. Similar gifts are given to June by Suyuan, and to An-mei by An-mei’s mother. More than just an inherited object, the jewelry represents a mother’s constant love and a daughter’s priceless value.
What did Lindo give Waverly?
At the first tournament, Lindo gives Waverly her jade pendant, the same piece of jewelry Lindo’s mother gave young Lindo for good luck; Waverly easily... (full context) Part 2, Chapter 3: Half and Half. ...bible and calls out to God, asking for mercy.
What does Jing Mei's pendant represent?
At first, Jing-mei found the pendant garish and unstylish; to her it represented the cultural differences between herself and her mother. After Suyuan’s death, however, Jing-mei comes to see it as a symbol of her mother’s love and concern.
What does the red candle mean in Lindo Jong?
If the candle burns all night without either end extinguishing prematurely, custom says that the marriage will be successful and happy. The candle has a symbolic meaning—the success of the marriage —within the Chinese culture, but within the story it also functions as a symbol of traditional Chinese culture itself: it embodies the ancient beliefs and customs surrounding marriage.
What does the vase symbolize in the story "Rice Husband"?
In the story “Rice Husband,” a vase in Lena’s home comes to symbolize her marriage. Lena had placed the vase upon a wobbly table; she knew the placement of the vase there was dangerous, but she did nothing to protect the vase from breaking. Like the vase, Lena’s marriage is in danger of falling and shattering.
What does the candle symbolize in Chinese culture?
The candle has a symbolic meaning—the success of the marriage —within the Chinese culture, but within the story it also functions as a symbol of traditional Chinese culture itself: it embodies the ancient beliefs and customs surrounding marriage.
What is Suyuan's pendant?
Suyuan’s Pendant. In Jing-mei’s story “Best Quality,” she discusses the jade pendant her mother, Suyuan, gave her, which she called her “life’s importance.”. Over the course of the story, the symbolic meaning of the pendant changes. At first, Jing-mei found the pendant garish and unstylish; to her it represented the cultural differences between ...
What does the candle symbolize?
Thus the candle, first a symbol of tradition, then of self-assertion, ultimately comes to symbolize the use of tradition in claiming one’s own identity and power. Previous section Motifs Next section Key Facts. Test your knowledge.
What does it mean when Lindo blows out the flame?
A servant relights it, but Lindo later reveals to her mother-in-law that the flame went out, implying that it did so without human intervention. By blowing out the flame, Lindo takes control of her own fate, eventually extricating herself from an unhappy marriage.
What does the pendant mean in Jing Mei?
As Jing-mei seeks to find out what on earth this pendant is supposed to mean, she’s also seeking to grasp her own life’s importance, and trying to understand her mother. As Jing-mei learns more about herself and her mother, the meaning the pendant has for her deepens, just as the color of the jade will deepen.
Who gave Jing Mei the green jade pendant?
The green jade pendant was a gift from Suyuan to her daughter, which Suyuan called Jing-mei’s "life importance." If you’re thinking, "What on earth does that mean?" then you’re not alone, Jing-mei is wondering the same thing. The pendant doesn't necessarily have just one meaning.
What is the meaning of the red candle?
The Red Candle. The red candle with two ends for lighting (one representing Lindo and one representing her husband) is a symbol of marriage in China, " ] a marriage bond that was worth more than a Catholic promise not to divorce.". The marriage bond can’t be broken by a divorce or by death; a widow could not remarry.
Who is like a crab in the movie "Jing Mei"?
This is in contrast to Waverly, who is like a crab, "Always walking sideways, moving crooked. You [Jing-me] can make your legs go the other way.". So Jing-mei has the ability to change and thus improve herself, whereas Waverly not so much.
What is the black vase on the end table in Lena's guest bedroom?
There is a poorly designed (by Harold) marble end table in Lena’s guest bedroom with a black vase on it. The table starts to tip over if you barely touch it – it’s destined to fall. In fact, it does fall, and the vase breaks. Lena says she knew it was going to happen.