The Joy Luck Club(喜福会影评—东西方文化差异)

The Joy Luck Club

In the movie, there are many conflicts between Chinese culture and American culture, such as teaching methods, relationships, traditions and customs.

First of all, there is a tremendous difference between Chinese and American teaching methods. In China, parents decide what their children should study, which can benefit for children. For example, in June’s memory of child, she should spend two hours playing the piano and be supervised by her music teacher. In China, it is very efficient to prove child who is absorbing some skills in music, art or study. Chinese children often claim that they are forced by their parents. In other words, Chinese parents have no perception of considering children’s hobbies. But in American, children can choose anyone which they are interested in. And American children are more freedom. They can plan to how to practice it.

Second, in the movie, Chinese have more complex relationships between each other. June’s aunts found her sisters who had been dropped by their mother twenty years ago. They tended June to China in order to tell them about her mother. Because aunts thought the daughter is the parents’best friends that can know about her parents. In America, the different person has different feelings and thoughts. Though you are the closest, you cannot know all about each other.

Third, traditions are very clearly different in this movie. With our impression, Chinese is modest and kind, which contributes to they are not willing to show off what is they are good at. For example, Lin Duo was very good at cooking, but she always said “I am not good at cooking” or “This cake is not very tasty”. When her son-in-low heard this, he put a lot of salt in dishes directly, which made Lin Duo feel embarrassed. Actually, in Lin Duo’s heart, she was long for her relations’ compliment.

In the end of this text, in Chinese customs, the king of the home is husband, which means the man decides everything, including woman’s happiness and life. And one man can have many wives; however, one woman pertains to only one husband, including her body and soul. But in America, husband and wife is independent, husband would like to listen to what his lover is thinking.