"Double Face"
posted by Mrs. Woods | Monday, December 10, 2007
Woods' English 2A
This blog is intended to be used as a discussion forum for Mrs. Woods' 2A students from Piedmont Hills High School. The blog will allow each student to offer responses and reactions to the novels read outside of class. This blog will also allow you to read the reactions of others.
- "Best Quality"
- "Without Wood"
- "Four Directions"
- "Rice Husband"
- "Two Kinds"
- "Half and Half"
- "The Voice from the Wall"
- "Rules of the Game"
- "Moon Lady"
- "Red Candle"
188 Comments:
Crooked Nose
Chapter: Double Face
1. Lindo Jong is right; her daughter may have a problem communicating to others in China. Waverly should’ve listened to her mother so she could learn Chinese when she was younger. Why didn’t Lindo say anything to Mr. Rory when he asked her how she wanted her hair? It was interesting to read that Lindo didn’t think the Buddha Temple looked like it should, with ponds and walls, as it probably did in China. It’s too bad that Lindo had no other choice, than to work in the cookie factory because all she does is make fortune cookies. It was funny how Lindo expressed herself when An-Mei told her that the fortune cookies are supposedly written by Chinese people, according to Americans. I’m so glad that An-Mei encountered Lindo because now they’re great friends and she put the thought of marrying Tin Jong into Lindo’s head. It’s sad that Lindo can’t really understand what her husband says to her because they speak different Chinese dialects. Some of the fortunes were funny. I wonder how her purse filled up with fortune cookies and wouldn’t she know that there were a lot of fortune cookies in her purse before she carried her purse with her home? It was funny when Tin asked Lindo, “Lindo, can you spouse me?” (P. 302) because the question isn’t worded correctly. This chapter deserves a thumbs up because it shows a lot of differences between China and America.
2. The quote, “My husband has a friend who is looking for a good Chinese wife…,” (P. 300) was said by An-Mei Hsu because she was very kind to Lindo and she was willing to help her. She introduced Tin Jong to Lindo and they both got married. The quote, “Rory is famous…” (P. 290) was said by her daughter, Waverly, because when her mother wanted An-mei to cut her hair, but her daughter insister that Rory should cut her hair. Waverly has an American mind and doesn’t even think about someone else cutting her mother’s hair than Rory.
3. The external conflict is that Lindo’s face doesn’t look 100% Chinese. When she went to China, the Chinese people there charged her high foreign prices. The internal conflict is that Lindo changed when she came to America. She wasn’t the same person when she came back to China after being in America for forty years. She’s two-faced, meaning she’s for one side and also the other. She is from China and yet she lives in America. She is both Chinese and American. I know that this is the internal and external conflics because at the end of the chapter, Lindo thinks and questions herself about this.
"The Best Combination"
Chapter: Double Face
1: The beginning of this chapter is pretty ironic, it starts off with Waverly wanting to look Chinese again. At the beginning of this book, all the daughters wanted to be Americanized and not Chinese. But now, on page 288, Waverly gets offended when her mom says that the people from China will already know that Waverly does not belong because of "the way you walk" and "the way you carry your face" (288). Now Waverly wants to be Chinese but according to Lindo, it is already too late. The scene at the beauty salon was kind of sad because Waverly makes her mom change her hair style because she is ashamed of her mother's looks. Also, it was pretty sad when Waverly started criticizing her mom when her mom was still in the room. However, this chapter was really funny and I give it a thumbs up. One part that I thought was funny was when Lindo tells Waverly to finish her coffee, otherwise she is throwing her blessings away, and Waverly replies that she can do whatever she wants because she is her own person. And Lindo thinks to herself, "How can she be her own person? When did I give her up?" (290). On page 293, it was funny when Lindo's mother was looking at Lindo's physical traits to see what her future would be like. Lindo had a low hair line on her forehead, and that meant that she will have hardships in her life. Then her mom says that she also had a low hairline, but as she got older, she got a blessing. She tells Lindo, "Later you will worry and lose your hair, too" (293). I thought that was pretty funny how the mother is encouraging her daughter to worry in order to lose hair to get a low hair line. Another funny part was when Ting Jong asks Lindo, "Lindo, can you spouse me?" (302). That was so hilarious! There were so many funny scenes in this chapter that I definitely give it a thumbs up!
2: Lindo and Waverly's relationship is like an other mother-daughter relationship. Yes, they have arguements with each other, but they always seem to have each other's best interest in mind. For Waverly, she takes her mom to the beauty salon to get a new hairstyle. Even though it seems that the reason she took her mom there was because she was ashamed of her mom's looks, but maybe it was because she wants her mom to look beautiful at her wedding. So Waverly does have good intentions for making her mom get her hair styled. Lindo has always had good intentions for her children. She wanted them to "have the best combination: American circumstances and chinese character" (289). She also shows this when she names her children, she names Winston because it sounds like "wins ton" as if he will win a lot of things, money, praises, etc. Vincent for "win cent" as if making money, and Waverly after the name of the street, so that when Waverly grows up, leaves this place, she will "take a piece of me with you" (303). Lindo is always looking for the best for her children, especially Waverly.
3: I learned a lot about the Chinese Culture. I learned that you could tell someone's future by looking at their physical traits. For example, big thick lobes means there is a lot of meat at the bottom, meaning that it is "full of blessings" (292). Also, if your hole in your nose is too big, then you money will be running out. A straight and smooth nose is a good sign. It says that people with "crooked noses is bound for misfortune" (292). Lastly, it says that a wide forehead means that you are clever, and if your "hair is thick, the hairline is low on your forehead. This means you will have some hardships in your early life" (292).
Chinese Face
Chapter Double Face
1. I feel bad for Waverly. She was born in America and throughout her life, she has been Americanized. She has an American face, American thoughts, and American actions. She used to be okay with herself but when she meets her mother, she is sad that her American ways do not please her. This brings about thoughts about her other face, her Chinese face, the face that will please her mother. She wants to come back to Chinese culture but has nothing to base it on since she has lived in America.
2. Lindo and her mother’s relationship is a normal mother-daughter relationship. Like most relationships in this book between mother and daughter, they both care for each other, the mother wants the best for the daughter, and the daughter always strives to please the mother. Although they have fights once in a while, like in the marketplace, their relationship continues no matter what happens.
3. I think the theme of this chapter is to be true and proud to who you are. Waverly was born in America, she therefore has American ways, but that doesn’t mean that she should try to hide them under a Chinese mask. She should be proud of her ways and know that she can’t please everyone with the way she acts and she shouldn’t try to.
Ashamed!
1) I did not like this chapter because Waverly is embarrassed by her mother. I did not like it because it seemed like Waverly did not like her mother. She at first did not like nor want to be Chinese, but then at when she grows even older, she realizes that she wants to be Chinese.
2) The relationship between Waverly and her Mother
At the beginning, Waverly did not want to be Chinese; she wanted to be all American, but she learns to appreciate. Then when they are at Mr. Rory’s hair salon and he tells them that they look alike, it seems as if she does not want to look like her mother. “I smile, this time with my Chinese face. But my daughter’s eyes and her smile become very narrow, the way a cat pulls itself small just before it bites.” Waverly is angry that she is being compared to her mother. At the end though, when they are comparing their noses, and her mother says that her nose is crooked. Waverly says that they have the same noses. She then looks pleased, as if she finally is accepting her mother, and likes the fact that they look alike.
3) This chapter relates to a lot of immigrants from China that comes to America in search of a better life. My Little Aunt came to America for school and when she went back to Taiwan, it was really hard for her to find a job because of the overpopulation. The only job she found required for her to speak English, just like Lindo, she could not accept due to her limited English. Also, like Lindo, she was forced to occupy a job that pays less due to their limited Rnglish skills.
Title: Like Cookie Scraps
(Focusing on “Double Face”)
1) To me, this chapter might not have been anything special, like compared to Lindo’s previous chapters, but it was still very good. I loved how Amy Tan was comparing Lindo and Waverly, how she made them look so much alike that they almost looked like sisters. Like they were the same on the outside, but utterly different on the inside. Also, I really liked how Tan made the authorities of China know that Lindo’s “face was not one hundred percent Chinese.” I think that it means that America has had some kind of effect on her that’s changed who she is, definitely. When Waverly said that she and her mother looked “two-faced” and sounded proud, I felt the same doubt as Lindo. Who would want to be called “two-faced?” Isn’t that a bad thing? Doesn’t it make people think you’re untrustworthy, that you’ll just stab them in the back if they get too close to you?
2) Lindo and Waverly’s relationship keep changing, going from competitive to mildly formal, to Waverly’s shame of her mother. Lindo can tell that Waverly wants to be Chinese now that she’s older, but like she said, it is too late to change her personality, or who she is. Waverly is too American to be fully Chinese and act like one, though now she wants to embrace her heritage, she probably doesn’t even know anything about it. And Waverly also considers them both “two-faced,” and “devious.” She says their faces make them look like they are that way. What could she mean by that?
3) Though there wasn’t a lot of conflict in this chapter, there was definitely some differences between Waverly’s points of view and Lindo’s points of view. If I were to decide on a category for the conflict, it might be under “human vs. self,” as Lindo is still trying to figure out when she changed so much that she looks and acts American, not even one hundred percent Chinese anymore. She is trying to figure out how she suddenly became “two-faced,” how she became “devious” so that she means what she says, but her intentions are different, and people can see that.
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Tell me my fortune!
1) Reaction:
I give this chapter two thumbs up because I like how Tan uses Lindo Jong’s story of immigration to compare American and Chinese ways. It was interesting to hear how Lindo Jong hired a lady to teach her how to be an American and that fortune cookies are not really Chinese, but American. Also, it was hilarious when Lindo and An-mei found a fortune that would trick Tin Jong into asking Lindo to marry him. Overall, this chapter did not lose my attention and I learned a lot about how your face features can tell your future and personalities.
2) Lindo Jong and Waverly relationship:
Their relationship is one of disagreement. They can never find a common ground because Lindo Jong represents Chinese culture and Waverly represents American culture. Lindo comments about these two opposite cultures, “How could I know these two things do not mix (289)?” She wanted to teach her daughter Chinese character, but instead, Waverly was blinded by American character. Waverly doesn’t want anything to do with being Chinese. She even becomes upset when Mr. Rory says that she looks so much like her mother. But, the fact is that Lindo doesn’t understand that “she is my daughter and I am proud of her, and I am her mother but she is not proud of me (291).” Not only did she not gain Waverly’s respect, she also lost her Chinese face when she moved to America. They are stuck in the battle of a culture clash.
3) Chinese Culture:
This chapter contained many interesting pieces of Chinese beliefs. They believed that earlobes with lots of meat meant that your life would contain many blessings. They also thought that your nose could not have big holes or else that meant money would flow out of the family and that a crooked nose caused misfortune. They also wanted their chin to be just right so that their lifespan would not be too short or too long and that a low hairline meant that there our hardships ahead for you. I never knew there were so many things you could tell from your face features.
Two-Sided
Double Face
1) Reaction
I think that Waverly wanted to be more American and less Chinese when she was young, but it's too late for her to turn back and be more Chinese now that it was "fashionable". I felt that Lindo should've cut Waverly off and just tell Mr. Rory how she wanted her hair, instead of letting Waverly decide everything. I think that meeting An-Mei in the cookie factory was a pivotal moment in Lindo's life, because not only do they become good friends, An-Mei leads Lindo to her future husband. I thought it was pretty amusing how Lindo and An-Mei used fortune cookies to help Tin to decide to ask Lindo to marry him. I would give this chapter a one thumbs up.
2) I think that Lindo and An-Mei's relationship was extremely important. By meeting each other, they help shape their lives and become the people with the lives they have today. Without meeting An-Mei, Lindo would be a totally different person with a different life.
3) I learned a lot about Chinese culture and how people were able to "foretell" their lives through facial features. Lindo's mom "predicted" her life just by looking at her ears, eyes, chins, and nose.
Big ear lobes
Chapter: Double Face
1) Although it is too late, Lindo Jong regrets not feeding too much of her Chinese heritage into her daughter. Now, her daughter doesn’t have the right to say to her mother that she will blend in very well in China. Lindo has kept in her Chinese heritage from so long and then, at the salon, she spills it from a story asking questions in between like, “Why do you always tell people that I met your father in the Cathay House, that I broke open a fortune cookie and it said I would marry a dark, handsome stranger...” It hurts Lindo to have her daughter not know anything about her. She has “left no footprints” for her daughter.
2) Lindo Jong and An-mei Hsu are great friends. They met in the same circumstances while making fortune cookies. Lindo always listens to her friend such as for getting married. Lindo changes because of An-Mei. For example, she never thought she would marry a man who speaks Cantonese, which is a different Chinese dialect. However, An-Mei convinces Lindo and says, “We are not in China anymore,” and “here everybody is now from the same village even if they come from different parts of China.” An-Mei also thinks of a scheme to get Tin Jong to get married to Lindo from a fortune cookie that reads, “A house is not home when a spouse is not at home.” The two laugh over fortune cookies together.
3) From many chapters, this chapter shined out the most, in teaching me Chinese beliefs. For example, a big earlobe means full of blessings, a nostril being too big means money will be running out, a “crooked nose is bound for misfortune”, and a wider forehead means more cleverness. This was very interesting to read about. It also made me want to scan my own face and sought out the deeper secrets behind each feature.
Beautify Her!
Double Face
I thought that this chapter was fun to read because it told the story of how Lindo Jong met her husband and how she met An-MEi. I loved the way Amy Tan uses flashbacks in this chapter to connect two different time periods together. It was also ironic how Lindo met An-Mei at a factory that made fortune cookies. It made me feel like the fortune cookies showed that it was Lindo's fortune to meet An-Mei and her husband. Anyways, I just thought that it was very interesting to read.
The relationship between Lindo Jong and her daughter Waverly is very unique. Typically, a daughter should know where her mother lived and how her parents met. In this case, Waverly told "[her] friends that [Lindo] arrived in the United States on a slow boat from China." However, her mother arrived on an airplane. Also, Waverly "[tells] people taht [Lindo] met [her] father in the Cathay House, that [Lindo] broke open a fortune cookie and it said [Lindo] would marry a dark, handsome stranger, and that when [she] looked up, there he was, the waiter, [Waverly's] father." But the truth was that Waverly's father was never a waiter and Lindo had never eaten at the Cathay House.
I loved the flashbacks used in this chapter because it was interesting to read how Lindo came to America and how she met her husband. I thought it was absolutely hilarious when her husband asked her, "Lindo, can you spouse me?" It was very cute.
Beautify Her!
Double Face
I thought that this chapter was fun to read because it told the story of how Lindo Jong met her husband and how she met An-MEi. I loved the way Amy Tan uses flashbacks in this chapter to connect two different time periods together. It was also ironic how Lindo met An-Mei at a factory that made fortune cookies. It made me feel like the fortune cookies showed that it was Lindo's fortune to meet An-Mei and her husband. Anyways, I just thought that it was very interesting to read.
The relationship between Lindo Jong and her daughter Waverly is very unique. Typically, a daughter should know where her mother lived and how her parents met. In this case, Waverly told "[her] friends that [Lindo] arrived in the United States on a slow boat from China." However, her mother arrived on an airplane. Also, Waverly "[tells] people taht [Lindo] met [her] father in the Cathay House, that [Lindo] broke open a fortune cookie and it said [Lindo] would marry a dark, handsome stranger, and that when [she] looked up, there he was, the waiter, [Waverly's] father." But the truth was that Waverly's father was never a waiter and Lindo had never eaten at the Cathay House.
I loved the flashbacks used in this chapter because it was interesting to read how Lindo came to America and how she met her husband. I thought it was absolutely hilarious when her husband asked her, "Lindo, can you spouse me?" It was very cute.
Beautify Her!
Double Face
I thought that this chapter was fun to read because it told the story of how Lindo Jong met her husband and how she met An-MEi. I loved the way Amy Tan uses flashbacks in this chapter to connect two different time periods together. It was also ironic how Lindo met An-Mei at a factory that made fortune cookies. It made me feel like the fortune cookies showed that it was Lindo's fortune to meet An-Mei and her husband. Anyways, I just thought that it was very interesting to read.
The relationship between Lindo Jong and her daughter Waverly is very unique. Typically, a daughter should know where her mother lived and how her parents met. In this case, Waverly told "[her] friends that [Lindo] arrived in the United States on a slow boat from China." However, her mother arrived on an airplane. Also, Waverly "[tells] people taht [Lindo] met [her] father in the Cathay House, that [Lindo] broke open a fortune cookie and it said [Lindo] would marry a dark, handsome stranger, and that when [she] looked up, there he was, the waiter, [Waverly's] father." But the truth was that Waverly's father was never a waiter and Lindo had never eaten at the Cathay House.
I loved the flashbacks used in this chapter because it was interesting to read how Lindo came to America and how she met her husband. I thought it was absolutely hilarious when her husband asked her, "Lindo, can you spouse me?" It was very cute.
This chapter was alright, not boring, but there wasn’t much action either. I liked the humorous quotes from the fortune cookies though. Waverly’s reaction to “not looking Chinese” was surprising also; instead of liking that remark, she “did not look please.” She’d finally learned to accept who she is, even though it was already too late.
Even though they couldn’t communicate (Tin speaks Cantonese; Lindo speaks Mandarin), the two come to like each other. They went to English class together and would write Chinese words onto a piece of paper to communicate. Tin even acts out what he tries to say to Lindo, such as running back and forth, jumping up and down, pulling his fingers through his hair just to tell her about how exciting his work place is. Lindo saw this as a sign that he loved her. When Lindo “gives” him a fortune cookie that hints about getting married, even though he didn’t full understand it, he looked it up in the dictionary and immediately proposes to her the next day. They both loved each other and got married a month later.
The message in this chapter would be something like “To gain something, one must sacrifice something.” As Lindo learns through her trip back to China, even though she spoke their language and used their money, they knew she was not one of them. She had lived elsewhere. She cannot live in America and call herself Chinese. Her nose used to be straight, yet now it is crooked. However, she is now confused on what to believe, is a crooked nose good for being devious, or is it bad and will lead one to misfortune? If she believes in one, she must sacrifice the other.
Will you spouse me???
Chapter: Double Face
Reaction: =]
For some strange reason, I like the vignettes with mothers as narrators more than the vignettes with daughters as narrators. I think they appeal to me more because more of the story is infused in Chinese culture. That and because the mothers are a lot more funny. Waverly seems a really inconsiderate toward her mother. I mean, Lindo brought her up! Instead of being ashamed about her mother, Waverly should be proud about having such a strong, supporting (although sometimes, embarassing) mother. I loved how Tan made Lindo work in a fortune cookie factory. Perhaps, Tan did that to show how artificial the Chinese culture is in America. Even Waverly, who grew up in a Chinese family, is more Americanized than she thinks.
Lindo and Waverly Jong
This chapter really polished the relationship between Lindo and her daughter. While in previous chapters, the mother and daughter were incessantly fighting and playing their "invisible chess game," they are now getting along relatively well. Lindo and Waverly have broken down the wall that once prevented the other from seeing the other's true nature and intentions. Now that they can be more open and friendly, they have learned to listen to one another. In the end, Lindo and Waverly have a very intimate conversation with their faces side by side, both staring at their reflections in a mirror. They exchange interpretations of their likenesses, and are able to accept one another's different opinions. Waverly listens to her mother lament on her daughter's crooked nose, and Lindo listens to her daughter say that a crooked nose is not necessarily a bad thing, that it means one is "devious," or "two-faced." This chapter shows how close Lindo and Waverly have become, and how the two very disparate people got pass their differences and learned to cherish one another as mother and daughter.
Writing Technique
Amy Tan uses the flashback once more in this chapter. I really liked how she flashbacked from Lindo and her daughter comparing their features to Lindo and her mother doing the same exact thing. Tan shows how alike mother and daughters are and how the things that happen in their relationships are passed down from generation to generation. This technique really helped emphasize Tan's message to readers.
Fortune Cookies aren’t Chinese?
1. I enjoyed reading this chapter because it shows how Chinese Lindo is and how Americanized Waverly is. I like how most of the mothers are beginning to show their sense of humor towards the end of the book and it is very entertaining to read. I dislike how Waverly is so ashamed being Lindo’s daughter because I mean, Lindo was the one who raised her! Waverly should have some sort of thanks towards her mother. This chapter was pretty fun and I liked it. Two thumbs up.
2. The relationship between Waverly and Lindo is starting to became more understanding now that the book is coming to an end. Instead of fighting, they are now having better conversations and are even getting haircuts together. I liked how they were having an in - depth conversation as they both started at the mirror and looked at each other. Lindo sees how their faces are ‘’ so much the same ‘’ (p.292) and realizes how much she gave of herself to her daughter. Although Waverly doesn’t want to admit it, they are two very similar people.
3. I think Tan uses some symbolism quite well in this chapter. The mirror that the mother and daughter both look at is a symbol of heritage. Since heritage is the passing down of characteristics from generation to generation, Lindo sees in Waverly’s reflection all of the physical traits she passed down to her. Lindo says that she sees ‘’ the same happiness, the same sadness, the same good fortune, the same faults, ‘’ (p.292) describing to the reader what her and her daughter have in common.
And your lucky numbers are...
1) I enjoyed reading this story. I was surprised when Lindo's purple-tinted hair was mentioned; I didn't know that grown women dyed their hair like that.
It was adorable how Lindo and her husband-to-be did not know how to speak English well, and that they were studying and learning it together. I actually liked Waverly in this chapter. Even though she seemed to be embarrassed by her mother, she wanted to visit China, and I think the desire to visit your home country is a selfless one to have. It was funny when Lindo criticized Waverly for having a crooked nose, since she was the one who had given it to her. I would give this chapter a thumbs up.
2)Waverly acts surprisingly immature towards her mother. She doesn't listen to what Lindo has to say when getting her hair cut, even though it was Lindo's hair that Rory was cutting. Waverly talks as if her mother was not right there listening to her; she thinks that her mother doesn't have an opinion on that, or any, matter.
3)Tan uses metaphors in this chapter to portray her scenes and conversations. She describes Lindo's scorched fingers as "fried sausages." She also uses the fortune cookies' messages to send messages to the reader, like, "a woman is worth a thousand words" and "A house is not home when a spouse is not at home," which means that to be happy, one must have a partner ti spend his or her life with.
A new style
1)I think that this chapter was very heartwarming because they were able to discover something about themselves. I think that her story of getting to America and meeting An-Mei Hsu and her husband was very lucky, especially how they tried to meet ask each other out by giving fortune cookies and learning English together. I think that the last scene was very beautiful because she was able to learn that a crooked nose is not always bad as it was in China, but now it can be considered pretty. I also thought that it was sad how the people asked her for money in return for the information even though she kind of needed that money to survive in America.
2)I think that the relationship between Waverly Jong and Lindo Jong is anew. They have just discovered that they are more alike then they ever could have though about and now they both have a certain respect for one another. “Don’t be silly. Our nose isn’t so had, … It makes us look devious” (page 304) Waverly said to her mother while in the salon, it shows how one person’s point of view from one country, is different from someone who grew up someplace else.
3)Theme:
I think that the theme of this chapter is that people learn new things everyday easily. Just like how they Lindo was able to learn that a crooked nose is not a bad thing just by taking a visit to the barber shop with her daughter. I think it applies to this story because she learns a lot of things as she prepares and gets to America.
-Aaron Ly
Spouse Me?
Ch: Double Face
1) In this chapter, Waverly suddenly in a sense has grown up and realized she wants to be Chinese and share the culture of her ancestors. It's ironic because throughout the beginning she wants to become more Americanized and less Chinese. Now she realizes her heritage is of great importance and that she should treasure it. But she may not realize that it's too late for her to try and embrace her culture after years of trying to get rid of it and fit into American standards. Overall I'd give this chapter two thumbs up, vignettes with Lindo and Waverly have proved to be strong and interesting chapters throughout the novel.
2) Waverly and Lindo
I don't like how Waverly seems to be ashamed of having Lindo as her mother because Lindo is caring and funny yet Waverly sees that as embarrassing. But overall, their relationship is pretty typical and healthy because both strongly care for one another even though they can't portray that love a lot of the times. They fight and argue but in the end they both know they love each other and only want the best for each other.
3) After reading this chapter I learned that Chinese have a lot of superstitions based upon looks and facial structure. Supposedly bearing a crooked nose would cause misfortunes, which leads Lindo to encourage Waverly to get plastic surgery..which I find pretty funny. Also having meaty earlobes meant life would bring lots of blessings, I find these beliefs very interesting.
Pseudo-cookies
Chapter: Double Face
1) This chapter actually softened the ferocity of Lindo Jong. It opens the door into her world, and how she does not feel appreciated by her daughter. This chapter was a semi-resolution because it shows why Lindo placed Waverly into all those different classes and the reason was that she wanted her to be something, just as her mother had told her. This chapter also shows how Lindo really does care for her children and gave them all un-Chinese names that basically wish wealth like "Wins-ton." I thought that was actually really cute.
2) Lindo and Waverly both a share a typical mother relationship inwhich mom wants the best for the daughter, but the daughter can't appreciate. Lindo is very proud of Waverly and accepts her but feels as if Waverly is embarrassed by her when she takes her in for a haircut. Which proves that Waverly has different views of what her mother should look like. I can't blame her because at times, we just want our parents to look 'in' and to act and fit into our society and escape from their own.
3) I actually could relate this chapter to real Asian culture because in Asian culture there is a lot of superstitions such as bigger earlobes mean greater wealth. I find it really funny how Lindo could basically fortell her daughter's future by the ways of her facial features. :)
cookies!
double face
1) How would you like to go to a place where people wont recognize you? I would hate that. But that would be waverly if she went to china. She is to americanized to fit in. She never wanted to be chinease and all of a sudden she did. She made no sence and that was wird. Her mother reminded me of an outspeaking person i wonder why she did not defen her hair. The part were lindo had to work in a cookie factory seemed pretty funny to me. The one place she works is a cookie factory where she puts american fortunes into chinease cookies. THat was weird but i felt bad for lindo. I know you have to start from the bottom but that was low. What was funny though was when the guy asked her if she would spouse him. That was funny and yet i felt bad for the guy.this chapter deserves a thumbs up for the funny put into it.
2)wasverly and her mother are the most common to be compared. Waverly has an american mind while her mother has a chinease mind. Her mother has been through tough times and has tried to teach her lessons to her daughter but she refuses to be chinease. Lindo is chinease and cant help it. She was raised that way and yet her daughter has no respect for that. Her daughter is disrespectful to her mother and both are complete opposites except for their face. They have the same face.
3) I think that this chapter compares to what other moms are frrling. A mom wouldn't want their daughter to forget or to criticize them. That is what waverly did she criticized her mother about her hair and her heritage. Lindo was herself and her daughter was ashamed. She did not accept her mother. Most moms and kids want to be accepted so that was true with most mom daughter relationships
The Crooked Nose.
1. I was suprised at Lindo when she didn't speak up for herself when her daughter took her to get haircut. I expected this Chinese mother to stand up for herself, but I guess you can expect the unexpected. This chapter, once again, proves the Chinese superstitions; big thick ear lobes are full of blessings, nostril sizes determine your economic stage, a crooked nose means misfortune is coming your way, and the list goes on and on. I thought it was really cute when Lindo brought home the fortune cookies and gave it to her soon-to-be husband at that time, and how that resulted in them getting married. I think that Lindo has thought about her past so much that she sees a crooked nose on her daughter. It probably never has been seen as a crooked nose, but her thoughts have changed her views on her daughter.
2. Lindo and her mother seem to have a good relationship with a few bad times here and there; the typical relationship. Waverly seems to spend time with her mother and she isn't embarassed/afraid to take her mother out. Lindo wants her daughter to have the best life possible so she is very cautious of everything she does, just like a mother should be.
3. In the paragraph where Tan describes the fortune cookie factory, she uses excellent word choice. She uses words such as "hardships," "pouring," "grab," "burn," and "mistake." These words seem to create a challening mood. Tan used these words to create this mood because Lindo did not like the cookie factory, especially since she was a beginner. It was very difficult for her and she would have to face the consequences if she had any mistakes.
And That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles
Double Face
1.Reaction
This vignette was interesting. Waverly Jong still seems full of herself, and even though she said she wasn't ashamed of her mother, she really is. She tries changing up her mother's stories, and her look just so that it can fit into Waverly's life style. Lindo Jong's mother saw no flaws in her, and how she told her, her nose was perfect and that she could make the right decisions. But I think the part that got to Lindo was when her mother told her about the crooked nose. When she said she bumped her nose on the bus, she began seeing flaws in everything, especially what she wanted her daughter to have. I didn't know Winston died. I liked how Amy Tan chose the clever names of Wins ton and Vin cent. I liked the bits of humor incorporated in this vignette too. "Can you spouse me?" was very funny.
2.Lindo Jong and her husband
They had a literally unspoken bond. They expressed their love, even though they couldn't really speak to each other. The way they met, and how her husband asked her to marry her was cute. Words cannot express how they feel towards each other, the natural chemistry between them was just there.
3. The theme of this vignette is that you should not be ashamed of your family or what you have. Waverly seems to be ashamed of her mothers look, by changing her hairstyle, and changing up her stories to be more dramatic. But her mother grew up well, and had no difficulties getting to america. But Lindo starts seeing that her daughter needs more, and Waverly learns that at the end, when she says that she loves "their" nose.
"Double Face"
Spouse me!
1. reaction: I think it's funny when someone points out how much you look like someone else. Waverly's reaction to Mr. Rory though was kinda weird.. she poitedly sucked in her cheeks "to look like a starved person." I cant imagine that'd really make her look that much different. It seems like Waverly's appearence is a big deal to her and she's always trying to follow fashions.I liked Lindo's idea for names, "wins ton" and "vin cent" for winston and vincent. I wondered why Tan would have Lindo bump her nose before having Waverly, though. The connection between their crooked noses and how they've lost part of their Chinese selves is a bit vauge to me. Maybe Tan chose the nose because it is in the middle of the face and it is crooked to show that it wasnt the way it was before and the way it was before .. was Chinese.
2. The relationship between Lindo and her daughter Waverly gave me a warm feeling as I read about how Lindo chose her name. She chose "Waverly" because of the street they live on and when Waverly leaves Waverly Place, she'll take a piece of Lindo with her. I also thought it was very standard for a daughter, particularly one that is grown up, to not want to be like her mother. Lindo was far younger when she idolized her mother and wanted to alway look the way her mother did and feel what her mom felt.
3. The last line of the chapter reminded me of the opening allegory. In the last line Lindo says she will ask Waverly what she thinks they lost to make them less Chinese. It's nearly the same as the grandmother asking her granddaughter why she laughs/why is she so innocent. It also reflects how Lindo felt about her mother and how Waverly feels about Lindo. The grandmother treated her daughter the same way she had been treated (Lindo's mom treated Lindo the same) but the grandmother resolves to treat her grandddaughter differently (Lindo treats Waverly different).
“Does This Face Make Me Look American?”
Double Face
1. I liked this chapter because it talks about peoples different sides. It is interesting how people know who belongs where in the world. Naturally, people meet friends who share common interests with each other, they know where they belong in life, just as a Chinese person knows that another Chinese person lives somewhere other than China.
2. Waverly and Lindo’s relationship is limited. Waverly pretends to not hear her mom so she can get what she wants. When Lindo goes to get a haircut, she tells Waverly that Mr. Rory does not need to cut her hair, but Waverly just ignores her. Waverly thinks her mom is old fashion and is not very wise. Waverly dumps her coffee down the sink even when her mother told her not too. Waverly thinks it is old fashion to finish all of her coffee. Waverly continues to have a limited relationship with her mother because she does not want to listen to her mother’s wisdom and stories.
3. This chapter refers to the allegory. In both of the stories, the mothers do not know the best way to raise their children. Lindo thinks she can raise Waverly in both American ways and Chinese ways, however Waverly turned out more American. Lindo does not know how to fix this problem, just like the grandmother in the allegory.
Fortune Cookies Spell our Love
Joy Luck Club: Double Face
1) Reaction
I like this chapter because it shows the struggles between Chinese mothers and their very American daughters. Lindo's words about her daughter inheriting American circumstances but not Chinese character is something I can really relate to. My mother came here for a better life, and I reveled in the opportunities, but I never learned much about Chinese character and cluture. You see, I speak perfect American English at home and only write in the same language.
2) Lindo and Waverly
This vignette still shows Lindo and Waverly having the same, similar conflict, but they come to a sort of resolution at the end. Throughout this chapter, Lindo reflects on how she was not able to teach her daughter her Chinese ways. Waverly then demonstrates an equal ignorance, not understanding her mother and her Chinese background.
3) Chinese Culture
From this vignette, I learned how one's face can tell that person's character and their future. For example, a girl with "a crooked nose is bound for misfortune." Your chin symbolizes how long you would live, and a wide forehead means you're clever. (My grandmother used to tell me I had a wide forehead.) A low hairline means you will have early hardships, and losing hair in old age when you have a low hairline is considered "a blessing." In addition, Cantonese people used to be in a lesser social position than those who spoke Mandarin. People who spoke the Cantonese dialect were regarded by some (such as Lindo) as "village people."
Marriage Caused by Fortune Cookie
Double Face
1. I thought this chapter was good because it showed differences between mothers and their daughters. Waverly feels ashamed of her mother and tries to change her so that she will fit in. Lindo should have stood up for herself and told the guy how she wanted her hair and not have let her daughter push her around. Its ironic how Waverly wants to be more Chinese while before she wanted to be more American. It was sad how Lindo had to work in a fortune cookie factory to make money. It was funny how Lindo and An-Mei looked through fortune cookies to give hints about marriage.
2. Lindo and Waverly’s relationship is like any other mother-daughter relationship. They have arguments from time to time but they just want the best for each other. Waverly took her mother to get her hair cut because she was ashamed of her look but she also wanted her to look good at her wedding. When Waverly is telling the barber how he should cut her mother’s hair Lindo keeps quiet to please her daughter even though she doesn’t want that type of hair cut.
3. I think the theme of this chapter is to be proud of what you have. Waverly is ashamed of her mother’s looks and by changing her hairstyle Waverly wants her mother to fit in. Waverly also tries to change herself. She grew up Americanized but now wants to try and be more Chinese because it is in. At the end of the chapter Waverly comes to realize that she loves both her mother and her nose. She learns to be happy with what you have.
Cookies!- “Double Face”
I thought this chapter was all right. The comparison between Chinese people and American people is very distinct between the mother, Lindo, and the daughter, Waverly. Lindo’s journey in America was very interesting because she had to do so much to get where she was. I thought it was funny how An-Mei and her laughed over the fortune cookies in the factory and eventually used them as a tool to get Tin to ask for her marriage. It was amusing when Tin did not know what ‘spouse’ meant and had to look it up before asking for Lindo’s hand in marriage. When Waverly and Lindo compare faces in the mirror it reminded me of a lot of mother-daughter relationships. The daughter never wants to look like her mother, but as she gets older, begins to appreciate it more.
Lindo and Waverly’s relationship is very important to this chapter because it is all about the comparison between China and America. Waverly is all American and does not want to be Chinese at first while Lindo wants to embrace the Chinese heritage. Waverly is upset by the fact that she looks like her mother while Lindo is pleased. Their relationship is much like many mothers and daughters; the mom is proud of the daughter, but the daughter is not proud of her mother. It is nice when in the end, Waverly compliments on how they look alike, and how perfect their faces are. When Lindo tries to point out the mistakes in her looks, Waverly contradicts her and explains how they look the same and the “mistakes” are really ok.
Tan uses the metaphor of the crooked nose to explain the ways of Americans and Chinese people. In China, it is unfortunate to have a crooked nose and it can give bad luck and misfortune. Lindo has a straight nose all her life until she hits her face on something and her nose becomes crooked, in America. This could mean it was a mistake for her to ever come to America or that she will now have bad luck. Later, when Lindo and Waverly compare faces, Waverly persists that it is good to have a crooked nose because nobody will know what you are thinking and you can have multiple views. This is the way of America to Lindo’s eyes, a land of opportunity and choice. With their crooked noses, people can be free to follow whatever dreams they wish without following the Chinese views of misfortune.
American circumstances, Chinese character – “Double Face”
1. I thought this chapter was all right. It didn’t really leave a lasting impression, but nevertheless, it was still well written. This chapter shows the importance of the American and Chinese ways, how “if you show one, you must always sacrifice the other.” Perhaps this is why when Lindo goes back to China, they still know she is America because she has traded a part of her Chinese heritage for American heritage. Also, it was pretty funny when Tin Jong asked Lindo, “Will you spouse me?”
2. The relationship between Lindo and Waverly is pretty much the same as it was before, but it seems they have been able to find some common ground. In their relationship, it is all about the clash between Chinese culture, Lindo Jong, and American culture, represented by Waverly. Lindo wanted Waverly to have “American circumstances and Chinese character” but Waverly got surrounded by American circumstances and character. Instead being an obedient girl, she questions everything her mother says. However, when Lindo and Waverly are both looking in the mirror with their faces next to each other, they are able to see the good and bad things within each other. Once Lindo points out the Waverly’s nose has gone crooked, Waverly says it’s a good thing because it makes “[her and her mom] look devious.” Then the last line seems to be the resolution to their conflict where Lindo questions, “What did I lose? What did I get in return? I will ask my daughter what she thinks.” Lindo is able to appreciate Waverly’s thoughts whereas before, she told Waverly what to do instead of listening to her.
3. Amy Tan makes great use of flashbacks in this chapter. The flashback of Lindo Jong’s life in America helped us understand the circumstances of where Lindo came from. Also, in the beginning when Lindo’s mother was commenting her on her facial features, it was the same thing in the barber shop where Lindo and Waverly are both looking in the mirror and Lindo recognizes “the same eyes, the same cheeks, the same chin.”
Double Trouble
Chapter: “Double Face”
1. This chapter taught me a lot about the Americanized Chinese and the cultured Chinese. Lindo- Jong, a cultured Chinese believes her daughter Waverly is too Americanized and will stand out in China at her honeymoon. Although Lindo-Jong frowns upon Waverly and her American attitude, she blames herself for not teaching her enough about their Chinese culture. I thought it was really sad that Waverly was ashamed of her mom and her culture. When Waverly talks about her mom like she's not there with Mr. Rory, it disappoints me that she doesn’t appreciate her mother.
2. The relationship between Lindo-Jong and Waverly is very distant. The reason this is true is because of their cultural differences. Lindo-Jong is very connected to her Chinese culture and follows her beliefs and not American ways. On the other hand, Waverly is really Americanized and doesn’t think that being Chinese is what is accepted with her being American. With these too views on life and culture, personalities are bound to clash. Waverly doesn’t understand why her mother says what she says and does the things she does because she doesn’t know her own Chinese culture.
3. The theme of this chapter is that in order to know about others in your family and also yourself, you need to know your Culture or heritage. Waverly is so part of the American world that she doesn’t take the time to learn more about being Chinese. Since she doesn’t understand her heritage she can’t understand her mother. That is why she doesn’t appreciate her as much as she should.
American/Chinese Face
Doubled Face
1)I thought that this chapter was interesting because it kept me reading. I sort of liked how Waverly was embarrassed by her mother and I sort of didn’t like that. It is typical now-a-days that kids get embarrassed by their parent’s actions and appearances, especially Asians. I also was annoyed when Lindo was asked how she would like her hair done and she didn’t answer. If she understood English, then why didn’t she answer, to prove to Waverly she understood everything. It is only hurting herself and bringing herself down. I give this chapter a thumbs up because there was an obvious meaning to this chapter and why Lindo wanted her daughter to appreciate her Chinese side. I liked this chapter because it described things comparing America to China. They had different ways of thinking and that was interesting because I never thought of those things before.
2)Lindo and her daughter Waverly have a typical mother-daughter relationship. Waverly feels embarrassed of her mother and wants her to change her style for her wedding. It is like she is not proud of her mother. Waverly was upset and a little disappointed when Mr. Rory said they look alike. Waverly didn’t like that because she didn’t think her mother looked that great, especially when she thought Lindo was an embarrassment. But on the other hand, Lindo was happy with her daughters appearance because Waverly has the same eyes, nose, ears, chin, and cheeks as her. Lindo felt that that was the good thing Waverly inherited.
3)There was a lot of Chinese culture in this chapter. I learned what I didn’t hear of before. Like if you had thick earlobes, then that meant full of blessings. The way the nose is structured is important too because if you have a crooked nose, then that means you are bound for misfortunes. Always following the wrong things, the wrong people, and the worst luck. If the chin is not too short and not too long, it means that your longevity will be adequate, not cut off too soon, not so long to become a burden. The wider the forehead, the more cleaver you will be. If the hairline is low on the forehead, then you will have some hardships in your early life. There was a lot of Chinese meanings sayings and meaning in this chapter and it shows a lot of how Chinese people thought of their appearances.
Chinese-American Face
1. I think it would be very depressing if my daughter only knew how to say three phrases in Chinese. Shouldn't Lindo have taught Waverly more about their culture? When I read that Winston had died I felt sad for Lindo. I liked this chapter because even though it seemed that Lindo was offended that Waverly thought she was too Chinese, she understood her intentions.
2. Waverly and Lindo Jong's relationship is still a little miscommunicated but it is a lot better than before. Instead of Waverly running away from her Chinese heritage, she is now trying to be more Chinese. Lindo feels happy about this, but she also feels ashamed because "it's [her] fault [Waverly]" is so Americanized. Waverly has good intentions. She tries to help her mother look more stylish with a professional haircut. Lindo accepts this change because she understands her daughter's want for her to look decent her new son-in-law. Although the don't tell each other everything, they understands each others' intentions.
3. I think the haircut that Lindo gets symbolizes her cutting off a part of her Chinese side. This is the first time she got a professional cut and it is like she is changing her ways to a more Americanized way.
I see cat. I see rat. I see hat.
1. I really like this chapter. The way Lindo thinks is comical. I think that Lindo is a very clever character that lightens the serious mood left by the other vignettes. I just don’t like how Waverly is embarrassed by her mother and makes up lies about her mother’s past. She shouldn’t just make up what she thinks happened or make her mother part of the typical Chinese stereotype, she should ask her mother what really happened and be proud of it.
2. Lindo and Tin
Lindo originally heard about Tin through her friend through An-Mei and gave it a chance because she needed to get married to an American citizen or have a child to stay in America. Because of the communication problem, Lindo and Tin did not really know each other very well. Lindo says on p.301, “Sometimes I wonder why I wanted to catch a marriage with your father. I think An-mei put the thought in my mind.” So Lindo did not really like Tin but needed him to stay in America and she also thought that it would be romantic to pass notes with him. Tin actually liked her as she says, “…I saw how much your father liked me.” As soon as he saw the message in the fortune cookie, and understood it, he went to ask her to marry him. The marriage between them was not really of love, but of necessity.
3. Conflict
The conflict in this chapter is internal conflict. Lindo thinks that Waverly is ashamed of her and her Chinese customs. She says on p.291, “I am ashamed that [Waverly] is ashamed. Because she is my daughter and I am proud of her, and I am her mother and she is not proud of me.” Waverly thinks that her mother is too old fashioned and not good enough. Lindo is unhappy because she did her best to raise Waverly and now Waverly is successful. All of this is happening inside of Lindo but she does not say anything to her daughter, it is all internal conflict.
Fortune cookies!
Double Face
1/ I enjoyed reading this chapter because it was pretty humorous at some parts. The Chinese translations of the messages in the cookies made me chuckle a bit. The messages put in the fortune cookie to hint Waverly’s father to marry Lindo was pretty funny too. I also enjoyed the how Tan ends the vignette with Lindo saying how she was treated like a foreigner during her trip to China. It shows that even the parents of first generation Americans become Americanized as well
2/ I think that Waverly and Lindo’s relationship with each other is much better now than in the past. Although Waverly is ashamed of her mother’s hair and criticizes it, they still show that they are fairly close to one another. They go the beauty salon with one another and even talk about their similar facial features such as their cheeks and noses. Heck, Waverly is even proud about having the same nose as her mother since it makes her look “devious,” something that has helped her during the chess playing days.
3/ In the opening allegory, we have a grandmother learning from her own granddaughter that one must lose one’s innocence, but not one’s hope. This connects to this vignette in that in this chapter, we have a member of an older generation, Lindo, learning from a member of a younger generation, Waverly. Lindo learns from Waverly about having a different perspective on the crooked nose. Instead of Lindo’s perspective that the crooked nose is a fault, Waverly teaches Lindo how to see the crooked nose in a positive light. Also, the fact that Lindo wants to ask her daughter what does she think about what Lindo lost and gained in being Americanized shows that Lindo has realized that she could learn from a younger generation.
facial fortune
(chapter: Double Face)
1. It was really interesting to read what Lindo's mother had to say about Lindo's face. Her mother was like a face fortuneteller or something.As strange as those facial superstitions sounded, it made some sense to me. My aunts use to tell me that people with thick earlobes were lucky.
2.Lindo and her daughter, Waverly, are getting along better than they did in the previous chapters. They didn't argue in this chapter, and Waverly was willing to introduce her mother to Rory, Waverly's barber. The fact that Waverly openly excepts the fact that she looks similar to Lindo at the end of the chapter shows that their mother and daughter relationship is doing very well at this point. They were having a normal mother -daughter bound.
3.Chinese Culture
In the Chinese culture, they are many superstitions on how to tell one's fortune. In "Double Face" Tan teaches the readers about "facial fortunetelling" and about some traits that associate with the fortunes. I found it extremely interesting to learn. Perhaps I will use the fortunetelling technique in the International Fair.
“Cookies Don't Tell Fortunes”
“Double Face”
1.Reaction- Mother knows best. Tan does a really good job in this chapter comparing American lifestyle to Chinese, using Lindo's immigration story as a guide. I can see how Lindo knows that Waverly would stand out if she goes to China because she is so different from the Chinese people in China, she is Americanized. Although I didn't like the fact that Waverly was ashamed of her mother at the salon, I really enjoyed how the two ended the chapter on good terms. The mother and daughter are two-faced, but they are happy about it? I found that kind of interesting. In the end, I think that Lindo understood Waverly a little better because of her experience when she went back to China, because even though she was originally from China, she still stood out. This was because being in America for forty years also Americanized Lindo.
2.The relationship between Lindo and Waverly is a bit tense in the atmosphere, especially in the beginning of their time at the salon. Lindo feels that Waverly is ashamed of her, causing Lindo to be ashamed herself. After a long flashback on her past, Lindo realizes that it's time for Waverly to move on, to be who she is. Lindo understands that as her daughter has grown up in America, her ways are different from China's, but I think she came to an understanding that Waverly doesn't mean harm to her. The end the chapter with a little laugh about being two-faced.
3.This chapter had a lot about superstitions and beliefs in the Chinese culture. Lindo's mother tells her when she is young that her thick earlobe is full of blessings. Her nose will bring good luck because the hole is not too big and her nose is straight and smooth. She has eyes that honor and respect authority, and her hairline will be high when she is older, which will allow her to be more clever and blessed.
"Two-Face"
chapter: Double Face
1. I didn't really understand this chapter. I didn't know what Lindo was talking about when she was saying things about her "Chinese face" and her "American face." However, I did think this chapter was kind of sad that Waverly is not proud of her mother. It makes me feel bad to see that Waverly is actually ashamed of her mother and her old Chinese ways.
2. Waverly is ashamed of Lindo, as shown in the scene where she and Mr. Rory don't even acknowledge Lindo's presence as they discuss what hairstyle to cut for her. Lindo, on the other hand, is proud of her daughter and all her accomplishments, such as being the chess champion. However, Lindo also feels somewhat ashamed of Waverly--because Waverly is ashamed of her. Lindo is ashamed that she has a daughter who is ashamed of her own mother. Lindo says it clearly, "I am ashamed she is ashamed. Because she is my daughter and I am proud of her, and I am her mother but she is not proud of me."
3. (How does this chapter relate to the opening allegory?) The opening allegory is about inheritance and passing on pains, sorrows, and hardships from a life that was less advantaged. In this chapter, Lindo is afraid that she has passed on all the hardships of her life into Waverly's, and she hopes that Waverly doesn't end up the same way. Thus, Lindo raises Waverly to be very Americanized to ensure that she does not end up unhappy like Lindo.
Michelle H.
“False Cookies”- “Double Face”
1. All her life, Waverly tried to grow up with only Americanized traits and in the end that’s all she got. She didn’t receive any of the Chinese character that her mother tried to pass onto her, but now that she is older, she wants to be considered Chinese because it’s in fashion. Her Chinese heritage shouldn’t be accepted by her just because it’s “in fashion” now, she should accept it because it’s apart of who she is. Waverly gets offended when her mom tells her that she wouldn’t fit in with people in China because now she wants to fit in, but at the same time she is bringing her mother to get a more Americanized haircut for her next marriage?
2. Lindo Jong and her daughter Waverly both love each other because they strive for each others acceptance. In the previous chapter, we learn about Waverly and how she was afraid to tell her mother about Rich, her soon to be husband, because she knew that her mother wouldn’t accept him and her mother’s acceptance meant a lot to her. In this chapter, Lindo is ashamed that her daughter is ashamed of her, and all she wants is for her daughter to be proud of her the way she is of her daughter. All they both want is to be accepted by each other, and know that being their selves will always be good enough for each other.
3. There is a lot to be learned about the Chinese culture, and I learned a lot of things in this chapter. First of all, the fortunes in fortune cookies are not related to Chinese sayings whatsoever. Facial features play a great role in predicting what kind of person someone is, such as if you have thick ear lobes that means that you are full of blessings. It is good to have a straight and smooth nose because if it’s crooked, then the person is bound for misfortune. A wide forehead determines how clever someone is and a low hairline predicts that the person will have hardships early in their life.
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Fortune Cookie
1) I give this chapter a thumb up, because I thought the conflict between Waverly and Lindo was the almost the same as the previous chapters and that got boring for me. I can relate a lot to the conflict between them, and sometimes I'm proud and other times I get embarrassed.
2)Lindo is proud of her daughter but is ashamed that waverly is ashamed of her, and Waverly is embarrassed by Lindo. Waverly wears an American face and Lindo realizes she also wears an American face that Americans think is Chinese. They come to a realization and Lindo asks for Waverly's opinions and they finally realize the resemblance of their traits.
3)I think the fortune cookies are a kind of sybolism for Lindo. She wears an American face that Americans think is Chinese, and the fortune cookie is an American idea that they think is Chinese.
“Attracted to Chinese Nonsense”
1) This chapter was alright. At the beginning I didn’t like that Waverly was criticizing her mother and trying to change her. And then it seemed like she was ashamed of Lindo. I think it’s too late for Waverly to want to be Chinese, just because it’s “fashionable.” I think she should’ve learned Chinese and done all that stuff when she was younger, now it just seems weird. At the end of the chapter Waverly looks at her mother and her and the nose they share. I guess she isn’t really ashamed of Lindo.
2) Lindo and Waverly Jong:
They have the typical mother-daughter relationship. They fight and disagree on a lot of things. Lindo tells Waverly the story about her coming to America. They also have lot misunderstandings. Waverly tells her friends things that aren’t true. She has a lot of misconceptions of her mother and how she got to America and how she met Tin Jong. However, in the end Waverly says that the crooked nose they share looks “devious.” I’m guessing that’s a good thing, because she isn’t ashamed of it.
3) Connection to the allegory:
I think that this chapter connects with the allegory. In the allegory, the grandmother doesn’t know if she should teach the grandchild about their heritage. The grandmother regrets not teaching her own daughter. In this chapter, Waverly wants to become more Chinese or Chinese again. She is already very Americanize and when she was younger she let go of her heritage as soon as she could.
Fortune cookie
1) I give this chapter a thumb up, because I thought the conflict between Waverly and Lindo was the almost the same as the previous chapters and that got boring for me. I can relate a lot to the conflict between them, and sometimes I'm proud and other times I get embarrassed.
2)Lindo is proud of her daughter but is ashamed that waverly is ashamed of her, and Waverly is embarrassed by Lindo. Waverly wears an American face and Lindo realizes she also wears an American face that Americans think is Chinese. They come to a realization and Lindo asks for Waverly's opinions and they finally realize the resemblance of their traits.
3)I think the fortune cookies are a kind of sybolism for Lindo. She wears an American face that Americans think is Chinese, and the fortune cookie is an American idea that they think is Chinese.
Face the Facts
This is an interesting chapter because it includes Chinese superstitions about the face. My mother told me the same thing about my nose. She said that since my nostrils are small, I would be able to keep my money and not spend it all. I like Lindo too. She’s definitely funny and witty. Well, maybe she doesn’t know she’s being funny like her belief that Bank of America was a church. It is also cute how she married her husband through a fortune cookie and that they joked and scolded with each other at the time of the proposal. What a hoot. This chapter is very entertaining for my funny bone.
The relationship between Waverly and Lindo is caring. This is shown because they want the best for each other. Waverly wants her mom to get her hair done by an expensive stylist. This shows that Waverly cares for her mom because she wants the best hair for her mom. In the same way, Lindo wants Waverly “to have the best circumstances” and “the best character.” Since they want the best for each other, they care for each other.
The lesson in this chapter, or what Amy Tan is trying to tell the reader is that cultures are hard to mix. Cultures are hard to mix because the result is not a pure culture anymore. That is why Lindo said “if you show one, you must always sacrifice the other.” This can be seen with Waverly. Lindo wanted to raise Waverly with Chinese character with American circumstances. However, Waverly became Americanized, “chewing gun, blowing bubbles” instead of listening to her mother’s teaching. So Lindo realizes that mixing the cultures do not work. So the message is that one cannot mix their cultures.
"Behind the Scenes of Fortune Cookies"
"Double Face"
1. I like this chapter because it shows people that fortune cookies are not truly Chinese and the fortunes are what Americans think Chinese fortunes says. Tan teaches me the process of making fortune cookies and answers my question of how the paper gets inside the cookie without burning. The superstitions with the facial features are not convincing to me because you can't judge people or tell their future just by their looks.
2. The relationship between Waverly and Lindo is still distant in the beginning because Waverly tries to change the way Lindo looks by telling Mr. Rory the style she wanted her mother to have instead of letting her mother speak for herself. When Mr. Rory said, "it’s uncanny how much you two look alike" (291), Waverly took it as an insult. This made Lindo ashamed because her own daughter didn't like that she had qualities of her own mother. In the end when Lindo tells Waverly to get plastic surgery on her crooked nose, Waverly disagrees and says it looks "devious." This makes Lindo really happy because she has a crooked nose as well which meant that her daughter liked having the same nose feature as her mother.
3. The theme of this chapter is that when you immigrate to another country, you'll change even if you don't think you fit in. Lindo immigrated to San Francisco with all the money she had saved. Her daughter even tries to change her by changing her hairstyle. Waverly goes to Lindo to become more Chinese because she knows that her mother is an expert in Chinese. When they go to China, even though her mother is an expert of Chinese heritage and ways, the people in China knew that she is not local showing that Lindo has changed.
“Work That Up-Do”
“Double Face”
1] Reaction:
I like this chapter. I like the whole feeling of going to a place and having conversations and stuff. Like at a barbershop only this time it’s at a salon. It’s also interesting to see Lindo reflect back upon her past and how she wants to be more Chinese. The part where they talk about their noses is interesting also because it symbolizes their personality, how they are and two-faced like their noses.
2] The relationship between Lindo and Waverly grows during this chapter. They aren’t bickering as much any more and they start to have real conversations. They talk to each other about their two noses which are crooked. They are similar even though Lindo is more Chinese and Waverly is a lot more American.
3] The theme for this chapter would be that you always need your heritage. Waverly doesn’t know her culture very well since she is Americanized which leads her to not knowing her mom very well either. Knowing your culture is important because in this case, you don’t know your family.
Devious
"Double Face"
1.I thought this chapter was alright. I liked the ending more than the rest of the chapter. I liked how Waverly talks about their devious looking noses. I also liked how Lindo Jong tells the whole story to her daughter Waverly after holding it back for so long. It was funny how Tin proposed to Lindo and how she had planned out the whole fortune cookie thing. I thought it was great how even though they didn’t speak in the same language they still took English classes together and found other ways to communicate. Ying-Ying and her husband couldn’t communicate with each other very well, and Ying-Ying refused to English classes so they could talk.
2.The relationship between Lindo and Waverly is on that I think has grown over time. Prior to this chapter Waverly and her mother weren’t really on the same page all the time. However, after Lindo tells Waverly her story she begins to want to look like her mother, whereas before the story she didn’t seem to like the cheeks she had received from Lindo. This is seen when Waverly says, “Don’t be silly. Our nose isn’t so bad…”
3.I think the theme of this chapter is be thankful for what you have. In the beginning of this chapter Waverly disliked the cheeks she received from her mother. After Lindo told Waverly her story, she began to like the nose which she had gotten from her mother. She looked at the positive and determined that it made them both look devious.
Your Nose….It’s Sucking Me In! AHHH!
“Double Face”
I don’t like this chapter very much, just because the background information of Lindo isn’t very interesting. The way Lindo’s mom talks about Lindo’s face makes it seem like she’s an expert face-reader or something, it’s kind of weird. The only interesting part to me in this chapter is her relationship with her daughter. It’s sad to see how Lindo’s daughter is ashamed of her, how she tells stereotypical stories of her, and treats her like she doesn’t know anything. Even though she does her best, working in crappy places like the fortune cookie factory, her life ends up pretty good as she marries and has kids.
The relationship between Lindo and her daughter lacks understanding. As Waverly, like the other daughters of the book, knows nothing of her mom, she tells stories that hurt her mom because they’re not even true, like her parents meeting in a Cathay House, or coming to America on a boat. Even though they’re connected in their facial characteristics, Waverly doesn’t seem to feel any real connection with Lindo.
The main conflict of this story is man vs. self, because even through all the difficulties Lindo has had to work with, like getting to America, getting a crappy job, she isn’t very sure of whom she is, as she compares her American side to her Chinese side at the end of the chapter. Revisiting China, even though she speaks like a regular and changes her clothes, they can still tell that she isn’t completely one of them, and treat her as such. Lindo is left wondering the benefits of coming to America.
" Weird Nose"
("Double Face")
1) I liked this chapter and the immigration story. i especially liked the fortune cookie thing. I draws a connection to the other chapter. Lindo knows her daughter very well, which is exactly why she can pin point her communicatin problems.
2)Lindo Jong and her husband
have a strage affinity (haha voca cartoon word lol). They expressed their love, taking away a boundary. The way they met, and how they became engadged was romantic and sweet. There is just nature and chemistry that hold those two bonds together.
3)This chapter refers to the opening allegory. In both, the mothers do not know the best way to raise their children. Lindo thinks she can raise Waverly in both American ways and Chinese ways, however Waverly turned out more American. Lindo doesn't know how to help her daughter.
-Andrea Ulloa
An American in China
“Double Face”
1. This chapter was a bit boring and I was disappointed because the Jongs usually have good vignettes. I was laughing when Lindo told Waverly that in China, everybody will know that she was born in America because whenever I go to India, that’s what happens to me. It was nice how Lindo’s mother could tell Lindo’s future by her face structure. This reminded me of Ying-Ying, who could tell the future. It was amusing how the Chinese fortune cookies were not even Chinese, but American.
2. Lindo and Waverly share a unique relationship. Even thought Waverly is the daughter of Lindo, she is Americanized and Lindo still believes in her Chinese customs. When the barber, Mr. Rory said that the two looked alike, it proves that although the two are different, they still can get along and find love within each other. Before, Lindo and Waverly constantly fought with each other, like the two sides of a chess match but now, they have grown more mature and get along well.
3. This vignette relates to the opening allegory. In the allegory, the grandmother is asking the grandchild questions and taking her advice. Like the same way, Lindo is thinking to herself on page 305: “So now I think. What did I lose? What did I get back in return? I will ask my daughter what she thinks.”
Chinese face, or American face?
Chapter: Double Face
1. I would give this chapter two thumbs up. I really thought that it was clever and kind of true how in America, it is very easy to tell that Waverly is Chinese. But when she goes to America, they can tell that she is American even before she even opens her mouth even if she dresses like them and have the same skin tone. It was sad to see that Lindo was very proud of her daughter Waverly, like most parents are. But Lindo thinks that Waverly was ashamed of her, like how some kids are embarrassed when their parents talk about them. But I don’t think that Waverly is really ashamed of Lindo, she just wants to try to give her mother a makeover, she is not really actually trying to pick out her flaws. I thought it was kind of cute how Lindo was trying to put on her “American face” but she says that the Americans think that face is the “Chinese face”.
2. I think that the relationship Between Lindo and Waverly has really improved from the chess incident when Waverly was young. Even though Lindo looks at her crooked nose caused by an accident is bad because she believe that it had affected her thinking. But Waverly, with the same crooked nose she received through genes, thinks that the nose makes them look devious and admires it, and how it connects them together.
3. In the allegory, the grandmother regrets having taught and not taught her daughter to see evil in people and not how to protect herself from mental and emotional wounds. Similarly, Lindo regrets not having taught Waverly more about her Chinese heritage instead of trying to Americanize her to let her fit in.
"hey mom, is that the mirror or your face?"
Double Face
1. I enjoyed reading this chapter about Lindo Jong. Again, it’s amusing and fun how the Chinese can tell things where we Americans see nothing. In the face for example, the Chinese can tell if the person will be prosperous, if the person’s good willed, and even if that person will go through many adversaries. The part of the chapter where Lindo Jong’s life in America was described, that was another entertaining read. The new immigrants having to work in factories, Chinese people meeting in churches to socialize with one another, and the hard to find living quarters hiding from the immigrant’s sight. Another thing I liked was how it all started. How the marriage between Lindo Jong and her husband began and started out.
2. Lindo Jong and An-Mei Hsu, two immigrants from china, who struggle to keep a living in America. These two characters met each other while working in a fortune cookie factory. They laughed together and enjoyed each other’s company. Through An-Mei’s husband was how Waverly found her husband. Lindo and An-Mei seem like two sisters lost in a fresh, unknown country. If they didn’t have each other, then life would’ve been much more difficult for both. An-Mei Hsu brought Lindo Jong over to her church. At this Chinese church, the two ladies can socialize with other women around the same age as them.
3. This chapter relates to only some Chinese families in America today. However, nowadays, Chinese daughters don’t care about how their mothers look like or what their mothers do. Chinese girls are much more tolerant of their mothers now than the time period in the book fifty years ago. Most Chinese girls I know are proud of their mothers. They don’t criticize, they don’t make fun of them, and they don’t hate them. Also, there was a part when Lindo was paying a lady for information and gave her three dollars in one dollar increments. That part relates to everyone, even in the past. Everyone always wants more than what is needed. They believe they should get more for nothing. This thinking is especially true in America, where society is lazy and unproductive.
The Resemblance
Chapter: Double Face
1. Reaction
I thought this chapter was very good overall. The chapter included some funny moments that I enjoyed reading. It was amusing how Lindo had to get a Chinese lady to teach her the American ways and what not to do when you’re in America. Lindo and Tin were such a cute couple trying to learn English and not knowing each other’s dialects. I absolutely loved the part where An-Mei and Lindo were trying to find the right fortune to make Tin ask Lindo to marry him. It was the cutest part of the book where Tin asked Lindo, “Can you spouse me?” I giggled at that part. I also liked reading about how your features of your face describe your personality. I liked the way Tan compared Lindo and Waverly’s outside features and weaves it into the story from Lindo’s past of when she first immigrated to America. I give this chapter two thumbs up!
2. Lindo Jong & Waverly
Lindo and Waverly’s relationship is a very typical mother-daughter relationship, but their Chinese and American ways are always constantly clashing with each other. Lindo wants to teach Waverly about her Chinese ways, but Waverly is always resisting. This creates some distance between the two, making their relationship a little troublesome. However, both people care about each other a lot and do have some sense of understanding with each other at times. Waverly and Lindo both want what is best for each other such as Waverly taking her mother to get a new hairstyle for Waverly’s wedding. Also, during their time in the hair salon, Lindo and Waverly had a pleasant conversation with each other about how their facial features are the same. Lindo always wants what is best for her children, such as naming her sons Winston and Vincent so they could make a lot of money in the future. Lindo also named Waverly after their street name so when Waverly grows up and leaves home, she will “take a piece of [Lindo] with [her].” Their relationship is very typical, having certain issues like every mother and daughter has.
3. There are a lot of interesting facts about Chinese beliefs from this chapter. Tan describes the many Chinese beliefs and superstitions about certain facial features of a person. Someone with big earlobes will have a life with many blessings and the nostrils of your nose cannot be too big otherwise money would quickly run out of them. A crooked nose causes a person’s misfortune and a lower hairline with a small forehead means the person is going to go through a lot of troubles. A person should have a straight nose and a wide forehead to have good fortunes. A person’s chin also represented their lifespan. I never knew how facial features could determine a person’s personality and future. I liked reading about these Chinese beliefs the most.
Something Missing...
"Double Face"
1) I felt that this chapter kind of spoke to me. I felt that I could relate to the characters and how they want to be more Chinese and less American. I always wondered what it would be like to be more Chinese, to be able to seem Chinese in China rather than a tourist. I give this chapter thumbs up for the feeling it endowed in me.
2) The relationship between Waverly and Lindo is very similar. No matter how much the mother tries to change her child’s path, the child ends up going in the same direction as her mother. Waverly is just like this. Lindo was afraid that Waverly would be like herself so she named her Waverly, but in the end, they both become very similar to each other.
3) Question 6: This chapter relates to people all over the world. People everywhere tend to think that throughout their life, they lost a part of themselves to gain something new. Both Lindo and Waverly lost majority of their Chinese side in order to gain an American side. Lindo Jong especially wonders how she lost her Chinese side.
Cookies Burn Your Fingers
Double Face: Queen Mother of the Western Skies
Winston dies! At sixteen! Boohoo... Wonder why Tan makes him die. Perhaps to show that the family didn't have a good life. It's neat how the meaning behind the childrens' names is revealed. I always wondered how they got the fortune in the cookies, I wonder if they still make them like that, with the people taking them off the griddle. I don't know the theme of this chapter. Something to do with receiving something when you lose something else. What Lindo lost was part of her Chinese identity, and what she got in return was a different American identity, I guess. It doesn't sound like a trade she would have decided herself consciously. When she says she "will ask [her] daughter what she thinks," I wonder what she means. Maybe that her daughter doesn't consider being Americanized is a loss and so the loss in the trade is -- or perhaps it is a loss because she was upset at the beginning that she didn't look Chinese because it was a fad then. So if it is a loss then the gain is not being ashamed? And if it isn't a loss the gain is being exotically in style? Maybe the gain is being yourself and the loss is conforming. By the way, what's "Pacific Telephone" (301)?
The relationship between Lindo and her husband, Tin Jong, is covered up. They don't know much about each other because they cannot communicate with each other. They don't know each others' personality. I don't understand why they got married. I believe it's because Lindo feared she would grow too old before she married and then no one would want her anymore because of An-Mei telling her she would "be an old lady before [marriage came] to [Tin's] mind." Tin does like Lindo, though, and puts forward an effort to communicate with her.
b The theme of this chapter is to stay true to yourself otherwise you won't know who you are anymore. For example, with your personality, if you reveal one trait, say boldness, with showing that one trait, "you must always sacrifice the other," in this case, timidity. You can't be both bold and timid. When you try to be something you're not, you are no longer who you are at heart which is just like losing that part of you. Don't do something for any reason other than you feel you should or want to because your personality is yours to make up. Another example is when Lindo told Waverly she could be singled out to not looking Chinese, Waverly was disappointed. However, she was the one who didn't want to be Chinese until late in her life when other people thought it was a good idea. She let what others think control how she acted so that when she wanted to return to being what she used to not want to be, it was no longer possible.
“Nosey”
1)In this chapter we meet Lindo, and Waverly Jong. In my opinion I liked this chapter. It was very relatable. I know a lot of girls who have the same relationship with there mother. I also like this chapter because it was humorous, and, again, relatable. My mother and I are sometimes ashamed, or embarrassed of each other, but inside I’m proud of her, and she’s proud of me.
2)Two characters I would like to spotlight on are Lindo Jong, and her daughter, Waverly Jong. Both women are trying to find acceptance in one another, and are ashamed in each other, yet inside they’re proud of each other. They share the nose, which Lindo had got when she hit a pole, and when Waverly was born she got the same crooked nose her mother had gotten. And Waverly is proud to have that nose, when her mother tells her to get cosmetic surgery, and she denies her offer because it makes them both look devious.
3)#6
Lindo and Waverly’s relationship, is something a lot of mothers and daughters can relate too. It’s a common relationship between a mother and daughter. A lot of daughters feel embarrassed by there mother, and mothers, although they do not show it, are proud of their children, no matter what they say. Their relationship relates to events and life today.
“Lindo, Will You Spouse Me”:
1)Reactions to “Double Face”:
I think I’m starting to realize a little pattern in the last chapters in “Queen Mother of the Western Skies.” In each of the chapter, the narrator tells the reader about how their daughters are experiencing troubles or not treating their mother’s in the proper way or not acting in the Chinese manner. Anyway, I thought that this chapter was okay, but it was award winning. I did like the part however when Lindo she compares America to getting many opportunities. For example, Lindo says how the poor easily get scholarships, have insurance, and believe anything you want to believe, nothing that could be done in China where you had to fend for yourself and suffer the oppression of the ruler. This chapter was also kind of funny in that Lindo kept acting like a “nice” little old lady, like when she smiles like a Chinese person, and when she later freaks out for no apparent reason, you think of the stereotype that Chinese women have Confucian sayings to share and don’t speak.
2) Relationships in “Double Face”:
In this chapter, the biggest relationship is that of Lindo and Waverly. I think that most likely, they have a relationship in which Waverly is an exact copy of what Lindo became in America. They both share the American image on them because as Lindo wanted a Chinese daughter with American circumstances, she realized that by changing her parenting ways to raise Waverly in America, she learned that she could not teach the Chinese lessons that can only be learned by going through the hardships in China. As a result, Lindo’s American adaptation changed her and made a fully American daughter.
3)Essential Questions in “Double Face”:
In this chapter, I think the main conflict is human vs. self. In here, Lindo is conflicting within herself the different method’s to teach her daughter. For one, she wants to teach her daughter the American ways of free education, equal and fare rights for citizens, and freedom of religion, while she also wants to teach the Chinese methods of respect to parents and how to be silent and hold your tongue. What she later comes to find ,however, is that you can’t teach a daughter all these freedoms while also giving her restrictions on how to behave.
"I'm Too Americanized Already..."
(Double Face)
1)I thought this chapter was...neat like how it was like a somewhat typical Asian parent wanting their child to be truly Chinese. I bet this chapter really reminds some readers about their parents, trying to make them their ethnicity but eventually become more Americanized somehow. It does remind me of my mom sometimes too, but I think she gave up already. Whoops...
2) The relationship between Lindo and Waverly are like daughter mother relationships. The mother (usually not fluent in English) attempts to make their child Chinese, but the daughter avoids her advice. I find it really funny how Waverly wants to become more Chinese since she's worrying about people in China thinking that "[they won't] let [her] come back to the United States" (p. 288).
3) I think that the theme (whoa, unintentional alliteration!) in this chapter is that one shouldn't hide who they really are. People tend to worry that others might immediately judge them only through their physical appearance. They should also think about those who are able to look into their soul and see their true, natural appearance.
Astonished!
I enjoyed reading this chapter because it shows how Chinese Lindo Jong is and how Americanized Waverly is. I like how most of the mothers are beginning to show their sense of humor towards the end of the book and it entertains me to read this. I kind of disagree and agree how Waverly is so ashamed being Lindo’s daughter because I mean, Lindo was the one who raised her, but that’s how society is nowadays. Waverly should be more grateful towards her mother. This chapter was pretty fun and I liked it, two thumbs up.
2)I think that the relationship between Waverly Jong and Lindo Jong is a new type of relationship. They have just discovered that they are more alike. Throughout this chapter, Lindo reflects on how she was not able to teach her daughter her Chinese ways. Waverly then demonstrates an equal ignorance, not understanding her mother and her Chinese background.
3. In the last line Lindo says she will ask Waverly what she thinks they lost to make them less Chinese. It's the same as the grandmother asking her granddaughter why she does she laugh and why is she so innocent. It also reflects how Lindo felt about her mother and how Waverly feels about Lindo. The grandmother treated her daughter the same way she had been treated but the grandmother resolves to treat her granddaughter differently. It reflects on society today, how in China or any other foreign country how their generation was more strict while ours is freer and less restrictive.
MmMmMm cookie:)
1. I hate to admit it but the things that Lindo say are true. Waverly is extremely americanized and no matter how much she tries she will never fit in when she goes to china. From the start of this novel, all of the daughter characters wanted to get away from their chinese heritage, and by this chapter pretty much all Waverly wants to do is be chinese and blend. I really liked how Tan make it very clear on some of the differences between China and America.
2. Waverly and Lindo's relationship is like a battlefield. When one likes something or believes a certain thing the other doesnt and they end up fighting over the silliest things. One example is how much Waverly doesnt want to be chinese at first. Waverly's hair stylist makes a comment that Waverly looks alot like her mother Lindo and Waverly gets angry.
3. There is alot of conflict going on in this chapter, both internal and external. The main internal fconflict is within Waverly because she wants to fit in to the chinese culture but never will be able to after living in america fo rso long. The main external conflict is also with Waverly. She and her mother Lindo are always fighting and that is one of the biggest conflicts throughout the chapter.
“Resemblances?”
Chapter “Double Face”
1) Reaction
I thought this chapter was really boring. All Lindo Jong did was tell a story about the resemblance between her mother and herself, another between herself and Waverly. I have this chapter a thumbs down because it didn’t have a clearly visible plotline. Instead of a mountain, I got a straight line for this chapter’s plotline. I was confused how Lindo would talk about the similar traits between herself and her mother and then later switch back to herself and Waverly.
2) Lindo and Waverly
In the beginning of them chapter, Waverly is ashamed of looking like her mother. When Mr. Rory mentioned how much Waverly looked like her mom, Lindo smiled “with [her] Chinese face” however, Waverly’s “eyes and her smile [became] very narrow” (256). When Lindo uses her Chinese face, it means she is sincerely happy. She was proud of Mr. Rory’s compliment between the two but Waverly just felt embarrassed, causing Lindo to be ashamed that her daughter is ashamed of her. At the end of the chapter, the two women’s relationship improves because they have a good conversation with each other in the parlor shop.
3) Message or Theme
The theme of this chapter is to find your heritage in order to find yourself. Waverly never really liked her Chinese culture and therefore, she never knew who she was. As she got older, she learned that she needed the Chinese culture. She is Chinese and American but she can’t only want one side of her heritage. She has to accept both because otherwise, she wouldn’t know who she is.
“Ahh! Fortune Cookies..They Burn!” – Chapter “Double Face”
Wow this chapter was informative and secretive. It’s also kind of funny how Waverly wishes to be Chinese instead of Americanized now. When the girl was teaching Lindo about America and things to do to become a citizen, I was shocked. I never imagined that people had to actually “trick” the system in order to become a citizen. Lindo gave up her Chinese identity to go to America. Like many parents, she hoped for her children to have better lives in America. It’s pretty funny how Lindo keeps paying the girl and lady for information. Another funny scene is when Lindo thinks Bank of America is a place where Americans worship.
Lindo and Waverly really do not know each other. Waverly thought her mother came to America on a boat from China. She didn’t know the truth behind Lindo’s journey to America. She also never knew the truth on her mother and father’s first meeting. Lindo says she was “attracted to Chinese nonsense”. By leaving Taiyuan, Lindo lost her Chinese ways and she was unable to bring the traditions over to America and teach her daughter. She didn’t want her daughter to suffer the way she did in China.
This chapter connects to the allegory in the beginning. Lindo gives up her Chinese identity for her daughter just like how the grandmother in the allegory threw away her innocence. When Lindo goes back her homeland, she tries to be like the local people again however the townspeople knew she was different. She is confused on what she lost and what she gained so she asks her daughter like the grandmother in the allegory.
Crooked Nose : “Double Face”
1. I thought that this chapter was really sad. In the beginning of the chapter, I thought that it was sad how Waverly was trying to change her mother to make Lindo into what Waverly thought was a good mom. I think she tried to change her mother because if it was possible to change her mother, then it might be possible to change herself as well. I think it was pathetic how Waverly never wanted to be Chinese because she wanted to learn about her past, but only because it was what society said was good at the time. I think that if she really wanted to be Chinese, she would have accepter her mother for who she was and not tried to change her. By the end of the chapter, Waverly realizes that she and her mother have the same nose. This makes Waverly realize that they are actually the same, and if she is ashamed of Lindo, then she is ashamed of herself as well.
2. Lindo and Waverly’s relationship is very depressing. Lindo is proud of her daughter, but the feeling is only one-sided, because Waverly is ashamed of her own mother. Waverly does not really understand her mother’s true intentions until the end of the story, when Lindo tells Waverly of how she and Waverly’s father met. Waverly comes to realize how special Lindo is and by the end of the chapter, Waverly is no longer ashamed of Lindo.
3. This chapter connects to the allegory because in the allegory, the grandmother is does not want to tell the granddaughter too much about her past, in fear of losing the granddaughter’s hope for a better life. However, even though she is skeptical about telling her granddaughter of her past, she feels that should have told her daughter about her past. In the chapter, Waverly wants to be Chinese, but as a child, she did not want to learn of her mother’s past, about the Chinese culture.
Two Sides
1. I thought this chapter was boring and I didn’t like it very much. At the beginning, Waverly is making her mother, Lindo sad because Waverly doesn’t appreciate her Chinese culture as much as her mother wants her to. Lindo probably felt bad at the salon when Waverly spoke for her because it was as if Lindo’s opinions didn’t matter to Waverly. Waverly only cared about fixing her mother to look like what she thought was right. When Lindo heard Mr. Rory thought she and Waverly looked alike, it was a proud moment for her. It showed that she and her daughter had some sort of connection. It was nice to hear about Lindo and her mother. I liked how there are superstitions about the facial features. It added an interesting twist. When Lindo refers to “you” I think she meant Waverly. From what Lindo says, it sounds like Waverly says the bad things because she is ashamed. It was kind of cool how Lindo met An-mei in the factory. It shows you can find friends anywhere. Also it was sweet how they used the fortune cookie to try to get Tin Jong to marry Lindo. It was funny though when he didn’t understand the word “spouse” and had to go look it up. I loved how he later asks Lindo to “spouse” him. I would give this chapter a thumb in the middle because it wasn’t really or really bad either.
2. In this chapter it is really apparent that Lindo and Waverly are different people. Waverly like her American salon hair cuts and Lindo prefers one at home. Lindo protests to going to get her hair cut because she can get her friend to do it. However, Waverly thinks a professional is better and tries to change her mother’s hair style. Lindo comes from China and doesn’t speak English very well. Waverly speaks English well and she has a hard time understanding where her mother comes from. Lindo just wants her daughter to appreciate her Chinese heritage, but Waverly only cares about the American things. Lindo is able to see herself in Waverly, but it’s hard for Waverly to see the same thing. Their relationship seems kind of distanced. It isn’t perfect, but they can try to talk to each other more.
3. I think Amy Tan’s message in this chapter is that mothers and daughter don’t understand each other as much as they think so. If parents and children are raised up in different cultures with different customs, there is bound to be some problems. The two don’t understand what the latter wants because they were brought up believing separate ideas. In the chapter, Lindo thinks that a crooked nose means misfortune, but Waverly thinks it just means the person is devious. Throughout this chapter Lindo talks about how she got to America and how she met her husband. However, she also adds in what Waverly says to change the story. In the salon, when the two look at each other in the mirror they think they see the same feature. They don’t see, though, how different they are on the inside.
I want the child to be all I've dreamed of and the best,
but to be one of something,
you must sacrifice the rest.
“Double Face”
1. When Lindo says that Waverly “likes to speak back” and “question what [her mother] says”, it reminded me of my mother and I. She often complains that I question her too much.
I like how Lindo described America: “In America, nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody gives you”(289). In other words, you can choose which way to go. There is much freedom.
This passage reminds me of me and my own mother: “I don't know what caused me to change. Maybe it was my crooked nose that damaged my thinking. Maybe it was seeing you as a baby, how you looked so much like me, and this made me dissatisfied with my life. I wanted everything for you to be better. I wanted you to have the best circumstances, the best character”(303). Whenever my mother examines my hands, she says they are like her own, and that I'll have hardships when I grow up—just like what she went through. But I don't think that way; I believe you can choose your own destiny, and they can't just be chosen by the physical characteristics that you were born with.
2. I think Lindo and Waverly have a very open relationship (because, as I said in the last paragraph, Waverly talks back to her mother, which means she feels comfortable to be herself around her, like I am with my mom), but Waverly kind of misunderstands her mother. When Lindo tells her to “finish [her] coffee” so she doesn't “throw [her] blessings away”, Waverly tells her mother to stop being so “old-fashioned” and that she is her “own person”(290). Lindo thinks, “How can she be her own person? When did I give her up”(290).
When Waverly was talking for her mother, Lindo “smiled. I use my American face. That's the face Americans think is Chinese, the one they cannot understand. But inside I am becoming ashamed. I am ashamed that she is ashamed. Because she is my daughter and I am proud of her, and I am her mother but she is not proud of me”(291).
But they're also a part of each other. Waverly said, “It means we're looking one way, while following another. We're for one side and also the other. We mean what we say, but our intentions are different”(304).
3. Amy Tan is really creative with her similes. “...I put my hand in my purse and then made a look, as if a mouse had bitten my hand”(302). Very cute. “Eh! So many cookies, just to see them makes me sick. You take this cookie”(302). I thought that part was so adorable and dorky how she planned it so that the guy would get the fortune.
4. I think the main conflict in this chapter is Lindo vs. Society. “[Waverly] learned [the American ways], but I couldn't teach her about Chinese character. How to obey parents and listen to your mother's mind. How not to show your own thoughts, to put your feelings behind your face so you can take advantage of hidden opportunities. Why easy things are not worth pursuing. How to know your own worth and polish it, never flashing it around like a cheap ring. Why Chinese thinking is best”(289). Actually, we're also learning about Chinese culture in that passage. Lindo wants to teach Waverly about the ways of the Chinese, but Waverly is too “American-made”(289). Waverly described the similarity of her and her mother's faces as being “two-faced”(304). Lindo wonders, “I think about my intentions. Which one is American? Which one is Chinese? Which one is better? If you show one, you must always sacrifice the other”(304).
Foreigner
Focusing on: Double Face
When I read that Lindo, a Chinese citizen, was considered a foreigner when she went back to her home country, I found it really shocking and unfair. I knew that it was likely for a Chinese-American to be categorized as a foreigner, but I never imagined that it would be possible for a person who was born in China and had lived there, like Lindo, to be mistaken as an outsider. I was somewhat able to connect with her, in that I was also considered a foreigner when I visited Korea. Of course my circumstance was totally different, being that I had always been an American citizen, but just like Lindo, all the Korean citizens that I met were able to tell that I was foreigner just by looking at my face. I wasn't expecting to be mistaken as, or considered a Korean citizen, but I just found it amazing that people could just look at someone and tell if they were a citizen or not. One quote that really put things into perspective was when Lindo quoted, " I wanted my children to have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character. How could I know these two things do not mix?" In contrast to the Korean-Americans that I had known, all the people who had come from Korea acted differently, despite the fact that they went to the same school and church. As time passed, these same exact people began to slowly change the way they talked, dressed, and even acted. I realized, that just like Lindo, that it was impossible for someone to have a combination of both an American lifestyle and, in this case, a Korean character. It was either one or the other, black or white...Apart from my reactions, I have a question about a quote that I read on page 305. When Lindo says, "I will ask my daughter what she thinks," what exactly is she trying to say?
One adjective to describe the relationship between Waverly and Lindo is " reflective ". The quote "I gave my daughter these faults. The same eyes, the same cheeks, the same cheeks. Her character, it came from my circumstances," described them as not only looking like each other but also having the same character, which happened to be both Chinese and apparently, Americanized. Going back to the title of this chapter, I believe that "Double Face" directly refers to Lindo and Waverly having identical faces, or in other words "identities."
One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was imagery. An example of this was shown on page 291 when she wrote, " But my daughter's eyes and her smile became very narrow, the way a cat pulls itself small just before it bites." Through Tan's choice to use imagery in this scene, I was able to easily imagine Waverly's facial expression and the connotation, feeling behind her "smile." Her use of imagery also helped me relate to the text, or what she was trying to say easily, through simply connecting everyday images and objects to emotions and intangible ideas.
I believe that this chapter relates to the allegory in that the grandmother is used to symbolize Lindo and the granddaughter is used to symbolize Waverly.Just like the grandmother, Lindo was once "so free and innocent" but now, in her old age, wants to teach her daughter to "shed her innocence so she [will] not be hurt as well," or in other words, to have American circumstances but a Chinese character. Also, when the grandmother says, " 'If I recognize evil in other people, is it not because I have become evil too? If I see someone has a suspicious nose, have I not smelled the same bad things?' " it reminded me of Lindo's realization of how she was able to see the American in Waverly because she too had become Americanized. Another aspect of the allegory that connected to the allegory was when the grandmother said " '...now come back and give me the answer!Good good, I am listening...' " to Lindo's words of " So now I think, What did I lose? What did I get back in return? I will ask my daughter what she thinks." In both of these scenes, the elders, or in other words the grandmother and Lindo, ended up coming back to the younger generation, in this case the granddaughter and Waverly ,for the answer to their questions.
Kimmy Tran
Period 6
1. An American Face and a Chinese Face
2. Double Face
3. I liked reading this chapter. I thought that it was very cute especially with Lindo and her husband. I thought it was so adorable how they couldn't even talk to each other but eventually came over that barrier. I thought Lindo's clever plan to make her current husband propose to her was so romantic and she really keep her sly character from "The Red Candle" and how he eventually proposed to her with the line "Will you spouse me?" It was so cute!
I liked how I could read about how Linda and An-Mei met. I wish Amy Tan put in more scenes like these so I could see how long old friends met in the first place and why and what circumstances did they become friends.
I felt very sad for Lindo because she was rich before and when she came to America, she had to adopt a new persona and work in a stinky fortune cookie company where she has to watch silly fortunes get printed out into cookies which will probably make the Americans think that Chinese proverbs are really like that.
4. I would describe the relationship between Lindo and Waverly can be described as very misunderstanding. They could seem to understand each other, Lindo doesn't really understand why Waverly needs these fancy things or why she thinks the way she does and Waverly can't seem to understand what her mother has been through and why she doesn't get anything professionally done.
5. A literary device that Amy Tan uses in this chapter is symbolism. The crooked nose probably is the biggest symbol in the chapter. The crooked nose, according to Lindo, represents bad luck but I think that it also represents her American face. Now Lindo, seeing Waverly grow up all americanized, associates her American face with bad things and says its only a cover. Waverly also has a broken nose (she didn't get it from her mom because her mother got hers in an accident) so I think that represents Waverly's American face also. Lindo learns from Waverly in the end that their crooked nose makes them seem devious and can be a good thing ultimately teaching Lindo that her American face is a part of her now and can bring good luck too.
6. This chapter relates to the allegory in the beginning because in both stories, the young have taught the old. In "Double Face," Waverly teaches her mother that a crooked nose can be good while in the allegory, the new born granddaughter has the potential top teach her mother how to still hold on to her joy while losing innocence. Also the grandmother and Lindo are alike because they regret the way their daughters turn out.
The Fortune Cookies
Joy Luck Club: Double face
1)I thought that Lindo Jong was not so satisfied to see what has become of her daughter, Waverly. Lindo says that she is ashamed that her daughter is ashamed of her. She is proud of her daughter, but her daughter is not proud of her. Lindo says that she named Waverly after the street name so that when she grows older she could carry the meaning of her name, that her mother and her once lived on Waverly street in San Francisco. I thought this was really sad because she knew that Waverly was going to careless about her when she becomes older and so she plants a name for Waverly and at least she could think of the place where they once lived if she moves. Lindo must have been really hurt by this, but she stays quiet rather then begging her daughter to remember her if something happens. Maybe this is every parents fear? That they will take car of their children until only they are able to take care of themselves, then they will abandon their parents and their relationship begins to fade away.
2)Waverly and her mother’s relationship is really serious and they are very much like a daughter mother thing. They believe in different things. Waverly does not like her mother’s hair and her mother takes it as a accusing her, but Waverly was just helping out to change her hair a bit. They were “commented” by the barber that they look very much alike which wasn’t much a comment when they each took it into consideration.
3)I learned that the Chinese are not the ones to event fortune cookies. It was from America and they just used it as a Chinese fortune telling thing. Also I learned that
1. Chinese Or American?
2. Double Face
3. I find that now Waverly really wants to be Chinese because she begins to understand that the Chinese culture isn’t stupid at all. I could understand how Lindo thought that she could not make her daughter both American and Chinese after she listed out the conflicting ideas of Chinese and American society. Then I read the story about how Lindo met her husband, and I found it a really good story. It was such an inspiring and warming story that I discovered it was warm enough to change Waverly with it in that little time. I also realized that naming her daughter Waverly wasn’t just because it was the name of the street they were on, but that she wanted her to keep a legacy of her mother when she leaves the home she grew up in. I was happy that Waverly accepted her mother for who she was and that she wasn’t embarrassed about her anymore after the story. At the beginning of the chapter, I thought that Waverly was the one who wasn’t accepted as a Chinese person in China, but the ending told me that even Lindo wasn’t accepted a hundred percent as a Chinese person either.
4. The relationship between Lindo and Waverly is now changed to being understanding of each other’s thoughts and accepting each other for who they are. They first start the chapter with them thinking each other as not accepting the other for who they are. Yet after the story, Waverly understands her mother better and Lindo decides to ask Waverly for her thoughts. Waverly says that “Our nose isn’t so bad, it makes us look devious.” (304), and then Lindo considers to “ask her daughter what she thinks” (305) about what she gained and lost by coming to America. I realize that she really truly loves Waverly for who she was, and not because of her achievements.
5. This chapter used flashbacks to let Amy Tan continue the story. Her flashback of the story between Lindo and her husband changed something in Waverly and made her more accepting of her mother for who she was. The flashback was main event in the story, and it made all the difference for the reader in this chapter of the story.
6. The main theme in this chapter is to accept someone for who they are. Like Lindo and Waverly accepting each other for whom they are because they can’t change each other anymore. Instead of continuing to change, they started accepting each other for their own personal characteristics, and it made life a lot more enjoyable for both of them.
1) All American-Made, a Foreigner, and They Know it
2) Queen Mother of the Western Skies “Lindo Jong: Double Face”
3) I thought that I was really able to relate to Lindo in this chapter. When I last visited Vietnam two summers ago, everyone was able to tell that I was a foreigner and although I was never born in Vietnam from the start, it still amazed me. Everywhere I went, shop owners and family friends stared at me. What Lindo said on page 288, “’you don’t even need to open your mouth. They already know you are an outsider,’” is really true. Even strangers off the street who have never heard me say a word even stared at me as they walked by… kind of creepy because there are a lot of kinds of people in the world… especially Vietnam.
This chapter had a bit of Asian humor to it. I thought that it was really funny how Amy Tan describes McDonald as having a “big Chinese sign that says mai dong lou – ‘wheat,’ ‘east,’ ‘building,’” (296) because mai dong lou is supposedly the word ‘McDonald’ with a Chinese accent…
When Lindo and her daughter talk about their two faces at the end of the chapter, Lindo thought about her Chinese and American intentions/ faces and whether “if you show one, you must always sacrifice the other,” (304). When Lindo talked about going to China had having no one recognize her, I got the impression that She was trying to say that you are always your own person; your culture never goes away, but once you have been exposed to another the way Lindo was exposed to America and its circumstances, it, too, will show itself in one way or another. That was why no matter what Lindo did to make others think that she was one-hundred percent Chinese, it didn’t work. She was born in China, but being gone from her homeland for forty years was way too long.
4) The relationship between Lindo and her daughter Waverly could be described as being slowly mended. From the beginning of the novel, it was obvious that Lindo and Waverly didn’t have the smoothest of relationships because of how rude Waverly was to her mother and the kind of pressure Lindo was putting onto Waverly about her chess playing and what not. In this vignette, however, a lot of loving scenes emerged like the mother and daughter going to the beauty parlor together, the thought of looking like sisters and Waverly being proud of looking like her mother and Chinese. Their relationship really seemed to have gone a long way. Although Lindo did state that she was “ashamed because [Waverly was] ashamed. Because [Waverly] is her daughter and [she] is proud of her, and [she is] her mother but she is not proud of [her],” (291), Waverly was proud of her in a different way. The fact that Lindo said that she was proud of her daughter was really quaint.
5) A significant writing technique that Tan used in this chapter was symbolism. I think that the most important symbol is face. Both facial features and dignity was mentioned in this chapter and referred to ‘face’. In the beginning of the vignette, Lindo mentioned that “the way you carry you face,” (288) was a means for people to tell that you were an outsider. Later, on pages 292 and 293, Lindo talked about how her mother explained what each of her facial features meant. Those features carried out what they meant to: her hairline related to her hardships early in life and her eyes portrayed her honesty. Her sicerity was mentioned later in the vignette when she thought, “see hoe truthful m face still looks,” (295). It improves the story because it adds interest.
6) (c. What are you learning about Chinese culture?)
Chinese culture was a big part of this chapter, especially when describing one’s face looked. I learned that big, think earlobes meant that the person was full of blessings. Large nostrils meant that the person either spends to much or will live poor from the start and a straight nose is lucky. I also learned that the chins length supposedly determined the person’s longevity and that hairline determined hardships. Although these are all superstitions, they tell a lot about the Chinese culture and are interesting to know about.
Not 100% Chinese
Double Face
1. I think that every Chinese person born in the U.S. has the same problem as Waverly. When we go to China or Taiwan people know right away that we are not from the area. My own mom who was born in Taiwan, but moved here when she was fifteen cannot even pass as a Taiwanese citizen anymore. When we went back one summer people asked her right off the bat if we were from the United States. I can totally indentify with Waverly. When I was little I used to think it was cool how I am different from people in China or Taiwan, but now I think that it’s a little sad that I am so different from them. I think the story about how Lindo Jong met her husband is really sweet. Even though I am sure that in China they would not have dreamed of talking to each other, they realized that in order to survive in the U.S. they had to work together and depend on each other. This marriage must have been such a different experience for Lindo compared to her last disaster. I’m glad that she found such a sweet man.
2. I think the relationship between Lindo and her husband is more friendly then love. I do not think that they were in love with each other when they got engaged, but instead they were really good friends that needed each other to survive in the U.S. When Lindo’s husband asked if she would “spouse” him, they joked about it as two friends would. It wasn’t a big dramatic event like it would have been if they were in love with each other.
3. I like Amy Tan’s use of flashback in this chapter because it really shows the different values that Lindo and Waverly have. For instance, Lindo was raised to believe that a crooked nose is bad, but Waverly believes that the nose makes the two of them look “devious” and she likes it. Also, Lindo dislikes all the fake Chinese decorations in America, but Waverly thinks they are very authentic. The flashback into Lindo’s life just emphasizes how different Lindo and Waverly are.
4. I think the main conflict in this chapter is self vs. self. The issue that Lindo mostly battles with is whether she should try to identify with her Chinese culture or hew new American home. She wanted Waverly to enjoy all the benefits of being raised in a more Westernized way, but later on she realizes that because Waverly was raised this way, she sacrificed Chinese values such as holding a high respect for your mother.
-Laurie Jeng
Beryl Bai
1. Ashamed to like my mother
2. Double Tree
3. Actually, they do mix sometimes. It just depends how strong each one is. Maybe a desperate decision needs that American way but sometimes you might need that Chinese way of respect or other. Alright, I am purely ashamed of Waverly for doing that to her mom making her mom feel ashamed. She is seriously that worst person in this whole entire book, worse than her mother, seriously. I can hate her for that stuck up character.
4. Waverly is an absolute American but she is afraid that she will blend in so well that she will not be allowed to return to America. Her mother reassures her that there is no chance that she will be mistaken for a Chinese citizen. Waverly is American. Lindo tried to give her children the best of Chinese and American cultures, but she did not realize that two ingredients don’t mix.
5. This story is rich in humor and irony. It is ironic that for so many years Waverly denied her heritage. Now she is willing to embrace her culture because it is fashionable – but it’s too late. Waverly only knows those juvenile words that sound absolutely ridiculous to me. She also has triggered words that lead into another section of the story.
6. The theme of heritage is from both sides. Waverly is unmistakably Lindo’s daughter. In addition to appearance, they share many personality traits. Both are strong, focused women, the tie between them is undeniable. Recall how frighten Waverly was when she felt that it was time to tell her mother she was going to marry again. Lindo named her daughter after the street they lived on so that when she grew up she could take a piece of her mother with her.
Two Faces: American and Chinese
“Double Face”
1. I thought it was tragic how Lindo’s identity is just as lost as Waverly’s. She does not know what she has lost in order for people in China to think that she is not a native. I thought this vignette was not as interesting as the other two, however. Maybe it’s because it’s story did not originate from her childhood, but rather from her immigration to America. She lost her “Chinese face” and only has her “American face” left.
2. Lindo and Waverly are constantly fighting and yet are affectionate to each other. They are alike in many ways. They are both two-faced and have the same characteristics. They both have a crooked nose even though it was not generic. Lindo is proud of her daughter but believes that her daughter is ashamed of her. She believes that because she didn’t teach Waverly enough of her Chinese heritage, she has created a wall between her and Waverly.
3. Amy Tan uses Lindo’s nose as a symbol to show change. Lindo’s nose changed after bumping it on a bus while pregnant with Waverly. It made her change her thinking. She wanted Waverly to have the best circumstances and best character because she was dissatisfied with her life.
4. The allegory at the beginning of the section implies that the older generation can learn from the younger generation. When Lindo was looking at her daughter’s features and recognizing as her own, she notices her nose is the same as hers. Even though it was not a generic trait, they have the same nose. She tells Waverly to get plastic surgery because her mother told her when she was young that a crooked nose symbolized misfortune. But Waverly tells her mother that a crooked nose is a good thing, implying that one thing might have multiple interpretations. Lindo. This leaves Lindo a bit confused about what she has lost and decides to ask her daughter about it.
Double Trouble
“Double Face”
3) Lindo and Waverly drive me crazy! When Lindo goes on about “I am ashamed because she is ashamed” and “I am proud of her, but she is not proud of me,” I want to yell, “TALK TO EACH OTHER!” I don’t get this I think she thinks relationship where they never really find out what the other really does think! The whole scene in the hair salon is funny because Mr. Rory keeps noticing how much they look alike, and that seems to be their biggest conflict; They are just alike.
4) Lindo and Waverly and Lindo have a relationship that is contentious. Whenever one tries to do something nice for the other, it is miscontrued and turned into something else. When Waverly treats her mother to a trip to a fancy salon, her mother is sure that it is because her daughter is ashamed of her.
5) Amy Tan uses flashback to intoduce a memory Lindo has of her own mother back in China. Lindo and Waverly are looking into the mirror at the hair salon and Waverly comments on their likeness. It causes Lindo to flash back to her own mother commenting on her cheeks, hairline and other features. In this case it is a sad memory because it happens right before their town floods and Lindo is sent to live with her future husband’s family. And we know how that turns out!
6c) I like the way Chinese mothers make meaning out of every last feature on their child’s face. While most of it seems pretty random- a wide forehead makes you clever- it makes me wonder what a Chinese mother would say about me.
Rikki Dionisio, Period 6
1. “Two Halves Make A Whole”
2. Queen Mother of the Western Skies: Double Face
3. This chapter is relatable to many young people today because it shows that many teens are embarrassed by their cultural and heritage and long to be truly American, or whatever race they find “cool”. As Waverly grew up she never wanted to have anything to do with her Chinese heritage and tried vigorously to be “American”. But as she grew older she realized she liked her cultural and was no longer ashamed of it. Many teenagers today are ashambed or embarrassed by who they truly are because they think other people might find it stupid or weird. Also, a big issue is that teens are embarrassed by their parents! The people who are raising you, feeding you, putting a roof over your head are the people who you should be proudest of, not the people you want to keep hidden in your life. I am not at all ashamed of who I am because it will be with me and I cannot hide it forever.
4. Waverly and Lindo’s relationship is distant. Waverly is embarrassed of her mother because she remains true to her heritage and she finds that embarrassing. Lindo, on the other hand, is proud of her daughter and isn’t ashamed of her. Even though they have a distant relationship they love each other very much, and for who they are.
5. Though Tan uses many apparent writing techniques in this chapter, I believe the flashbacks added the most to her writing. Lindo flashes back to the time she was young with her mother, adding drama to the chapter because Lindo really sees who she is and what Waverly could become.
6. I learned that facial features and expressions play are large role in Chinese culture. They serve as a “predestination” in a sense because if you have a crooked nose, then you are destined to have misfortune.
"The best circumstances, the best character."
Double Face
This chapter made me reflect back on my own life a lot. It made me think about my own Vietnamese heritage, culture, and traditions. I know that I'm not as familiar with it as I should be, because I'm Vietnamese American, but there's something inside of me that wants to explore that other hidden, obscure part. I feel like I'm like Waverly and I'm starting to think more about Lindo and my parent's perspective, which are probably very similar. Fortune and luck was mentioned a lot in here, and it reminded me of Asian people who always named their dog Lucky. My parents had a dog when they were in Vietnam named Lucky too. And my little cousin has a Lucky too.
I thought it was cute how Lindo's husband, Tin Jong, proposed to her. I first thought that he might've swallowed the paper in the fortune cookie, but thank god that didn't happen. I love reading about relationships that start off in kind of lost in translation way. Although they couldn't communicate very efficiently, love still bloomed. I really liked the ending of the chapter, where Waverly told Lindo that their nose "isn't so bad" and it makes them look "devious" (304). I feel like that that shows Lindo that Waverly's no longer embarrassed by her mother.
Lindo's relationship with Waverly, I would now describe it as understanding or accepting. That last scene where Waverly tells her mom that she gave her her crooked nose and Lindo shouldn't "be silly" to think that she should change it with plastic surgery proves that. I think they both are finally accepting each other and who they came to be. They're both "two-faced," and they both look "one way, while following the other. [They're] for one side and also the other" (304).
One writing technique Amy Tan incorporated in this chapter was flashbacks. She used it to show how Lindo settled in San Francisco, how she worked in a factory making fortune cookies, and how she met her future husband. I liked reading this flashbacks because it helps me understand Lindo more, like Waverly.
In this chapter, I learned that Chinese people have nothing to do with the fortune cookies that we eat. They think the cookies are just "bad fortunes" (299). That was very interesting to me, because I always believed in those fortunes... I learned that ears with big thick lobes are filled with blessings, noses with little holes won't let your money run out, and a straight and smooth nose is lucky. I guess the Chinese tell their future fortune from their facial features, which is very interesting.
What’s yours is mine.
Double face
1. It’s insane how indecisive Waverly is. She was worried about blending in China, but Lindo tells her she isn’t Chinese enough to blend, and she gets mad. Lindo comments on how when she was younger Waverly didn't want to be Chinese, “but now she wants to be Chinese, it’s so fashionable” (289). It’s kind of like that saying “the grass is always greener on the other side.” She can be American and fit in with everyone, or she can Chinese and be fashionable.
2. Lindo and Waverly have a pretty good relationship. Waverly can talk back to her mom, so she feels they communicate well. She still doesn’t really understand her mother though, saying she’s old fashioned about not wasting coffee. Lindo doesn’t understand either, because Waverly goes on to say she’s her own person, and Lindo thinks “How can she be her own person? When did I give her up” (290). They don’t understand the other’s customs.
3. Tan’s similes and imagery help me picture what’s happening in this chapter. Lindo pulls her hand out of her purse “as if a mouse bit [her],” describing how fast her movements were helped me picture in my head what was happening.
4. I learned that Chinese moms put a lot of value on facial expressions and characteristics. Lindo remembers how she had her mom’s face, how each aspect of one’s face means something: nostril size determines how long your money will last, thick ears full of luck and hearing good opportunities, chin size is ratio to longevity. It’s crazy how random traits mean so much to someone.
Johnny Chu
Period 7
1. Two Sides
2. Double Face
3. Waverly got remarried now wants to go to China for their honeymoon. However, her mother insists that the time they chose to go is not a good time. In this chapter double face really means the two sides of Lindo Jong. These faces are the American and Chinese sides of her. During certain circumstances she would show her different sides .In my opinion this helps her preserve her own culture while adding some of the American aspects. This is actually very good because she has the good things of both cultures.
4. The relationship between Waverly and Lindo are not that close. Reason I say this is because Waverly doesn’t understand her mother enough. Waverly would always make decisions for her that Lindo didn’t like. For instance, when Waverly told her mother to go to Mr. Rory to get a haircut she made all the decisions. Lindo and her husband had a language barrier when they first met. But through signs and acting out they understood each other. Soon after they married because Lindo gave him a fortune cookie that meant something more.
5. Amy Tan uses flashbacks to tell Lindo’s story to Waverly.
6c. Chinese people can describe one’s fortune only by looking at their face. They can literally predict your future by just looking at your face, hands, and feet.
1. American Born Chinese
2. “Double Face”
3. After I finished this chapter, I really didn’t like Waverly Jong as much as I did before. She really didn’t appreciate her mother, and kept on trying to make her more American by changing her hair. I think this chapter really represents the hardships that a lot of Chinese immigrants have to go through when they first get to America. Many of them had to get a job similar to that of Lindo’s, a minimum wage factory job. I thought it was kind of funny how Lindo named her children after things she liked, such as Winston for “wins ton,” though it was really sad how he died very young due to a car accident. I thought it was cool how Lindo didn’t just name her daughter Waverly because that was the street they grew up in, but so she would remember that Waverly is the place where she grew up in and the place where she belongs.
4. Lindo and Waverly’s relationship could be described as healed. In the beginning of the book, Lindo and Waverly were distant and they didn’t understand each other. They constantly fought over trivial things. Now, Waverly is more accepting of Lindo’s old Chinese ways. She told her mother, “’Don’t be silly. Our nose isn’t too bad, it makes us look devious’” (304).
5. In this chapter, the crooked nose is used as a symbol of misfortune or a different way of thinking. Lindo’s mother once told her that her straight nose is a good sign and that a crooked nose brings misfortune. Once Lindo’s nose turned from straight to crooked, it foreshadowed some misfortune that would follow.
6. In this vignette I learned a little bit about Chinese face reading. Face reading is kind of like palm reading, except for your face. Surgically altering your face could drastically change your luck. I knew about it before, but I didn’t know how to read faces. Now I know that a big earlobe means a person is full of blessings, a small, straight nose is a good sign, and a wide forehead means a person is clever.
"Made in China?"
Chapter: Double Face
3. I enjoyed this chapter because it reflected me in many ways. This chapter shows how some kids push away their culture and their roots in order to be fully American or another race other than their own. I admit that I was one of the kids who didn't really enjoy learning about my own culture. I shared Waverly's feelings in her childhood years because I never felt the need or the want to actually learn about Vietnam (or China in her case). It was all tedious. After reading this chapter, I realize that learning about my culture is important and I'm beginning to look up to my own mother a little more.
I also thought that the way Tin proposed to Lindo was so cute because he used improper grammar. That made it even more touching (to me) because it showed that he was TRYING to overcome their communication barrier.
4. I believe that the relationship between Lindo and Waverly is slowly healing. It was obvious at the beginning of the book that Waverly and her mother weren't on the same grounds. They seemed pushy and rather hostile. In this chapter a lot of scenes showed how much they actually loved each other. Waverly is talking to Lindo about her problems, they both go to a beauty parlor, and they both talk about how they look similar. Aww...
5. One writing technique Amy Tan used in this chapter was flashbacks. She used it to show how she settled into San Fransisco after arriving from China, how she couldn't find a decent job and was forced to work at a cookie factory, and how she met her husband. I enjoy reading flashbacks because it helps me understand the character of the... characters better.
6. From this chapter, I learned that facial expressions and structure and determine your fortune and your future. I was surprised that mostly everything on the human face can be read.
Double Face “What Makes You Different”
1.This chapter reminds me a lot of my parents and myself. Like Waverly, my sister and I moved to the states when we were around seven months old and it's been clear that we grew up following both the Vietnamese and American customs and traditions. I think that I relate to Waverly a lot because when I flew back to visit Vietnam when I was young, I remember that I wasn't feeling too happy about it. I also had the same fear as Waverly and thought that the people in Vietnam wouldn't be able to tell that I came from the United States. I too was a little ashamed of my parents for being Vietnamese and couldn't understand why we had to visit Vietnam in the summer every chance that we got. But that was when I was young and didn't know any better. Now that I'm older, I realize and understand why my parents made me go. With that said, I think I know why Lindo wants to desperately teach her daughter Waverly about Chinese people and their heritage in hopes that Waverly will finally understand herself. It was really nice to read this chapter because I think I connect with it more than the other chapters and hopefully Waverly will come to realize her mother's true intentions.
2.The relationship between Lindo and her daughter Waverly can be defined as a little complicated but also caring. Lindo believes that her daughter is ashamed of her and therefore is ashamed of herself. She is proud of her daughter, but is saddened by the fact that Waverly doesn't feel the same way as her mother. I think that is probably why Lindo feels like her daughter is distancing herself away from her because she believes that American and Chinese culture don't mix. Although Lindo may think that she and Waverly are two totally different people, a fact which she hates, but in the end of the chapter I think that they are as similar as two siblings just like the hairdresser mentioned before. I like the line towards the end where Waverly explains the word devious to her mother; “It means
3.Amy Tan used a couple of similes in here but not that much. I like the part in the beginning where Lindo teaches her daughter, Waverly, the American circumstances and told her that “[she] [does] not have to sit like a Buddha under a tree letting pigeons drop their dirty business on your head.” (289) I also like the part where Lindo talks about Chinese character and also tried to teach Waverly “How to know [her] own worth and polish it, never flashing it around like a cheap ring.” (289)
4.I think the main conflict in this chapter is Lindo vs. Society. In the beginning of the chapter Lindo states how hard it is for her to try to teach her daughter both the American and Chinese culture. Lindo thinks, “I wanted my children to have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character. How could I know these things do not mix?” (254) She tries to reason that American people have their own different way of handling their problems that Chinese people don't have. Lindo probably thinks that she failed to teach her daughter the Chinese tradition and customs and also because Waverly is “American-made” (289).
1. “Crooked Nose”
2. “Double Face”
3. I do not feel that the emotions in this chapter were as great as the previous two chapters. It’s kind of like “blehh” when the other two were like “WOW!” I wonder how An-Mei got to the fortune cookie factory, because her story didn’t really end there. Did Lindo marry Tin because she actually liked him, or did she marry him just so she wouldn’t have to go back to China? “I could choose to marry your father, or I could choose not to marry him and go back to China” (300). Did she consider going back to China instead of marrying Tin?
4. The relationship between Lindo and her daughter can be described as sweet friendship, mixed with motherly scolding. Lindo constantly rants about Americans and how her daughter never understands the Chinese ways, yet at the same time at the end of the book she said that she would “ask [her] daughter what she [thought]” (305) about an American point of view.
5. The writing technique Amy Tan used in this chapter was flashbacks. She began with Lindo preparing for her daughter’s second marriage, and going to see Mr. Rory’s beauty parlor. She then flash backed into what happened to her after she came to America, and how she came to meet Tin. Afterwards, she flashed into the future and how Mr. Rory was finishing up her hair, and she was questioning her daughter’s crooked nose.
6. d. This chapter connects to the allegory in that Lindo, like the grandmother in the allegory, taught her daughter something. And then at the same time, they regretted teaching their daughters that concept. They also wanted to learn something new from their granddaughter or daughter.
1. “American Circumstances, Chinese Character”
2. Double Face
3. I think that this chapter had a humorous side to it. On page 296, Lindo Jong arrives in San Francisco and observes her surroundings. She sees a Bank of America sign with a slogan on it that said, “Save Today, for Tomorrow”. I found this part to be a little funny because Lindo thinks, “This is where American people worship.” This is the belief of almost every American. The Beetles are wrong when they say, “All you need is love.” Many Americans drink, eat, and sleep money. It’s used to buy nearly everything one could possibly need for survival. This chapter also carries a sad side. Lindo narrates, “…she is my daughter and I am proud of her, and I am her mother but she is not proud of me” (291). If I was Lindo, I’d be very upset to know that my own daughter isn’t proud of the person I’ve grown to be. I nod my head in disapproval to learn that Waverly was actually ashamed of her mother and her old, Chinese customs.
4. Lindo and Waverly's relationship is like a typical mother-daughter relationship. Even though they have arguments with each other from time to time, they always seem to have each other's best interest in mind. Waverly takes her mom to the beauty salon to get a new hairstyle. It might seem that the reason she took her mom there was because she was ashamed of her mother’s old-fashioned looks, but the real reason might have been because she wanted her mom to look nice at her wedding. Lindo also has good intentions for her children. She wanted them to "have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character" (289). She also shows this when she names her children, she names her first son Winston because it sounds like "wins ton" as if he would gain many valuable things. Her second son is named Vincent for "win cent" as if making money. Lastly, she names Waverly after the name of the street they lived on, so that when Waverly grows up and leaves the place, she would "take a piece of [Lindo] with [her]" (303). Lindo only wishes the best for her children, especially Waverly.
5. A writing technique that Amy Tan uses in this chapter is parallel structure. An example of that is on page 289, where she writes, “How to obey parents and listen to your mother’s mind. How to not show your own thoughts, to put your feelings behind your face so you can take advantage of hidden opportunities…How to know your own worth and polish it, never flashing it around like a cheap ring.” Tan’s use of parallel structure emphasizes the importance of Chinese philosophy. These lines teach the readers about Chinese character and how to behave.
6. From this chapter, I learned a few Chinese words. I learned that mai means “wheat”, dong means “east”, and lou means “building”. I also learned that if the Chinese don’t have a word for something, such as McDonalds, they take different characters own of their own language to make it sound like that word or phrase, even if the literal translation doesn’t make any sense.
1. In your Face!
2. Double Face
3. At the start of this chapter, I kind of got annoyed at Waverly for acting the way she did in the beauty parlor. She obviously doesn’t care much of her mother’s opinion and is mostly interested in herself. Anyway, the story between Lindo and Tin isn’t exactly the most romantic I’ve ever read, but it was humorous and sweet. I especially liked the scene where he proposed to Lindo. However, does Lindo actually return Tin’s feelings? I’m not sure if Lindo is actually in love with Tin since she admits to herself that she wasn’t sure why she wanted to marry Tin and that the reason she did might’ve been because of An-mei’s influence.
4. I would describe An-mei and Lindo’s relationship as close and trusting. They were brought together as employees of a fortune cookie factory and had fun reading over the fortunes while working. Also, An-mei was the one who introduced Lindo to Tin. Lindo, at first, was against the idea of marrying a Cantonese man, but due An-mei’s flexible mindset and insistence, Lindo trusted An-mei enough to begin dating and eventually marry Tin. Even to their elderly days, the two still remain friends and “still laugh over those bad fortunes” (300).
5. One writing technique that Amy Tan uses are similes. When Lindo was pulling out fortune cookies from her purse, she made a look “as if a mouse had bitten [her] hand” (302). Similes help describe scenes and actions in a creative and unique way. It brings variety to your writing and adds color to boring passages.
6. I learned that Chinese people take facial features in consideration in determining a person’s future. For example, those whose ears are thick-lobed are luckier than those who have thinner ears, but people with a crooked nose have the worst luck.
1. Fortune Cookie
2. Double Face
3. Reading this chapter reminds me of myself. Like Waverly, I too was paranoid about the idea of going back to my country. Waverly questioned her mother about her appeal and if it was Chinese enough. When I went to Vietnam, I also asked my mother and tried to be more Vietnamese.
If I was Lindo, I would be very upset and hurt that my child was ashamed of me. Because of Lindo’s Chinese culture and ways, Waverly finds herself embarrassed by her own mother. At the beauty salon, Waverly does not acknowledge her mother’s wants but rather what she wants and thinks is appropriate. Waverly asks for her mother’s opinions, but doesn’t give her time to answer them. She thinks she is doing her mother a favor by giving her that haircut, but really, all she is doing is hurting her mother.
Also, I found the chapter to be quite humorous. When Lindo described her voyage to America, I couldn’t stop myself from laughing. From the whole description of her unfamiliar setting to the fortune cookie marriage proposal (which was quite clever), all of Lindo’s early American life was too funny!
4. The relationship between Lindo and Waverly is just an ordinary mother-daughter relationship. Though the two have different opinions and each person is entitled to their own beliefs, the two still love each other. Lindo tries to teach Waverly the “Chinese Character”, but is only to be rejected by her daughter. Waverly ignores these things and continues with her “American Circumstances”. Though the two have arguments and dispute about their beliefs, in the end of the day, both still love each other dearly.
5. Amy Tan uses flashbacks when Lindo and her daughter, Waverly, were in the beauty parlor. When the hair stylist commented on the two’s likeness, Lindo had a flashback back to when she was a young child in China. Her mother and her were talking about their facial features and how each one represented something good in life.
6. I think the main conflict in this story is human vs. society because Lindo has to adapt to fit into American way of life. She tries very hard not to deny her own culture and tries even harder to pass it on towards her daughter Waverly. Though her attempts strengthen, the American aspect is just too much for Lindo to overcome.
Brian Tat
Period 7
The Mixing of Two Cultures
Double Face
I thought it was pathetic to hear that Waverly only managed to know a few basic baby words in Chinese. I really liked how Tan has Lindo say, “Only her skin and her hair are Chinese. Inside—she is all American-made.” (289). It emphasizes the fact that Waverly has gained from her mother physically the Chinese features, but inside, Waverly has gained the American ways and thinking. I like Lindo’s thinking about Americans and how they only talk to their reflections. It’s like she explains how average Americans think or how they are different compared to the Chinese. I believe Lindo’s American face is a face that she creates to hide her real self. However, her Chinese face shows her for who she really is. I think the fortune cookies represent a relationship between a mother and a daughter. For example, the Chinese saying a mother wants to tell to a daughter is often misinterpreted wrong by the daughter or vice-versa. I think it’s great that Lindo found Tin and that she chose to marry him instead of her previous marriage that was arranged. It’s incredible that Waverly inherits her mother’s crooked nose. Scientifically, this isn’t possible, because of our genes. I think it was nice how Waverly sees the crooked nose as a positive trait of being devious and having different sides compared to the negative trait told from Lindo’s mother about following bad luck and bad people.
I think Lindo and her daughter have a teaching relationship. They teach each other different lessons of life. For Waverly, she learns how to grow up and is taught about her own morals and ethnics. However, Lindo learns from her daughter about the lessons of heritage and realizes that she will ask her daughter about what she gained and what she had lost from gaining American culture.
Tan uses flashback to make the story more interesting. From the chapter “The Red Candle,” we are left with Lindo leaving China and arriving at America. In this chapter, we finally discover that she gets a job in America and finally marries to settle down. Tan also uses metaphors and similes to describe certain people and how the look alike together. For example of a metaphor, Tan compares Waverly and her mother by saying that when Waverly looks in a mirror, “Waverly sees [Lindo] looking at her” (290). For example of a simile, Waverly’s face looks like a starved person when she sucks in her cheeks giving the reader an image of Waverly’s action.
I believe the theme is that “sometimes in life, things do not go as we plan.” For example, when Lindo arrives in America and wants to have her children have the best combination. It doesn’t go to plan, because the two cultures conflict with each other. In the end, she finds out that the Chinese figured that she was part American. She thinks whether she had lost something for obtaining her American part in her identity.
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Tiffany Vuong
6th period
1. Looks of Deviation
2. “Double Face”
3. It was surprising to hear the relationship between Tin and Lindo Jong because how did they marry if they couldn’t even communicate with each other. Their relationship was based on the occasional Chinese character writings on pieces of paper in their English learning classrooms. Its hard to believe they took their relationship to the next level when it was even hard for Tin to purpose to Lindo without any complications. It kind of broke my heart when Lindo was explaining how if you were to go back to China, the people would already know that you weren’t from around there. My mom had immigrated from Vietnam when she was about fourteen years old and I know how badly she wants to go back. I can just see the look of disappointment as my mom goes around watching as everyone stares at her as an outsider. It pains me to even think about what my mom would go through after all these years of longing to go back.
4. I think the relationship between Lindo and Waverly is intolerant. When Waverly was a child Lindo wanted her to learn both the American and Chinese culture but what she soon found out was that it was merely impossible. Waverly continued to learn the American ways and never really understood the Chinese. When Lindo wanted Waverly to understand the Chinese culture, Waverly didn’t want to, then when Waverly wants to go back to China for her second honeymoon, she thinks the people in China might mistaken her for a Chinese born baby and not allow her to travel back to America.
5. I liked the way Amy Tan uses flashbacks in this chapter. She flashes back to several situations that are similar to the life Waverly is living. As different as Waverly thinks she is from her mom, the flashbacks say otherwise. It’s interesting to read because you could see the American and Chinese side of things, Waverly being the American and Lindo being the Chinese.
6. In the Chinese culture your facial characteristics play a huge role in your future. Basically it determines it. With surgical changes you can actually change your future and what features you will have growing up.
1. Searching for Heritage
2. Double Face
3. I could understand Waverly’s point of view, but being ashamed of one’s own mother is a pretty bad thing to be ashamed of. I thought Waverly’s description of her mother’s hair was a bit humorous at the start of the chapter. It’s somewhat ironic how Waverly now wants to be Chinese after being Americanized for such a long time. I liked the ending of this chapter especially because it shows both their faces, and their entwined heritage. I also loved the jokes they shot at one another when they were criticizing their own faces.
4. The relationship between Waverly and her mother is rocky. Their attitude towards each other always changes according to what is happening, but they always end up changing for the better. By the end Waverly and Lindo both learn something from each other, learning a piece of their past and their being.
5. Amy Tan uses flashbacks in this chapter which seems significant. Reading Lindo’s past with her mother, we, the reader, could see the similarities her mother and Lindo has, and also the same similar relationship Lindo has with Waverly.
6. The main conflict in this story is Human vs. human, or Waverly against Lindo once again. Finally, Waverly sees her own mother’s true intentions and how her past crafted her mother. Through their small fights and angry glares, they discover each other’s emotions.
1. Clueless
2. Double Face
3. This chapter I thought wasn’t as serious as the other one’s and had a lot humor to it. It was funny how Lindo didn’t know anything about the American culture and Waverly thinking she would get mixed up with the Chinese culture when she went to visit. They are both clueless on the differences of each other culture. It was funny when Lindo tells her daughter that even if she looks Chinese the people can tell she doesn’t belong by the way she walks. I thought Lindo’s job was interesting because she got to make fortune cookies, and how she criticized that Chinese people didn’t actually say stuff like that. It was also interesting how she gave Tin Jong the fortune cookie in order to get him to marry her. He didn’t know what the word “spouse” meant and had to look it up. This chapter overall was a laid back chapter and I thought didn’t have much meaning.
4. I would compare Lindo’s relationship with Waverly as a typical mother-daughter relationship. It’s the usual “you don’t understand me” kind of problem. They fight but in the end the love each other. Its typical parental relationship how the daughter hates to look like her mother, but in the end you can’t change that.
5. In this chapter, Tan uses a series of flashbacks to move her story. She uses one flashback to go back from the previous chapter, and another to go back even further. The first one was used to talk about events about her daughter around present day age. She then uses another one to go back farther to Lindo Jong’s past and talk about her life in America. The flashbacks were used to flow the plot along, and make smooth time changes.
6. This connects back to the allegory in the beginning where it said “I don’t know which way to teach you”. At the beginning of the chapter Lindo was confused on which way to raise Waverly. She didn’t realize that the two cultures were completely different; thus she became more American.
Reflection
“Double Face”
1.This chapter just officially made Lindo my favorite character in the Joy Luck Club. She just bumped An-Mei out of my number one spot. What with Waverly’s mind battles with her, I thought Lindo was just a snake. But when I read the chapter, I realized where she was coming from and why she acted the way she did to Waverly. Lindo isn’t guilt tripping or challenging Waverly. She’s just trying to help her daughter and tell it like it is. I liked how An-Mei and Lindo met; for some reason, I was surprised when An-Mei was revealed as Lindo’s new co-worker friend. Like the “tiger eyes” I couldn’t quite grasp the idea of the Chinese and American faces. I hope we get to discuss it in class because I just want it to be clarified.
2.The relationship between Lindo and Tin can be described as a real love. In love, there’s a different kind of communication; there’s really no words, just a natural attraction. I think it was sweet that they fell in love with each other despite their language differences. I think that learning a language together sort of catalyzed their romance. And to top off their sweet relationship, Tin just had to utter to Lindo, “Can you spouse me?” That line just made me melt and die (302). Okay, I’ve read some of the posts and some people have called Lindo’s relationship with Tin as a friendship and not a romance. What the heck? Just because they’re relationship isn’t filled to the brim with drama and so in your face doesn’t mean that it’s just a big friendly joke. I think, especially after having had a husband who was more like a little cousin, that Lindo needed a husband that was more than a lover, someone that she could trust and have fun with – a best friend.
3.In this chapter, Amy Tan uses juxtaposition. She juxtaposes Lindo’s views from China to Waverly’s views from America. For example, Waverly complains and curses about her nose but Lindo appreciates their nose because it’s the nose that was passed down to her from her mother. Amy Tan also uses flashbacks to assist the juxtaposition. She flashes back to Lindo’s mother who gives her deep words of wisdom.
4.I learned that in the shapes and sizes of a person reflects their personality, future, and fortune. Small nose holes (slits I don’t know) mean that money won’t drip down from the nose. Thick earlobes are good luck because one will have many opportunities in life. And a wide forehead means that the person is intelligent. I learned that having surgery could in turn change one’s future and luck.
1. “The best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character”
2. Double Face
3. This chapter was very interesting. I was surprised that Waverly was ashamed of her own mother and heritage. If Waverly was that ashamed of her mother, then I think she should also be shamed of herself because whatever lies in her mother’s blood, also lies in hers. I thought that Waverly was kind of rude and behaved as a total stranger to her mother at times. Usually, a Chinese daughter would respect and obey her mother, but Waverly was the exact opposite. This side of Waverly was astonishing because I thought that after their previous fight in the chapter “Rules of the Game” everything would sort out, but I guess I was wrong. Anyways, I thought the ending was amazing because it revealed that Waverly and Lindo were both "two-faced," and they both look "one way, while following the other. [They're] for one side and also the other” (304).
4. The relationship between Waverly and Lindo can be described as distant and somewhat healing. When Mr. Rory compliments to Waverly that she looks a lot like her mother, the expression on her face shows displease. Waverly feels a little mortified of her mother and embarrassed of her Chinese heritage. While on the other hand, Lindo loves her daughter very much and is not ashamed of her one bit. Even though their relationship shows a little distance, it also shows some acceptance. They’re both "two-faced," and they both look "one way, while following the other. [They're] for one side and also the other" (304).
5. One of the many writing techniques that Amy Tan uses is similes. It helps the reader compare two familiar things so they can imagine the scene, giving the reader a better understanding. When Lindo pulled out fortune cookies from her purse, she made a look “as if a mouse had bitten [her] hand” (302). In this scene, Tan’s use of simile helped me paint the picture of Lindo’s expression into my mind. By using similes, one can spice up their writing to make it appetizing.
6. From this chapter, I learned a lot about face reading. Instead of palm reading, some Chinese also know how to read faces. I learned that people with big thick earlobes will be luckier than those with thinner ears, but people who have a crooked nose are bound with misfortune, especially girls. Also, a wide forehead reveals the depth of a person’s cleverness. Although these are all superstitions, it is interesting to know this part of Chinese culture.
To Look Devious
Double Face
1. When Lindo was saying how her daughter was afraid that she would be thought as a China resident and not be allowed to come back, I laughed. Even before she told her daughter that they could all tell, I already knew that there was no way that the China government could not tell that she was from America. I had always thought that the fortunes in fortune cookies were taken from Chinese philosophers; however, Lindo had said that Chinese people never say such things. When Waverly’s father had asked Lindo to “spouse” him, I had to laugh. People are really funny when they think they know how to use a word, and end up using it wrong. At the end, Lindo says that when she went back to China, they even charged her the extra tourist money. If even Lindo were charged the extra money, I wondered why Waverly thought that she would be thought of as one of them.
2. Lindo’s relationship with her daughter Waverly is complicated. Lindo is ashamed that she is proud of Waverly, but Waverly is ashamed of her. Waverly takes Lindo to the hair parlor so that Lindo won’t look “weird” or “kinky.” Lindo tells Waverly her story of how she met her husband and how Waverly received her namesake. It was so that when she grew up and left, she would take a piece of their home with her. In the end, Lindo and Waverly understand that they look a lot like each other and that they both have an American face and a Chinese face.
3. Amy Tan uses flashback in this chapter. She uses flashback to show Lindo after she reached America. She showed Lindo’s job at the fortune cookie factory where she met An-mei and through her, her husband.
4. I learned that in Chinese culture, a face can be read. Ears with big lobes means that the person is full of blessings, and a crooked nose is bound for misfortune while a straight and smooth nose is a good sign. The length of the chin is a person’s longevity, and the wider a person’s forehead, the wiser they are.
1. “Out of Place”
2. Double Face
3. After reading this chapter, it reminded me of how fake people can be. Lindo Jong had two sides—A Chinese side, and an American side. What was that supposed to mean? She can’t be Chinese around Americans? That’s a little unfair, but that’s how people are in public too. Along the way, the Chinese ways are lost, and loses its value. At the Barber shop, when Lindo hears that her daughter looks like her, she puts on her “Chinese face”, which is her true self. She’s happy to hear this, but her daughter isn’t. Lindo jumps back to telling her story as a child. Apparently she looks like HER mother too. Back then, she wanted to look like her mother, and it makes her sad that her daughter doesn’t want to look like her. Her daughter is ashamed of the “Chinese ways” and has almost completely become American. Waverly doesn’t know what Lindo had to go through to get to America. She was not an immigrant off the boat. She came here on a plane and worked as a telephone operator. She got various jobs and went to church when needed. Lindo finally meets her husband and they got married, having three kids. She wanted Waverly to feel like she wasn’t out of place so she gave her the name “Waverly”, the street name of where they live. At the end I thought it was very touching, how the two bond over being two-faced. Waverly explains that being two faced gets you everything you want if you know how to use it.
4. The relationship between Waverly and her mother can be described as an aging battle. Their tension has died out to just little disagreements. Waverly has grown up, so Lindo can’t punish her or banish her from the house because they don’t live together. Waverly learns to appreciate her mother for what she is, and at the end she explains how she’s proud of the fact that she’s two faced and has a Chinese side. She gives thanks to her mother for this, and the two are able to bond. Lindo is now learning from Waverly instead of the other way around.
5. A technique Amy Tan uses is imagery. There was a scene where Lindo describes Guangzhou and then compares it to San Francisco. “…stream of people rushing, shoving,pushing us along.” “The landscape has become gray, filled with low flat cement buildings, old factories, and then tracks…” We can visualize what the city looked like and what life may have been like back there.
6. I learned that the Chinese really look at facial features. By doing so, they decipher characteristics and personality traits of a certain person. It’s really silly actually. For example, how high a forehead is tells how clever you are. How your mouth is shaped tells how happy you are, how your eyes looked told how you looked at the world.
1. Using your face as a shield
2. Double Face
3. This chapter puzzled me, so I had to go back and read it again. I thought it was sad how Americanized Waverly was. Lindo spent so much effort and energy into making her American, but it seems that all that work went to waste because Lindo regrets it. Waverly seemed very inconsiderate when she told the hairstylist what Lindo wanted. Although, I understand that if Lindo tried to explain it herself, the hairstylist wouldn’t understand, Waverly should’ve at least consulted her mother first. I don’t understand a lot of the things that the girl told Lindo when she first came to America. I don’t understand why she had to pretend all these complicated things. I felt so sad when Lindo said she worked in a factory. When I first read that, I though that she was abused and treated badly because I thought that factories in San Francisco were cruel like that during the Industrialization period. Although the work seemed harsh, there was nothing commenting on the treatment from the owner. This relieved me and I didn’t think about her factory job for the rest of the chapter. The way Lindo used the fortune cookie to get her a husband was extremely cute. It saddened me when Lindo went back to China and they considered her a foreigner. She spent a majority of her life there and only moved to America because there was no choice. Treating her as a foreigner doesn’t seem right.
4. The relationship between Lindo and An-Mei is one of true friendship. Lindo and An-Mei got off to a good start, even from the beginning. Lindo needed a friend and An-Mei kept her company. Later, An-Mei introduced Lindo to a husband. Not only did she do that, but she helped Lindo get a husband. They worked together and laughed together. If this isn’t true friendship, I’m not sure what is.
5. Imagery was a technique that Tan uses well in this chapter. When Tan described the fortune cookie factory, I felt like I was a worker there too. I felt this feeling again when Lindo’s mother described her face to me. I saw all the features and according to the description, I imagined her to be very pretty.
6. I learned a lot about Chinese culture in this chapter. I learned that it’s not traditional for a daughter to talk back to their mother. I learned about all the superstitions regarding the features of a person’s face. Other Chinese traditions are keeping one’s emotions hidden and keeping one’s worth quietly tucked away. I also learned abut the hardships that some Chinese immigrants had to go through when they first came to America.
1. “You Have the Right Ears, But You Must Listen To Your Opportunities”
2. QUEEN MOTHER OF THE WESTERN SKIES: “LINDO JONG: Double Face”
3. This chapter reminds me of how my parents emphisize the importance of being proud of your culture and never forgetting where you came from. I felt sad for Waverly because she did not get the chance to fully absorb her chinese culture. I belive that people should not be ashamed of their ethnicity and they should try to learn about their family as much as possible.I thought about my own culture and how I feel about it. I am grateful that I am able to speak in the language my family speaks and communicate with them. Some people only want their children to speak english and forget about their own language and culture but I believe that that is wrong. I felt glad when Lindo wanted so much to be like her mother because nowadays, most children are somewhat ashamed of their parents or family. It was amusing to read the part when Lindo paid an American raised Chinese girl in Peking to teach her about life in America and how to become a citizen. It was also funny when the woman Lindo sat next to translated the fortune cookie papers to her and said that American people thougth that Chinese people wrote the fortunes down. It was so hilarious when Mr. Jong asked Lindo if she could “spouse” him.
4. The relationship between Lindo and her mother can be described as appreciative. Lindo thought about the time she spent with her mother back in China and how she told Lindo of her fortune. Her mother told Lindo of the physical traits she passed down to her and what they meant. Lindo appreciated her mother and wanted so much to be like her. She copied her mother’s movements and emotions when she grew up.
5. One technique I notice is flashbacks. Lindo Jong reminisced about her mother and how much she wanted to be just like her. She described the physical traits her mother passed down to her such as her ears, nose, chin, forehead, and eyes. She treasured the time she spent with her mother and became separated once she had to move into her arranged husband’s house. Lindo talked about her struggle to adopt to America and how she met An-mei at her work and how she met her second husband. Lindo Jong’s memories help us understand the numerous characteristics that has been passed down from Lindo’s mother to Lindo and now to Waverly.
6. I learned about a person’s future just by looking at their face. Lindo’s mother critisized her face when she was young. She said that a thick lobe means lots of blessings, the hole of a person’s nose determines how much money will run out, and the lenghth shows a person’s age.
Eileen Ly from 7th period
Mai Dong Lou Hamburgers
Double Face
The fortunes on the slips of paper made me laugh a bit. The Mai Dong Lou reference made me laugh too. I thought that the relationship between Lindo and her father was sweet. None of them knew each other’s languages yet fell in love with each other. It made me sad when Lindo says, “I am ashamed she is ashamed. Because she is my daughter and I am proud of her, and I am her mother but she is not proud of me” (291). It shows Lindo’s sadness that her daughter has no respect for her. She regretted trying to teach Waverly to accept her American side along with the Chinese side.
The relationship between Lindo and her daughter would best be described as two-sided. Lido loves her daughter and wants her to be the best that she can be but from the previous chapters, Waverly seems like she doesn’t really trust her mom; in fact, she regards Lindo as an enemy. Nonetheless, they are also at the same time similar with both of them having their crooked noses; they share their fiery personalities.
Tan uses flashbacks from Lindo Jong’s mind to help tell her story. This adds detail and emotions to her chapter.
The main conflict in this chapter is external; Lindo versus her daughter. Lindo realizes that she must change her daughter in order for her to fully understand her Chinese side. She notices Waverly’s crooked nose and is at once alarmed, telling her to get plastic surgery. However, Waverly just smiles. Perhaps Lindo was feeling ashamed, ashamed that she had given her daughter that crooked nose which kept her separated into two faces, one Chinese and one American.
1. I want to be Chinese now
2. Double Face
3. In this chapter, Lindo Jong talks about how she feels towards Waverly and how she is sad because Waverly is not proud of her. I mean as a mother, that’s a pretty bad feeling that your child doesn’t respect you. I thought how Lindo and An-mei made fun of the fortunes were amusing to some point and at the end it was very touching how the ended up with a happy feeling.
4. The relationship between Lindo and Waverly is pretty simple and normal relationship between mother and daughter. Even though Waverly sometimes is ashamed of her mother, I mean all of us have been embarrassed about our own parents so it isn’t something out of the ordinary. They have their touching moments and different views, but they both still love each other.
5. Amy Tan uses flashback in this chapter at the beauty parlor when Mr. Rory, the stylist, commented on their similarities. It flashes back to where it talks about Lindo’s past and the readers can see what the similarities are between Lindo and her mother and Lindo and Waverly relationship and Waverly’s action with her mother. The flashback is helpful because it helps us understand better.
6. In the Chinese culture, the features of your face can determine how your life will go. It can tell if you will be rich, smooth life, and changes in your face can change what happens in your life at the same time.
1. You Are My Reflection
2. “Double Face”
3. I think Lindo kind of questions her parenthood in this vignette because she says Waverly is “American-Made” inside and claims it is her fault. She wanted her children to have both American circumstances and Chinese character, but Chinese thinking didn’t stick to Waverly. So, Lindo begins to wonder why and how she wasn’t able to teach her daughter about Chinese character. I wonder how she must feel at the salon, knowing her daughter is ashamed of her and not proud of her when Lindo has always been proud of Waverly. I think it was such a coincidence for her to work at a fortune cookie factory where she met Auntie An-mei and she hooks Lindo up with her husband together! How cute! I wonder how hard it must have been for the couple to communicate since they spoke in different dialects. It was sweet to read how they got the idea of marriage by using a fortune cookie. I think it was cute when Lindo’s husband asked, “Can you spouse me?” I also like how she explained why she named her daughter Waverly. She not only named her after their street but because she wanted her to think that is where she belongs and when she’d grow up to leave, she’d take a piece of her mother with her.
4. I would describe Lindo and Waverly’s relationship as a typical mother-daughter relationship. They both have their differences and think differently; yet, they are somehow the same person. Like a mother-daughter relationship, Lindo and Waverly have their arguments and debacles but in the end, they learn to understand each other’s thoughts and opinions as they expect each other.
5. Amy Tan utilizes flashbacks in this vignette. It begins with Waverly and Lindo at Mr. Rory’s salon and then Lindo realizing how alike they are. The flashbacks show how similar Lindo and her mother were, just like how Lindo and Waverly are the same.
6. Reading this vignette, I’ve learned a person’s physical traits can means something for their future. For example, big earlobes would mean you’ll be full of blessings. A straight nose would be good news compared to one with a crooked nose, who would be bound for misfortune. A low hairline would mean one with have hardships in early life.
1. Americanized
2. Double Face
3. This chapter was kind of hard to understand for me. I didn’t really know why we had to know the things that Lindo did before she came to America. I guess it tries to explain how and why Lindo feels about her daughter Waverly. It also kind of shows how Lindo had lost some of her Chinese identity by living in America. When she went back to China, they charged her high prices that they would have for a foreigner. Lindo then questions her own identity and the her daughter’s.
4. Lindo believes that on the outside, her daughter is Chinese, but in the inside, her daughter is American. Even so, Lindo still sees how similar she and her daughter look and how similar their two personalities are. It was kind of like how Lindo always tried to be similar to her own mother.
5. Like many of her other chapters, Amy Tan uses flashbacks again in this chapter. They help move the story along and gives a more in depth view of the character. In this chapter, we learn about Lindo’s past life in America and how she feels about herself and her country.
6. An example of Chinese culture is how Chinese people treat foreigners. When a fellow countryman visits a Chinese shop, the customer and storeowner will instantly bond, have a light conversation, and basically have a great time purchasing the item. When a foreigner comes in the shop, the storeowner is just trying to get as mush money as he can from the unsuspecting victim.
1. Two Halves Make a Whole
2. Double Face
3. I thought this chapter was boring but it had funny parts. I like the names that Lindo Jong gives her sons. I laughed when she named her son Winston because it sounds like “wins ton” and Vincent because it sounds like “wins cent”. It was also kind of sad but funny at the same time when Mr. Rory tells Lindo and Waverly that they look alike. Most daughters can relate because nobody wants to be told that they look like their mother (maybe when you’re older). I felt bad for her mom when Waverly was treating her like she had no say in what they were doing. She didn’t let her mom speak about her haircut and acted as though her mother didn’t understand what was going on. It was sad when her Lindo kept thinking that her own daughter was trying to change her and was trying to make her look more “American”. I felt sorry for her mom because Waverly was embarrassed by her mom and wanted to change her.
4. The relationship between Waverly and Lindo can be described as a typical mother-daughter relationship. Sometimes they argue but eventually make up. They love each other a lot but they have a hard time understanding one another. On one side, Lindo Jong wants Waverly to like Chinese customs and to be proud. Waverly, on the other hand, thinks her mother is old fashioned and that she needs to be more accepting of American ways. Both still have each others best interest at heart.
5. Amy Tan uses the crooked nose as a symbol and also of foreshadowing. A straight nose symbolizes a good future while a crooked nose symbolizes misfortune. Since Waverly’s nose turns from straight to crooked, it shows some misfortunes that will lie ahead.
6. I learned that a big earlobe means the person is full of blessings. I also learned that a wide forehead means that someone is clever and that a low thick hairline means that you will have hardships in life. A not too short and not too long chin means that they have longevity. Lastly, I learned that a straight nose is a good sign but a crooked nose leads to misfortunes.
“Crooked Nose”
Double Face
1. In this chapter, Waverly made me kind of mad. She was super rude to her mom at the hair salon and she even criticized her mother’s hair. Then, when Mr. Rory notes the similarities between her and her mother’s faces, Waverly seems embarrassed. This made me so mad, because even if she didn’t like her mother’s hair, or she was embarrassed by their similar looks, she didn’t have to make it obvious to Mr. Rory, who is not even part of the family. I thought it was kind of funny that, when Lindo went to China, the Chinese people there could tell she was from America. That sometimes happens to my mom when she goes to India. That’s why she does shopping with my aunts, to prevent getting the price raised, and consequently ripped off. I liked how Waverly found the positive thing in having a crooked nose. Lindo thought it was just negative, but Waverly showed her that it can be a good thing too.
2. I think that the relationship between Waverly and her mother can be best described as that of a teacher and a student. Lindo teaches Waverly about her Chinese heritage, but Waverly disregards it. Only when she is older, does she recognize the true value of her “education.” Also, a just as teachers sometimes learn from their students, Lindo learns things from Waverly as well. Waverly teaches Lindo the positive side of having a crooked nose, where Lindo just thought that having a crooked nose was a negative thing.
3. In this chapter, Amy Tan uses a lot of symbolism. I think that the crooked nose symbolizes the divider between Chinese and American heritage. Since Lindo got it after moving to America, I think that when she got it was when she stated to become more Americanized. Also, because Waverly inherited the same crooked nose, even though it wasn’t in her genes, I think that the nose symbolizes the balance between the two cultures. The use of symbolism in the chapter enhances it because it allows the reader to see a concept in a new way that might be more relatable.
4. This chapter is connected to the allegory at the beginning of the section because they both have someone from an older generation learning something from the younger one. In the allegory, the woman learns from her granddaughter that one can lose their innocence, but it is important not to loose one’s hope. In this chapter, Waverly shows Lindo that having a crooked nose can be a positive thing, not just negative.
Sorry, wrong face
Double Face
1) This chapter feels awkward, I can’t explain it but it feels like something else needs to be said. If I were to guess, I would say that this chapter is “I’m sorry” from Amy Tam to her mother. Anyway, in this chapter Waverly still is not comfortable around her mother. She still hasn’t broken the habit of fighting with her mom. I think that Lindo is distressed that she lost her “Chinese face”, that she hid it for so long she can’t find it anymore. Lindo also realizes that she has lost her daughter as well, that Lindo is ashamed that her daughter thinks so poorly about her, acting like Lindo can not speak English or is deaf in public. I wonder if Lindo is sad because her daughter does not want to become like Lindo, because that’s what Lindo wanted to be, like her own mother. Despite all this, Waverly is like her mother, more then they both realize. At the end of the book, where Waverly says the nose makes them look devious, maybe it is also saying that are good sides to both faces, American and Chinese.
2) Waverly and Lindo. Explorative. I think that they are trying to find out what they lost and gained in those years they didn’t really talk. I think they are exploring how each one changed, what is different and what is the same. I think they are realizing that they are more alike then they believed. Same face, same look, same person.
3) One of the literary devices Amy Tam uses in this story is irony. Waverly does not want to be like her mother, she wanted to become American in The Rules of the Game, but now she wants to be Chinese because it is cool to be Chinese. Lindo also has to hid her true face, the face that she worked so hard to release in The Red Candle.
4) In this chapter, the main conflict is internal, Lindo against her belief she is losing herself and her daughter. You can tell because of how distressed she is when she discovers she can not understand Waverly. She realizes that she has changed, she is no longer Chinese and its obvious when they go to China and everyone there knows Lindo isn’t Chinese.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall.”
CH. Double Face
3. This chapter was a little bit confusing for me. Why was Lindo criticizing her own daughter for being Americanized when she was also showing the same symptoms? She had a Chinese face and an American face when she went to the barber shop. Even more, when she returned to China, she was mistaken as a foreigner and charged higher prices. That was a little bit sad, but it made me laugh at how Waverly tries to think she is so Chinese that the government won’t let her return to America.
Another thing that caught my attention was the part where Lindo explains why she chose Winston, Vincent, and Waverly as names for her children. It was so typical of a Chinese parent to choose those names just because they were closely associated to wealth and good fortune. However, when Lindo said, “And then I bumped my nose riding on the bus. Soon after that you were born” (303). It sounded as if Waverly was unwanted and bad luck, but I realized that it was totally the opposite. Lindo didn’t want her daughter to look like her because she didn’t want her daughter to have the regrets and mistakes she had.
4. The relationship between Lindo and Tin (I think that’s what his name was) is very cute and deep. Even though they had a wide language barrier between them, I think that was how they learned to bond tighter. When they were taking classes on how to speak English, their ways of communication was really sweet especially when Tin asked Lindo to “spouse him”.
5. A writing technique that Amy Tan uses in this chapter is metaphors. In the barber shop when Mr. Rory told them how much they look alike, Tan uses “the way a cat pulls itself small just before it bites” to compare to what Waverly looked like. It gives reader an image to use to compare and visualize what the look on Waverly’s face would have been like: angry, displeased, and hurt.
6. One Essential Question: Choose at least 1 of our essential questions to answer for each chapter:
c. What are you learning about Chinese culture?
After reading this chapter, I learned that there was such thing as face reading. I always thought that you could only read a person’s fortune by their palms, but I guess Lindo’s mother knew how to face read too. Big ear lobes meant you would be blessed, small nose holes meant wealth, a straight nose was a straight path in life. Then there was the perfect chin for an adequate longevity and a wide forehead for cleverness.
“Mirror, Mirror”
2. LINDO JONG: “Double Face”
3. I thought this chapter was really insightful, because it opened my eyes to a lot of things about America. I had never looked at “American” people this way, but I guess that makes sense since I’m an American born child. It was also really cool reading about how you can see a person’s future through their face, because growing up, my mom used to do that to me all the time. Parts of this chapter was also pretty funny because of the misinterpretations and weird language differences, but then I stopped laughing, thinking about how in the last chapter it was considered disrespectful.
I enjoyed the part of the story where Jong talks about her experiences coming over to America. I felt it was kind of unrealistic though, because if I came to America with nothing but an address, I would have never been able to figure it out. But despite that, I liked that Tan decided to write about coming to America and how she somewhat portrayed the harsh conditions. For example, the lady that gave Jong addresses to get an apartment and jobs was so rude I wanted to punch her. And when I found out what kinds of jobs she gave Jong addresses to, I got even madder. The fact that she decided to give an immigrant that knew nearly no English a job as a prostitute was utterly disgusting.
When Jong told her story of how she eventually got married, I thought it was kind of cute, but also weird. But, you would think that I’d be use to relationships without communication by now, but I still thought it was weird. It was as though these women married just to have children or to get settled, rather than for more “romantic” reasons.
4. The relationship between Lindo Jong and An-Mei Hsu can be described as comfortable. I feel this way about their relationship because as soon as they met, they became quick friends. They soon were able to confide in one another, and even made plans so that Tin Jong would ask Lindo to marry him. Also, the fact that Lindo trusted An-Mei enough to set her up with Tin shows their closeness. She let “An-Mei put [thoughts] in [her] mind” (301). They confided in one another, trusted one another and found comfort in each other’s company as they were both new immigrants, trying to find their way in America, which they did – together.
5. In this chapter, Amy Tan uses a flashback for the majority of the chapter. At the beginning, Lindo Jong and her daughter Waverly Jong are in a beauty parlor, getting Lindo a haircut, but later on, Lindo’s thoughts drift off into an extended flashback. The flashback provides information on Lindo’s journey to America. Through this, readers not only learn of the hardship Lindo went through, but they also learn about several aspects of Chinese immigration and Chinese culture, such as seeing your future in your own face. This improves the story as it gives us more background information in an interesting way, rather than just bluntly explaining concepts.
6. What is the theme or life lesson in this chapter and which line or scene reveals this?
I believe that the theme or life lesson in this chapter is that no matter where you are or what circumstances you are in, you should never be ashamed of whom you are or try to hide yourself. When Lindo Jong first came to America, she had listened to the Chinese girl from Peking who taught her how she should act in America. This process caused Jong to lose herself – between her “American” and her “Chinese” side. At the end of the chapter, she is still confused as to what she has lost and what she has gained since leaving China for America. Jong does not want her daughter to be ashamed of her, and she also does not want to be ashamed of herself. But in her circumstance, she puts on her “American” face when she is at the beauty parlor, though she is ashamed that her daughter is ashamed of her because of this very face. Lindo says, “I am becoming ashamed. I am ashamed she is ashamed. Because she is my daughter and I am proud of her, and I am her mother but she is not proud of me” (291). If Jong used her knowing “Chinese” face, her daughter would not be ashamed because her “American” face is the one that does not know and does not understand. But because she is now in America, she hides her true Chinese self away, so much that when she comes back to China they treat her as a foreigner. Jong wants her daughter to not be ashamed of her, in hopes that she will not eventually grow up and be like her, ashamed of whom she is.
1. Can You Spouse Me?
2. “Double Face”
3. I thought this chapter was generally happy and humorous. I love the part when Lindo Jong describes why she named her first two sons, “Winston” and “Vincent.” I couldn’t help but take a good minute to laugh about it. I also like how Lindo describes certain features about herself and her mother. As I keep reading on this fourth part of the whole book, I find that everything is slowly being resolved and turning out better.
4. I thought Lindo’s relationship with Tin Jong was very cheerful and light. There seemed to be no problems, besides them speaking different languages. Even at that, they compromised and both learned English, and then Lindo learned to speak Cantonese. She seemed to be very down-to-earth, as Tin seemed to be humorous and a bit charming. When Lindo gives the custom fortune to him, and the day afterward, he replies “Lindo, can you spouse me?” (302) it just seems like nothing can go wrong with them.
5. In this chapter, I thought the flashback was very important. It described all the things that Lindo would have to encounter in life. This was essential, because it would lead her to explain things to Waverly. All in all, flashbacks are always one of the most important devices for the Joy Luck Club. It provides a lot of information in order for the story to move forward.
6. In this chapter, I found that certain characteristics and body parts have a play in one’s future. For example, a big thick earlobe “with lots of meat at the bottom” (292) means that you are “full of blessings” (292). A chin that is “not too short, not long” (292) can mean that “longevity will be adequate” (293). A wide forehead can mean that a person will be clever, and a low hairline can indicate future hardships. I found that these were some interesting pieces of culture from China, and although I’m unsure of whether they are credible, they do put a strange twist in a person’s mind if they are willing to believe it.
Jane Wong
Period 6
1. Two Faced
2. Double Face
3. I thought this chapter was rather interesting because it showed a lot of motherly love throughout the vignette. It was nice how Waverly finally decided to accept her mother and be into the whole Chinese culture."What if I blend in so well they think I"m one of them?" "What if they don't let me come back to the United States?" (288). I thought it was funny how Waverly asks herself these questions nowadays compared to back then when it seemed as though she didn't appreciate her own culture. As for Lindo, she really did start blaming herself for Waverly to feel this way. "It's my fault she is this way. I wanted my children to have the best combination. American circumstances and Chinese character. How could I know these two things do not mix?" (289). So Lindo was worried that it was possibly her own fault that Waverly now questions herself. But towards the middle, it was nice to read about the story of Lindo's first marriage and how this time, it was not forced or arranged by itself. She had the option to either go back to China or marry Tin Jong. It was funny when Lindo thought An-Mei just ate the fortune cookies during work because the way she did her job seemed so flawless. Lindo thought so because she said An-Mei seemed even a little plump. It was also humorous when Tin asked Lindo, "Lindo, can you spouse me?" the non correct way (302).
4. The character relationship would be between Lindo and Waverly of course. They relationship would be described as loving. As said, there is a lot of motherly love going on in between this chapter with Waverly and Lindo. If Lindo did not care about Waverly so much, she would not have been worrying about this and that. She has always wanted Waverly to have the best. When Lindo thought about the difficulties she faced back then, she thought about how she didn't want Waverly to feel that they're the same anymore because her nose was from an accident and Waverly was born with hers. Waverly really does show positive affection towards her mother because she believed that together, they were like two faced , meaning they were both American and Chinese in their cultures and there was simply nothing wrong with that.
5. The writing technique Amy Tan uses once again is foreshadowing. She definitely brings the reader back to how Lindo experiences her first marriage and how it all began. She lets the reader go through the journey with her to the past to see how her marriage was not arranged this time and how she used to name her kids after money or something. I thought it was nice how she named Waverly after the street to say that she has started out from there and she belongs there.
6. a. I think the life lesson of this chapter is to tell us that we should just take whatever it is that we look like and accept it. I think that it is not a bad thing to be two different things. It's not necessarily bad every time. "Well, not everything that we're thinking. They just know we're two-faced" (304). "This is good if you get what you want" (304). I think it's a good thing because everyone is different and we should learn to accept our identities sooner or later.
1. Two-faced
2. Double Face
3. This story was very charming and sweet, but not significantly effective as the other chapters. Waverly becomes irritatingly annoying with every page of The Joy Luck Club. ‘Double Face’ is no exception. I find her ignorant and to her mother and her Chinese culture. I wish Lindo would have spoken up of the lies Waverly would make of her and all the other false assumptions. It was interesting finding out how Lindo met An-Mei at her job as a factory worker. It’s nice to hear how genuine Lindo and her husband’s marriage as opposed to Ying-Ying’s marriage. They both married out of liking. I found the fortune cookies that Lindo sorted through so adorable, especially when Tin could not understand the words and had to look it up.
4. Lindo’s relationship with Waverly in this more mature setting is presumptuous and considerate. Throughout the whole chapter, Waverly is presumptuous of her mother’s past, of how she came to America, of how she met her father. Lindo was not so old-fashioned and poor. She took a plane, not a boat to America. She did not just read a fortune that guided her to her husband. All of this was assumptions made in Waverly’s imagination. Now that Waverly is more mature and understanding after her mother’s acceptance of her marriage, Waverly acts very considerate and caring to her mother. She takes her mother to her hairstylist and shows genuine affection towards her.
5. A writing technique that Amy Tan uses in ‘Double Face’ is foreshadowing. When Lindo talks about how she met her husband, she begins by clearing her daughter’s misconception that her father was a vision of a fortune cookie. This little tidbit of information is further revealed of how she suggested marriage to Tin through a fortune cookie. Amy Tan uses the foreshadowing to allow Lindo to oppose her daughter’s false assumption.
6. I think that ‘Double Face’ relates to the beginning allegory in that the mother learns from her daughter of truths. At the end of the story, Lindo will turn to her daughter of what she has lost, Chinese or American culture? Through their daughters, do they learn to lose innocence, but not hope. Lindo is hopeful and optimistic with her question in the end. Waverly teaches her that it is good to be two-faced.
1) Crack Open For Fortune
2) Double Face
3) I kind of hated this chapter. The hair scene, it made me angry at Waverly. I didn’t know why she thought she knew best for her mom, probably after all those years of playing that game with her mother to see who would win. During the flashback, I was so sympathetic for Lindo, trying to navigate in San Francisco. It reminded me of my parents when they first arrived in America. I love the little love note in the fortune cookie scene though!
4) The relationship between Lindo and Waverly is like a tug of war, a battle. Each one striving to outdo the other. Lindo has nothing but regrets on how she’s raised Waverly and who she’s become. She isn’t even really Chinese to those in China. As for Waverly, telling her mother how to get her hair done seems pretty controlling, like she wants to be in charge, to win.
5) The flashback in this chapter really showed the reader what had happened to Lindo when she first came to America. It was full of hardships and struggles, some that Waverly may never know. There’s parallel structure from in the flashback and in present day. Lindo’s mom tells her how similar they look, what the characteristics have been passed down and to Lindo, she sees those features and qualities inherited by Waverly too.
6) I learned more Chinese culture in this chapter. It seems I learn better and better Chinese words and phrases every chapter. I leanred that lou means building and mai means wheat. I learned that long chins stand for longevity and wide foreheads signify being wise.
1. devious nose
2. double face
3. It is true when they say that people can tell more from the way you act then the way that you look. In page 289 amy talk about how if her daughter had taken all her jewelry and makeup off, they could still tell that she did not belong. So, the real way to tell a Chinese, is the way that they think. This was what Lindo wanted to give her daughter, a sence of Chinese character. But, it didn’t work
4. the relationship between Lindo Jong and her daughter is somewhat sad. Lindo is so proud of her daughter and she turned out. But, her daughter is ashamed of her and tries to fix her up. That makes Lindo ashamed, and I find that really sad. She should be more loving towards her mother. After all the things that she went through.
5. The flashback really showed the difference between the way Lindo saw her mother and the way the her daughter sees Lindo. Lindo was proud when her mother told her that they looked alike. But, in Lindo’s daughter’s case she was upset when someone told her that she looked like her mother. This flashback showed the Chinese and American’s way of thinking.
6. I learned the Chinese way of thinking the character that allows a Chinese person to appear that they belong.You aren’t suppose to show your own thoughts so you can take oppurtunities when they arise. You should obey your parents and listen to your mother’s mind. Knowing what she is thinking inside her head. Knowing you own worth.
Dan Truong
Period 06
(on “Double Face”)
3) I thought this chapter was funny. Most chapters that were about Lindo made me laugh, because I think she is a comical woman. I thought this chapter was ironic because in the beginning chapters, all of the daughters were embarrassed of how “Chinese” their mothers were, and yet in this chapter, Waverly wants to be “more Chinese” because it is fashionable now.
4) Lindo and An-mei Hsu are good friends and they hit it off from the start. It is all thanks to An-mei for helping Lindo find the husband that would be father to Waverly. They listen to each other; Lindo listens to An-mei about marrying. At first, Lindo said she would never marry a man who spoke a different dialect than her, yet she ended up marrying him because they loved each other.
5) One of the techniques Amy Tan used in this chapter was flashbacks. She uses flashbacks to give us another perspective of the problems between the daughters and the mothers. The flashback that showed how Lindo survived when she came to America and had to find a job was detailed. It showed us a younger Lindo.
6c) In this chapter, I learned that, in Chinese culture, earlobes with a lot of meat on them actually had a meaning. It meant that your life would be lucky. In Chinese culture they also believe that if you had big nostrils or a crooked nose, then your money and fortune would flow out of your nose. I learned that they believed facial features could tell you a lot about the person’s
Oops, I forgot to add the title.
It's "Two-Faced Women".
Different Sides of the Same Coin
Double Face
During this chapter, I read it, I thought this chapter was different from others. In most of the other chapters, a serious event takes place, and from it, the main character learns more. However, in this chapter, the main point of this chapter was to compare Lindo and Waverly, saying that they could be twins. I think is chapter was well written, despite the tiny abnormality of the construction of the plot. I also love the part where Waverly comments Lindo on having two faces, while Lindo perceives as a bad thing. Waverly thinks a good gift.
Throughout this chapter, people can see the relationship between Lindo and Waverly grow fast, expedited because of other factors as well. One part of their relationship is that they both look almost the same. Another part of the relationship is how Waverly doesn’t understand the history and pass of her mother Lindo, who if you compare, are very similar.
I think this chapter shows Amy Tan’s excellent skills at using foreshadowing. I believe the fortune cookies in Waverly’s pocket and purse is a very good example of how Amy Tan uses foreshadowing to create suspense and to hint at the future.
In this chapter, Waverly had an internal conflict. This internal conflict was about her identity. In other books, Tan’s main message is the identity of one self.
1. “Chinese Way or American Way”
2. “Double Face”
3. I found that this chapter wasn’t very eventful, but had its moments. I thought it was funny how she chose her two son’s names, by how they sounded when they were pronounced. I also thought it was interesting how Lindo met An-Mei. I wouldn’t have guessed that they met and formed their strong friendship at a fortune cookie factory. I found the fortunes they read hard to understand and ridiculous. When Lindo and Waverly were at the salon, I felt bad for Lindo, being ignored by her daughter. Waverly acted as though her mom didn’t understand her and couldn’t hear her, which was quite rude. Seeing her daughter become so American must really hurt her inside.
4. The relationship between Lindo and An-Mei can be described as a strong bond between two friends. When Lindo needed a friend at work, there was An-Mei. She was one of the few women that spoke her tongue and she was friendly towards Lindo. They bonded over silly fortunes and that’s where it all began. An-Mei even met her husband through Lindo.
5. Amy Tan uses a lot of imagery in this chapter. It improves the story because it helps the reader to see the image the author is trying to portray. Tan shows this especially when she is describing the facial features of Lindo and Waverly. I could imagine everything from the wide forehead, to the low hairline, to the crooked nose.
6. From this chapter, I learned that the Chinese had a way of telling your future from your features other than your palms. Lindo’s grandmother said that “a big thick lobe” means you’re blessed, “the hole [of the nose] is not too big” means that your money will not run out, and “a crooked nose is bound for misfortune” (292). I never knew that your face could determine what happened in your life.
Margaret Trask
1. “Silly Slip of Paper”
2. “Double Face”
3. I thought that the thoughts and reflections of Lindo Jong were much less heavy than the previous vignettes. The love story of Lindo and her husband was adorable, the way they learned English together and that she thought to plant the idea of marriage in his mind with a fortune cookie. Her meeting of An-Mei in the fortune cookie factory was heart-warming. I loved the scenes in which she was assessing which face she would put on and which face people would see: Chinese or American. I also laughed when she explained why she named each of her sons.
4. The relationship between Waverly and Lindo is strained but rooted in a deep love. Because she is embarrassed by her mother, Waverly is upset when the hair stylist notices their similar appearance. However, her love is shown when she takes her to the hair dresser in the first place. She thinks that she is doing the best for her mother.
5. The author uses the technique of mood in this vignette. She creates frustration between mother and daughter in the beginning, then stress in the flashback when Lindo is trying to find her place in San Francisco. This leads to joy when she finds a friend, and anxiety when she is trying to secure a marriage with Tin Jong. The end of the flashback contains relief and euphoria when the couple finally gets married. In the last part of the vignette, there is still tension between mother and daughter, but it is lightened with a dash of humor.
6. I learned about the stress of finding a place in a new country. Lindo was hassled for money, given bad information, placed in a boring and dangerous job, and constantly under the threat of deportation. I never had the opportunity to have quite that perspective on a new immigrant.
Trung Tran
Listen to the Cookie
“Double Faced”
1. This chapter was boring and was not as meaningful compared to the other chapters. I still find Waverly irritating especially how she keeps wanting to change the way her mother looks. She just got ten times more annoying through the perspective of Lindo Jong. First she does not want to be Chinese and now, she gets insulted when her mother said she would never blend in when she is in China.
2. I thought the relationship between Lindo Jong and her husband, Tin was really loving but in a childish kind of way. The way they talk and joke with each other. I thought it was really funny when he said “Will you spouse me”. They remind me of teenagers when Lindo and An-Mei started looking for the perfect Chinese saying to put in the cookie for Tin to give him a hint to marry her.
3. In this chapter, Amy Tan uses flashback to talk about how Lindo finally came to America and adjusted to it. It also gave more information about her past like how she met Tin.
4. I think the theme of this chapter is to accept the way you are. This whole story, excluding flashbacks, takes place in front of a mirror and two women comparing themselves. In the end, Waverly tells her mother about being a two face and that it is good if you “got what you want”.
Chinese versus American
Double Face
1. It was sad to read how Lindo felt ashamed that her daughter was ashamed of her and how she was proud of her daughter, but her daughter was not proud of her. I thought the story of how Lindo and Tin Jong got married was really sweet. How they didn’t know how to communicate, but Tin acted what he wanted to say out and how Lindo hand picked the fortune that would lead Tin to asking her to marry him were very thoughtful gestures. What surprised me in this chapter was how hard it was to make a fortune cookie. It is truly a skill to be mastered.
2. Lindo and An-Mei’s relationship can be described as friendly. The two hit it off right at the beginning when meeting at the fortune cookie factory. They spoke the same language and later, An-Mei played matchmaker and introduced Lindo to her future husband.
3. Amy Tan uses flashbacks to improve her writing. The flashback of life for Lindo in China to her life in America shows how Americans change the way of Chinese. People’s luck, lifestyle, and behavior all change and that is why people in China can tell a person from America is a foreigner even if the person looks Chinese.
4. From this chapter, I have learned that the Chinese culture believes in different parts of the face representing one’s fortune. A thick ear lobe meaning full of blessings, small nose holes meaning little money running out, straight nose meaning good fortune, length of chin representing longevity, and wide forehead meaning clever. Also that the hairline represents the hardships.
1. six pairs of eyes
2. pair of tickets
3. I think its funny how Jing-mei has this thought that the lost twins were younger than they were. But in reality they are older than her. the sense of age is really distorted because her mother always talked about they were younger. I think it would be weird if I had a sibling I didn’t know about.then all the sudden I have to face them by myself.
4. The relationship between all the daughters is linked through there mother. Even though they haven’t met before, the moment they saw each other they all embraced and shared a emotional moment.
5. the imagry is really powerful in this chapter when the flashback described all the lost treasures lining the floor of the path that she walked along escaping the army. She placed the prized bracelets and stumbles away. It really has a sad feeling to it.
6. the battle is between herself. Jing-Mei worries if she can face her relatives. All those lesson on Chinese she had forgotten she now regrets.
1. Devious
2. Double Face
3. Lindo Jong was at a hair salon with her daughter, Waverly, when she remembers when she first came to America. She lived in a small, cheap apartment and worked in a factory that made fortune cookies. That was when she met An-Mei Hsu. It was An-Mei who introduced her to her husband, Tin Jong. They spoke different types of Chinese but somehow managed to communicate through body language. They also took English classes together and learned to talk to each other in that way too. Eventually, Lindo gave Tin a fortune cookie that pushed him to ask her to marry him. They got married and had a son, which enabled them to stay in America.
4. I thought the relationship between Lindo and Tin was very interesting because they came to like each other even though they didn't even understand each other at first. I liked the fact that they acted things out to each other, even when it wasn't really important. I'm glad they both learned to speak English and could communicate with each other through words.
5. Like many of the other chapters, Amy Tan used flashback in this chapter. Her daughter's marriage reminded Lindo of how her own marriage came to be and what it was like when she even got to America in the first place. It improves the story because it gives more detail and background about the character.
6. I learned about what it was like when immigrants from China first came to America. They had to pretend they were just visiting, meanwhile, try to find a way to become a citizen to be able to stay in America. Many people came to America to make a better life for themselves, and people like Lindo who didn't speak English at first, had to live in poor housing and work tough jobs.
Reflection
“Double Face”
1. I found it amusing to hear how Waverly was afraid that she would blend in too well with the Chinese people when she could barely even speak Chinese. I also saw myself in Waverly when she purposely disobeyed her mother and poured the rest of her coffee down the sink, saying that her mother was “so old-fashioned” (254). I know the way that Waverly feels, disliking her mother’s Chinese ways, and yet, I also relate to the way that Lindo feels. When Mr. Rory comments on “how much [Waverly and Lindo] look alike” (255), I thought it was really heartbreaking that Lindo smiles, but Waverly’s “eyes and her smile become very narrow” (256). It was also a bit surprising that Lindo had once wanted to look like her mother so much, but with just one simple turn of events, began to follow the American way. I found that it was quite ridiculous that the old woman would ask for more and more money from Lindo for just giving her a couple of addresses. It really seemed like a rip-off to me. The fortunes in the fortune cookies were also very funny. The way that Lindo and Tin communicated with each other was also very adorable. It actually made me go “aw.” I think overall, this chapter was pretty funny, nothing sad or depressing like the past couple of chapters.
2. I think Lindo and Waverly have a very strange relationship, especially for one between a Chinese mother and daughter. Waverly is ashamed of her mother’s looks and purposely narrows her eyes and smile when someone mentions that they look alike. She also purposely disobeys her mother when she dumps her coffee in the sink after her mother specifically told her to “finish her coffee” and to “not throw [her] blessings away” (254). I feel that Lindo lets Waverly do whatever she does instead of having a tighter grip on what she does. Their relationship is definitely not a typical relationship.
3. Amy Tan uses mostly flashback in the plot of this chapter. Starting from the scene in the hair salon, Lindo flashes back into her childhood, and how she got separated from her family. Throughout the flashback, we see how Lindo changes to accustom to the American ways. The flashback also informs us of how Lindo meets Tin, and the difficulties she went through when first arriving in America. Rather than putting it in just dialogue, Amy Tan puts it in a flashback to make it a bit more interesting.
4. From this chapter, I learned that in Chinese culture, a person’s face can determine their future. People often look in the mirror or comment about some physical feature and link it to that person’s future. One example would be “a big thick lobe, lots of meat at the bottom, full of blessings” (256). Another would be a nose that is “straight and smooth” (257) which brings good luck.
1. "Spray tan?"
2. "Double Face"
3. The quote about Waverly's skin and hair being the only Chinese things about her was kind of harsh. I would want to be identified as my ethnicity, not swatted away from it. I thought it was interesting when Lindo commented that the true Chinese people will recognize right away that her daughter is American because I second-handedly experienced this. I was in South Korea one summer long ago, and they all stared at my dad and me, knowing exactly where we were from at the first glance.
4. The relationship between Lindo and Waverly would be described as warm. As said, there is a lot of motherly love going on in between this chapter with Waverly and Lindo. Waverly really does show positive affection towards her mother because she believed that together, they were like two faced, meaning they were both American and Chinese in their cultures and that's the way it has to be.
5. Amy Tan uses the technique of foreshadowing to show readers what's to come.
6. In this chapter, I learned that thick earlobes meant that your life would be lucky. In Chinese culture they also believe that if you had big nostrils or a crooked nose, then you would lose your money easily. I learned that they believed facial features could tell you a lot about the person.
1. Nose Job
By Fiona Cheung
2. Double Face
3. I thought this chapter was written interestingly in the essence that Lindo inserted a few of her own witty comments during her story so I won’t be bored. I kept imagining her from the movie as I read this chapter. This chapter revealed most of the fear the mothers had for their daughters—the fear that their daughters are too American and won’t know their ways. I found it surprising, however, that her daughter wanted to look Chinese. I liked how Lindo compared American and Chinese ways, because sometimes it’s such opposites—Americans try not to have seconds to be polite, yet the Chinese encourage seconds and thirds and fourths as a sign of praising the cook. I don’t like how Waverly spoke for her mom and decided everything about her hair, even though it’s for her wedding. Like her, I’ve also always been told how alike my mother and I look, but I never think much of it—not ashamed, not pleased. The stories Waverly made up about her mother to her friends (or so Lindo claimed) were also quite creative and interesting. And, lastly, I was scared for Lindo that all her money was being robbed off of her from that American-raised Chinese girl and the woman in the building who waited for her. Overall, this chapter was far better than the previous two chapters.
4. From this chapter, I could infer Lindo was one to want to stick to the truth; an honest woman. This could also be described a type of innocence. For example, she never fathomed why her daughter made up stories about her past and was actually quite upset at these lies because they were not sincere. She was also surprised at the fake and cheap decorations in the “pretend-pagodas” (260), hinting that she did not understand why there would be fake lies along the streets of San Francisco. She believed strongly in the Chinese ways and intended for her daughter to “understand [her] real circumstances” (259). Also, her refusal to eat at the Cathay House and mentioning of only Americans eating there could mean she did not believe it was real Chinese food. She was also one to be willing to overcome hardships as she got used to her fortune cookie job really quickly and did not complain much. She picked up skills fast. This job also revealed her belief in being true to herself because she was angered by the strange fortune cookie sayings that Chinese people supposedly write.
5. The conflict in this story would be Lindo starting her life over again in America. She had to get used to everything and the new ways of America; get past the authorities (though it ended up being easier than she imagined), get a house, get a job, and get a husband. In the end, this conflict was half resolved, half not resolved—she achieved a new life with a grown daughter, but in the process she had lost herself.
6. Their crooked nose was a symbol of their double culture—a mix of American and Chinese. Lindo had started off with a straight nose because she was full Chinese. However, after she gave birth to two sons and had grown accustomed to her life in America, she officially became a mix of the two cultures since she’s grown into the American ways. Likewise, her nose was bumped, causing it to be crooked. This gets passed down to Waverly, because Waverly, being born in America, also had a mix of Chinese and American culture.
1. Fortune Cookies are Yummy :3 Mmmmmm
2. Double Face
3. This chapter was alright, better than the last one at least. I laughed when Waverly worried about being to Chinese. I really don't think she would "blend in so well they think [she is] one of them." (253) Haha... We also discover more about Lindo. I mean who would've known she worked in a fortune cookie place, and that's where she met An-Mei. Everything's kind of connecting. I also kept imaging the part of the movie we saw on Friday. Also, I found Lindo's child naming very amusing. Winston = "wins ton" Vincent = "win cent" haha... But really overall, the chapter was okay.
4. I used to side more with Waverly and think that Lindo was a mean and cruel mother. After reading this chapter, I've discovered more of Lindo Jong. Her character is actually very sincere. She is so innocent when she says she wanted to "look more the same" like her mother. Lindo also seems pretty romantic in my opinion. At least, I thought the giving Tim a fortune cookie idea was pretty cute. Lindo's sincere character can't help but worry about her daughter. She is worried about the faults she has given her daughter. I also think Lindo is pretty shy. She was shy when she first met Tim, and I think she's too shy to express her feelings to Waverly, her daughter who she actually really loves.
5. The conflict is man vs. society. Lindo wants Waverly to have "the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character." (254) This is what caused the conflict between Waverly and Lindo. Waverly has easily adapted the American way, but Lindo is unable to teach Waverly Chinese character. The main reason is because "these two things do not mix" (254). The ideas of the American clash against the Chinese ways. Free thinking, yet restricted to follow your mother's wishes; it doesn't work. Waverly has only taken the American ideas, and fails to listen to her mother. This makes Lindo worry, and she begins to wonder "Which one is better?"
6. I think something I learned in this chapter is that things don't always turn out the way we intended. Even though Lindo had good intentions, the best combination for her daughter, it turned out differently. She wanted her daughter to be both American and Chinese, theoretically a great combination, but in reality it just turned into trouble. She could not teach her daughter "how to obey parents" or "why Chinese thinking is best" (254), and now, her daughter does not listen to her, and does not respect her, and "criticizes [her] as if [she] were not there" (255). Although those were Lindo's good intentions, they did not com through, and she learned that it is hard to have two faces. "If you show one, you must sacrifice the other." (266)
Arun Jandaur
Period 3
Blog #12: Double Face
1. Two-Faced
2. “Double Face”
3. I noticed this chapter to be written slightly different than the others. I liked it for a few reasons. First, Lindo told the chapter not as a flashback, but as a narration directly to her daughter. I liked that because it kept me interested that she was still partly in present time and it kept me from getting bored or zoning out. Second, I liked how this chapter wasn’t through the roof in symbols and figurative literature. Instead, it was a straightforward story told to her daughter about her journey to America and how she became more American. It was interesting the way Lindo completed the loop and told Waverly that she herself had gone to China and everyone there knew she was part-foreigner. I know how Lindo feels. My family and I have been to India plenty of times and even the cops charge five times the seatbelt fine (I know from experience)! I was rather surprised that Waverly wanted to be more Chinese. In the earlier chapter “Four Directions”, Waverly wasn’t too thrilled with her mother’s ways of thinking. I don’t know why Waverly got upset, though, when Lindo said that “they know you do not belong” (253), because Lindo herself tried to back to China after years and she was instantly recognized as a foreigner. I felt sorry for Lindo because even her own country wouldn’t recognize her as full Chinese. Lastly, I almost found it hilarious when Lindo actually hired an American-raised girl to teach her how to be more American. I had a feeling the girl was ripping Lindo off, though, because the girl charged Lindo a couple of times. Also, the lady in San Francisco did the same thing. It might’ve been symbolic for going to America takes a huge toll on you.
4. Halfway through the end of the chapter, it was obvious that Lindo Jong is a truthful and sincere character. When the girl in Peking told her to lie, Lindo “wondered why she said [Lindo] should look sincere. How could [Lindo] look any other way when telling the truth?” (259). We also know she has stamina and learns to adapt quickly when she learns how to make fortune cookies without scorching her fingers. For a week it was torture for her and then after that she got used to it. Another way she adapted is when Tin didn’t speak the language she did, Mandarin. He spoke Cantonese but over the years she also learned to “speak Cantonese to [Waverly’s] father” (263). She has always been like this: strong-hearted and able to overcome challenges, which makes her a flat character.
5. The conflict here is Human vs. Self and Human vs. Society and it is about Lindo Jong wanting Waverly to not be embarrassed by her and it is also about Lindo trying to adjust to America. At the end of the chapter, Lindo finds that Waverly and she have something in common: the crooked nose, and that Waverly is not ashamed of embarrassed of having it. The next conflict, Lindo vs. Society, is about Lindo trying to live in America. She has a lot of problems, though. She wants to be a citizen and also wants to earn some money. Another problem she has is trying to adjust to the American culture and the society around her. At the end of the chapter, this conflict does get fixed.
6. There aren’t as many symbols as there are in some other chapters, but the there was one I noticed: the double face. It’s also the name of the chapter. The symbol represents one half of Lindo being Chinese and the other half, American. Her daughter also inherits “the crooked nose” and says that it’s “your nose. You gave me this nose” (266) which is symbolic for Waverly accepting her Chinese half and telling her mother that it’s been there the entire time.
1. Chinese or American ?
2. Double Face
3. I was surprised reading this chapter when Waverly hears from her mother that people in China could easily tell that she was American. I could relate to that because I’m full Chinese and I believe that I could speak mandarin pretty fluently, but my parents always tell me that once I’m in China, people could easily tell that I’m not from China. I never quite understood why, but it ends up being true and the actual Chinese people could see that I don’t come from China. I could also relate to why Waverly brought Lindo to her stylist. Probably because her mother kind of embarrasses her and she wants to fix her up. I’m often embarrassed when my parents dress or act the way they do around my friends, but instead of changing my parent’s personality or fashion sense, I just stay quiet and speechless.
4. Waverly seems to have a whole bunch of different personalities. She takes her mother to her hairstylist to make her mother look better. The action kind of reveals that Waverly is ignorant of her mother’s thoughts or personal sense of style. It shows that Waverly’s a bit disrespectful towards Lindo’s opinion. Although she sounds ignorant of her Lindo, but she’s proud to share a similar feature to her mother. Waverly laughs at the fact that she and Lindo both have crooked noses and is completely fine with having one. In another way she sounds respectful because she’s happy to share features with her mother.
5. I believe the main conflict is Man Vs. Society. Lindo tells Waverly that people of China could easily tell that she’s American. Lindo also had to start her life in America and she wants to make money. Lindo also needs to blend with her new environment and get used to how things run in America.
6. I believe one of the themes of the chapter is “Sacrifices are made in order to become better at something” Lindo tries to be more American and blends with the society. When she goes back to China, people could tell that she was American, despite the fact that she used Chinese money and wore Chinese clothing. So when she slowly became closer to becoming American, the Chinese side of Lindo begins to slowly diminish.
JamesYu
3rdPeriod
1. “A Little Off”
2. Double Face
3. This chapter was pretty hilarious and a little appealing. Lindo Jong went to America and compared different things between the Americans ways and the Chinese ways like how the Americans believe that asian culture contains all sorts of buddas and strange ponds with posts in random places or on the way up or down stairs. I never knew what those strange poles were and I thought that it all had to do with religion. How Lindo phrases that Ameicans make funny sayings that they think asian people say was relatable to me. I always believed that the fortunes in fortune cookies were just bizarre things asians said to sound wise.
4. The character I choose to focus on is none other than Lindo Jong since most of the chapter is either her talking or her explaining her life. Lindo had sons and some died which must have been very tragic because she sounds like she wants the best for all of her children. Winston was named that name from Lindo because she wanted him to win many things, praise, money and a good life,” (pg. 265). His name was from “Wins ton”. Then, there was Vincent who was named his name meaning “Wins cent”, but this was odd to me because I thought it meant that he was always going to be poor. Instead, it meant that he would win lots of money. Last, Waverly was named the name of her street because she would either grow up living close to her mother or if she moved away she would always have a piece of her mom with her. Lindo was very smart and foolish in a funny sort of way when it came to the fortune cookie she gave to Tin Jong, her husband, which was supposed to hint that she wanted to marry Tin.
5. The conflict in this chapter is external and is human vs. self. The conflict is that Lindo wants her daughter to look Chinese and act like it so that if she goes to China, she doesn’t want her daughter to get mistreated for not acting and looking all Chinese like her mother. The conflict does not get resolved in the end of the chapter, but it is figured out that Lindo Jong is two faced, which means she is both American and Chinese.
6. I believe the theme in this chapter is to always have a bit of your own culture with you to pass it on to your children and so you and your children know each other’s family pasts.
1. “Can you spouse me?”
2. Double Face
3. This chapter was one of the most amusing and understandable chapters in the book for me. The things Lindo says about how she was disappointed in the “Chinese” things in America were amusing because she could not understand that that is how the American culture perceives the Chinese culture. Lindo is disappointed also in Waverly because even though Waverly looks so much like herself, she does not look Chinese. She feels Waverly is ashamed of being who she really is. It was confusing to read the parts with Lindo and her husband because they both talked so differently and lacked communication. I could never imagine living like that with someone, and not even being able to say what was on my mind because they would not be able to understand me. In the end, all that Lindo wants for Waverly is for her to embrace her culture and take pride in it.
4. Waverly is an ashamed character in this chapter. She seems ashamed of her mother, of her nose, of her Chinese culture, and of who her mother is. Waverly talks at her mother instead of to her. When she is talking to Mr. Rory, she talks to him rather than to her mother, completely ignoring her. All Lindo wants is the best for Waverly but Waverly will not even take her mother seriously or even resemble a part of the Chinese culture.
5. One of the main conflicts is man vs. man. This conflict is between Waverly and her mother Lindo. Lindo does not understand why Waverly will not be Chinese and why she makes fun of her so much, telling people shameful and untruthful things about her mother. Waverly thinks her mother is stupid and does not know what she is talking about. Lindo’s desire is for her daughter to become apart of who she is. Waverly compares her face and her mothers face as “devious” and “two-faced.” These are not very happy words that one would use to describe ones face which signifies ones culture and heritage. In the end, Lindo returns to China and she becomes apart of the culture again but she knows that the people there know that she is not Chinese. Therefore; the conflict does not resolve and it will not until Waverly changed her attitude about her culture and respects her mother regardless of who she is or what she has done.
6. I believe there is a very powerful theme in this chapter. That theme is to always show who you are and to not be ashamed of it, embrace it, show it off, and be proud! Waverly was not happy with her Chinese side and she only wanted to be more American. Her mother, Lindo, did the same and this made their noses “misshapen.” No mother wants to watch her daughter grow up, hating, or covering up what makes them who they are. You should be proud of your culture and what your parents given up to make you who you are.
-Allison Olkie Period 3
"Can you spouse me?"
Chapter: Double Face.
1) This was probably the one story where none of the characters lamented for their past experiences, nor did bloody gruesome scenes spring from nowhere, or sadistic fate overshadow them. This time, Lindo goes back to a more brighter past, when she moves to America. I like how Amy Tan describes the hardships that Lindo had to face during her first few years in America. She does not make it harsh and cruel like the previous chapters, but I was able to understand Lindo's hardships. I think there are many connections and similarities between Lindo and Waverly. Perhaps it was fate that they both suffered the loss of one marriage. Lindo, being forced into that unearthly marriage arranged by the matchmaker. Waverly sought to make her mother satisfied by marrying Marvin, but things did not work out and ended in turmoil. I also liked that part where Tan describes Lindo's "quest" to get Tin to tell her "will you marry me?" Her encounter with An-Mei at the factory was fateful, who knew that they could become such good friends? There is in fact, two sides to Lindo but her Chinese thinking overpowers her American thinking. Waverly however, grew up in America and her American dominates as Lindo didn't try to impart Chinese thinking into her.
2) Lindo Jong. I think Lindo is a
very interesting person. She comes to America with nothing, her family torn apart and her marriage a disaster. However, she manages to build up a life from scratch so quickly, meeting An-Mei was a crucial point in her life. Through An-Mei's help she was able to find a good husband Tin Jong and have three children, Winston, Vincent and Waverly. I think she tries too hard to put on an American "face." She is kind of conceded in the way that she thinks the Chinese way is the best way of thinking. Lindo was so much like her mother during her childhood years, but as the flood left her to stay with her husband's family, fate seemed to have turned on her. The marriage did not work out and she twisted her nose later in America. She tries to act American on the outside while hiding her true Chinese self inside as if it was a dangerous thing to expose. Like Tan described, Lindo has a very sincere face, as if it was always telling the truth. She was also very intelligent and had an abstruse personality.
3) I believe the conflicts in this vignette were Lindo and her hardships and between Waverly and society. She doesn't want to seem to accept the American ways that she has tried to impart to her as a child. Lindo had to experience many hardships when she first came to America and she had many doubts if she would receive the the pass or not. In many ways, Lindo is a strong woman but she had conflicting sides of the two cultures in her. Waverly was merely ashamed of her mother, speaking lowly about Lindo because she's afraid of what society will think.
4) I think the symbol in this book is the crooked nose. Before, when all was well, Lindo's nose was not crooked. After the flood and many years later, she twists it in a crowd of people surging for the bus. I believe it signifies the end of misfortune because her life standards improved after that. She got a husband and had children. However, the crooked nose is a remembrance of the past misfortune and it'll let her know and be on a look out for any others that might occur in the future.
1. Two-Faced
2. Double Face
3. In Lindo Jong’s vignette she begins narrating how her daughter may look Chinese, but she is American inside out. Lindo commenting on how her daughter will stand out when she travels to China. With this in mind her daughter takes her to a professional hairdresser to get ready for the upcoming wedding. The use of words that portray the emotions of shame and stupidity reflects off when Waverly breaks down the sentence along with repeating it several times to her mother. What I liked about this vignette was that it compared the mother and daughter together in addition to Lindo’s life experience. The fact that the wide forehead could represent the hardships in life, which was the fortune cookie factory Lindo worked at. How Amy Tan use all the similar parts express mother and daughter to how life could add up.
4. One of the dynamic characters in “Double Face” was Waverly Jong since she evolved throughout the chapter. In this chapter she learns that her mother went through tough times and that the meaning of her life is define by her true meanings and not of others. For instance, her mother asked her to get plastic surgery since her nose is crooked, but Waverly thought otherwise. A crooked nose would bring bad luck. Waverly told her mother that it is not what other people say, but of what you think as herself. Mother and daughter with similar faces are good because people will see us and think about the similarities.
5. The conflict express in this story is human versus human in addition to human versus society. Human versus human applies to the similar features the mother and daughter share and how they mean much more. Lindo went through countless measures to bad luck especially when her son passed away in an action, which then turns afterwards to Waverly. The human versus society was explained in the section when Lindo previews through the process of her traveling to the United States. How her life began from a foreigner to finding a place to begin her path with a husband. There were other situations hidden within this chapter.
6. Amy Tan’s writing is somewhat similar to Linda Hogan’s poem on Heritage. Joy Luck club is about American and Chinese culture. The poem is Native American versus Caucasian. These two cultures clashing into one to become a single person, which in this case loses the being stuck in between one. Unlike the poem Waverly and her mother Lindo are very much proud of whom they appear even though Waverly roots come from both American and Chinese. There is imagery use to help visualize the comparison between mother and daughter and how they are not that far from each other. They are two women sharing a common feature and if someone criticizes them they do not care whether their noses are crooked or not.
1. Two faced.
2. “Double Face”
3. I found this chapter amusing and very easy to understand. This chapter was different from the others because it wasn’t full of people lamenting. Lindo moves to America and faces hardships in her first few years in America. It was too harsh, but it was easily understandable that Lindo’s life wasn’t easygoing. Lindo is disappointed that Waverly doesn’t look Chinese, and that Waverly isn’t proud of herself. It was funny how Lindo and her husband could not communicate because I could not imagine being married to someone that couldn’t understand me. Lindo basically wants Waverly to be proud of her culture and embrace what it has to offer.
4. In this chapter Waverly is ashamed of herself. She is ashamed of her culture, her nose, and her mother. Waverly and her mother don’t have a good relationship and whenever they talk, she talks at her rather than with her. Waverly refuses to accept her Chinese culture and doesn’t take her mother seriously.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is between Lindo and her daughter Waverly. Lindo can’t fathom why Waverly doesn’t want to accept her culture and is embarrassed of her. Waverly makes fun of Lindo by telling people lies that make her mother look bad. All Lindo wants is for Waverly to accept who she is. When Waverly compares her face to Lindo’s, she says that she is two-faced. The word choice shows that Waverly abhors her culture. Lindo ends up going back to china and becomes a part of her culture once again.
6. The theme in this chapter is to be proud of who you are. Although Lindo went back to china and did things like them, they could tell she was American. Lindo was distanced from both Chinese and American cultures when she could have been very proud of being Chinese.
1. Nonsense Fortune Cookies
2. Double Face
3. It’s kind of ironic that Waverly wants to be Chinese all of a sudden and wants to know more about her heritage only because it is fashionable, but ten years earlier she wanted nothing to do with her Chinese culture. It’s like a person teaching someone with a full stomach to fish. That person doesn’t listen when they are being taught, because they don’t need to eat, but when they find they are hungry again is when they find interest in fishing. I really like the Chinese way of thinking. “Why easy things are not worth pursuing. How to know your own worth and polish it, never flashing it around like a cheap ring”, (254) are just a few examples, but I agree with them completely. I feel like Americans aren’t very good people the way Amy Tan seems to put them down in a few of her chapters, like how Americans don’t look at one another while talking, they try not to see their faults in the mirror and the Bank of America is were they worship.
I thought it was adorable when Tin Jong ask “Lindo, can you spouse me?”(264) How funny!
4. Lindo is one of my favorite characters without a doubt. What interesting and funny life she has! At a young age she had a high respect for her mother and wanted to be just like her. There is sadness in Lindo because she is ashamed that her daughter is ashamed of her mother. She is a very honest person and knows what’s really going on, like how the pagodas in China Town were fake and how they picked the worst parts to portray a Chinese feel. When she had a job in a fortune cookie factory, she picked up the skills quickly and learned more about American nonsense and how we think the fortunes in fortune cookies are written by Chinese people when they make no sense and are just stupid according to Lindo. She is a very clever woman.
5. The conflict in the story is external with Lindo trying to adapt to American ways. She has to become a citizen, learn to speak English, keep from getting in trouble with the authorities, find a job, find a house and then find a husband. She achieves all of these things, but by doing this she becomes two-faced. Half is Chinese and the other half is American.
6. I think the theme is (even though I’m not really sure) that good intentions can go awry. Lindo wanted her daughter to have American circumstances and Chinese character, but ended up only have the American part and know Waverly does not respect nor is proud of her mother. Her good intentions did not go smoothly and backfired on Lindo. Also it’s easy to get a “double face” when surrounded by two very different things.
Face Reading
Double Face
1. It's true what they say: you can't go back home (without being recognized as a foreigner). The lines about Waverly being ashamed of her mother while her mother is proud of her were saddening. In Vietnam, people, especially women, often try to read faces like Lindo's mother does. In fact, I share some traits with her mom (wide forehead, high hairline = intelligence?) Maybe Waverly's crooked nose is from her father, or from some recessive gene, rather than being inherited from her mother after the accident in the bus. Lindo's proposal story was super cute, even though she and Tin can't communicate very well. They have a very sweet romance, despite that. Plus, it's nice how Lindo plans to ask her daughter's opinion in the end, simply because she's never shown as doing that before. I almost didn't even mind Waverly's attitude as much in this chapter. Seems like the peacemaking of the vignette helps me make my peace with her too, right?
2. Lindo's craftiness is put on showcase again in this chapter. Her fortune cookie scheme to make Tin propose to her is subtle, but almost foolproof, demonstrating her sharpness admirably. Her lying on the visa application and interview is also perfect, as she actually went to the trouble of studying what to say and what not to say. She's ridiculously prepared.
3. The main man vs. man conflict is a bit one-sided or internal, between Lindo and her daughter. Lindo is sad because her daughter is ashamed of her and not being very nice. The conflict isn't as prominent as in other chapters, and is resolved by the end when Lindo appears to come to terms with her daughter's similarity to herself, and decides to accept it.
4. The theme here can be interpreted as "If you show one side of yourself, the other is sacrificed." This is almost directly quoted from the last page of the vignette. At the start of the chapter, Waverly complains about her possibly being kept in China, then sulks when her mother tells her that could never happen, due to her obvious foreignness after all those years of denying that she was Chinese.
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1.) I’m My Own Person
2.) Double Face
3.) In my opinion, I thought that this vignette was great to read. I liked the fact how Lindo describes her life when she finally arrived in the United States instead of how her life was in China. The fortune cookies and An- Mei’s corny lines for Lindo’s husband was so hilarious. I thought that it was ingenious how Lindo got Tin Jong to propose to her. Also, when I continued reading, the couple didn’t speak each other’s language so how they got along at first is amazing. Another fact that I like is how Lindo names her children after the pleasures in life and they all have a nice meaning that will hopefully occur in their lifetime. The Chinese culture is unique by the fact that your physical appearance can predict your future and that was really interesting when her mother and Lindo were comparing their hair and face. In addition, this vignette is the most realistic and it could have actually happened back in those days.
4.) I believe that Waverly is an ignorant character who is ignorant of her Chinese heritage. Waverly takes her mother to the beauty salon to remodel her look, basically improving her look which I think is implied that Waverly is ashamed of her looks. Because she looks very alike to her mother, they practically share the same face and wants her mother to look different or by changing her mother’s face, she will look different from her. Even at the salon, instead of speaking respectably to her mother, she speaks to her as if she was dumb and talks to her through Mr. Rory.
5.) The main conflict in this vignette is external. It is man vs. man, or Lindo vs. Waverly because Lindo knows that Waverly is ashamed of her heritage. Lindo wants to change her daughter’s opinion about her Chinese heritage. I think that Lindo is scared at the fact that Waverly has the same nose as her- a crooked one. Lindo doesn’t want Waverly to have the same misfortune. In the end, Lindo looks at Waverly’s reflection right next to her and she notices and points out that Waverly has a crooked nose. At that point, Lindo panics and demands her to get plastic surgery but Waverly just smiles back and tells her mother that it a nose that makes them look devious.
6a.) I think that the theme is to not be ashamed of who you are. Stand up proud because there isn’t anything you can do to change it. Even if Waverly was to get plastic surgery to fix her crooked nose, she would still be Chinese. Not even surgery can change that. It is something that runs in your blood and is part of your identity. Another example is Waverly bringing her mother to the beauty salon. Again, even if Lindo got her hair cut and wore make- up, she would still be Chinese. They both cannot hide it.
Michelle Méndez
4th Period
Correct Your Nose!
Lindo Jong’s “Double Face”
The beginning of the vignette reminds me of me. Lindo Jong is explaining her Chinese-American daughter. Her daughter is physically Chinese but she is all American-made. I remember as a child, I spoke Vietnamese well. However, when I started school, my Vietnamese was replaced with English. I cannot speak Vietnamese. I fail at it! I can understand but to communicate verbally would be a disaster for me . . . Unfortunately, I think I speak Spanish better than Vietnamese. My parents did want me to be a mix of both cultures. However, they learn that the two cultures are clashing. I don’t know how I feel about my Vietnamese heritage. I know being Vietnamese has an influence on my life but I am a lot more American that Vietnamese. I am a foreigner to my own Vietnamese culture even though I went to Vietnamese Saturday school for seven years. I do not value the same things my parents do. I believe it’s because they are more Vietnamese that I am. I’m not sure if my thoughts are coming out clear, but that it what the beginning of the vignette made me think about. I am Vietnamese physically - my eyes, hair, and skin – but I am American inside like Lindo’s daughter.
Waverly is an example of the second generation of immigrants in the United States. Immigrant’s children usually follow American ways instead of their parent’s original ways. Although their heritage plays a role, American ways usually dominate. Waverly seems a bit ignorant about her culture. She does not understand Chinese ways and I don’t think she understands her mom either. Lindo feels like Waverly is speaking for her as if she doesn’t understand or know American ways. Waverly does not know that Lindo is capable is understanding American ways though.
The conflict in this chapter is external human vs. society. Lindo struggles with the new American culture. She comes to the United States with no knowledge of the culture, language, customs, and etc. American ways began to dominate her life. I can tell that Lindo does not like it much and struggles with it. She still does no understand American ways even after almost forty years. When she returned back to China, the people knew she was Americanized. I think she is struggling with her identity. She is Chinese and also an American citizen. Her environment and her heritage clashes together.
I think Lindo and Waverly’s noses are symbols that represent their differences. Lindo grew up learning that a crooked nose is bad. It symbolizes misfortune and poor judgement. However, to her daughter Waverly, Waverly believes that a crooked nose is good because it is devious as it gets you what you want. The difference between the mother and daughter’s perspective on their crooked nose represents the difference between them. Waverly’s belief is shaped by American ways while her mother’s belief is shaped by her Chinese culture. Waverly does not have much Chinese in her so she does not understand her mom’s perspective on a crooked nose.
*The conflict is not resolved at the end of the vignette because Lindo and Waverly still do not understand each other exactly. They do not understand each other's conflicting culture/heritage. However, they both understand that they don't understand each other. They both recognize that they have differences.
1. Devious
2. Lindo Jong – Double Face
3. I didn’t fully understand what the mother meant at the end, when she states “But still, they knew. They knew my face was not one hundred percent Chinese, They still charged me high foreign prices” (266). I can’t fathom how people could tell whether you were from China or not just by your conduct. When I go to Taiwan, even though I wasn’t born there, most people think I’m native. As long as you can speak their dialect with a proper accent, your face, once Chinese, remains Chinese. No matter what changes you undergo, your ethnicity is still Chinese and others shouldn’t be able to immediately tell you’re a foreigner, and then charge you extra fees. Aside from this, however, I found this chapter to be quite enjoyable. As with many of the other chapters, this chapter describes Waverly and her mother’s relationship after they’ve both grown up quite a bit from the chapter “Rules of the Game,” where Waverly wishes her mother away. Also, I found this statement to be very intriguing: “How can she be her own person? When did I give her up?” (254). I wondered what the mother meant by saying giving her up. In my opinion, once a child comes out of a parent’s body, they’re their own person with their own mind. After they learn the rules of life, they’re by themselves. They shouldn’t be owned by anyone at all, although one must respect the concept of filial piety at all times. However, the mother shouldn’t believe that she owns her daughter, if I didn’t misinterpret what Amy Tan was trying to convey.
4. In my opinion, Lindo Jong is an extremely stereotypical character. Shown in the scene at the hair salon, her views of the American Mr. Rory actually resembles racism. “They see themselves smiling without their mouth open, or turned to the side where they cannot see their faults” (255). She states that all Americans don’t really look at others when they’re talking, but only do it when they think nobody is really watching them, so they don’t really know what their faults are. In other words, she thinks all Americans are too full of themselves.
5. The main conflict in this story is, in my opinion, external, man vs. society. Lindo endures endless hardships during her first few years in America, not knowing how to speak English very well. She is basically coerced by her situation to do back-breaking labor work, not fit for someone of her standing back in China, where she lived with an extremely affluent family for quite some time. In the beginning, she had to resort to paying “teachers” that gave her necessary information to survive in the United States, such as where to find jobs and where to settle down. Then, if that weren’t enough, she had to communicate with a lover that didn’t speak the same dialect of Chinese she did. According to my parents, the hardest part of immigration to America manifested itself in the language English itself. Even though my parents already knew some, they still had an extremely hard time communicating with others. In the vignette, however, Lindo didn’t know ANY English to begin with, making her circumstance much harder. Ultimately, this conflict is resolved through her perseverance and determination, and she gets married and has three children.
6. I noticed Amy Tan’s use of a flashback to inform the readers of Lindo’s situation back in China. I think Amy Tan uses it to describe the hardships Lindo Jong went through to try and adapt to America and raise children in such an unfamiliar land. It also gives the readers an insight to why Lindo’s personality is how it is now. In other words, her personality was probably shaped by the past events that happened to her. The flashback even shows her fated meeting with another member of the Joy Luck Club, An-Mei Hsu, who became one of her best friends for the rest of her life. It also told us why Waverly was named as she is, and how much her mother really loves her and adores her.
~Scott Lee Period 3
Devious
Double Face
3. For me, this chapter was a two thumbs up. I found it easy to read because it related to many real-life situations today. Today, I feel that many foreign parents fuss about their children being “American made,” and in their defense, they try to bring their children’s true ethnicity back, hopeful that it will override their Americanism. In Lindo Jong’s case, it is too late. Her daughter is already American, and the only things Chinese about her are her skin and hair color. I found it quite sad that Lindo thought about her daughter like this, but I tried to keep in mind she is ashamed of her daughter being ashamed of her. I liked how Amy Tan compared the way Lindo and her mother felt towards each other to how Lindo and her daughter currently feel about each other. It added more tension to this chapter, and it represented a real-life circumstance. Now, many children feel pressured by their parents to be more of their ethnicity and express their culture rather than be ashamed of it. It’s almost like their generation against ours.
4. The character I would like to focus on is Lindo Jong. Lindo feels very strongly about her culture mostly because she always tried being more like her mother when she was a child. This is the complete opposite of what is happening to her now; now, her daughter is ashamed of her, her Chinese ways and her looks, at least that is how she sees it in her eyes. “What will her husband’s parents and his important lawyer friends think of this backward old Chinese woman?” (255) tells the reader that Lindo thinks her daughter is ashamed of her because she is far too much Chinese for her husband’s family. However, Lindo’s daughter may be ashamed, but Lindo will never be ashamed. She embraces her heritage, but on her trip to China, she knows the foreigners know she is not one hundred percent Chinese. Now, Lindo is trying to fathom why her face began to droop, what she has lost from residing in America and what she is yet to gain.
5. The main conflict in this story is definitely man vs. man external. It is between Lindo Jong and her daughter, Waverly. Lindo is angered at the fact that her daughter is ashamed of her. However, the reader cannot fully get into Waverly’s head because her view is not omniscient. Instead, we feel only the intensity of Lindo and her love for her culture, which is at an abrupt stop, no longer being passed down to her too-much-American daughter. The two figures recognize their differences, but they choose to do nothing about them. They are both two-faced, meaning what they say with different intentions. Now, the only question is who will sacrifice what: their American or Chinese ways? Which one is better? The conflict remains unresolved. Another conflict is man vs. society external and it represents both Lindo’s and Waverly’s struggle to intertwine their culture with the surrounding world.
6. There is an underlying theme in this chapter that possesses a powerful meaning, although I can’t put my finger on it. In my perspective, the theme in this chapter is to be proud of who you are and your heritage. Everyone who has read this chapter knows Lindo is the last person to step away from her heritage, be ashamed of it and replace it with another. It is her daughter who carries the burden of trying to combine both her Chinese side and her American side. Growing up in America, she represented a full Chinese girl until she could walk out the door and go to school. She ignored her heritage to the extent where she now only knows three to four words in the Chinese language. Her mom blames herself for her daughter’s outlook towards the Chinese culture, but she tries to bring it back. Therefore, I think the theme is to hold onto your culture, hold onto it with a tight grip, so you don’t find yourself lost and forgetting who you truly are underneath all your actions.
Linh Vuong
3rd Period
"The Meaning of Facial Features"
Double Face
3)I enjoyed this chapter because it really connected to the things that are said in today's society. Lindo Jong wanted to raise her kids with both American and Chinese customs which is what I think most parents of a different race try to do. What a really liked about the chapter was how Lindo's mother told her how each facial feature meant something different. What I didn't understand while reading is why Lindo's daughter acts like she hates her mother's guts. It obviously doesn't make Lindo feel good and also Lindo ends up thinking that her daughter is ashamed of her own mother. An aspect that really helped bring this chapter to another level was the fact that Amy Tan compared Lindo and her mother to Lindo and her daughter. It was interesting to see how the three generations were connected to each other. In all the chapter revolved around the fact that a person shouldn't be ashamed of their ethnicity or of the people who put them on this Earth.
4)Lindo Jong was the character that this whole chapter is based on and I found her to be quiet an interesting women. Lindo seems to be a sad old lady because she feels as though her daughter never wants to have to be around her. What mother really wants to feel this way by their own daughter? I think Lindo Jong is even more hurt be her daughter because as a young girl all Lindo wanted to be was like her mom and, with her own daughter, Waverly, she wants to be the exact opposite. I think by the end of the chapter Lindo starts to feel better about herself and the choices she has made throughout her life. For example marrying Waverly's father was one of the best choices Lindo made because she married a man that she actually loved and who treated her well.
5)The conflict in this chapter is external and man vs. man. It takes place between Lindo Jong and her daughter Waverly. The conflict is that Waverly acts as though she hates her mother and is very ashamed of her. This conflict is resolved once a flashback takes place of Lindo looking and comparing her face with her own mother. Then back in the hair salon Lindo and Waverly compare faces and see that they really aren't that different from each other. This ends up bringing them closes and comes across as fixing a mother daughter relationship that has been destroyed for years.
6)The main theme trying to get across in this chapter is to "know thyself." The messages being said are telling a person to know who they are and where they come from. Also to never be ashamed of your heritage or the people that love you the most in life. If you know yourself then overall you will live a happy life and won't ever doubt who you are or where you come from. Amy Tan does a great job portraying this theme throughout the chapter, giving the reader great examples to look upon and understand.
1. Shame
2. Double Face
3. Looking from Lindo Jong’s point of view, her daughter, Waverly, is very American. Of course, Waverly is Chinese on the outside, but she is American in the inside. It’s a shame that Waverly never learned Chinese from her mother and also that Waverly didn’t doesn’t carry on the Chinese tradition because she’s proud of it. Waverly ignored her cultural roots for a long time but only decided to try to “become” Chinese because it was what was “in.” I think that a person should try their best to carry on their cultural roots throughout all of their life so it won’t die out. Waverly doesn’t do this and that is why her mother is sad. I understand that Lindo feels that she didn’t do her best because if she did, Waverly would not just be Chinese on the outside. She would be Chinese on the inside as well.
4. One of the conflicts is that Waverly and her mother do not have a close enough relationship. Waverly is ashamed of her mother because she’s only seeing her on the outside. Waverly only sees the “annoying,” “embarrassing,” or “frustrating” part of her mother. Waverly needs to take time to really know and understand her mother, then their relationship would be much better.
5. I think a theme of this chapter is to hold your head high and be proud of yourself. It took Lindo Jong quite some time to realize this, so she was not able to teach that to Waverly. Waverly hides behind the American part of her, but she also needs to show her Chinese part and be proud of it.
1. “I’m pretty sure Two-Face loves this chapter.”
2. Double Face
3. I liked this chapter. My favorite characters in the Joy Luck Club are Lindo and Waverly. I like the mood in their vignettes and think that their stories are the most interesting. They have the most entertaining conflicts while at the same time they’re not too depressing or make me feel like it’s been a long cloudy day. In this chapter, Lindo is says that she was so proud of her mother, but is sorry that Waverly is not proud to be Lindo’s daughter. This chapter does connect to people who were born in the U.S. while their parents were not. They may feel that their children no longer respect their culture, but are more concerned with how to live the western way. Waverly is American, though Lindo wants her to see that she is Chinese also.
4. I think that Waverly could show a little more respect to her mother. She treats her as if she is a fresh, ignorant immigrant. At the hair salon, when Mr. Rory asked how Waverly how Lindo’s hair should be styled, she does not even take the time to let her answer. She immediately decides what Lindo wants without taking anything into consideration. Waverly needs a serious attitude adjustment.
5. I think that the main conflict in this vignette is human vs. human. Lindo is aware that Waverly does not like being Chinese, and is ashamed of her heritage and Lindo. In the past, Lindo tried to raise Waverly with “American circumstances and Chinese Character” (pg 254). This meant she wanted Waverly to have the freedom to do what she wants, but still remain intact with Chinese beliefs and customs. Lindo has only been looking out for her daughter Waverly because this is what mothers are supposed to do.
6. I think that the theme in this vignette is to remember what your culture and heritage are. These are the things that you are composed of. Stay intact with them and respect their ways, instead of simply throwing them away or forgetting about them.
Bryan Bui
1) Chinese American
2) “Double Face”
3) I thought that this chapter was very short and simple. It did not have a lot going and it was pretty easy to read and understand. I think it is sad how Lindo’s daughter, Waverly, only wants to look Chinese to be fashionable. She doesn’t really understand her culture or know who she is. But I think it happens a lot to people who move somewhere; they must adapt to the culture. However, they should still honor who they are and where they came from.
4) I think the character, Lindo Jong, is a caring mother who wants the best for her daughter. She thinks that Waverly is too Americanized and forgetting her Chinese culture. She wanted her children to be a combination of American and Chinese but she realizes that the two cannot be mix, and to have one, you must sacrifice the other. Her thoughts show that she always wants the best of everything.
5) The main conflict of this chapter is man vs. man, between Lindo and Waverly. Lindo wants Waverly to be more Chinese. But Waverly wants Lindo to be more American. Lindo is angry that Waverly is ashamed of her and wants to change her. Their conflict is unresolved because in the end, Lindo cannot decide whether American culture is better or Chinese culture. To show one, you must sacrifice the other.
6) I think the theme of this chapter is to be proud of who you are. Remember who you are and where you came from. That is what Lindo tried to teach her daughter. To have a balance of both cultures.
FACED!
"Double Face"
1) I don’t like this chapter very much, just because the background information of Lindo isn’t very interesting. The way Lindo’s mom talks about Lindo’s face makes it seem like she’s an expert face-reader. The only interesting part to me in this chapter is her relationship with her daughter. It’s sad to see how Lindo’s daughter is ashamed of her, how she tells stereotypical stories of her, and treats her like she doesn’t know anything.
2) Lindo and Waverly have a pretty good relationship. Waverly can talk back to her mom, so she feels they communicate well. She still doesn’t really understand her mother though, saying she’s old fashioned about not wasting coffee. Lindo doesn’t understand either, because Waverly goes on to say she’s her own person, and Lindo thinks "How can she be her own person? When did I give her up." They don’t understand each other's customs.
3) In the Chinese culture, they are many superstitions on how to tell one's fortune. In "Double Face" Tan teaches the readers about "facial fortunetelling" and about some traits that associate with the fortunes.
Alex R.
1. Pee-Pee, choo-choo train
2. “Double Face”
3. Although this wasn’t one of my favorite chapters, I found, “Double Face” really interesting. Both Lindo and Waverly Jong portray present-day mothers and daughters. The struggle to find your true self can really relate back to a lot of Tan’s younger readers. I, myself, am a clash of both American and Vietnamese heritage. Although, I may not be born in Vietnam, I know, deep down inside, I am still Vietnamese— just like how Waverly is still Chinese. Also, I thought the love connection between Lindo and her husband, Tin, was really entertaining. The couple spoke different Chinese languages, yet, somehow found a way to communicate with one another. Unlike, Ying-Ying and Clifford St. Clair, you can tell Lindo and Tin really grew to love each other.
4. In my opinion, I think Lindo Wong is a loving and strong-willed woman. Her daughter, Waverly, is an all American teenage girl who seems to be ashamed of her Chinese heritage. As a young girl, Lindo was the spitting image of her mother; the two ladies shared the same earlobes, nose, chin, and forehead. Now that Lindo has a daughter of her own, I feel a bit bad for her. Although Waverly may be ashamed of her mother, Lindo remains proud.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is between mother and daughter. Waverly appears to be ashamed and embarrassed of Lindo. At Mr. Rory’s barber shop, Lindo is heartbroken when Waverly “criticizes [her] as if [she] were not there” (255). Waverly does not understand that Lindo only wants her daughter to accept and be proud of her own mother.
6. I think the theme in this chapter is, “Don’t be ashamed of who you really are.” Growing up in America, Waverly lost most of her Chinese heritage. She no longer belongs in China and is seen as a foreigner during her trips back. However, these two ladies soon find out that they will always have their Chinese heritage deep down in their blood.
1. American-made
2. “Double Face”
3. This chapter was great. This one can relate to a lot of chinese-american families where our parents want us to be true to our customs and not be “American-made”. Although Lindo Jong wants Waverly to be more chinese, but says she looks too American except her hair and skin color. I think she might be ashamed of Waverly or feels that Waverly is ashamed of her.
4.Lindo Jong strives strongly to be like her mother. She enforces these beliefs into her daughter’s life. Although she enforces these ideas, her daughter feels ashamed of her mother. However, Lindo’s daughter may be ashamed, but Lindo will never be ashamed. She embraces her heritage, but on her trip to China, the foreigners know she isn’t completely Chinese.
5.The conflict in this story is human vs human, the conflict between Lindo Jong and Waverly. Lindo is angered at the fact that her daughter is ashamed of her. Lindo wanted Waverly to have freedom and do whatever she wants but still know that she’s chinese. This conflict becomes resolved when Lindo has a flashback of her own mother and sees that Waverly isn’t all that American
6.The main theme in this vignette is to remember what you are, “know thyself”. To not be ashamed of what you were born with, grew up with, and just loving what you are. In the chapter, Lindo Jong and Waverly have a hard time knowing themselves with the different circumstances surrounding them. When Lindo goes to America she feels lost, and on her trip to China they know she isn’t one hundred percent chinese. Waverly also has a hard time adjusting to her own culture when shes being surrounded by all the different things that are classified as “american”.
1. Unknown Heritage
2. Double Face
3. This chapter relates to a large amount of Chinsese-Americans in our world today. Many Chinese have immigrated to America, and their children have become Americanized. I feel as if Waverly and her mother are similiar to me and my parents. My parents came here from Taiwan, and are still very traditional. I have become Americanized just like Waverly did. This chapter also makes me wonder what Waverly lost to make her stand out so much in China.
4. I think that Lindo Jong is very emotional and is easily hurt by the people around her. This is demonstrated when she feels depressed because she thinks that Waverly is ashamed of her. This also shows that Lindo has not quite adapted to American ways even though she has lived in America for quite a while now.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is human vs. society. Lindo Jong has problems becoming more Amercan, and she still believes in many of the Chinese traditions. Waverly in turn, has problems relating to her ancestry, and is recognized to be American when she is in China. Neither of them fully adapt to the two extremely different cultures.
6. I think that the life lesson in this chapter is to never forget your ancestry, but at the same time one should attempt to adapt to their society.
Alt. |=013
Double Face
1. I liked this chapter. I agree with Londo Jong when she says that her daughter has trouble speaking to the locals in China because of her "Americanized" self. Caverly should have learned chinese when she was younger, because English easily catches on but Chinese does not catch on like English does. I thought that it was funny how Lindo Jong had to work in a fortune-cookie factory and how she cmplains about how the fortunes are not even written by Chinese people, but Americans. I don't like how Lindo Jong and her husband can't really understand each other because of their different dialects. The chapter really emphasizes the differences between American and Chinese cultures, especially when Lindo-Jong's husband asks "Can you spouse me?"
2. The relationship between Lindo-Jong and Waverly is like a standard mother-daughter relationship. They do have small disputes and altercations, but they still love each other and they really want the best for each other, and they want the other to be happy and content. Their relationship does not consist of major flaws, just the standard side issues that come with the package of a mother-daughter relationship.
I think that the external conflict was really funny, how Lindo-Jong's face doesn't look fully chinese. This reminds me of a part in my own vignette in which one of the main characters is charged a higher price than everyone else for something at the market, much like Lindo-Jong was charged more because of her face. The chapter was very interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed the chapter. I think the Lindo-Jong and Waverly chapters are the most interesting chapters.
1. Who You Really Are
2. Double Face
3. I thought this chapter was easy to read. It was understandable and I could relate to many parts of the chapter. Lindo wanted to raise her daughter with both American and Chinese traits, but sadly it doesn’t happen. She states that Waverly learned about the American culture, “In America, nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gives you. She learned these things, but I couldn’t teach her about Chinese character” (254) and how she couldn’t teach her daughter the Chinese character on how to obey your parents and listen to your mother’s mind. I thought it was kind of sad how both Lindo and Waverly are ashamed of each other. Lindo feels that Waverly thinks she is too “Chinese” for her husband, and Lindo is ashamed that her daughter doesn’t want to fully be like her mother, like how she was with her own mother.
4. The main character I would like to focus on in this chapter is on Waverly. While in the solon with her mother, the stylist Mr. Rory asks her mother on what style she would like him to do her hair, without first talking about it to her mother she answers for her mother in her place. This action showed that Waverly thought she knew what was best, and what looked good, aside from not acknowledging the fact that her mother should have a voice in this. She always thought of her mother as embarrassing while never wanting to be around her mother. Lindo felt ashamed on how Waverly doesn’t want to be like her, which causes the most conflict in the chapter.
5. I think the main conflict in this chapter is both man vs man, and man vs. society. Lindo both struggles with trying to develop and close relationship with her daughter, and blending in with the American culture. Her daughter grows up in America, and while trying to tie both the American and Chinese cultures together into her daughter she does not succeed. In the end, her daughter feels embarrassed to be around her which makes Lindo upset because her daughter is the complete opposite of what she was with her own mother. In the end of the chapter Lindo travels to China with Waverly and her fiancé and to her surprise, the Chinese people treat her differently as if she was a full American from the beginning. The second conflict is the one where Lindo has to overcome the obstacles in America. She had to learn the new language, learn the laws, buy a house, and do everything on her own. She overcomes these obstacles though, and marries a man that loves her.
6. I think the theme of this chapter is respect your parents and hold onto your culture. Its kind of cliché but without your parents what are you? They were the ones who made you who you are, and your culture is what you are made up of to be. So trying to eliminate those things from your life and trying to be something you’re not, what are you? You’re kind of being two-faced, living one way but acting another, trying to hide what shows from the inside out.
Two-Face!
Double Face
Wow this chapter is SO much like what we've been doing for the past... semester? It reminds me of that story we read about that Jewish family and his rich American son who lost his HERITAGE. And just like him, Lindo Jong has LOST the way of her HERITAGE, and so now she does not know which she is.
So Lindo Jong is a full-blown fresh-off-the-boat Chinese immigrant; however later she melds into the culture, but not enough to lose her Chinese culture. But later when she returns to her motherland she finds that the Chinese back there identify her as American, having lost some of her original heritage. So now she does not know who she is; and because of this, she had raised Waverly that same way, but a lot worse, who has no Chinese culture left.
The name of the conflict is man vs self; Lindo Jong is trying to come to terms with her now-mixed American and Chinese cultures, which do not mesh perfectly, but rather bristle at each other.
In relation to the allegory, mother is trying to pass on something to her daughter in spite of loss of innocence, but rather in this chapter, it is loss of heritage/culture. In knowing that Waverly has lost all sense of Chinese culture, Lindo tries once more to instill it into her.
~El Schelonai, AKA Nicholas Lee, Period the Fourth
1) Oh Nose!
2) “Double Face”
3) Everytime there’s a story with Lindo Jong and Waverly Jong it usually has some obvious conflict (caused by Waverly) and typically is more interesting than the other mother-daughter pairs. I love how Lindo uses a person’s face to determine their characteristics and how stereotypical she was of her daughter. She believed her daughter wouldn’t blend in over in China due to her Amercanized characteristics. When two cultures mix with one another, the outcome can be fairly well or fairly destructive. In today’s society, we can see children who portray their culture through their face and traits, but it turns out their characteristics and values are completely Americanized. Lindo’s corny jokes made me laugh even though they weren’t funny at all. The shear fact that it was said in such a strange way made me laugh. Overall, the chapter can connect to many individuals’ lives and was a pretty interesting chapter.
4) I see Lindo Jong as a stereotypical character who judges people not really by their face but through her opinion and superstitions. For example, she talks about how Waverly’s nose needs fixing or else her money will not flow well. She is also revealed to have a softer side when Waverly is disappointed to have her as a mother and she begins to cry because she realizes she loves Waverly, but Waverly doesn’t really appreciate her love. I was surprised she married a Cantonese man and somehow she learned the Cantonese language even though she was Mandarin.
5) The obvious conflict in the chapter would have to be Human vs. Society due to the fact that Waverly could not accept the American ways without knowing her Chinese ways. In other words, she felt as if she was missing a huge part of culture. This was revealed when Lindo told her she wouldn’t fit in if she went over to China due to her “Americanized” ways. Another conflict would have to be Human vs. Human because Lindo tries to make her daughter accept her, but her daughter doesn’t understand her.
6) Amy Tan’s writing style in here stood out more than the other chapters. She used a lot of juxtaposition by putting the cultures back to back and comparing them directly and indirectly. She obviously still uses extremely descriptive language and has flashbacks occur to set the reader in the right place. The imagery helps develop a sense of how a certain thing might look like, such as the nose, which can help us find the theme and symbol she hides within the chapter. She uses her flashbacks to compare the heritages and the physical features between Lindo and Waverly.
American Born Chinese
Double Faced
1) I liked this chapter because it was really easy for me to relate to and some parts were interesting and funny to read like the story of how Lindo and Tin got married. It was also easy to picture the conversation in the salon after watching the movie. In this chapter, Lindo realizes how 'Americanized' her daughter Waverly has become, but at the same time, I think Lindo herself has also changed to some extent after living in America for so long. Becoming submersed in Chinese and American cultures, having to live with two faces...
has she embraced Americanization or resisted it?
2) Waverly seems ashamed of her Chinese heritage and mother. She doesn't take her mother seriously and thinks she is too 'old-fashioned'. Her successful life in America must have gone to her head, so she has become ignorant and hard-headed. Also, after spending most of her life trying to repress her Chinese side, she suddenly wanted to be Chinese again because it was 'fashionable'. This shows that Waverly is a very independent person, but also uncultured and blinded by her own views.
3) The main conflict in this vignette is between Lindo Jong and Waverly. Lindo had hoped to blend in Chinese values with American customs, but now she thinks it is too late. Waverly argues that she is still Chinese, even though she is nothing like her mother and has no understanding of
her mother's intentions for her. Waverly is ashamed at her mother so she criticizes her, not knowing that all her mother wants to do is help her save what's left of her Chinese heritage.
4) I think the theme of this chapter is about finding oneself and embracing ones heritage. One cannot throw it away and then just expect to regain it when it's convenient. Our heritage is passed on in our bones, but the culture we live in has the greatest impact. Therefore, it is important to never let go of your culture or else you may find yourself spending your whole life trying to get it back.
1) "East meets West"
2) Double Face
3) I guess this chapter is alright. It was SHORT and to the point, which I really like. Yet, it still tells us a lot about Lindo. It really gives background on Lindo and how she adapted to the American lifestyle. I thought how it was cool how they showed how Lindo met An-Mei. It's weird because I didn't really like Waverly at the beginning of the chapter when she didn't like it when Rory said Waverly looks like her mother. But towards the end when Lindo notices her daughter has a crooked nose, Waverly seems rather proud of it and said she's happy she got it from her mother. I was a bit lost at some parts. Like where Lindo gets the addresses and all that. I was also confused about what kind of cookies Lindo made. Were they fortune cookies?! I was also confused about the whole chinese/american face thing.
4) The character I will focus on is Waverly. Waverly is disrespectful to her mom. When she asked her mom what she wanted at the beauty parlor, she didn't even ask her mother what she wanted and just answered for her mother without her mother saying anything. This is serious disrespect and if I did this to my mom I would be in serious trouble aha. But anyways, because of what she did at the beauty parlor, it shows that Waverly thinks that Lindo is still a Chinese immigrant who is oblivious to what is going on around her.
5) Though it isn't talked about much in this chapter, the main conflict is the one between Lindo and Waverly. It is an external conflict that is man vs man, again. Lindo wants everything for her daughter. When Waverly talks about her fitting in with the Chinese, Lindo is upset because she regrets not teaching Waverly the Chinese ways when Waverly was growing up. This shows that Lindo wanted Waverly to be more Chinese. On the other hand, when they go to the beauty parlor, Waverly wanted her mother to be americanized by getting a haircut that Waverly wanted; not Lindo. Lindo had no say in what she wanted in her haircut. This shows that Waverly wanted Lindo to be more American. But eventually they meet at halfway and enjoy how their faces share similar features.
6) I think the theme in this chapter is the one we have been talking about for a while: Heritage. This chapter tells us to be proud of our heritage. An example of this is how Lindo is always talking about how she wanted to end up looking like her mother; and she did. Another example is towards they end when Lindo notices Waverly has the crooked nose. Waverly is not upset with it, but is instead proud of it as it reminds her that she got it from her mom.
Jessica Lee
Period 4
1. "Confucius say[s] a [mother] is worth a thousand words. [You have] used up [your] total."- would it be considered backtalking, if I told my mother this???
2. Double Face
3. I liked this chapter, it was rather intresting. When Lindo said "Finish your coffee. Don't throw your blessings away.", she reminded me of my grandma. My grandma is really
supersititous, she has my family
and I eat everything in our bowls and save leftovers. She says that if we toss out what we have, then someday when we want something, it won't be there. My grandma applies this piece of philsophy to everything, old baby toys to giant radios from the eighties. Also, I was a bit shocked and sad to find that Winston died just at sixteen.
4. In this chapter we learn about a different side of Lindo. In "The Red Candle", Lindo learns about self-worth, but in this chapter she learns about her identity being Chinese-American. She doesn't quite fit in America, " I use my American face. That's the face Americans think is
Chinese..."(pg.255). When she goes back to China, she doesn't fit in with others either. "They knew y face was not one hundred percent Chinese"(pg.266)
5. I think the conflict was human vs. society, Lindo vs. society in America. She feels as though she's caught between American customs and Chinese traditions. So she tries to teach Waverly how to be American and Chinese, but in the end Waverly was much more Americanized and she didn't really grow up liking the fact that she was Chinese.
6. I think that this chapter relates to the allegory because the grandmother in the allegory didn't know "which way" to teach her granddaughter. Just as Lindo didn't know whether to teach her daughter to be American or Chinese.
1. WOOOSH
2.”Double Face”
3. I thought this chapter was easy to understand. It showed the struggles between Chinese mothers and their American daughters. It showed a lot of sides to different people. In this chapter, Waverly is still embarrassed by her mother, even though she’s the one that brought her up and raised her. Later on, however, she realizes that her mother is just trying to do what’s best for her.
4. In this chapter, Waverly seems to be ashamed of her Chinese heritage. She is pushing it away, feeling embarrassed by her mother. She is very rude and disrespectful to her mother. At the end of the chapter, Waverly suddenly wants to be Chinese again.
5. The main conflict in the story is the external struggle between Lindo and her daughter, Waverly. Seemingly impossible, Lindo tries to blend her Chinese customs with American customs. The conflict is Waverly trying to push away her heritage instead of embracing it?
6. I think the theme of this chapter is to respect where you came from.
Two Sides
"Double Face"
3. I think this chapter was very easy to understand and read. It can also be connected to how situations are to this day. When Lindo was describing the scene where she was at the hair salon with Waverly, I felt very sad because Lindo notices that Waverly is ashamed of her. This saddens Lindo because she is now ashamed that Waverly is ashamed of her. It brings shame to Lindo because she wanted to teach Waverly to have the best combination of "American circumstances and Chinese character." However, that's not what Waverly grew up to be. Waverly is very Americanized and is shameful that her mother is still very Chinese. I find it actually very sad because it doesnt seem like Waverly really cares either.. and personally, I think people should continue to pass down their culture so it is not forgotten.
4. Throughout this chapter, we learn about Lindo Jong so I would like to focus on her. Lindo believes very strongly in her heritage and culture. She says that "it's [her] fault [Waverly] is this way." She wanted her children to be both Americanized keeping the Chinese culture as well. Waverly is very much Americanized and is ashamed of her mother. Lindo is very hurt by this because Waverly seems to not want to be like her mother, which is opposite of Lindo. As a little girl, Lindo wanted to be just like her mother. At the end of the chapter, Lindo seems to gather herself again Her and Waverly talk about how there are two faces.; American and Chinese.
5. In this chapter, the main conflict is external, man vs. man. Waverly is ashamed of her mother and Lindo is ashamed that she's ashamed. Waverly doesn't really know what's inside of Lindo though. Throughtout the chapter, we figure out that they do realize their differences and the conflict remains unsolved.
6. I think the life lesson or theme of this chapter is to not be ashamed of who you are. Lindo wanted Waverly to be both Americanized and Chinese, but growing up in America, Waverly lost her Chinese heritage. She is ashamed of her Chinese mother, Lindo and this really hurts Lindo. They both find out at the end of the chapter that they both still have Chinese in them.
1. "Clashing Cultures"
2. Double Face
3. I was excited to read another chapter with Waverly in it, and I think her stories are the more interesting ones. However, this one was about her mother, but still, she was in it. I liked this chapter because it somewhat shows the friendship that AnMei and Lindo have with each other, and the bond that they share.
4. A character in this chapter is Waverly. I think that she is kind of childish. She took her mom to the salon to get her hair done, but only because she was ashamed of how her mom looked.
5. The conflict is human vs human, and it is between Lindo and Waverly. I think that they fight a lot, mainly because of their different cultures. Lindo's background is Chinese, while Waverly's is American.
6. I think that the theme is to be proud of your culture. Waverly wanted to look Chinese, but she is American, and that's how she was raised. I think that she should've been proud of her own cultures.
1. “The other side, the other side, the other side of me”
2. Double Face
3. I think this vignette was the funniest out of all. I was wondering what happened to one of Waverly’s brother in “Best Quality,” but now I know. He died. It was ironic how Waverly abhorred being Chinese, but now she wanted to be Chinese just because “it [was] so fashionable” (253). Who would’ve guessed that Lindo worked at a fortune cookies factory? An-Mei’s suggestion was really smart. Too bad that Tin Jong didn’t know what spouse meant. I laughed when I read that. The way that Lindo named their kid was funny too. She named Winston because it was “wins ton,” and Vincent because it was like “win cent.”
4. Lindo cared a lot about her children. She wanted the best for her children. She wanted them to have “American circumstances and Chinese character.” She realized that Waverly was all Americanized inside. She was only Chinese in the outside. I think that when Waverly tried to change Lindo, she felt bad. She wanted to be like her mother when she was young, but now that she has a daughter, her daughter want to change her. Her daughter was ashamed of who she was. Lindo was also a cunning woman. She prepared a fortune cookie for Tin so that he would propose to her.
5. The main conflict of the vignette was external, man vs. man. Waverly was ashamed of her mother, and she wanted to change her. She thought that her mother was ignorant and didn’t understand her. Lindo on the other hand wanted Waverly to be Chinese in the inside as well. Lindo describe Waverly as two faced, meaning that Waverley acted like Americans, but she looked Chinese. Waverly wanted to be Chinese because it was fashionable not because she realized that it was a part of her heritage.
6. I think the theme is to embrace who your cultures. Because of the American circumstances, Lindo forgot some of her Chinese cultures. When she returned to China, people thought she was foreigner even though she spoke the language. If Lindo had grasp onto her Chinese ways, maybe then Waverly would be proud of her culture, and she would want to take a part in it.
Jessica Hartono, period 4
Raymond Glassey
Period 3
1. Like Mother Like Daughter
2. “Double Face”
3. I liked this chapter, though not as much as the other Jongs’ chapters, because it took a lighter turn from the previous two’s death and rape. It’s an interesting parallel that Amy Tan uses between Waverly and Lindo because she shows how Lindo complains she tried to teach Waverly to be like her, and that Waverly isn’t Chinese at all, and yet Lindo is shown to be almost exactly the same. For instance, in the end Lindo talks about her own visit to China, where she took off her jewelry, her loud colors, spoke their language and used their money and yet all of them recognized her as American. These are the exact same examples she told Waverly about how they would recognize her as American, further showing their similarity. I liked in the chapter in the middle though when Lindo talks about how she and Tin got married and the way she met An-Mei. Their rather silly courtship with the paper and English class was fun to read, and especially interesting the degree to which Tin is manipulated with the cookie/fortune.
4. Lindo Jong shows amazing pride in her Chinese culture, and I think, to a certain degree, that it hurts her that she’s been Americanized in some way. She takes great pride in her daughter as well, and feels quite distraught in the scene at the beauty salon when she realizes how her daughter is ashamed of having her for a mother. In some ways, Lindo has become like Waverly, and lost some of her inherent Chinese attitude, because when she goes back to China, they recognized her American side. And prior to that, Lindo mentions how to show one side, a person must sacrifice the other, indicating that Lindo has sacrificed her Chinese side for American.
5. There are two conflicts (maybe three) in this chapter. One of the conflicts is Man vs. Man between Lindo and her daughter. It is an external conflict, stemming from Lindo’s need to instill Chinese heritage upon her daughter and Waverly’s rejection and adoption of American customs. The end does not resolve the conflict. Another conflict is Man vs. Self, because Lindo is conflicted internally about her own Chinese and American side. She is losing her Chinese side in America and it shows more distinctly in her return trip to China.
6. I think one of the symbols of this chapter is the crooked nose. The crooked nose almost seems to represent American culture over Chinese because Waverly Jong is born with a crooked nose, and several times in the chapter Lindo complains about Waverly’s lack of Chinese inside. Then, Lindo gets her nose turned crooked after spending some time in America, and now after that when she returns to China they recognize her as American rather than Chinese from when she was last there 40 years before with a straight nose.
1. Eye to Eye
2. “Double Face”
3. Lindo Jong makes it clear that her daughter Waverly is extremely Americanized and that she doesn’t exactly approve of this. She has no problems with her being American, but she wishes her daughter would show her Chinese side more and have knowledge of her Chinese culture. Waverly has no interest of doing so, which basically means that their culture won’t be passed down in the family, and this really upsets Lindo. I think it’s pretty important to keep traditions going on in families and it makes me a little mad that Waverly refuses to learn her Chinese side.
4. I’m going to focus on Waverly. In my opinion, she is a very… snooty character. In all the other chapters, first of all, she is very stuck-up and believes she’s superior to others. She seems better in her own chapters, though. I think she should treat her mother better. She only sees Lindo as an annoyance and even an embarrassment at times, which isn’t right. She and her mother should have a closer relationship, which would have to start by Waverly having a better attitude about Lindo and also trying to learn about her Chinese culture a little.
5. The main conflict in the vignette is man vs. man between Lindo Jong and her daughter Waverly. They can’t ever seem to see eye-to-eye because they’re minds are set in two different places. Waverly is full American and westernized, while Lindo still holds her Chinese heritage and culture very strongly. Waverly should try understanding her real heritage and her mom more. Then they would have a closer relationship; the type of relationship people SHOULD have with their parents.
6. I think the theme of this chapter is to know your heritage. It is very important to do so, otherwise it will be lost and never be passed down to the future generations of your family. It’s really sad when this happens, because it’s almost like all those centuries your family spent using these certain traditions, will be gone to waste.
Read my Fortune Cookie Fortune
Double Face
1. This chapter was quite easy to understand compared to the previous two chapters because it is mainly set in the United States, without the cultural mysteries of China. The scene in which Waverly’s barber casually remarked that she and her mother Lindo looks so alike helped me picture both of them, side by side, almost like mirror images of each other. Lindo’s flashback into the past in which she recalls her early life in America reminded me of the story of my parent’s immigration to the United States. Like Lindo, my parents faced a language barrier and awkward customs. Lindo’s anecdote about how she met her future husband through night school made me laugh, because I could just imagine both of them trying to communicate through a jumble of Chinese phrases, English, and awkward hand motions.
2. The main character of this chapter is Lindo Jong, who takes us back to her early life in America. Lindo appears to be a very strong-willed individual, since she is willing to leave China to go to America all by herself as a young woman. Lindo shows her cleverness and acuity when she “prepares” for the immigration exams by paying an American raised Chinese student to teach her the ways of America. Lindo also seems to be a flexible character when she even marries a Cantonese man even though she has a stereotypical view of others who do not speak Mandarin Chinese. Overall, Lindo tries to suggest that she was such a successful person in America, but her daughter Waverly thinks otherwise. Waverly is ashamed of being compared to her mother, who Waverly thinks is an anachronistic, old-fashioned Chinese lady who had little success as an immigrant in America.
3. The main conflict of this external, man vs. man, between Lindo and her daughter Waverly. Waverly feels that her mother is embarrassing and wants to improve her image by taking her mother to her barber for a makeover. By doing this, Waverly believes that her mother will finally be “up with the times.” Her mother Lindo, on the other, feels that her daughter does not appreciate her mother enough and the sacrifices Lindo has made in her life. Lindo is especially hurt when Waverly tries to say that she and her mother are two totally different people, as if she could not see the remarkable resemblance between mother and daughter. Because of this emotional wound, Lindo tries to think about her past as a Chinese immigrant in America and find a way to teach her daughter how to choose between American and Chinese ways.
4. I think that one theme in this chapter is “Be proud of your heritage.” Lindo finds that her daughter Waverly has lost touch with the Chinese way of life, lamenting how few Chinese words her daughter knew how to say. Likewise, Waverly feels ashamed of her Chinese heritage brought upon her especially by her mother. Lindo, in fact, feels that they both have lost touch with their Chinese roots, which is why they are looked upon as suspicious foreigners when they visit China. This is why Lindo tries to figure out the “lost” part of her Chinese heritage when she came to America.
-Albert Li
Spouse me?
2. Double Face
3. I think this chapter was really good. It was good because Lindo is a character that everyone seems to think is really mean to her daughter Waverly. In this chapter, we learn about Lindo’s first years in America and how she had to adapt to American life and culture. In this chapter, Lindo also is disappointed by the fact that Waverly isn’t Chinese and how she will stand out among other people in China. Lindo’s romance with her husband Tin is also talked about in this chapter.
4. Lindo is a strong believer in Chinese culture, unlike her daughter Waverly, who is influenced by her American society. From the chapter “Rules of the Game”, Waverly and Lindo have a horrible mother and daughter relationship. In this chapter, they are still having problems between their views of American and Chinese culture. All Lindo wants is to have Waverly show her Chinese side and not be ashamed of it. Lindo wanted to have the same relationship with Waverly as she did with her mother. Unlike Lindo, who wanted to be just like her mother, Waverly wants to be the exact opposite of Lindo.
5. I believe the main conflict is Man Vs. Society. Lindo’s first years in America were really hard because she had nothing at all and had to learn everything about America. She wanted to make money, and basically just start a new life there. It was hard until she met An-Mei, who helped her meet Tin, her husband, and pretty much jumpstarted her into her new life in America.
6. One of the themes in the chapter are to be proud of who you are. Waverly is too into her American side and needs to be proud of who she really is. Lindo is trying to help her to show her Chinese side and to not be ashamed of it, but proud.
-Jerry
1) Crooked Nose
2) Double Face
3) Although this chapter wasn't as exciting as the other Lindo Jong chapters, at least I finally got to see a bonding stage with Lindo and Waverly. It was also good to know that this chapter wasn't filled to the brim with symbols and figurative language. The straight-forwardness of this chapter made it easy to understand Lindo Jong's transition to America and how crooked noses help to hide their true faces.
4) I like Lindo Jong in this story. It was sort of sad to read how Lindo wanted to be just like her mother when she was young and now has to deal with the fact that her daughter would never want to be like her. I liked how she also named her son's "Winston" after "Wins Ton" so he would win a lot of stuff and her other son "Vincent" after "Win Cent" so he would win a lot of money. Lindo Jong is a clever lady.
5) The conlficts in this story are Man vs Man and Man vs self. The first conflict is that Lindo wants to instill Chinese culture into Waverly but she utterly rejects it and the other conflict is in Lindo because she thinks that she is losing her Chinese side in America and she doesn't know what part of that side she is losing.
6) I think that one of the symbols in this chapter could be Lindo's crooked nose as this symbolizes Lindo's American and Chinese side. While she is in America, she get's her crooked nose in an accident and now she wants her own daughter to fix her nose so she only has her "Chinese" side.
“Two is Better Than One”
“Double Face”
3. I didn’t care too much for this chapter. Waverly just annoyed me much as she always had throughout the novel with her presumptuous behavior. She was just so disrespectful, babying her mother that way. But nothing about the chapter really grabbed my attention. Heritage, heritage, heritage. Maybe I feel this way because we already spent an entire semester concentrating on this same topic?
4. In “The Red Candle”, we learned just how clever Lindo really was. She managed to trick the Huang family into releasing her from her marriage obligation. It was in this way that she managed to gain passage to the United States. We see this same quality of Lindo’s after she reaches America. Though she had no family or friends in the foreign country, she managed to build a new life for herself. She found a job at the fortune cookie factory and managed to excel at it within a week, despite the fact that the job was a grueling one. Lindo has proved time and time again that she is quite adept at adapting to new situations, and she is every bit as clever in adulthood as she was in her youth. It is quite obvious that Lindo was no “stupid person” (261).
5. The main conflict in this chapter is the external conflict between Waverly and her mother. Waverly is ashamed of her mother’s old-fashioned ways and wants nothing to do with them. This is the complete opposite of the relationship between Lindo and her mother, in which Lindo tried to emulate her mother’s personality in everything she did. Lindo is abashed by how shamefully her daughter treats her, and Lindo cannot understand why her Waverly fails to listen to her, her values, or to her opinions. Because Lindo does not have an answer, she chooses to blame the conflict on Waverly’s Americanized ways instead of acknowledging any other factors. But in a way, I think the root of this conflict lies in another, internal conflict, one which is within Lindo herself. The reason that Lindo clashes so with her Americanized daughter is because Lindo has a reluctance to completely embrace American culture and turn away from the Chinese heritage that is in her bones. Consequently, she refuses to acknowledge that she herself has changed. She too has adopted American values and concepts which cause her to be treated like a foreigner when she returned “home” to China.
6. The fortune cookie factory was a clever way to bring together the Chinese and America cultures that clash in Lindo’s life. It’s interesting because fortune cookies were never actually created in China. On the outside, to the common eye, the cookies appear to be Chinese, but in actuality, they are all “America-made” – just like Waverly (254). The fortune cookie is obviously a dominant part of this chapter and it acted as a symbol of Lindo’s mixed culture. When Lindo first began to work at the fortune cookie factory, she scoffed at the very idea that Americans thought that the foolish cookies had Chinese origins. However, Lindo drastically changes her mind later on when she uses the fortune cookies to help her find a husband, with whom she had a completely Americanized daughter. This symbolizes the beginning of the consolidation of Lindo’s values from the West and from the East.
- Michelle Chan =D
1. Scarrryyyyyy.....
2. Double Face
3. I thought this chapter was quite interesting how Lindo works in a fortune cookie factory and how different she and her husband, Tin, are. This shows the difference between America and China. They have different cultures and languages. I liked how Lindo meets An-Mei making them good buddies. Also, it was fun reading the part where Lindo Jong talks about how the Buddha Temple should and should not look like.
4. Lindo Jong is a very stereotypical person in this book. She shows some of her racist side in the scene at the hair salon place to Mr. Rory where she says, “They see themselves smiling without their mouth open, or turned to the side where they cannot see their faults” ( page255). She says that the Americans have no respect for others and just talk how the feel like without looking at the people. She also thinks they are conceited and flawless.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is external, man vs. man, between Lindo and her daughter, Waverly. Waverly appears to be ashamed and embarrassed of being with her mother. At Mr. Rory’s barber shop, Lindo is heartbroken when Waverly “criticizes [her] as if [she] were not there” (page 255). Waverly does not understand that Lindo only wants her daughter to accept and thank her mother.
6. The theme in this chapter is to "know thyself" and also about heritage. The messages here are telling a person to know who they are and where they come from. It also teaches us to never be ashamed of your heritage or the people that love you the most in life.
"DVS shoes!"
(a.k.a. Double Face)
3. Oh dear, Waverly and Lindo are exactly alike! They both criticize each other about how Americanized/Chinese they are! Haha, I thought it was funny when she described "You do not have to sit like a Buddha under a tree letting pigeons drop their dirty business on your head. You can buy an umbrella. Or go inside a Catholic church" (254). Doesn't she know that Buddhism does not go with Catholicism? Aw, I felt sorry for Lindo when Waverly implied, "I'm my own person," and Lindo thought, "When did I give her up?" Somehow, when Mr. Rory is mentioned, I imagine a man with a goatee, wearing a tight black shirt and super tight leather pants. xD The Chinese see parts of their faces as fortune cookies, predicting the outcome of their lives. My mother just told me to squeeze my nose, because if you had big nostrils, money would pour all out. x_O" Thanks, Mom. I find if amusing how Waverly only believes in the Chinese stereotypes, not taking the time to question her own mother about her true past, the real one. Also, it's sort of ironic that Ying-Ying ends up working at a fortune cookie factory, the all-time Chinese stereotype for Americans, and does not know what it is at first. Aw, the "Lindo, can you spouse me?" was a really really really cute/innocent/sweet way to propose to her, even if he did not intend for it to mean it that way. xD I think the Lindo sacrificed her Chinese heritage so that Waverly can have all the advantages and opportunities of an all-American girl. Her heritage is still there, just hidden, deepdeepdeep down inside of her.
4. Waverly talks to Mr. Rory, telling her what she thinks her mom wants. She takes control of everything, implying that she is confident and ready to take anything on. She thinks she knows, but sometimes, she doesn't, which makes her kind of careless and oblivious to the signs that her mother hints at her.
5. I believe the main conflict in the chapter has to be Waverly vs. Lindo (external: man vs. man), because Tan compares and contrasts Waverly and Lindo, how each has become the other, yet totally different, by their facial features, their actions, and their thoughts. This whole chapter was a juxtaposition of Waverly & Lindo and Chinese & American. The ending was sort of open-ended, for the imagination to wonder, but it results in a more positive manner, so the most likely answer to Lindo's thoughts would be: She can never lose her Chinese heritage no matter how hard she tries. It has just been buried by all the Americanized stereotypes of the Chinese. In return, her daughter received all the advantages a true American could receive and now, she has a successful and bright future.
6. In this chapter, Tan was really emphasizing the relationship between American and Chinese, Waverly and Lindo. Her juxtaposition weaved in and out endlessly and fluidly while she taught us many Chinese stereotypes in the American world. It enhanced the conflict between Waverly and Lindo, helping the audience understand how such a problem could arouse in our world today because of our environments.
Emily Huynh, Period 4
Reflection
"Double Face"
This chapter talks about Lindo Jong coming to America and adjusting to a different way of life. She raises her daughter up to be Americanized, but is afraid that she had lost her Chinese heritage because she doesn't listen to her mother's mind and claims to be "her own person." Lindo Jong is worried about this fact until she sees Waverly and her reflection in the salon mirror, and sees an image of herself staring back at her.
Lindo Jong claims that she has a double face, an American face and a Chinese face. Her mom basically determines her character by reading her face. But, as she grows older, Lindo's face begins to change: she bumps her nose, and it becomes crooked. In a way this shows how moving to America has made her different, when really she has always been the same person, made up of many different things.
The conflict in this chapter is man vs. society, or Lindo trying to adjust to American life, learning the language and adapting to American ways of thinking.
I think one theme of this chapter is that you are in charge of your own fortune. Lindo's husband probably wouldn't have proposed to her unless had taken the ininiative to give him the fortune cookie. Even though she faced many challenges in her life, she was determined to live a better life than when she lived in China, because "nobody says [she] had to keep the circumstances somebody else gave [her]" (254).
1. Like Mother Like Daughter
2. Double Face
3. I think this chapter was Lindo Jong’s most boring story, although it did show a more emotional side to her. It was somewhat confusing to me though, because she talked about bother her own relationship with her mother and the one she had with Waverly. In some sections, I had to reread it in order to figure out who she was talking about.
4. In this chapter Lindo Jong narrates how her mother told Lindo how her facial appearances were inherited from her. Lindo tells Waverly that no matter what she does, she will easily be spotted in China as a foreigner. And in another section of the chapter she describes how she was seen as a tourist even though she did as the other people in China did. I think this shows that Lindo Jong realized that she was losing the Chinese heritage within her and was becoming more and more Americanized even though it didn’t seem like it when she compared herself to her daughter Waverly.
5. I think this chapter’s main conflict is internal within Lindo Jong. The conflict is a man vs. self because it is between Lindo and her internal thoughts. I think the conflict is Lindo’s internal fear that her daughter was becoming less and less like her, but at the end of the chapter she is able to reassure herself that she(Lindo) too was the same mixture of American and Chinese tradition as Waverly had grown up to be and that no matter what Waverly would still love her and be her daughter.
6. B)I think the symbol in this chapter is the image of a crooked nose, which both Waverly and Lindo share. The nose happened just before Lindo had Waverly, which might mean that Waverly was born after a large amount of syncretism occurred between her American and Chinese cultures. Therefore, I think the crooked nose symbolizes the new traditions and customs which Lindo and Waverly both became used to without even noticing it.
1. Putting on a Mask
2. Double Face
3. The chapter went a bit slow then suddenly jumped to the past. The past seemed a bit interesting. I wondered why Lindo had named her children those names and now I know why she decided to name her children those names. I think the chapter was pretty good and the flow was good. It was easy to follow and understand what was happening. When she went to America it seemed like fate and a path. It seems like she doesn’t want to go on the path, but she does anyway and seems to like it.
4. Lindo Jong seems to be eager to learn. In the scene when she is learning American ways from an American-born-Chinese, she seems to be fascinated by the instructions. All the tips people teach her, Lindo learns the quickly and puts them to use. This allows her to become doubled faced and create a split personality.
5. I think the main conflict in the book is discovering the good thing about being double faced. In the beginning, Lindo seems to be sad that she had lost part of her Chinese face and her daughter has no Chinese face. The conflict seems to be internal because she doesn’t know the good thing about being double faced. The conflict is human vs. self because it is Lindo trying to figure out what is good about her being doubled face. In the end, the conflict is resolved when Lindo finds out that being double faced, people will not know your intentions.
6. I think the theme of the chapter is that being doubled faced has its gains and losses. When doubled faced, you usually take two paths, so the theme would become, being able to take more than one path is good. Being doubled faced, you can change and be one person for one day, and another the next day. This allows you to be flexible.
Benjamin Ly
1:Lindo the crooked nose reindeer
2:Double Face
3:This chapter is ironic, because when Waverly was young, she wanted to be more American, but now she wants to be more Chinese. Even more ironic, at the end, the people in China thought Lindo was American even though she is born in China. It was also funny because Tin didn't know what "spouse" meant and ask Lindo, "Will you spouse me?"
4:Lindo is an interesting character. She feels ashamed of her daughter rejecting her Chinese heritage, even though Lindo gave her daughter the name Waverly so she could fit in with Americans. She also makes different 'faces' to fit in with both cultures, an American face and a Chinese face. When she visits China, the people thought she was a tourist even though she is full Chinese, making her wonder if she lost any part of her heritage.
5:The main conflict is man vs. man, Lindo vs. Waverly. Waverly was ashamed of her mother and her heritage. Lindo tries to change Waverly's view. The conflict is resolved when Lindo flashes back to her own mother and accepts Waverly's American side.
6:A symbol in this chapter is Lindo's nose. When she bumped her nose on the bus, it got crooked, which meant bad luck and misfortune. When she visits China, people thought she a tourist and Lindo wondered what she lost in America that made the people think that. I think when she bumped her nose, she lost her true Chinese side.
Wai Chan
period3
1.) nostrils to the side
2.) “Double Face”
3.) Not quite lengthy, double face seemed to be somewhere between waiting between the trees and magpies in stature. This chapter was pretty fun to read, as there was not any major negative activity; ie death or rape like in the previous chapters. Actually, I really enjoyed this chapter as I’m witnessing a mother and a daughter bond more. Though in the beginning they start off with the mother in a struggle with her daughter, they end up making up and having somewhat of a good time in the barber shop and it’s just great to see them finally bonding.
4.) Lindo is the interesting character in this chapter, as she doesn’t stay static for very long throughout. At first she sees her relationship with Waverly as respect and neglect, what I mean by this is that Lindo sees herself as a respecting, honoring mother, yet Waverly as a daughter who is ashamed and disappointed in her mother. This causes conflict inside of herself for the start of the chapter, but after reflecting their similarities and noticing the traits they have in common she realizes that their love isn’t a give and take thing, but more of a give and give thing.
5.) The conflict here is man vs self, Lindo has to overcome this self conscious feel of how she loves her daughter and her daughter seems to not love her back at all. After the little struggle at the beginning they end up bonding and it turns out resolving itself.
6.) I’d have to say that the theme of the chapter is to think about another's point of view before you come to conclusions. Lindo’s habit of thinking one way seemed to be the only cause of issue in this chapter, and leaving it proved to resolve the conflict spontaneously.
-khanh
Alvin Lee 4th period
1. Devious Nose
2. “Double Face”
3. I liked how this chapter was overall pretty straight-forward. There weren’t too many hidden messages from the characters. “Double Face” shows the reader a lot of Chinese superstition and culture through the background of Lindo. This chapter also talks about the Chinese and American point of views from Lindo and how they do not mix. However, Waverly explains that she can show two faces, a Chinese and an American side. But, I don’t think that Waverly understand what she truly benefits from that and what she loses in the process, just like Lindo is wondering.
4. Lindo in this chapter is very uncertain and unstable. She has mixed feelings towards being a Chinese-American. She tries to imprint American culture as well as Chinese character onto Waverly, but she believes she failed. But, Waverly learns to show two faces, one American and one Chinese. Lindo, however, feels that she does not belong in America, being charged high foreign prices, yet she feels she does not belong in China as well she had become influenced by America.
5. The main conflict in “Double Face” is external between Lindo and Waverly because Lindo thinks Waverly is ashamed to be her daughter but Waverly is just trying to help her mother get ready at the beauty parlor. Also, Lindo wants to show Waverly how similar they are, not just appearance but also their way of thinking.
6d. Amy Tan uses word choice to describe the Chinese superstitions pertaining to her facial features. For example, big ears for hearing luck, big earlobes full of blessings, a straight smooth nose bringing fortune, and eyes that are honest and eager.
“The only thing Chinese about me is my blood”
“Double Face- The Joy Luck Club”
My Reaction-
I felt that I could relate to Waverly in this chapter. The US is a very diverse country but it gives the people born here of a different ethnic group a problem in their lives whether it likes it or not. I was born here- that makes me American… right? Waverly goes through the same issue when physically and by blood she is Chinese, but she is born and raised American. I felt I could relate to her in that prospect.
My View-
Lindo and Waverly have a very typical problem nowadays- Chinese parent, American Children. These two countries have two very different cultures to their own and its because of these differences that Lindo and Waverly don’t see eye to eye sometimes. However, this doesn’t mean their relationship is completely wreaked. As mother and daughter, their bond is within their blood, a blood contract that promises unrequited love for each other. All her mother wants for Waverly is the best in life and Waverly wants is to please her mother.
The Conflict-
There are two points to account for if we talk about conflicts. One is an internal Man vs himself fight between Waverly and her two cultures. She wants to be more Chinese as she realizes how much that means to her but her Americanized culture will make it very difficult for something like that to happen. The other conflict would be an external one, a Man vs Man with Waverly and Lindo in the ring. Both seem to have the odd fate of completely misunderstanding what the other really wants. Waverly thinks her mother is trying to make her everything she could be when all Lindo wants for her daughter is the best and Lindo thinks Waverly never cares about her when really all she does is try to please her. Luckily, this misunderstanding dissolves and their relationship takes a turn for the better when they start understanding each other a little bit more.
The Theme-
I think the theme I received from this chapter is accept all parts of how you are. Waverly never seemed interested about her Chinese heritage while growing up as a full blown American. However everything changes when she discovers she needs to incorporate the Chinese part of her in order to find who is really is. When she accepts and has a motive to learn about her Chinese heritage the path to who she really is will open up- neither American nor Chinese, but both- a proud Chinese American.
Fix Your Nose!
Chapter: Double Face
1. This chapter was such a breath of fresh air, since it wasn't as complex as the other chapters and really straight foward. I also really liked how this was a story of Lindo's life in the U.S. instead of her life in China, since we have always read about the mothers and their eastern past, but rarely do we ever get to see their early beginnings in America. In the past, I never really took to Lindo's personality, since I always saw her as a weird old woman who was never content. But now as I finish reading this chapter, I am able to gain a new insight into her personality. I think that Lindo really does want the best for her daughter since she does not want her daughter to suffer like she did in China. Which is why she purposely named Waverly after their street name. This was truly an act of care to me, since Lindo wanted Waverly to start a new life in America, without the pain and sorrows that came with the eastern wind- even if that meant that Waverly would face an inevitable confusion between her to backgrounds.
2.A conflict in this chapter was an internal one between Lindo and herself, which led to an internal conflict within Waverly and herself. First of all, Lino's conflict arose when she realizes that she should not have tried to fnd the balance between Chinese and American culture when parenting Waverly. She regrets that she did not infuse Waverly's lifestyle with more Chinese heritage, which ultimately cause Waverly to be faced with a dominant American culture within her. This proved to be a conflict in the story, because of how Lindo is extremely displeased with her daughter's lack of Chinese heritage. Waverly herself, would now have trouble communicating with people of her own kind during her honeymoon in China. Although it was really Lindo's fault that Waverly cannot speak or understand China's language and heritage, her attempt to create a western lifestyle with the perfect balance of eastern tradition for Waverly's life was truly admirable.
3. Lindo is the main character in this story. Lindo has always been known to be supersitious in every aspect of her life, and this vignette continued to exemplify her superstitions. Lindo had always believe that it was terrible to have a crooked nose, and that Waverly should have corrective surgery to take care of th enose. Lindo is also portrayed as a regretful mother in this story. We were able to see her deeply contemplating about her past actions, since it seems as though she really regrets trying to make Waverly wear both an "American Face" and a "Chinese Face". This is truly impossible, but Lindo earnestly wanted the best for her daughter. (Which might explain why Waverly is such a self-centered brat)!
4. A theme in this chapter is that you can never have everything. This was portrayed in the vignette when Waverly was trying to "have everything" and lead a life of being Americanized and Chinese at the same time. She succeeded in living the life of a Westerner, since her ways were nothing like the customs of the Chinese. In trying to have everything, she failed and virtually lost her chinese backgorund and heritage. As she spent chinese money and tried to make her physical appearance blend in in China, the Chinese people could instantly tell that she was indeed American- not Chinese.
Mirror Mirror.
Double Face
3) I find that Lindo Jong and Waverly Jong are very much connected to my mother and me. We both have problems communicating with each other and we can really not stand each other. I felt bad for Lindo for she felt depressed during the hair cut scene. I agree with Lindo with her theory that her daughter will not blend very well in China because she is only Chinese on the outside, but American on the inside.
4) In this chapter, Waverly is seen to be ashamed of her mother and her ethnicity. She tries to get it away but she sees that she can't. This reminds me of this week's quote about losing one's self in order to have a better look at ourself. I am happy that in the end, she realizes that she can't escape therefore she wants to embrace it.
5) The main conflicts in this chapter is between Waverly and her mother, and the Chinese and American culture in Waverly.
6) A symbol in this chapter is the crooked nose. It symbolizes the similarities of Waverly and Lindo.
Double Face
1) Two Face
2) The chapter I am focusing on is Double Face.
3) This chapter was intriguing. It is funny how Lindo’s daughter, Waverly, never wanted to be Chinese in America, but wants to be Chinese back in China. It is in fact, ironic because all of those years Lindo tried to teach Waverly, Waverly never listened.
4) The character I am going to focus on is Lindo Jong. Throughout the vignette, she does not know which intentions are good and which are bad. She doesn’t know if the American intentions are better than her Chinese ones. Lindo really doesn’t know which way of thinking to choose, which is part of the reason why she believes Waverly is the way she is.
5) The conflict is between Lindo and herself. She doesn’t know which culture, American or Chinese, is better. By the end of the chapter, her conflict doesn’t get resolved.
6) This chapter can be related to the allegory at the beginning of the fourth part of the book. Throughout the chapter, Lindo has hope of having things to be better for Waverly; however, her hope does not last.
1. Love Your Mom! No Mattering How Embarassing..
2. Double Face
3. I really did not like how Waverly is embarrassed by her mother. She can’t seem to just accept her for who she is. Waverly seems to get on my nerves a lot. Everything she does she seems so spoiled, bratty and better than everyone else. I never enjoy the chapters with Waverly. Waverly doesn’t like her mother but they seem exactly alike! When her mother see their reflections in the mirror, she sees herself. Waverly has the Chinese culture somewhere inside of her. All her life all she wanted to be was American and she pushed her culture away. She tries to change her mother because she is so embarrassed.
4. Waverly seems to think she knows everything. She knows how her mother’s hair should be.. and thinks her mother should be a certain way. I think it was do some good for her and her mother to have a closer relationship. Maybe it’s because they are so alike they cannot have a good mother daughter relationship. Waverly is the Americanized version of her mother. She should respect that her mom did everything for Waverly so she could grow up to be a normal American girl.
5. I think the conflict in this chapter is man vs. man. Waverly and her mother seem to have the same personality but different cultures. Waverly is Americanized while her mother is strongly influenced by her Chinese heritage. The fight because their way of life is so different and they think their way is best. Waverly want her mother to be more American and her mother wants her to be more Chinese.
6. I think the theme of this chapter is to know your heritage. Heritage is important and should be passed down. You shouldn’t just take it for granted and think it’s stupid when you don’t even know what it really is all about.
Kathy Nguyen
Per 4
1) "Two Faced"
2) "Double Face"
3) I find it quite amusing how Waverly wanted to be Chinese, when Lindo knows that even though Waverly may physically look Chinese, she is mentally American. Waverly had her chances when she was younger, but she didn't take them. Now it's seems to be too late. If Waverly was her younger self, she would have not minded that she wouldn't seem Chinese if she went to China. I feel the same as Waverly, even though I may look Vietnamese, I was raised in America and taught most American ways. But I've embraced my Vietnamese culture, learning anything I possibly can, to know my heritage and culture. I could speak Vietnamese, but only good enough to live a daily life.
4) When Lindo was only a young girl, her mother told her she would have early hardships in her life, which she did when she first moved to America. Her wide forehead, symbolizing her cleverness had me recall when Lindo was able to stop Waverly in her tracks. The day Waverly had enough of her mother showing her off as a chess prodigy, Lindo was able to get the whole family to turn against her, since Waverly did not have any concern for her family, said by Lindo. Another part of Lindo's cleverness is how she knows when to use her Chinese face, or her American face, "the face Americans think is Chinese, the one they cannot understand" (255). Lindo is obviously a Chinese immigrant, and was able to assimilate to the American ways, but still kept her Chinese culture. Though when she went back to visit China, the people "knew [her] face was not one hundred percent Chinese" (266).
5) The main conflict would be man vs. society and man vs. man. Lindo is in conflict with American society's customs and her Chinese traditions that do not really mix well. Lindo tries to teach Waverly both American and Chinese customs but in the end, Waverly embraces the American culture more and suddenly wants to be Chinese, because it is fashionable. Though, Lindo herself has been influenced by American culture, and it is shown when she went to visit China, and people still knew she was not completely Chinese anymore. Lindo knows that she is more familiar with Chinese culture as Waverly is more familiar with American culture. Even though the two cultures cannot be balanced out between the two of them, they understand that they both don't understand each other. At the end of the chapter, the conflict is still not resolved.
6a) I think the theme of this chapter is you should embrace your heritage and where you ancestors came from, even if you live in a different culture, you must remember who you really are. I was able to achieve this theme when Lindo Jong said she tried to teach Waverly the Chinese culture, but wasn't able to. When Waverly wanted to, Lindo should have taken that opportunity to teach her whatever she knew, because sometimes it's never too late to want to know your heritage. Even if it's because it is fashionable, that thought could be changed after the new knowledge received about your heritage.
Boogers
Double Face
Lindo Jong and Waverly fight a lot, i think. but i also think that the reason they fight is because they dont understand each other, let along eachother's needs. Waverly, since she was young, wanted to please her mother but she was also growing up in America. Her mother wanted to influence her life but living in America, she became more modernized as hoped. i didnt expect them to fight as often as they did.
Lindo pushes and strives too hard towards her daughter and that led to waverly thinking whatever she did was wrong. Lindo kind of psychs herself out & it turns out that waverly is just as confused in China than in America. She has two different faces for the two different cultures.
i think that the conflict was man vs. self with Waverly vs. Lindo. this entire chapter, practically, they were butting heads.
i think that the theme of the chapter can be to be proud of yourself and where you came from. heritage shouldnt be taken advantage of and forgotten.
Two of the same
Double Face
Reaction: This chapter gave me a bit of a laugh because of how when Lindo was a girl, she had someone teach her about America and what to do as a citizen. She even paid someone to teach her this and for information about America. A few funny scenes were when Lindo thought Bank of America was where Americans went to worship and when Tin asked Lindo, “Can you spouse me?” I have heard about people trying to “trick” or “bend the rules” of the system to become a citizen so this wasn’t that much of a shocker for me.
Character: Waverly reminds of a typical teenager who wants to rebel and really doesn’t understand her Asian parents. She is ashamed of her mother, her nose, her Chinese culture, and of her mother. She doesn’t want to accept who she is and tries her hardest to push it away. She doesn’t treat her mother with any respect and completely ignores her by not talking to her. All Lindo wants is the best future for Waverly but she doesn’t get treated seriously. She feels embarrassed of her Chinese culture.
Conflict: A main conflict in this chapter is the external man vs. man between Lindo and her daughter Waverly. Waverly and Lindo don’t really connect and bond well together because they have two different mind sets. Waverly is ashamed of her heritage and Lindo knows this. Lindo wants to change her daughter’s opinions but is scared of that fact that Waverly has the same crooked nose as she does. Lindo just wants her daughter to accept herself and who she is. She compared her face to Lindo’s as two-faced, referring to the fact that she abhors her culture. The conflict is somewhat resolved when Waverly notices her crooked nose and smiles at her mother saying that it makes them look devious.
Theme: The main theme of this vignette is that you should accept who you are and no matter what you do, you can’t change that. Waverly shouldn’t be ashamed of her family and heritage because they represent who she is. In order for her to truly understand herself and know how she is, she must understand her culture and heritage. She needs to accept it and not try to change herself by changing her hairstyle or making up stories about her life.
1. Mirrored face
2. Double face
3.This chapter was suspenseful and ironic at the same time. I thought she was working at a waffle factory until she said fortune! The ironic part was reading the Chinese cookie fortunes, and how Lindo says there fake.
4.Lindo was getting married to some guy, and was mainly talking through English class which showed another side of her which was kind of unknown until now. In the Cookie factory, it showed her getting mad at the slips of fortunes that are lies.
5.Human vs. Society (Lindo) Lindo was searching for a place to live in, in America. She had to go though a whole bunch of places to get info to get a job, and a apartment. She sees some fortune cookie slips and becomes truculent.
6.D Flashback, It was a large part of this chapter and was great to the plot. It made the readers learn more about Lindo's past and learned what she wants from her daughter.
1.Crooked Nose
2.Double Face
3.Waverly is so mean to her mother. I abhor Waverly because she is so materialistic. I like Lindo though because ever since she was a girl, she had really good intentions. I think Lindo is an ideal daughter and mother because she is hard-working, hopes for the best, and loves her mother and children. I do not really get the last page of this vignette, the thing about being two-faced.
4.Lindo loves her children and puts all of her hopes on them. Lindo gives the names of Vincent, Winston, and Waverly to her children. She names her sons Vincent and Winston because it sounds like “win cent” and “wins ton.” She wants her sons to “win many things, praise, money, a good life” (265). She names her daughter after the street on which they lived to tell her that that is where she belonged. Lindo wants what is best for each child and loves her children very much.
5.The main conflict is man vs. man, Lindo vs. Waverly. Lindo and Waverly wants to change each other. Lindo wants to teach Waverly the Chinese ways and Waverly wants to make Lindo someone she can be proud of, a stylish mother who does not act so Chinese. Waverly desires to Americanize Lindo. Waverly shows these intentions by taking her mother to the barbershop so she can give Lindo a makeover. While they are in the barbershop, Lindo thinks to tell Waverly about her intentions and hopes for Waverly. The conflict is not resolved by the end of the story.
6.In the allegory, the grandmother does not know which way to teach her granddaughter: to lose her innocence and not get hurt, or to keep her innocence and laugh forever. In the end, the grandmother decides to teach her granddaughter how to lose her innocence, but not her hope so she can be happy forever. Like in the allegory, Lindo does not know the best way to teach her daughter. She decides to teach her daughter American circumstances and Chinese character. Lindo wants Waverly to know that she has choices in life and can change her circumstances, but she also wants to teach Waverly how to obey her parents, how to hide her thoughts behind a mask, how to know her worth but not brag about it, to not pursue easy things, and how Chinese thinking is the best. Lindo did not realize that American circumstances did not combine well with Chinese character though, and regrets not teaching Waverly more about Chinese culture.
Jodie Chan
Period 3
1. Fix that nose
2. Double Face
3. This chapter was very relateable to me and probably to many other teenagers who have two cultures clashing in their lives. Like how Waverly was described in the chapter, people could easily tell that I was raised in America, when went to Vietnam for a vacation. On another note, I do feel sad that Lindo is so proud of her daughter, yet she cries thinking that her daughter is ashamed of having a mother like Lindo.
4. Lindo is a good woman, who deep in her heart, just wants to best for all of her children, and especially her daughter Waverly. Lindo is always so very proud of Waverly, even when Waverly is frustrated and can't see it for herself. Lindo even said that she gave Waverly's name, which was named after their street, to her so that she would always "bring a piece of me with [her]".
5. The major conflict in this chapter was external, human vs human. In this case, it was Lindo vs Waverly. Waverly who struggles to please her mom and her Chinese culture, while being an American. Lindo constantly criticizes her daughter, but inside is just proud of her daughter and wants her to be more Chinese.
6. A major symbol found in this chapter was the face. The chapter "Double Face" actually means the Chinese and American cultures of Waverly. Also, Lindo believed that every face feature held significance. In particular, she mentioned the crooked nose that both Lindo and Waverly shared, although Lindo's broken nose was result of an accident, and Waverly's was inherited. This represents a common understand that they have of each other.
Vincent Nguyen Period 3
1. “Two-Faced”
2. “Double Face”
3. This chapter was shorter than the others, but it was able to convey its ideas well. I thought it was neat how Lindo mentioned that if Waverly went to China, people would be able to identify her as a foreigner. This is also the case when I went to China myself. Maybe it’s the clothes I wear that is a dead giveaway, or if I’m unable to speak Chinese as fluently as the natives there. Waverly is also well-versed with American ways, but has little experience with Chinese customs and traditions. It was also interesting to find out how Waverly and her brothers got their names.
4. Lindo regrets not teaching Waverly about Chinese character. She feels it’s her fault that Waverly has openly embraced American thinking. Lindo also puts on fake smiles which she calls her “American face”. She seems to have a strong dislike towards Mr. Rory; Lindo becomes angry when he thinks she can’t understand English. Lindo also feels ashamed becomes she’s proud of her daughter, but Waverly doesn’t feel the same way towards her. Lindo is happy to hear Mr. Rory’s comment on how similar the mother and daughter’s appearances are.
5. A main conflict in this vignette is an internal one, with Lindo vs. society. Lindo struggles greatly when she arrives in her America because of her inability to speak English. She endures many other hardships such as not being able to understand what others were saying and physical injuries from a meager paying job. Despite all of these harsh conditions however, Lindo is able to preserve and make a living.
6. I thought the theme of this chapter was embracing one’s heritage. Waverly is reluctant to accept Chinese culture and is even ashamed of it. She feels as if American thinking is better as opposed to the Chinese ways. Only when she grows older does Waverly realize that she needs to accept the Chinese part of her as well.
Brian Yang
Period 4
Two Sides to Every Story
2. Double Face
3. My initial response to this chapter was one of no surprise. It made sense that Waverly Jong, after having been born and raised in America, would have problems readjusting to life in country at the heart of the Oriental stereotype, China. It's really ironic that after Waverly Jong repulsed her mother for so long and denied the Asian part of her for so long that she now wants to be Chinese again. It's like a trend that comes and goes. Apparently, it's stylish to be Chinese now so that's why Waverly finally begins to realize this part of her. In my opinion, it's pretty pathetic that Waverly is so ashamed of her culture. I mean, it's part of you, you can't run away from it. It's ingrained into your very soul, written there from the start and there it will remain until the end of your life. I, for one, am not ashamed of my heritage. No one should be really. Anybody who is embarrassed about their culture needs to realize that it doesn't matter so much what other people think about them. They should embrace their culture, as it is their living part. Like Waverly, we shouldn't acknowledge the part of us that has always been there only because it's "in". I also thought that it was interesting how Lindo Jong actually had to pay somebody to teach her about San Francisco and America. Shouldn't fellow immigrants feel a natural desire to help each other because the more experience one was once in the shoes of the freshly arrived immigrant? Shouldn't they feel the same things that the more experienced immigrant has already felt. Now that I think about, the American perception of China is quite shallow. In a typical American's view, all of the Oriental cultures are blended together to form something that can be considered remotely Asian. I also found it really interesting that Lindo Jong proposed to her husband through the use of a fortune cookie, a pretty novel way of doing something that has already been done millions of times before. The way that Lindo and her husband can't really communicate with each other, but understand each other the same way shows that even though they can't directly speak to each other, they can still understand each other.
4. Waverly Jong, the daughter of the protagonist of this chapter, Lindo Jong, is an especially interesting character. She spent so much time rejecting the Chinese side of her, but now she chooses to recognize it, just in time for her second honeymoon to China. Her broken Chinese really amuses me as well. All these things that she has done just shows how ignorant she is and the fact that she doesn't realize her ignorance. She goes along in life thinking that everything is fine and dandy when it's not. The amount of things that she blindly ignores is just humorous. She also takes her mother to the salon and treats her like some newly arrived Chinese immigrant because she is ashamed of her mother and her Chinese qualities. Because of this, she tries to change her mother's appearance in a way, however slight, that would allow her mother to become more American.
5. The main conflict in this vignette is mostly internal, but also external. Waverly tries to deal with the internal pressure of dealing with her Oriental heritage, but is embarrassed about it at the same time. But, the external conflict is between Waverly and her mother. Only her mother can see how American Waverly has become, barely knowing any Chinese and no traditional customs. Even Waverly's mom is considered a foreigner in China because of her manner even though she doesn't declare she is an American.
6. Amy Tan really uses the technique of flashbacks to convey the message of this chapter. Before I read all of the stuff about Lindo Jong's past, it was confusing for me to understand and comprehend. But, when I did, it was like a lightbulb in my head. Suddenly, all of the facts in the story became interlinking and intermeshing. They all made sense to me. I saw how Waverly was oblivious to her Chinese heritage.
-Calvin Ho
Period 4
1. Two-face!
2. “Double Face”
3. I felt that I understood what Lindo was saying when she told her daughter Waverly that if she went to China and wore the same clothes as the Chinese, she would still be seen as a foreigner without even talking. I know this because when I see Chinese immigrants here in America, like what Lindo said to Waverly, I would “know just watching the way [they] walk, the way [they] carry their face” that they are from another country. I thought it was funny how Lindo and Tin met and how they were patient enough to try to communicate with each other.
4. Lindo Jong is also the protagonist from “The Red Candle.” The flashbacks from this chapter connect to the previous one about her marriage. Lindo arrives to America to work at a bad job in a factory. When she returned to China for a trip after many years in America, the Chinese there know that she is foreign, even though she was born in China and wasn’t wearing anything foreign. Lindo doesn’t know why and what happened to her that made her lose the Chinese side of her.
5. I think the main conflict in the chapter is human vs. human: Lindo vs. her daughter Waverly. They both have crooked noses, which Waverly says makes them look “devious” and “two-faced” in a good way. Lindo was ashamed that Waverly was ashamed of her. Waverly also kept telling her friends lies about how Lindo came to America, and how she met her husband. Waverly told her friends that Lindo arrived in a boat, but in reality, she arrived in an airplane. Waverly also said that Lindo met Tin Jong in a restaurant, but it was really from church introduced by An-mei. Lindo doesn’t understand why. She’d wanted to raise Waverly as half Chinese and half American, but when she realized that it was impossible for the two to mix, it was already too late to change that.
6d. This chapter contained a lot of flashbacks, like the previous two. From the barber shop, back to Lindo’s youth, then to her trip to America, and back to the barber shop, the switching scenes carry us through the stories so we see what happened before and how it led to more events. For example, she see how Lindo arrived to America in the first place, and how she met An-mei at the factory.
Alice La, Period 4
1.I see rat, I see cat, I see hat.
2.Lindo Jong: Double Face
3.I thought this chapter was very relatable to a lot of people today, especially teens because they are embarrassed of their cultural and heritage and long to be actually American. When Waverly was growing up, she never wanted to have anything to do with her Chinese heritage and always tried to be “American. Ironically, as she grew older she realized she liked her culture. Many teenagers today are ashamed of who they are because of what other people think!
Fortune and luck were mentioned a lot in this vignette, and it reminded me of how a lot of Asians name their pets Lucky, like my grandma who named our dog Lucky. I thought it was cute how Lindo's husband, Tin Jong, proposed to her. I first thought that he might've swallowed the paper in the fortune cookie, but thank goodness, he didn’t! I always love reading about relationships that start off in a shaky manner then bloom into something so genuine. Although they couldn't communicate very efficiently at first, their love still grew and matured. I liked the ending of the chapter where Waverly told her mother that their noses "[weren’t] so bad" and it makes them look "devious (266).” I feel like that that showed Lindo that Waverly was no longer embarrassed by her mother.
4.I want to focus on Lindo Jong. Before reading this chapter, I thought Lindo was a cruel mother. I've discovered that Lindo is actually a very sincere person and also a tid bit romantic. Lindo just wants what is best for Waverly and can’t help but worry that she has given her daughter many flaws. Her romantic side is shown when she gave Tim the fortune cookie.
5.The main conflict in this vignette is man vs. man, external. It is between Waverly and her mother, Lindo. Lindo is infuriated because Waverly is embarrassed of her. Both mother and daughter realize their differences, but they decide to nullify the situation. Each character says things with different intentions making them two-faced. This conflict remains unresolved at the end of the chapter.
A minor conflict in this chapter is man vs. society, external and it is expressed when Lindo and Waverly struggle to interlace the American culture and the Chinese culture.
6. Lindo’s and Waverly’s crooked nose was a symbol of their mixed culture—American-Chinese. In the beginning, Lindo had a straight nose because she was full Chinese and believed in only those ways of life, but after she gave birth to two sons, she had grown familiar to her life in America. She then became a mixture of these two cultures. Meanwhile, her nose was became crooked after it was bumped and this feature gets passed down to Waverly, because Waverly also had a mix of Chinese and American culture, being born in America.
-Melani Cabanayan; Period 3
1. “Multiple Identities”
2. “Double Face”
3. This chapter is short, simple and quite entertaining. It reminds me of all the immigrants that come to America looking for a new life and endless possibilities. I’ve always been told that the U.S. is the place where you can be anything you want if you try because there are infinite opportunities. It’s unfortunate that Waverly and Lindo’s relationship is filled with misunderstandings while Waverly is ashamed of her mother. I think we should give our parents more appreciation, as well as our cultures.
4. Being ashamed of Lindo, Waverly doesn’t treat her with respect as she should. She makes it seem as though Lindo is a complete foreigner that doesn’t understand much. Also, Waverly makes decisions for her mother as well, such as the time in the salon. She should have more appreciate for her mother, who always has good intentions.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is the external man vs. man conflict between Waverly and Lindo. Waverly is ashamed and embarrassed of her mother’s traditional Chinese ways. On the other hand, Lindo is proud of Waverly, but disappointed that she thinks so lowly of her mother. She’s also astounded at Waverly’s assumptions of her life and the hardships she has to go through. There are still misunderstandings between the two, and all Lindo wants is the best for Waverly.
6. I think the theme of this chapter is to be proud of and connected with your heritage. Waverly loses touch of her Chinese culture and Lindo is disappointed at what little her daughter knows. Lindo, herself, is unsure about her American and Chinese lives, sure that there can only be one or the other.
1. A Rough Path
2. Double Face
3. My favorite part of this chapter is when she works in the cookie factory. They could eat the cookie for free without anyone knowing. It was funny how they found a fortune to give to Tin Jong so he would ask her to marry him, and ruined it by not knowing the definition of spouse. I'm glad Lindo found someone she loved, and he sounds better than her previous husband.
4. The main character Lindo Jong wanted to be just like her mother. When she was little she would try to act exactly like her mother even copying her expressions. Lindo wanted to raise her daughter with American options, and yet retain the ultimate Chinese characteristics. In the end her choice made her daughter ashamed of being similar to her own mother.
5.The conflict in this chapter is human vs self. Lindo believes that no one from China would treat her like an American, but she was wrong. They treated her the same as they would with any other tourists.
6. Waverly's crooked nose represents that she is following the wrong path. Waverly is ashamed to be like her mother and chooses paths different from hers. She chose to be more American, and forget her own Chinese language regretting it later on. Lindo Jong had a perfectly smooth, straight nose when she was born, but once she went to America, her nose turned crooked.
-Diana Li
Period 6
1. It's Written All Over Your Face
2. Double Face
3. Though it was quite short, I thought this chapter was a tad bit too long. Still, I liked this chapter. Whereas the other chapters were quite dark, I felt this one was very light-hearted and fun. Grim and bleak stories are usually my forte, but after reading dozens of pages like that, it was nice to have this diversion. This chapter also had many more characters than the other ones (which isn't to say that there were that many) which was also fun to read. The characters seemed more believable to me for some reason in this chapter. Also, how the characters interacted with each other wasn't at all morbid and dark like the other chapters and it was easier for me to relate, in a way.
4. Waverly had been set onto a path of being ashamed of her mother ever since she talked back to her in public. Now, she's quite condescending towards her. She acts as if she cannot speak English and likes to speak for her. She also talks back to her a lot more.
5. The conflict is an internal, man vs self one in that she is dealing with an identity crisis. She is disappointed because of her Americanized her daughter, but soon comes to realize that it's partially her fault and she, too, is becoming Americanized in ways she did not expectant or want. It doesn't get resolved.
6.B. The crooked noses of Lindo and Waverly represent perception and the differences of opinion on the same thing and also the duality of the American and Chinese culture. To Lindo and her Chinese ways, she sees the nose as a bad thing while Waverly and her American ways see it as a good thing. When Waverly goes on to talk about how it was devious looking and what the word meant, she talks about the concept of it making them appear two-faced. Lindo had gotten that crooked nose in America and it represents how much she had unknowingly been affected by American culture. It's influence crept into her face to the extent where the people in her native homeland can tell that she and her ways are not fully Chinese.
-Nolan Tran
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