I am having a really hard time following the changes in characters from chapter to chapter. I am having to read each chapter and then read a summary of that chapter in order to figure out who I read about. Is anyone else having this trouble?
I read the Red Candle and the Moon Lady today and learned quite a bit about the daily lives at this time. I see that it is very common for the woman to be treated unfairly and almost be disrespected. I am not sure that I would be able to act as the characters in this story do when they feel they are being treated unfairly. I am hoping that the story starts coming together for me soon so that I am not nearly as confused.
Favorite for the day: The five evils.
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I too am confused at times. Each time I read the novel I have to think about which younger character is related to which older character. I now focus on the content, which is what you were doing in this post. Weren't the women treated so unfairly at times? Even though some of the women did not stand up for themselves, when we read some of the stories of the older women as young wives and mothers, we find that they were indeed strong. It was just a different kind of strength.
ReplyDeleteI think that the characters in each story know how they are expected to act in certain situations...we, as present-day, strong-minded, independent women of 2010 can never know what it was like to live through the times of the older women, so when you say that you would not have been able to act the way the women did is only reasonable. These women were not raised with the idea that women can do and be whatever they want, as we were, so they know only what they have seen before, women who were dominated and had little to no say on what happened in their own homes.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading The Joy Luck Club, as it brings to mind the difficulties that women have had. In sociology class, women are called the overlooked minority. There is truth to this expression. Women had to repress their feelings. This is a wisdom that oriental women are known for. I believe that is one element that attracts so many readers. It is an element of wisdom sought by those in search of applying concepts or precepts to their lives and this story is so filled with them. One being too much water or too little wood is an example of such teaching. It is intriguing and appeals to many and I am on this list.
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