Joy Luck Club: Kweilin Story

In what ways does her Kweilin story change? Summarize the different versions Suyuan Woo tells her daughter. Also, why do you think she changes the story she tells her daughter? What purpose or message is she trying to get across to Jing-mei "June" Woo?
     Suyuan Woo's Kweilin story went from a story of dreamed happiness and hope to a story of desperation and resignation. In the beginning, when Suyuan first told the story of Kweilin to her daughter, it was full of happiness - she described Kweilin to be more beautiful that what she had ever dreamed of and that even though many people were starving in the streets, eating rats and garbage, she was happy with her Joy Luck Club: playing mah jong, telling stories, serving banquets every week, and laughing - and the story ended with different versions of how Suyuan used the thousand-yuan note. However, when Jing-mei sulked after her mother's refusal to buy her a transistor radio, Suyuan told the story with a different ending - where she left Kweilin because the Japanese where attacking, where she have to abandon everything except for the three silk dresses that she wore, one on top of another, and finally stating that Jing-mei's father was not Suyuan's first husband and that Jing-mei was not one of the twin babies.
     I think one of the reasons Suyuan changes the story she tells her daughter is so that she can teach Jing-mei a valuable lesson. The ending of the story changed after Jing-mei told her mother that she wanted a transistor radio and was refused. Suyuan asked "'Why do you think you are missing something you never had?'" (25). In a sense, Suyuan is asking how would an individual experience the feeling of needing something when the individual has never had that something previously. The story is told to emphasize the lesson. In it is presented many things - moments of time and objects - that represents importance to Suyuan; however, as the story progresses, it tells how Suyuan has to continuously abandon those valuables one by one. In a way, it represents that Suyuan lives with a feeling of loss because she gave up on those valuables, yet Jing-mei lives with a feeling of desire because she wants something that does not hold much significance. The message she is trying to get across to Jing-mei is that as long as an individual has never possessed something of great value or importance, they will never feel the emotion of loss when living without it.

Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior

What do parents owe to their children? What do children owe to their parents?

     For example, if a child comes home with an A-minus on a test, a Western parent will most likely praise the child. The Chinese mother will gasp in horror and ask what went wrong. If the child comes home with a B on the test, some Western parents will still praise the child. Other Western parents will sit their child down and express disapproval, but they will be careful not to make their child feel inadequate or insecure, and they will not call their child "stupid," "worthless" or "a disgrace." Privately, the Western parents may worry that their child does not test well or have aptitude in the subject or that there is something wrong with the curriculum and possibly the whole school. If the child's grades do not improve, they may eventually schedule a meeting with the school principal to challenge the way the subject is being taught or to call into question the teacher's credentials. [...]

     Chinese parents demand perfect grades because they believe that their child can get them. If their child doesn't get them, the Chinese parent assumes it's because the child didn't work hard enough. That's why the solution to substandard performance is always to excoriate, punish and shame the child. The Chinese parent believes that their child will be strong enough to take the shaming and to improve from it. (And when Chinese kids do excel, there is plenty of ego-inflating parental praise lavished in the privacy of the home.)

     Chinese parents believe that their children owe them everything. Although Amy Chua does not clearly back up this claim in her article, I think I can understand where this belief comes from. For one, Chinese parents believe that in order to achieve the best future, an individuals has to constantly be on the top, so they push their children to maintain the top grades. When the child bring home a B or something, the parents express disapproval because it defies what they had been teaching their child and the only way to explain that resulting grade is that the child did not work hard enough - did not study enough - to achieve the standard A.
     In addition, parents believe that the child should be able to be strong enough to endure the punishment that comes from failure. Many Chinese parents believe that is a child cannot achieve a certain standard, then the child themselves is at fault. In a sense, it is the same concept as the Western "try your best"; however, the difference lies in the definition of best. Westerns believe that things will work out if the child passes; however Chinese parents do not wish to accept anything but the best.
     Therefore, Chinese parents believe that their children owe them everything because they had expected and pushed them to be the best since the very  beginning of thier lives.

Egypt and Animal Farm

     As I take a closer look at the results of our classes collective Egypt research, I find many connections between the revolution Orwell described in Animal Farm and the events in Egypt, Tunisia, Honduras, etc. For one, both of the rebellions seem to evolve in the same way. In Animal Farm and Egypt, both systems of government are controlled by one individual even though there seems to be one that one person in charge of the government's organization. In Animal Farm, Mr. Jones, the original owner of the farm, has four helpers who help him take care of the farmer. In Egypt, the president has advisers and his cabinet to help him keep track and take care of what is happening within their ruling system.
     The second thing Animal Farm and Egypt have in common is their type of government - in short, the leaders of both governments can be called tyrants. Both governments begin with a ruler who is cruel - the animals in Animal Farm were not fed daily and were often punished when they were under the rule of Mr. Jones while a citizen of Egypt willingly like himself of fire to protest against the injustice he faced while living in Egypt. In relation to what caused the protest in Egypt and the rebellion in Animal Farm, both governments seem to end up in a position worse than where they started off. In Animal Farm, Napoleon ended up treating the animals worse than how Mr. Jones had treated them before the rebellion and the vice-president of Egypt seems to be more corrupted than the original president.
     Third, interference takes place in both Animal Farm and Egypt after the protest and rebellion. In Animal Farm, the humans tried to retake the farm and would go as far as trying to destroy the windmill. In Egypt, American seems to be influencing Egypt to accept a certain proposal or bargain.
     Therefore, I think that George Orwell, the writer of Animal Farm, is able to have events in his book connect with many of the events that are currently happening in Egypt.

Animal Farm Chapter 11

Seasons have passed since the animals looked through the window of the house and witnessing the dinner between the humans and pigs. The shock of hearing Napoleon’s betrayal befuddled the animals and no one knew what to do anymore. Clover, getting older by the days, felt the painful stabs of daily survival. The animals of Animal Farm, now called Manor Farm, had to work harder than even. Being given even less rations of food than before, everyone was starving, yet the number of stocks read out by Squealer continued to increase. No one could find the difference between the harsh days of abuse with Jones and the hunger with Napoleon. They only understood that they were the only animal run farm in England...

    Walking down a path no one no walk, Clover head home - back to her shabby stable - when a majestic boar appeared before her. The boar was old yet something about him was familiar. It took a moment before clover realized who it was...Snowball, the traitor.
    Clover debated with herself, whether she should run to call for help, or to start a conversation with Snowball. Napoleon came up to her mind; she had so much to think about that she did not here Snowball talking to her.
    “How have you been, comrade?” asked the boar.
    “...”
    “It seems that Napoleon is ruling as a dictator now.”
    “A traitor has no right to call me a comrade,” hissed Clover, “no right at all...”
    “I am not a traitor, Clover, surely you understand that. After witnessing the cruelty of Napoleon, you should understand that Napoleon only speaks of lies. Nothing more, nothing less...”
    “...I no longer understand. If what you say is true, then the rebellion would have no cause. What was the deaths of our comrades for? This...” Clover trailed off, no knowing what to say.
    “It is dictatorship, Clover. and what we need is another rebellion. this time, to kick Napoleon out... Can we work together? Once more?”
    It was then decided, another rebellion must take place. No animals can stand the suffering. Many of the animals suggested that even if they don’t know the pain from the days of Jones, the pain they are suffering now is worse. There were rumors circulating amongst the animals about Napoleon, but no one dared to say it out loud.
    A secret meeting was held with Clover setting it up. Without Napoleon, the pigs, and the dogs noticing, they all sneaked out, deep into the night, to a secret place where everyone slowly positioned themselves toward a comfortable position. They were all curious about what was going on, since this is their first secret meeting without their superiors knowing. Clover came up, along with an animal no one had ever seen before. Its was a pig, an old boar. No one knew why a pig was at the secret meeting.
    “Friends, we are here now because there is something i need to discuss to you about. What we saw that fateful night is the cruel reality we must face. Napoleon will now work us down to our very bone and it will be for his benefits. I am now in my old age, I may not live any longer now but I still hope for the dream where the Republic of Animals is strong in Animal Farm.

“I hope that we can live free, where we can all work for our own keeps. When we do not have to worry about the pain from Napoleon’s whips. I understand that we pride ourselves for being the only animal run farm; however, this is dictatorship. We must rebel if we want our days of happiness and freedom and we must win. Comrades, let us try once more - a rebellion.”

    A few days later, Clover was said to have journeyed to Sugar Candy Mountain. Her body was laid beside a tree where the view of the entire farm can be seen. No one knew what to do about the new rebellion that they planned. Although they did held secret meetings frequently, they got nowhere since there was no one to lead them; they all feared the pigs and their power. Moreover, no one was smart enough to lead since only the pigs received education.
    When almost everyone lost hope for the new rebellion, the old pig, who was seen to have secretly talked to Clover many times, stepped up and spoke.
    “Hello comrades, as you know, a rebellion must once again take place to free our brothers from suffering. These hardship that everyone is forced to endure must be stopped. We did had our democracy for a while, but, Napoleon took it away. We must regain it once again for our future and for Animal Farm. I, Snowball, will lead this rebellion, as I had led the first one.”
    Many animals began whispering as the mysterious pig identified himself as the infamous Snowball who was said to have betrayed them. Confusion engulfed the animals. They all had mixed feelings on what to do but Snowball continued talking.
    “As you may have secretly suspected, Clover and I organized this, because we both did dream of a place where every animals are equal, and the strong protects the weak. However, it did not happen because Napoleon believed that some animals are more equal than the others. Comrades, I ask that you are willing to help me. But if not, then help Clover and your comrades who, sadly cannot be here to see the new rebellion, dreams of a republic of animals. Many of you are starving and slowly weakening while the pigs and dogs are well fed from the food that you, my comrades, have poured your sweats into cultivating this farm. Perhaps you may not know it, but the Beast of England, our freedom, is no longer here.”
    After listening to his speech, every animals applaud. They knew that they now have no freedom. Not wanting to work to death just to feed the pigs, they joined Snowball. That night, they sang Beast of England proudly having new hope for the upcoming rebellion. Benjamin, the donkey said nothing, just simply shook his head...

…............................................................

    Napoleon awoke to find himself surrounded by darkness. Standing up, he looked around. Not a shred of light shone through the pitch black mass. At a distance, after walking for what seems to be a long time, Napoleon saw a tiny glimpse of light. He immediately ran toward it, trying to catch the light. However, before he even reach it, many paws and wings grabbed him. They pulled him down, away from the light. he tries to break free but found it impossible. He turned to look at the light once more, to see if it had disappear yet. Upon looking, he saw Snowball, Clover and many other animals from Animal Farm. At that moment he realized his sin.