"Magpies"
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"
196 Comments:
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Too Much Truth
Chapter: Magpies
1. I felt bad for An-Mei Hsu because she had to make a big decision when she was only 9 years old. She had to decide whether to live with her mother or to stay with her bother, uncle and aunt. I was very glad to read that she decided to go with mother because it was a chance for her to get to know her mother. Her uncle didn’t seem too friendly anyways. Traveling to Tientsin was a long trip, it took them one week to finally get there! Was it the seas that changed An-Mei’s mother? When her mother got dressed, it was like she became a whole different person and she even acted a little different. I can’t believe that people in China only married each other for position, not because they love each other. Why did Wu Tsing bring home a fifth wife? Why didn’t he choose a prettier fifth wife? I couldn’t believe that Second Wife would actually want a child that belonged to An-Mei’s mother. I can’t believe that Second wife pretended to do suicide because she was just hurting herself. I don’t think that Yan Chang should have told An-Mei the story of her mother because now the young child knows too much and now she’s suffering. Why did An-Mei’s mother kill herself? I’m so glad that An-Mei learned to speak out by first crushing the necklace that Second Wife gave her right in front of her. I hope that Wu Tsing kept his word and raises Syaudi and An-Mei as honored children. I would give this chapter a big thumbs up because there was a lot of truth laid out and it showed that life in China is very different than life in America.
2. The quote, ‘“Be careful An-Mei,’ she said. ‘What you hear is not genuine…”’ (P. 260) was said by An-Mei’s mother because when An-Mei stayed with her mother at Wu Tsing’s house, she always protected An-Mei. She tried to tell her that Second Wife wasn’t a great person, but An-Mei fell for Second Wife’s trap. I’m so glad that An-Mei now knows the truth and that Second Wife is not trustworthy. The quote, “You want to take your daughter and ruin her life as well!” (P. 244) was said by An-Mei’s uncle because he tried to keep An-Mei in his house, frightened that she will follow her mother’s footsteps and become a concubine.
3. The simile, “Secrets are kept from children, a lid on top of the soup kettle, so they do not boil over with too much truth,” (P. 268) was what An-Mei thought about after Yan Chang told her the truth of how her mother came to living in the home of Wu Tsing. Yan Chang told An-Mei too much because now An-Mei knows the truth and is saddened when Second wife is with An-Mei’s brother. An-Mei now knows that her mother cries because she misses her son. Similes improve Tan's story by making a connection between two things that are similar.
"Birds Of Joy"
Chapter: Magpies
1: I really enjoyed reading this very long chapter and I give it a thumbs up! After reading how An-Mei Hsu's mother became the 4th wife, third concubine, I felt really sorry for her. I can not believe how mean Wu Tsing and the Second Wife are! That was uncalled for, tricking An-Mei's mom into becoming the third concubine! After reading this part of the story, I was really disappointed at An-Mei's uncle and grandmother. I wonder if they knew the story of how the mother got tricked into being the third concubine! I bet you they didn't know that story. If they knew that story, then they wouldn't be so harsh on An-Mei's mother, because it's not like her mother had a choice. It wasn't her choice to remarry...in fact, when she met Wu Tsing and Second Wife on the boat, she was in mourning clothes for her deceased husband! She did honor her late husband. I can't believe how An-Mei's mother still shows her brother (An-Mei's uncle) respect. He yells at her and kicks her, if I were An-Mei's mother I know I would never show a guy like him that much respect. It was kind of sad how An-Mei's mother ended her life though. And I was so proud that An-Mei stood up for herself, and learned "to shout." This was pretty cool that An-Mei broke the fake pearl necklace in front of Second Wife, now Second Wife knows that she cannot try to trick An-Mei. Plus Second Wife needs someone to put her in her place, I mean who does pretend-suicide to get what they want? Also I love how Tan mentions certain objects from the previous vignettes, like the blue sapphire ring. That was cool how it connected that An-Mei got that blue ring from her mother, and in a previous vignette, she used it to try to bring her son, Bing, back from the ocean.
2: An-Mei and her mother's relationship is like a mother eagle caring for her young ones. An-Mei's mother is very caring and protective of An-Mei. She doesn't let other people, like Second Wife, buy her daughter's likeness. When An-Mei first meets Second Wife, Second Wife gives her the pearl necklace, and An-Mei treasures it. Her mother, on the other hand, tries to tell An-Mei that she can't let Second Wife tell her what to do. An-Mei doesn't really listen and as a result, she takes the necklace and breaks a pearl to show An-Mei that it is fake.
3: From this chapter, I learned a lot about the Chinese culture. I never knew that Chinese women married men for position, not for love. That was kind of crazy. Also, I learned that if you are a widow, you are really low on the statues ladder, you can't even remarry. Another thing, I learned was about the concubines. While, I was reading the book I was really confused on how Wu-Tsing's latest wife was the fourth wife but the 5th concubine. I was really confused about how she was 4th wife but 5th concubine, but then I got it. So I discovered how the concubine and wife stuff worked out. Lastly, I learned that the First Wife had all the power.
Sz! Sz! Sz!
Magpies: Joy Luck Club
1) Reaction
An mei and Rose's stories are my favorites out of the book. I hated how An mei's relatives disowned her for becoming a concubine (especially after we learn of how she became one). This vignette shows how important face is within Chinese culture, and how it can lead people to disown their own members and suicide. I feel sorry for An mei's mother, who was forced into something she did not want to be in, but she was clever to die to ensure a better life for her daughter. Second Wife is more despicable than An mei's relatives; pretending to suicide to get her way, spreading lies about Sz Taitai, and stealing An mei's youngest brother as her own.
2) An mei and Second Wife
Their relationship is one that develops throughout the vignette. At first, An mei admired Second Wife because she was given a pearl necklace. After An mei hears Yan Chang's tales, she sees Second Wife's true nature. She "suffered so much" after hearing the story, wanting her mother to receive some sort of retribution for being forced into this situation. She "wanted [her] mother to shout at Wu Tsing to shout at Second Wife." After An mei's mother's death, she finally shouts her anger for her mother.
3) Chinese Culture
Within this chapter, I learned how important your position and face within China is. A prostitute is of lower position than a concubine, though both are equally despised. An mei's family hated her mother simply because she went from a widow to a concubine, showing how rigid and strict your "position" is and how difficult it is to change it. Also, widows cannot remarry within Chinese culture and "are worthless in many respects."
Respecting the dead is very important in China. It is believed that on the third day after someone dies, "the soul comes back to settle scores," and "all debts must be paid" on the first day of the new year to avoid misfortune and destruction.
Turtles Eat Tears
Chapter Magpies
1. I liked this chapter. I pitied An-Mei Hsu for having to live with such horrible relatives, and felt her sorrow at what her future would be. The thought that An-Mei could go with her mother was a great idea, and I knew from the start that An-Mei would accept the proposal. Of course her aunt and uncle didn’t approve, but An-Mei showed that at a very young age, she wanted to take control of her fate and make her own decisions.
2. The relationship between An-Mei Hsu and her mother is full of compassion and caring. They both seem to be in tune to each other and know when one is feeling upset. An-Mei Hsu’s mother wants the best for her, as shown with the whole ordeal over the broken necklace, and An-Mei Hsu demonstrates her compassion after her mother’s death when she cries out in horror at the loss of her mother.
3. I learned a lot about the life of a concubine. A concubine does not have a lot of power, but she does have some authority and is allowed to share the husbands wealth. A concubine is more of an object than a person to the husband. The husband can purchase a concubine if he sees fit and the concubine has no say in the matter. If she does not please the husband, she can be sold. After reading this chapter, I conclude that the life of a concubine has both its ups and downs.
Fake Pearls
1) I liked this chapter. It had contrasting characters, like An-Mei’s mother and the Second Wife. Her mother is nice and caring, and the Second Wife is mean and cruel. It was cruel yet interesting that the whole dispute over her mother being a “ghost” is because she was tricked into becoming the third concubine of the rich man.
2) Relationship between An-Mei’s mother and Wu Tsing
An-mei’s mother was forced to marry him because his Second Wife had pretended to be nice to An-Mei, sitting next to her on the boat, inviting her to dinner and a game of mah jong. She then invited her to stay the night in her room and half way through the night Wu Tsing crawled into bed with her. She hates him and despises how he forced her to marry him and get kicked out of her house and family. Then she poisoned herself with something bitter and he promised to take care of her daughter and son so that she would not come back to haunt him on New Years.
3) I learned that in the past they were very scared of ghosts, the rich could chose as many concubines as he wanted, and that opium is what they took to poison themselves.
Title: Crushed Pearls and Six Dead Foxes
(Focusing on “Magpies”)
1) After the incident in An-Mei’s previous chapter, where her mother returned to her, I thought that maybe things would get better, instead of getting worse, like they did. In a way. I, like An-Mei, thought that Second Wife was just being nice when she gave her the pearl necklace, but upon hearing that it was fake, I knew that she was nothing but a fraud, trying to take An-Mei from her mother. I was shocked to find out that Syaudi really was An-Mei’s little brother, and that Second Wife had taken him from Fourth and claimed him her own. Though the ending of this chapter made me sad, how An-Mei’s mother killed herself to secure An-Mei’s future, I liked how An-Mei grew strong and knew how to stand up for herself. My favorite part of the end of the chapter was when she crushed the pearl necklace right in front of Second Wife’s eyes, and when Second Wife’s “hair began to turn white,” and An-Mei “learned to shout” on that day. It signaled change, breaking away from the perfect nightmare that was life under Wu Tsing.
2) At the beginning, An-Mei and her mother’s relationship was awkward, formal and foreign, even. But that quickly changed; An-Mei came to love her mother in my eyes, very soon after she met her again, and even left her home and family behind to go live with her. During their time together in Wu Tsing’s house, their relationship strengthened even more, so much that An-Mei’s mother was willing to sacrifice herself to make sure An-Mei would gain a good position in Wu Tsing’s household, and that she would have a good future. To me, that is one of the strongest, most loving relationships between a mother and a daughter that I have ever heard of, and though it is very sad, it makes me happy to know that An-Mei finally got the mother she wanted, if only for a little while.
3) There were plenty of things to learn about the Chinese culture in this chapter. I learned a lot about concubines; that they are not merely prostitutes, that they don’t gain money by being so. They gain position and a firm future. Or, that is, until their husband tires of them and gets a different wife. I learned that First Wife is probably always the one that is held in most reverence by the husband; he will not bother her, instead choosing to spend time with his other wives, but he will not treat her badly. If you are Fourth Wife, you are probably the lowest on the “power” scale, showing that you have almost no rights whatsoever and are always beneath the other wives, even Fifth. It is also a contest of strength and cunning; the wives that are clever and know how to pull their husband’s strings will have the best position and the most power in the household, right below the husband. The more cunning you are, the more power you have.
Useless to Cry
1. Thumbs up! I love this chapter because it isn’t confusing and annoying like the other ones. I liked how Tan used the story of the turtles and the magpies to compare to An-Mei’s situation. I find this story quite believable with all this drama between the wives. I thought that An-Mei’s mother was really brave to kill herself for her daughter’s sake.
2. An-Mei’s mother and second wife
The relationship between An-Mei’s mother and 2nd wife is that of one between an oppressor and an oppressed. The mother was lured into becoming the 4th wife because 2nd wife need to use her to keep Wu-Tsing from wasting money at tea houses. 2nd wife knows how to control the mother because of her power in the household. An-Mei’s mother cannot do anything about it because of her situation in the house, the lowest wife in the family. It is easy to tell that An-Mei’s mother really hates 2nd wife, but is powerless to do anything about it. This is shown in the scene when An-Mei “saw [her] mother’s terrible pain as Second Wife bounced Syaudi on her lap kissing [her] mother’s son…” (268).
3. Chinese culture: This is the first time I have ever heard of women suicide to take revenge on people. I didn’t actually know that they believed in ghosts. I think that this is a really dumb way to end one’s life. To put their hopes on becoming a ghost to take revenge, when in life, they might be able to do something about their situation.
What’s a Magpie? O.O
1. I give this chapter two thumbs up. I felt so sad as I read about the horrible life that both An - Mei and her mother went through. It was understandable how An - Mei’s aunt and uncle felt towards her mother. I would’ve felt ashamed and disrespected at the fact that my sister sold her body and became no better than a Chinese prostitute. Regardless, I believe that whether or not she understood, An - Mei loved her mother based on her pure feelings and intentions, not by the bad deeds that her mother has done. After her mother died, An - Mei finally learned of the strength to stand up and speak her mind, a trait passed down to Rose Hsu - Jordan. This was a great chapter.
2. The relationship between An - Mei and her mother is pure love and very caring as well. I loved how her mother told An - Mei that she would ‘’ not let [ second wife ] buy [An - Mei] for such a cheap price. ‘’ (p.260) It shows that the mother wants nothing but the best for An - Mei and that she will love her endlessly. I think it’s important that she told An - Mei this because for the longest time, An - Mei lived without knowing her mother that well. This incident strengthened their relationship and I admire An - Mei’s mother for that.
3. Tan uses similes a lot for figurative language in this chapter. The sentence ‘’ her back as rounded as the turtle in the pond. ‘’ (p.244) is a simile comparing An - Mei’s mother’s back to a turtle. What Tan is really trying to say is that the back of An - Mei’s mother is round and stooped, like a turtle’s. Another sentence says that the other rooms ‘’ with roofs were like pointed hats, ‘’ (p.247) comparing the roofs of some rooms in An - Mei’s new home to pointed hats. What Tan is really trying to say is that the roofs of the roofs were very pointed and stiff.
1) “A Mother’s Love”
I give this chapter a very high two thumbs up. It was one of the better chapters to me. It was so interesting to see An-Mei Hsu living with her uncle and then moving with her mother to this aristocracy life style. I love how Amy Tan describes the house, the way of life, and how her mother was treated. I also love the way Tan describes the other four wives and how each had her own background, her ways. The ending was quite sad when her mother left, but this left An-Mei with a better life and a richer one.
2) An-mei Hsu and her mother’s relationship
I thought their relationship was very loving because they absolutely adored each other. An- Mei loved her mother so much that she was willing to go against her uncle and aunt for a new life that involved her mother. An-Mei thinks, “As I walked away from my old life, I wondered if it were true, what my uncle had said, that I was changed and would never lift my head again (245).” But, later, she discovers pretty clothes and a big mansion, but also the shame her mother felt. Her mother in the end could no longer take this cruel life and poisoned herself three days before the lunar New Year, giving Wu Tsing a reason to make An-Mei and her brother as his prized children. It reads, “He promised her visiting ghost that he would raise Syaudi and me as his honored children. He promised to revere her as if she had been First Wife, his only wife (271).” Her mother planned her death so that it would benefit her daughter’s well being in the end. That is truly motherly love.
2) Chinese Culture:
“That was China. That was what people did back then. They had no choice. They could not speak up. They could not run away. That was their fate (272).” I think this quote explains it all. People in China, mostly women and the poor had no rights, they did all the labor work, followed the orders of the rich, and were treated with no dignity. Like in this chapter, An-Mei hears that her mother had been tricked by Second Wife into sleeping with Wu Tsing so that she may bear a son for him. And because of this, she had to live the shame of being Fourth Wife, giving up her son to Second Wife.
Ghost Mother
Magpies
Wow, I thought this chapter was interesting because it showed the different levels of women in a household. I was amazed at the way Second Wife took over the whole house and her husband. I became angry after reading the part on how Wu-tsing took advantage of An-Mei's mother. It was so sad how she was raped and had to marry an ugly man to cover her shame. It was also extremely sad how she was forced out of her house. Even her real mother and brother thought that she was a disgrace.
The relationship between An-Mei and her mother seemed distant yet close at the same time. Even though she did not grow up with her mother, "[she] knew she was [her] mother because [she] could feel her pain." I loved how An-Mei decided to leave with her mother because it gave her mother a chance to show that she wasn't who everyone said she was. After moving into the big house, An-Mei learns everything about her mother and just when she sees the truth, her mother dies. This death was bad and good at the same time. An-Mei lost a mother that she loved. But at the same time, due to Wu tsing's crazy superstitions, she was respected as the daughter of his First Wife.
Amy Tan used Wu tsing as the character that portrayed how great Chinese superstitions can affect a person. On the day An-Mei's mother died, Wu Tsing was "fearful of [her] mother's vengeful spirit" so "he promised her visiting ghost that he would raise Syaudi and [her] as his honored children." Wu Tsing was scared to the point that he "promised to revere [An-Mei's mother] as if she had been First Wife." This was a big deal since the First Wife is the wife with the most respect. This meant that from then on, An-Mei was considered in a higher position than the evil Second Wife.
Poor An-Mei:
Chapter: Magpies
1) It’s unbelievable how much An-Mei went through as a child. First, she encountered between choosing to live with her grandparents and brother or a stranger who she drew to instantly, her mother. After choosing to live with her mother, she observes the house and the concubines living in it. I felt a lot of hatred towards the second concubine. She’s extremely cruel, tricking An-Mei to sleeping with Wu Tsing and destroying her family. Throughout this entire chapter, I felt very sad for An-Mei’s mother. An-Mei first stepped into her mother’s house and was as jolly as ever. Later, she discovered the truth about her mother’s marriage and her real brother who the second concubine kept. At that time, Wu Tsing comes with another woman and An-Mei’s mother moves down in value. This not only effects An-Mei’s mother, but also her daughter who only wishes for the best for her mother. An-Mei’s mother ends up sadly, committing suicide. I think this was best for her since it released her from the devastating life she was living in.
2) An-Mei and her mother share a strong bond. An-Mei instantly falls in love with her lonesome mother who she barely sees. One usually doesn’t trust a stranger but that’s different between An-Mei and her mother. An-Mei decides to leave her family she has been living with, in order to live with her mother. In return, An-Mei’s mother also loves An-Mei dearly. In fact, she commits suicide in order to kill her weak spirit and make An-Mei’s spirit stronger.
3) Connection to allegory:
In the allegory, there is a women talking to her baby granddaughter who’s as cheerful as ever. The women tells about her growing up, laughing crazily as a child. However, later as she grows up and loses her innocence, she recognizes the truth in people and the truth in the world she lives in. This effects her mentally and her joyful life is turned upside down. Similar to this, young girl, An-Mei, comes to her mother’s house with excitement. She observes the soft bed, her mother’s warming stories, and the surprises in her mother’s big house. In an instant, this pleasure changes as soon as An-Mei hears the background story of her mother from Yan Chang, a servant. Yan Chang fed her the stories from which An-Mei “saw second wife’s true nature,” “saw [her] mother’s terrible pain as second wife bounced [her mother’s son] on her lap...” and “knew why [her] mother cried in her room so often...Wu Tsing’s promise of a house,” which was broken. An-Mei realizes that “this was a bad thing that Yan Chang had done, telling [her] her mother’s story.” As soon as her innocence is lost, she is left with despair in the house, having grief thoughts for her mother.
Muchos Magpies
Chapter" Magpies
Reaction: =D
Wow! I loved this chapter. Even though it was long one, it kept me interested all the way. This chapter really revealed many truths. It showed how An-Mei became the wise person she is now: through years of internal pain and suffering. As a child she was looked down upon because of the status of her mother, given difficult choices that jeopardized her future, and was forced to witness her own mother's suicide. Even worst, she was given information that she did not want to know at the young age of nine. The lessons that An-Mei learned can be seen through her own daughter, Rose. When An-Mei was a child, her mother taught her to "swallow [her] own tears." An-Mei adopted this method to suppress her internal pain, but unwittingly passed it on to her daughter, Rose. In the book, Rose also suppresses her pain when she is unable to speak up in her marriage. This parallelism in mother and daughter reveals the potency of their relationship.
2. An-Mei & An-Mei's mother
The relationship between An-Mei and her mother is tragically sweet. They both care immensely about one another and are willing to sacrifice personal desires for each other. This is evident when An-Mei's mother gives up her life for An-Mei's future position. An-Mei's mother suicides so Wu-Tsing, fearful of An-Mei's ghost's vengeance, will raise An-Mei's status in the household, therefore, securing her future. An-Mei is also willing to give up her "face" in her family with her Popo back at home for her mother, who has always treated her with love. Another "sacrifice" is made when An-Mei throws the blue saphirre ring her mother gaveher as a child into the ocean in return for her son, Bing.
3. Message
In this chapter, the importance of sacrifice for loved ones is emphasized. Tan's theme is evident throughout the entire "Magpies" chapter, whether it's An-Mei's mother sacrificing her life for An-Mei's position, or An-Mei's sacrificing her blue saphirre for her son, Bing. The message that Tan wants us to learn is that love comes with many sacrifices, and that only through these sacrifices can the love grow and strengthen.
Decisions, decisions...
1) I felt sorry for An-mei's little brother when his own mother didn't ask him to accompany her to Tientsin. The second wife's tricking An-mei's mother into becoming a concubine was also despicable; just like that, An-mei's mother lost all of her dignity. I don't know why Yan Chang decided to tell An-mei the story of her mother's past, especially since An-mei was only nine years old; how could a nine-year old girl be expected to cope with that much information?
This chapter does a brilliant job of making the reader absolutely despise the Second wife. She fakes suicide to get her way, she steals An-mei's little brother and calls him her own, and she tricked An-mei's mother into becoming a concubine, which leads to her own family banishing her.
2) An-mei's mother is extremely protective of her daughter and is always concerned with her future and well-being. She tells An-mei the story of the turtle and the magpies early on in the chapter, knowing that the story will be of use to her later on. Her mother also forbids her to accept the necklace she received from Second Wife, worried that An-mei may be falling under her spell. Her mother also dies to ensure that An-mei will have a good future.
3)The conflict in this vignette is primarily internal, despite all of the external things happening to An-mei. An-mei is extremely intuitive and mature for her age, so she can understand things and endure things that only an adult should. When Yan Chang reveals the astonishing story behind her mother's past, An-mei is overwhelmed by the shocking information. As An-mei describes, she "saw everything...[she] heard things that [she] had never understood before," meaning that she now noticed all of Second wife's tricks she used to get her way. Because she heard the story that Yan Chang told her, she understands why her mother commited suicide.
The Truth Hurts
1) Reaction
I felt that this chapter was very well written. This chapter was extremely sad and deeply moved me to pity and compassion. I was sort of shocked when Yan Ching told the truth about An-Mei's mother and how she came to be the fourth wife and concubine. The second wife's actions made me angry. She was extremely smart and cunning, and she used everyone to her advantage and exploited other people. I think that An-Mei learned to fight back against second wife at the end of the chapter. I give this a two thumbs up chapter.
2) An-Mei and her mother
I think that the relationship between An-Mei and her mother was an extremely misunderstood relationship filled with half-truths. An-Mei never knew of her mother and how she became to be a concubine. All An-Mei knew was that her mother lived with a rich merchant. Although I think that it was right for An-Mei to move with her mother, I didn't think she would be so willing had she known about how her mother came to be a concubine or about second-wife's trickeries.
3) Chinese Culture
Amy Tan uses and teaches a lot about Chinese culture in this chapter. She taught about the social positions for women in Chinese society. I learned that a women becoming a concubine was extremely bad in Chinese etiquette. Also, a widow weren't allowed to remarry again, a widow who did remarry would be shamed and outcasted.
Turtle Tears.
I liked this chapter, although it was a bit longer than the rest. The Second Wife of Wu Tsing is very diabolical in her plans to gain allowances from him. The irony at the end when An-mei’s mother committed suicide and the Second Wife thought it was her doing was also amusing. I thought the ending was kind of good, with An-mei’s mother’s sacrifice for revenge and for a better life for her daughter. What I didn’t get was why didn’t she just commit suicide after being set-up? That would have helped her just the same; instead, she brought her daughter from one sorrowful life into another. It’s kind of stupid to teach your daughter hatred and bring her more sorrow before you leave this world. She should have at least attempted some pretend-suicides to gain more allowances like the Second Wife and to get a house elsewhere to live peacefully with An-mei.
Third Wife seems to fear Second Wife as if Second Wife had given her everything she had now and can just as easily take that away from her. Of course, Second Wife had basically given her the position of Third Wife. However, with her “big teeth, thick lips,” and bushy eyebrows, she was not attractive to Wu Tsing. Even more, she did not bore him a son and is therefore more or less an extra mouth to feed. She did not “argue over the management of the household” and lets Second Wife oversee everything, without needing “to lift a finger.” Every once in a while, Second Wife would scare Third Wife with “stories of old concubines who were kicked out into the streets.” Third Wife, fearing of being abandoned, “watched over Second Wife’s health and happiness.
This chapter’s main conflict revolves around the practice off polygamy in Ancient China when rich men would marry concubines to bear him sons. In today’s world, such practice is no longer legal in most countries. Some families are still prejudiced over the gender of their child, although most would not care if their child was a boy or a girl and still would take care of it. Of course, men having “mistresses” still happens in today’s world, but it is more or less for pleasure and not to bear sons. Also, there were the earnings that each wife gets from her husband. In today’s world, most people, men or women, works and gain money. Half, if not more, also share money with their spouses
Turtles that eat sorrow
Chapter: Magpies
1. I really liked this chapter because it gives the reader an indepth look at An-Mei Hsu's life and her connection with her mother. It's really sad that she had to choose to leave her brother behind for her mother's home but it was all worth it. I really liked how the travel to Tientsin revealed her mother as a modern woman, wearing makeup and wearing American-influenced clothes. That whole scene was visually stunning, and Tan did a great job with that. I also like how the story builds off of the relationship of the concubines and first wife and how the Second Wife is like an evil stepmother. I loved the whole scene with the pearl necklace and how An-Mei Tsu almost sold her worth away for fake gems. I also love the whole karma effect, when An-Mei's mom dies and then the Second Wife gets her just desserts. This chapter was sad but really great. It is definately my favorite chapter of all.
2) An-Mei's relationship with her mother is a very typical relationship that actually refers back to the second allegory with the young girl falling off the bike. There is a moment in the chapter where An-Mei recieves a pearl necklace from Second Wife and then refuses to give it to her mom. Her mom then shows that the pearls are fake and that An-Mei would have been tricked into Second Wife's control. That is an example of An-Mei being a vulnerable little girl making mistakes and how her mother swoops down to protect her and open her eyes. Later on, when An-Mei's mother commits suicide it is for An-Mei's good because it gives her the strength to grow up, finally leaving from her mother's care.
3) In this chapter I really learned about the whole idea of what a concubine is in Chinese culture. Usually, women will not marry men out of love but for social status and thus the title of First Wife is usually the highest a woman can achieve. After that, the man can choose to wed more women and their titles descend from highest to lowest from the longest marriages to the shortest. However, An-Mei's mother, a Third Concubine complains that she is the lowest because after her husband is done with the Fourth he moves onto her. Concubines are also similar to prostitutes because they are usually just for sex and from sex are expected to give birth to boys. The whole idea is just very depressing.
Fake Pearls?? Oh No You Didn't!
Chapter: Magpies
1. I really liked this chapter although in the beginning story was pretty sad. An-Mei had such a harsh, twisted family. The memory of An-Mei’s mother at the pond was kind of weird. When the turtle ate her tears and started explaining how he felt her sorrow, it showed what kind of things the Chinese believe in. I thought it was pretty sad that her uncle made her mother choose between taking An-Mei and being totally doomed and banished from the family. Once they left the family’s home, I believed they were going to have a better life together, but that idea was turned completely around. The second wife was a horrible person. To give a kid a fake pearl necklace, you have to be a pretty sick person! She was really shady too. She switched places with Wu Tsing and let him rape An-Mei’s mom! What a creep…
2. The relationship between An-Mei’s mom and the Second wife is really depressing. The Second Wife is so mean and nasty towards the mother. The thing is is that the mother doesn’t and can’t stand up for herself because she is the lowest wife of the house. The Second wife throws her around like a rag doll. She doesn’t respect the mother nor does the mother respect her, so that makes a bigger conflict.
3. Like I mentioned in my first paragraph, Chinese culture is apparent in the beginning of the chapter. When An-Mei’s mother speaks about how she cried at the pond, she says a turtle came up from the pond and ate her tears. Also the turtle speaks to her and tells her that her tears are filled with sorrow. After spitting out the tears the turtle says that if she keeps crying then her life will be filled with sadness. I thought this showed how the Chinese believe in such stories as those.
Learning to Shout
Chapter: Magpies
1)Wow, although a long chapter, it wasn't tedious to read at all. I enjoyed learning about An Mei's mother and the hardships faced throughout her life. After reading, I felt sorry for An Mei's mother and how she was tricked and deceived by the cruel Second Wife. It also saddened me because even in the end, Second Wife staged another fake suicide, thus not allowing An Mei's mother to receive her second household. Throughout reading, I detest Second Wife because she such a fake, evil woman who gets her way more than she deserves. One thing I liked was how An Mei stood up for herself by crushing Second Wife's pearls at the end.
2)An Mei & Mother
The two share are loving, understanding relationship where both deeply care for one another. When An Mei receives the necklace from second wife, her mother discourages An Mei from liking Second Wife which proves to be wise and helpful advice. After An Mei's mother dies, An Mei crushes the pearl necklace and stands up for herself using the strength of both herself and her mother within her.
3) Reading this chapter taught me a lot about Chinese Culture, particularly that of Chinese women. I had no idea of the whole concubine, widow scheme. I learned that concubines were very much present but disrespected unless you were the first wife, who gets to exert power over all the other women. I also learned how much love Chinese women have for their children, enough to sacrifice their own lives. Another aspect of Chinese culture I learned was how much superstitious beliefs played in daily life. Wu Tsing was afraid of An Mei's mother's spirit, this causing him to promote her children .
Magic Turtle!
1)I thought that this chapter was very sad because of how it explained her life. I thought that even though the mother did lower herself to becoming a concubine, the family should have at least been a little supportive of her. I think that if she had told the family how and what had happened that night, then maybe they would not have thrown her out. I think it was sad how she had to leave her younger brother behind with her mean aunt and uncle. I don’t understand how or when Yan Chang started to work for her mother.
2)I think that the relationship between her mother and the second wife was full of hatred and loath. An-Mei’s mother was always looking out for An-Mei and how she was treated by second wife. “I will not let her buy you for such a cheap price” (page 260), her mother somehow knew that it was a fake necklace even though it could fool somewhat like An-Mei. Also I think how they met was terrible, meeting only on the boat because of how she looked so that they could scam her into becoming a concubine.
3)Conflict:
I think that the main problem in this story was man vs. society, with the society being the whole Wu Tsing family and her own family as well. I think that this is the main conflict because this has all of the problems in it, with her becoming a concubine, her getting rejected by her family, and her life and how little a position she has. I think that the main problem in this part was her position and how she did not like it, but she needed more so she could ensure a better life for An-Mei.
-Aaron Ly
Turtle Turtle Turtle
Magpies
1.Reaction:
This vignette was very intriguing. An-Mei Hsu made a big decision althought she was just 9. I liked how they went back to her story told in the first 4 vignettes, it was easier to understand. I also felt sorry for An-Mei's mother. She was shunned from her family, forced to leave her other son behind. I hated the Second wife, she was so clever at getting what she wanted. She tricked all of the wives especially An-mei's mother. I thought it was cruel how she would trick such an innocent woman, even when it's her husband that she's making An-Mei's mother sleep with. Wu Tsing is a pig. He just keeps sleeping with women without love for them. It was sad how An-Mei was woken up in the middle of the night, just so Wu Tsing could "sleep" with her mother. It was clever of An-Mei's mother to commit suicide just before the new year. She left An-mei well off, with a wealth from Wu Tsing. This particular vignette reminded me about "The Good Earth." How the farmer became rich, and began sleeping with concubines and forgetting his first wife.
2.An-Mei and her mother
An-Mei and her mother have a typical mother-daughter relationship. But An-mei's mother changes into a different person when Wu Tsing arrived at home. Her mother just doesn't want An-mei to know the shame she is going through. But although her mother tries to hide it, An-mei sees it all.
3. From this vignette, I learned a lot about chinese culture. I learned that Chinese culture is based around honor. An-Mei's mother was shunned by her family because she became a concubine which is considered low. They also believe in spirits. They believe that if someone dies angry, the debt has to be settled or else the angry spirit will come back to haunt whoever made the spirit unhappy.
Who knew magpies were birds.
1. I was glad that An-Mei left with her mother, I know it was a very hard decision for her. But her mother seemed like a good person. And China is kind of sad, well if it's still the same as back then. The men marry the women for "position." What if they don't even like each other? That's kind of pathetic. And there's so many wives, it's kind of gross. And Second Wife is the worst. She pretended to committ suicide, that's pretty lame. But the worst part, in my opinion, was when Second Wife took An-Mei's mother's baby and said he was her own. That is just wow. Unbelievable, what kind of a person would do that? I feel so sorry for An-Mei's mother, she has to watch that woman with HER child everyday. I thought this was a really good chapter, it was really...wow.
2. An-Mei and her mother seem to have a very good relationship. Even though she hasn't been there most of her life, An-Mei seems to like her mother more than any other family member she has. Her mother is always protective of her and very caring. Like when her mother warned her of Second Wife, she was afraid her daughter would fall into her trap. But An-Mei's mother helped her and everything turned out fine. Even though her mother isn't the best of all role models, she is still a good mother to her daughter, someone she can actually look up to, despite all her troubles in the past.
3. In "Magpies," I learned a lot about Chinese marriages. A man would marry and marry, and his wives would vary greatly in age. He could be decades older than her, and it would still be considered normal in that time. And they didn't even marry them because they loved them, I thought that part was the most bizzare. Also, I learned that you can have 5 concubines but only 4 wives. That confused me a bit, but I soon understood. Chinese marriages are very unusual compared to the marriages I'm used to.
marriage
magpies
1) An-mei had to make a big choice and i wonder if she ever regreted it. She left her aunt, uncle and little brother crying to start a new life with her mother. The trip was long and her mom was becoming less cool as the day went by. At the house there lived so many ladies. How could they all stand sharing the same guy. An meis mom was cool in the begining but then she killed herself. That was a weird ending to her life. She must have gotten that from second mother though. im glad that the old lady was put in her place when an mei learned to speak out.
2)I would put an mei and her mother together. An mei is young though everuthing her mother does effects her deeply. Her mother thinks she is making the choices for her daughters benefit but she is really hurting. The fact that the mother kills herself shows that both she didn;t care much about an mei to stick around or that she loved her so much that taking herself away was the only solution. There relation can go back in forth but both learned much from each other. An mei learned what is "genuine" and what wasn't.
3) I learned a lot about chinease culture. I cant believe that women married for position. I would never marry a guy who was much older and already had three wifes. Things were different but still that is wrong. After the guy pretty much raped her she should have left but instead she came back and married him. That is something i would never have expected. Now in days you could remarry a bunch of times so things have really changed since then
Magpies
"sz tai"
1) reaction: By the time I finished reading this chapter I liked it. I wasn't sure what to make of the "Chinese way" that An-Mei talked about in the begining of the chapter but I think her comparison to the stairs all leading the same way put it in perspective. The "Chinese way" might refer to the direction of the stairs, possibly down because of the negative things that happen throughout the vingettes that pull the characters down. It's their way to overcome these things and strive onward. But the stairs have to continue downwards in order to walk up... (this is where I worked myself into a circle and notice that stairs dont go up OR down they go up AND down.........)
Also the story about the turtles and the magpies; I thought the story was very cynical but had truth to it. Some people harm people in order to get ahead in life; to make themselves happy. For instance, there is a reason we call people "sharks" in the cut-throat business world. I really liked how Amy Tan showed the relationship between An-Mei and her mother.
2) relationship: An-Mei and her mother care for each other very deeply. An-Mei trusts and loves her mother enough to disguard all of her other relatives' comments and follows her mother. When the second wife tricks An-Mei with the pearls and misleads her to think she is a good person An-Mei's mother shows her what the pearls are really made of- same goes for second wife's character. When An-Mei finds that her half brother is actually her brother she sees her mom in a new dim light. Her mother has had a harsh life, and the sad things still happened to her.
3) thingymabob: External conflict is shown throughout the chapter but internal is more prominant. An-Mei is nearly stopped by her other relatives from joining her mother and then once she has, An-Mei questions how far she is willing to go with her mother, and becomes frightened. An-Mei wondered whether or not she made the right decision, but this is resolved with her mother's guiding hand, stories and a new western style dress. When An-Mei's mother becomes saddened by Wu Tsing's taking another wife, she isn't sure why. This leads to more discomfort in the household.
Salt in Your Wounds, Salt in Your Tears
Magpies: Queen Mother of the Western Skies
While I was reading I kept trying to keep in mind what I'd read about An-Mei in the chapters she previously appeared in as an important character, which was hard. It was also hard to keep track of which Wife had which children and to remember which story went with each Wife--I had to read that passage twice. Anyway, I think it's disgusting how Wu Tsing treated his wives, how Second Wife controlled Wu Tsing (and all the other Wives), how many Wives Wu Tsing HAD, and that he just "went" to them whenever he wanted. Ugh. One of the great sad passages is when Second Wife is bouncing Syaudi on her lap and talking to him like Syaudi was her own. I can't imagine how much that tears An-Mei's mother up. Oh, before I forget, I'm not sure why First Wife is so passive. Is it because she's depressed that her daughters were "deformed"? Also, "one leg too short"?...?? Is that just because First Wife is extremely judgmental and a snobby perfectionist?...sorry. Or is her daughter actually disabled? Why did First Wife and Wu Tsing get married anyway? Well, all considered, I enjoyed this chapter because it was like a chunk of gossip is story format.
The relationship between Second Wife and An-mei's mother is a dictatorship. Second Wife has more authority and so can say and do whatever she wants and An-Mei's mother can't do anything about it because she's on a lower rank than Second Wife. Second Wife is conceited, selfish, and greedy, taking An-Mei's mother's baby boy just for the benefits and recognition that comes with bearing a boy. An-mei's mother is a pawn in Second Wife's plan to take over Wu Tsing's household.
d I learned that in Chinese culture, magpies are little birds from a story that eat people's tears and feed on their sorrow like people who feel better about themselves when they see someone hurting. I also learned that husbands can have much more than one wife and that the latter wives are considered more like prostitutes and have less power in the household. Marriages, especially those with more than one wife, are not usually based on love and are made more on the objective of continuing a man's line through sons. To have sons is also good for the wife. When a relative dies, one wears white. Foru is also an unlucky number and the way to say it in Chinese-"sz"-sounds like the word for death which is also "sz".
Turtle+tears=magpies!
Magpies
1/ I enjoyed reading this chapter, even though it was one of the longer chapters in the book. In this chapter, I hated Second’s wife’s character and personality. She is a con and a very manipulative person. She forces An-Mei’s mother to marry Wu Tsing by tricking her into sleeping with him. She cons Wu Tsing out of her money by faking her suicides. She manipulates An-Mei into liking her by giving her a fake pearl necklace. Lastly, she does another fake suicide in order to persuade Wu Tsing into not letting An-Mei’s mom have her own household. It was sad to see that in order for An-Mei’s mother to make sure that her daughter had a good life under Second wife manipulative character, she had to kill herself.
2/ The relationship between Second wife and An-Mei’s mother is one of hate. An-Mei’s mother was deceived into marrying Wu Tsing by Second wife and when she bears his son, Second wife takes him as her own. I would think that if someone was tricked into doing something they didn’t want to do or took her child away from her, she would absolutely loathe that person. Second wife also attempts to win An-Mei over from her mother with a fake pearl necklace. I would think that An-Mei’s mother would take as an insult that Second wife thinks that her daughter could be bought by something so cheap and worthless. Since a daughter is the reflection of her own mother, this also shows how Second wife thinks of her.
3/ The main thing I learned about Chinese culture was the role of women in Chinese society back then. I learned that in China, men were able to have multiple spouses/concubines. I also learned that if a woman’s husband died, that woman could not take another spouse. Another thing I got from this chapter was that woman married men for power and money. If a woman wanted to have a higher position in society, she would marry a man with money and land. I also learned that the First wife had all the power over the other wife’s.
Mother or Brother
Magpies
1. I thought this chapter was really good. It was sad how An-Mei had to choose her mother or her brother and aunt at such a young age. I felt sorry for An-Mei’s mother because she was kind of forced into being a concubine and than was rejected from her family. When the second wife gave An-Mei the necklace of pearls she seemed really nice but it turned out she was just trying to manipulate everyone. I thought it was brave of An-Mei’s mother to kill herself to give her children a better life. The ending was good because An-Mei finally learned to speak up for herself.
2. The relationship between An-Mei and her mother was full of love and compassion. In the beginning An-Mei didn’t know who her mother was but they learned to lovve each other. Her mother is very protective to An-Mei. When Second Wife gives her the necklace of pearls her mother tells her not to trust Second Wife. Her mother tells An-Mei, “she is trying to trick you, so you will do anything for her,” and then shows An-Mei that the pearls are fake. An-Mei’s mother just wants the best for her daughter. When An-Mei’s mother sees that her position in the house is falling she knows that An-Mei’s position will fall as well. So she kills herself to ensure her daughter will be given a respected rank in the household and protect her from Second Wife.
3. I learned a lot about Chinese culture from this chapter. I learned that people married for position and that the first wife had all had the more power than the other wives did. I also learned that it is disrespectful for a widow to remarry. Concubines tried to marry rich people so they could have money and a high position. There were also more superstitions in this chapter when Wu Tsing was afraid of the ghost of An-Mei’s mother. He thought, “the soul comes back to settle scores,” so he had to give An-Mei a good position.
“Come Stop Your Crying” (From Tarzan)
Magpies
1. Overall, I liked this chapter. I liked the story about the turtle and all of the gossip Yan told her. The beginning was interesting because of the choice Uncle gave An-Mei. It didn’t surprise me when she choose to go with her mother because young children always want to be around their parents as much as possible. That scene made me think of what people will give up just to be closer to their family. An-Mei gave up her life with the people she grew up with just to move in with who she considered her family, her mother. I wish Tan would write about what happened to An-Mei after her mother died. Would she be allowed to live in the house, or would she be sent someplace else?
2. An-Mei and Yan are like best friends. Even though Yan has to take care of her, Yan still has fun with An-Mei and tells her stories like her mother. Yan helps An-Mei see the house differently, just how friends change other friends to become better, or wiser. If Yan and An-Mei did not talk to each other then she might have thought her mother was trying to kill herself with the opium. An-Mei benefited more with having a friendship with Yan.
3. Tan uses several metaphors to help create the setting and to describe how An-Mei feels. When An-Mei receives her white dress, it is too big for her. An-Mei thinks that her new life with her mom will be easy to fit into, a perfect fit. But like the dress, An-Mei learns new thinks about ignoring people and objects and has to adjust her life in order to fit in. During the winter, Tan says that the beggars were dusty with snow. At first when my eyes only read “dusty,” it confirmed my thought of them being homeless because they could not was their clothes. Then when my eyes read “cover of snow,” I realized that the people where not only homeless, but were also freezing. Tans comparison of dust and snow perfectly fit the description of the setting.
Don’t Take That Opium!- “Magpies”
1) I thought this chapter was a little boring because it did not have much action. However, I did think it was interesting to learn about the customs of the people. I thought it was very sad that An-Mei’s aunt and uncle did not welcome her mother to the house anymore, especially after learning about how the mother was forced into marrying Wu Tsing. I thought Wu Tsing was really mean and kind of stupid because he kept listening to second wife when she told him to take on more wives. This was really sad to me because the wives did not get much out of their lives even though they did get riches. They were never really free to make their own choices and lived in fear of second wife, who was very cruel and only cared about herself.
2) An-Mei and her mother’s relationship is very interesting in this chapter because of the way they live. At first, the mom does not live with An-Mei and she is left in the care of her grandma and aunt and uncle. They care for her until her mom, who is a disgrace to the family, returns home to say goodbye to the dying grandma. I thought it was very heartwarming when An-Mei follows her mother away, even if she had never really known her. This act is a good example of a mother-daughter bond. At first the readers do not know why the mother is a disgrace to the family, but later they learn that it was never really her fault. This made my respect for the mom go up and I thought she did a good job in protecting her daughter from then on. An-Mei and her mom live in the rich household pretty comfortably, or so the mom makes An-Mei think. This makes me believe that the mom was really trying to protect An-Mei and it made their relationship stronger.
3) I learned that in the Chinese culture it is forbidden to marry twice. An-Mei’s family disowns her mom when she happens to marry another man after her husband dies. I also learned that the men were able to have more than one wife and they were set up in ranks. The first wife was traditionally supposed to control the other wives, who lived in the house only to serve the husband, who was often times rich. Opium was popular to take and the second wife used it to get her way with the husband by faking suicide. Sons were not to leave their house because they would not be able to find a place to live. Only daughters could go away and live with another family. It was also very important to have sons so they could take on the family name.
"Swallow Your Tears"
Chapter: Magpies
1. I liked this chapter. I seem to like the stories from An-mei and her daughter Rose, for some reason. Anyway, An-mei's childhood was very sad. It made me kind of depressed to read about how her mother had to go through all those troubles. It also touched me to read how An-mei's mother gave up so much to give her daughter the most she could get for her.
2. I want to talk about the relationship between An-mei and her mother. An-mei loves her mother and has respect for her despite what everyone says. This is shown in the quote, "She did not look evil. I wanted to touch her face, the one that looked like mine." An-mei still wanted to reach out to her mother even though she wasn't allowed to. However, An-mei's mother felt differently. An-mei's mother loved An-mei, but she was ashamed of her state. She says, "Do you see how shameful my life is? Do you see how I have no position? ... You can see now, a fourth wife is less than a fifth wife. An-mei, you must not forget. I was a first wife, yi tai, the wife of a scholar. You mother was not always Fourth Wife, Sz Tai!" An-mei's mother loves her daughter and wants the best for her always. She brings her to the new home and sacrifices herself to seal her daughter's fate, but in her eyes, she will always see herself as a shameful woman, and she is somewhat afraid to lift her head up in front of An-mei because of her status.
3. (How does this chapter relate to the opening allegory?) This chapter relates to the opening allegory in one way. In the opening allegory, the grandmother tells the baby that she taught her daughter to lose innocence quickly so that she would not be hurt by reality and its pains. The grandmother is like An-mei, who has tried to raise her daughter to be opposite of herself so that she would not be hurt. However, An-mei fails, and Rose ends up weak like An-mei.
Michelle H.
Be Loud
1. I would give this chapter a thumb in the middle. It was kind of boring and bland at first. It was repeating things from the last chapter about An-mei. I wondered if An-mei’s mother was a concubine for Ying Ying’s father because in the previous chapters it that said he had some. The part about the fox shawl was a little disturbing. I never knew that fur was used liked that in the past. An-mei’s mother seemed to be treated nice only until the second wife came home. Wu Tsing seems like a very pompous person who only feels like that because of his money. He also probably wouldn’t survive without his money and no one would like him. In the scene where An-mei had to go to Yan Chang’s room, I felt bad for her and disgusted that she had to experience that. I thought that second wife acted strangely because she feels the need to show who is boss to the other concubines since the first wife had problems. It was nice that the second wife arranged it so the other concubines could marry Wu Tsing, but it also wasn’t a good idea. He has too many wives. It was mean how the second wife got An-mei’s mother to be a concubine. People can do really crazy things. When Yan Chang told An-Mei the true story it wasn’t a good idea because she probably lost her innocence at that moment.
2. An-mei’s mother, Taitai, and the second wife don’t have any kind of relationship at all. They just both share the same husband. Second wife tricked Taitai into being with Wu Tsing just so he could have a son and not spend a lot of money. On page 260 it clearly says that Taitai “did not like second wife.” Taitai was shamed into marrying Wu Tsing and had her only son with him taken away. Second wife controls everything in the house, even the other concubines. She is probably making everyone else angry with her tyranny. She was able to convince Wu Tsing to not give Taitai her own house just by pretending to commit suicide. Taitai has to be furious at that. So these two ladies are different and don’t like each other, even though they live under the same roof.
3. The conflict in this chapter is internal. Second wife is very sneaky at what she does. An-mei’s mother probably resents her for tricking her into being with Wu Tsing. Even though she is not happy, she keeps it all inside of her. When second wife gives An-mei the necklace, her mother “shrinks away” and “keeps quiet.” She wants to say something but can’t because she is in a lower position that second wife. She is fighting the urge to fight back internally. The tension between the two women build up until An-mei’s mother dies.
Silent Tears – “Magpies”
1. I give this chapter two thumbs up. It was interesting to read how Tan described the life of the concubines and the hardships they had to face with Second Wife. I hated how Second Wife manipulated the other wives’ circumstances for her own selfishness. She tricked the other wives to become wives for Wu Tsing, took away An-Mei’s brother and made him her own, and pretended to suicide to make Wu Tsing listen to her. It was also very touching when An-Mei’s mother committed suicide to ensure An-Mei with a better life.
2. The relationship between An-Mei and her mother is filled with love. Although An-Mei thought her mother was a stranger at first, she knew that this stranger was her mother because “[she] could feel her pain.” Then, when An-Mei’s mother gave An-Mei the choice of either going with her to Tsientsin or staying with her uncle and aunt, An-Mei decided to go with her mother even though she “could not keep [her] head lifted.” At the mansion, An-Mei realized that all the stories her mother said to were her true and she was fascinated with this new life. Then, finally, when An-Mei’s mother sacrificed her life to give a better one to An-Mei
3. I learned a lot about Chinese culture from this chapter such as their belief in ghosts, use of suicide as revenge, and importance of position and power. I didn’t know that they believed in ghosts and that the spirit would “scatter tea leaves and good fortune.” Then, using suicide as revenge because it is believed that “on the third day after someone dies, the soul comes back to settle scores.” Also, An-Mei’s uncle and aunt didn’t like her mother because she became a concubine and treated her horribly calling her “decayed flesh, evil, rotted to the bone.”
The Truth
Magpies
1)I thought this was one of the sad chapters. An- Mei got to know the truth about her mother and her actions. She knows how much she was suffering while the rest of her family puts her down. It wasn’t entirely her mother’s fault for falling into the trap of staying for the night but it was also her decision to stay. It was a good chapter because everything is revealed and the misunderstanding is cleared up in An-Mei’s heart. Even though her family will never understand why her mother left the family, An-Mei will understand.
2)An-Mei and her mother has a typical mother-daughter relationship. An-Mei wanted to go with her mother and she did. When they were both at the new house, they got along. But what made their relationship seem real was when An-Mei was given a pearl necklace from the second wife. An-Mei’s mother taught An-Mei a lesson by stepping on a pearl and by proving to her how “fake” the second wife can be. It had to be proven to her because An-Mei chose not to believe her because it was like one of many complaints her mother said. It also shows that their relationship is real because in the end, An-mei comes to realize how much her mother was suffering and how she didn’t step up for herself. An-Mei and her mother both love each other and even though her mother died, her strength is given to An-Mei.
3)There is Chinese culture in this chapter and it focuses on concubines. The husband is allowed ot marry as many wives as he wishes and the women can do nothing about it. In this chapter, Wu Tsing has a total of 6 wives. I also learned that some wives competed with each other and some were scared of others. In this chapter, the second wife seemed to be taking control over everyone, even the husband. She would pretend to suicide and get what she wants. She persuaded her husnabd to marry the third and fourth wife and she took the fourth wife’s baby. I learned that all the wives live under the same roof even though there may be some little arguments.
“Can YOU Handle the Truth?”
“Magpies”
1.Reaction- I loved how this chapter kept me very interested in the resolution. The fact that An-mei left with her mother allowed her to learn about her mother's life. I felt bad for An-mei's little brother that was left with her aunt and uncle in Ningpo. The more I kept reading and kept finding out more things about Second Wife and Wu Tsing, the more I wanted them to just disappear from the story. The fact that Second Wife claimed An-mei's little brother was plainly messed up. I felt really bad for An-mei's mother because she was never really loved by anyone; her family disowned her, her husband just used her for his pleasure, and the people she lived with her were just there. I understood why she would have committed suicide, but I still don't think it was a good idea, especially since An-mei was with her in Wu Tsing's house.
2.I really like the relationship between An-mei and her mother. Although she didn't know her mother for so long of her life, An-mei agreed to leave with her, and she really trusted her mother with her life. She got to know her mother more and more along the way to Tientsin, and when they were “home,” An-mei really trusted her mother. Throughout the chapter, An-mei and her mother don't fight, and their relationship is very tight-knit and close.
3.In this chapter, I learned more about the Chinese culture of marriage. First, a woman cannot remarry, even if she is left a widow. An-mei's mother broke this cultural “rule” and remarried to be a concubine. Also, many men married countless amount of women to bear him children and to pleasure him. An-mei's mother was the third concubine to Wu Tsing, which doesn't mean much. She was pretty much only there for Wu Tsing's pleasure, and the rest of the time, she could be considered invisible.
Die!Die!Die!
1. I felt bad that An-Mei's little brother never got to know his mom because he was never allowed to live with her. This story portrays how helpless women were and how much position affected everyone's lives. An - Mei's mother made a wise a choice to commit suicide because she her life was full of pain anyways. By doing that, she created a better life for her daughter and even gained a better position. I like this story because it portrays how MUCH sorrow the mothers in Joy Luck had to swallow.
2. An - Mei and second wife have a very spiteful relationship. Actually, the spite is only caused by second wife. She steps on other people and ruins their lives, makes them miserable so she can gain something by it. Although An-Mei's mother hates second wife for ruining her life, she quietly does what she is told. Because "how could a worthless widow accuse a rich woman of lying?" Their positions led them to their fates.
3. On page 247, An- Mei describes how her mother changed with the sea as they sailed closer to Tientsin. "..the waters changed from muddy yellow to black.." It fills the reader with dread at whats to come. Amy Tan's word choice in this scene created a serious, chilling mood.
cared"Turtles talk and eat tears? Amazing!"
1) I liked this chapter a lot because it was really interesting and pretty easy to understand. I felt bad for An-Mei's mother because her son was taken away from her and Wu Tsing promised her a house, but didn't give it to her. Although the chapter was good, I think it ended to early. I wanted to know a little more about An-Mei and her little brother's life after her mom died.An-Mei learned to speak up for herself, like Rose did. I think that is why An-Mei wanted Rose to speak up for herself in the "Without Wood" chapter.
2)Second Wife and the other characters:
Second Wife isn't a very good person. She has a lot of tricks and is very smart. She would always "pretend suicide" whenever Wu Tsing didn't give her money. She knew that he believed that she would come back and haunt him if she suicided. Second Wife also didn't want Wu Tsing to spend all his money at the tea houses, so she arranged for Wu Tsing to marry Third Wife. Second Wife also tricked An-Mei's mother into thinking that she was nice and she took advantage of An-Mei's mother's situation. Second Wife also gave An-Mei a fake pearl necklace, which she thought was real. Second Wife's is a very tricky and conniving person. She knows how to munipulate the other charaters.
3)I learned a lot about Chinese culture in this chapter. My mom told me about paying all debts before the lunar new year or else you'll have bad luck, that's similar to what was said in the chapter. I also learned the that Chinese women married for position. It was interesting learn this because I didn't know.
The life of a Concubine
(chapter: Magpie)
1.Thoughts
I couldn't help but pity An-Mei Hsu in this chapter and "Scar." Not only did her Popo pass away, but she also had a wicked aunt and a foolish mother. Her irresponsible mother abandoned An- Mei for many years, came back to take her away from her family like nothing had happened, and then ended up abandoning her again! It seemed like An-Mei just kept getting scarred. To me,An-Mei Hsu had the worst of luck in this novel.
2.Relationships
Despite their complicated past. An-Mei and her mother seemed to get along well with each other. Her mother showed no sign of hatred towards An-Mei and treated her like a true mother would have treated her daughter. An-Mei's mother watched over her protectively, teaching An-Mei about value and about people. Her mother taught her how to distinguish valuable jewelry so that she would not be easily deceived by the Second Wife.
3. Chinese Culture
This chapter really is an eye-opener into the life of concubines in the early 1900's. As described by Tan, back then, concubines were indeed viewed to be in equal par with prostitutes. A widow who has abandoned her household to be a concubine held no one's respect, were shunned. Their mere existence was seen as a disgrace to the Chinese community of that time.
false truth
Magpies
1. I really liked this chapter because it kept me interested the entire time. My favorite part was when you find out what the real reason was for An-Mei's mother becoming a concubine. The Second Wife is devious and evil. How could she have claimed An-Mei's mother's son as her own? Why did Wu Tsing let her anyway? Did he not care at all? I also thought it was mean of her to give An-Mei a fake pearl necklace. However, I liked how An-Mei crushed it beneath her foot right in front of the Second wife's face shortly after her mother died.
2. An-Mei's mother and the Second wife's relationship was one that was only maintained on the surface level. Up front everything seemed normal however,behind the scenes the second wife was extremely deceitful and tricky. An-Mei's mother hated the Second wife and how she tired to "buy [An-Mei] for such a cheap price (260).
3. Through this chapter I learned a lot about the Chinese culture. I learned that concubines were not considered to be as low as prostitute. However, both positions were looked down upon equally. I also learned that if a woman became a concubine, her family would most likely throw her out of the house. Lastly, I learned that women married for position and not love.
�If You Cry, Your Life Will Always Be Sad�:
1) Reactions to �Magpies�:
I liked this chapter a lot. I think it gives a nice moral when the turtle preaches, �If you cry, your life will always be sad.(Tan 243)� I think it really describes how An-Mei�s mother felt when she went to the Six Harmonies Pagoda to tell about her husband�s philosophies in Buddhism, instead of simply mourning her husband, she tried to continue his legacy. I think An-Mei always loved her husband, because never once did she talk back to her in-laws about their accusations in respect for her husband. I thought that was very noble of her. I was a little confused, however, about how all the wives were wearing big, furry, Western dresses and how they came about them.
2) Relationships in �Magpies�:
In this chapter, the biggest relationship is that of An-Mei and her mother, �Taitai.� Overall, their relationship can best be described as a master taking an apprentice under their wing. For example, AN-Mei receives many morals and hidden secrets in the stories that she shares with her daughter, like when Taitai tells An-Mei about the turtle that she talked to and how he told her not to sit around and cry about something, or how she taught An-Mei to be diligent and careful of who she trusts, like when Second Wife gives her a fake necklace to gain her trust and tells her, �(not) to lose (herself) to something false,(Tan 261).� She also shared her knowledge of each of the three concubines, and how each had their faults.
3) Essential Questions in �Magpies�:
In Chinese custom, I learned that the earlier concubine you become to a Chinese husband, the more power you have in the household. I also learned that in China, most people are Buddhist and believe in nirvana after death, and dress their dead according to these beliefs.
Magpies
Memoirs of a Concubine
1) This chapter so far is my favorite out of the entire book, because it was interesting and colorful. The second wife's personaility reminded me a lot of the character, Hatsumomo, from Memoirs of a Geisha. I give this chapter two thumbs up because it was interesting to learn about Chinese concubines and their positions.
2)The relationship between An-mei and her mother is very loving. They were barely a part of each other's lives but it took a lot of trust and sacrifice for them to be together. An-Mei left her brother and family for a life with her mother she knows almost nothing about. The bond between is so powerful, An-mei is able to trust her mom. An-Mei's mom killed herself in order to create a better position for her daughter and make up for all the shame she has, even though An-Mei's mom rarely raised An-mei. The life An-mei had with her mother took away her innocence revealing her many truths.
3)This chapter was very colorful and it talks about a lot of the Chinese culture and superstitions. Concubines have certain positions and usually the first wife has seniority over the other wives. Concubines don't marry for love, but for the money and position, even if it means they would be shunned from their family and community. Superstitions played a big role in the characters' lives. For example, Wu Tsing was so scared of vengeful ghosts that he falls for Second Wife's "pretend-suicides" and for An-mei's mother's intentions for killing herself.
"Tearful Turtles"
"Magpies"
1. I give this chapter thumbs up because it taught me a lot about life as a concubine. This vignette was a bit confusing with all the wives but I was able to manage until the end. Even though it is bad for a son to go to someone else's house, I think it would have been a better decision for An-mei's mother to bring her son along with her so An-mei would have someone to accompany her. I couldn't believe that the second wife would do such a thing to An-mei's mother and trick her into sleeping with Wu Tsing.
2. The relationship between An-mei and her mother is very loving and caring. Even though An-mei's mother had left her, when she came back to take her along, An-mei agreed. Her mother wanted her to have a better life by letting her stay in Wu Tsing's house that is so grand and fancy. An-mei's mother also protected her from the second wife. "I will not let her buy you for such a cheap price" (260) had been said by her mother because Second Wife had given An-mei a pearl necklace but her mother knew that it was a trick. In order to protect An-mei from the second wife, she shows her that the peal necklace is fake by breaking it.
3. This chapter has taught me a lot about Chinese culture dealing with concubines. It is sad to learn that men in China could have as many wives as they liked. I learned that the wives would do anything just to be the wife with most respect. For example, Second Wife had taken An-mei's mother's son away from her so she could claim that it is hers. By that, I also learned that having a son is better than having a daughter. I abhor the idea of having concubines.
If Only
1. Two thumbs up! This chapter was very detailed and easy to understand for me so i really it. Throughout this chapter I felt pity for poor little An-Mei, she is only 9 years old and has to deal with so much. She has to deal with the fact that her mother has come back "from the dead" and her family hating her mother. When she really does choose her mother over them she is told never to come back and that she will never be able to raise her head high. One thing that made me so angry in this chapter was when second wife took An-mei's mother's baby son. She planned and manipulated for theat boy and definitely did not deserve him.
2. The main relationship was between An-Mei and her mother. Their relationship was pretty intense considering all the hardships they went through together. First off with all the crazy stuff with An-Mei's family hating her mother, then with her mother being the lowest concubine. An-Mei's mother is also extremely protective of her daughter. One example of this is when second wife gives An-Mei a "pearl" neckalce with ends up being made of glass. Her mother breaks the necklace just like she wanted to break any tie with An-Mei the second wife had.
3. Every chapter in this book is filled with Chinese culture. In this chapter I learned that chinese men at that time could have multiple wives. This is a very strange thing to do and I would think that the women would not want to marry a man who already has a wife or two. Another interesting thing is that the First wife has all the power in the household, which makes sense because she was the first to be in that place.
“Worthless Pearls”-“Magpies”
1. What a fascinating chapter! I really enjoyed reading it from start to finish! I feel terrible about An-Mei’s mother’s life because it was so difficult and filled with so much pain and grief. She didn’t have a say in her life and because of Second Wife’s greed, An-Mei’s mother was banned from her family, separated from her children, and forced to live under a dreadful roof. Although it was sad that her mother died, I wasn’t surprised that it happened, and I was also a little glad that she no longer had to suffer like she did when she was still breathing. It’s quite amazing how attached An-Mei was to her mother after being separated from her for so many years, but I guess that’s how strong a mother-daughter bond truly is.
2. The relationship between An-Mei and Yan Chang is that of two close friends. As soon as they meet when An-Mei and her mother reach Tientsin, Yan Chang greats them and is very friendly towards An-Mei. The night that Wu Tsing goes into An-Mei’s mother’s room, she welcomed An-Mei, and when it was cold, they would spend time together. They roasted chestnuts on top of the little coal stove, and she would tell An-Mei the story of An-Mei’s mother’s life, even when others kept the truth from her. They spent time together and enjoyed each others company, just as two good friends do.
3. In this chapter, I learned a lot about the Chinese culture. First of all, in those times, men were allowed to marry more than one wife, and it was acceptable. It’s a lot different from how our society is today because most people today wouldn’t be very understand of that kind of relationship, especially the women, because I know that I wouldn’t want to get married to a man with four other wives. But in the Chinese culture, it was acceptable, and the men married their wives simply for reasons unrelated to love. The first wife always holds all the power in the household, because she is the first and original wife, and after her, the power decreases with the increasing number of concubines the man has. When a woman is widowed, she it is unacceptable for her to marry another man, and women married men for higher positions in the society. This is very interesting and different from our culture today.
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Multiple Concubines
“Magpies”
1. This was a very interesting chapter. I felt sad for An-mei when she had to choose between her mother and the rest of her family. I think this is a huge decision for a child to make and it was selfish for her mother to ask her to sacrifice her whole childhood. The one thing that An-Mei will regret the rest of her life is never seeing her brother again. Second wife was extremely smart, especially how she faked suicide attempts. I couldn’t believe that it was her fault that An-Mei had to marry Wu Tsing. But, I didn’t understand why An-Mei’s mother didn’t just leave the house and never return, but instead, got married. It shocked me when An-Mei’s mother killed herself and I never realized why she did so. Also, Yan Chang shouldn’t have told An-Mei about all the stories of her mother beucase she was still a child and was trying to get reunited with her mother.
2. An-Mei and Second wife’s relationship changes throughout the course of the story. At first, An-Mei admires Second wife and looks up to her, especially after she gave her the pearl necklace. Then, An-Mei finds out that the pearl necklace is not real and Yan Chang tells her of all the evil stories. After all that, An-Mei no longer appreciates Second Wife and looks down upon her; in the end of the vignette, she “showed Second Wife the fake pearl necklace she had given [her] and crushed it under [her] foot” (272).
3. I learned a lot about Chinese culture in this vignette. It is possible for a wealthy man, like Wu Tsing, to get as many concubines and he’ll be praised for it but if a woman becomes a concubine, she is disgraces and embarrassed. Also, I learned that boys are worth more than girls. Wu Tsing wishes for a boy and when An-Mei’s mother gets one, Second Wife takes it.
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High on some O(pium)!
"Magpies"
I like this story, but I think it’s pretty crazy. People around An-Mei never seem to be happy, because her family is always fighting and arguing against her mom. She feels guilty that her dad knows when she does something bad, and when she leaves with her mom, there’s plenty more arguing then too. On the trip, although she’s happy for a few short days, things quickly turn bad again on the way home, as they have to get themselves a rickshaw, and her mom snaps at her on the way home. Throughout her stay there, her mom’s not happy, and she’s sad when Wu Tsing comes to her at night. Luckily for An-Mei, her mom sacrifices her life to make sure An-Mei is treated better. Wu Tsing takes better care of her, and An-Mei begins to rebel. I like the ending of the story, when the peasants have enough and just give it to the magpies, killing them all!
The relationship between Second Wife and the rest of the household as a whole is very manipulative. She does her pretend-suicides to extract more money from Wu Tsing, and brings in new wives. She even sets up the rape of An-Mei’s mom, and just continues to control the house, servants, and anything she wants to.
I think this story is related to the allegory at the beginning of the section because the grandmother talks about losing innocence but keeping your hope, and when An-Mei’s mom loses her innocence by becoming just another concubine, she still didn’t give up hope, and ended up taking her own life for her daughter’s benefit.
Shout it out!
Chapter: Magpies
1. I really like this chapter because I kept on wanting to read more to find out what would happen next. Every time, I would find out something that was unexpected or surprising. But this chapter made me feel really bad for An- Mei, how her family kind of broke apart, not all at once, but slowly. First when her little brother had to be left behind for his own good, just because of the Chinese tradition where if a boy goes to live in someone else’s house, he would have a very poor future. The other heartbreaking scene was where An- Mei’s mother’s second son, Syaudi, was taken by Second Wife. I felt so mad when I read that, because first of all, An-Mei’s mother was tricked, and second of al taking somebody else’s child is just plain horrible. I felt so bad for An-Mei when her mother committed suicide too, even though it was very loving of her mother to give up her life to make An-Mei stronger, I still felt bad for An-Mei that she lost her mother at such a young age.
2. The relationship between An-Mei and her mother is a very special one. An-Mei only had one piece of memory of her and her mother when she got her scar. All of a sudden coming back to her life at the age of nine should have been quite a shock. She grew up listening to negative comments about her mother, but I think that deep down, she respects her mother despite what Po Po and her aunt say about her. Their relationship consists of a lot of surrendering. An-Mei gives up her life with her brother, to go live with her mother. An-Mei’s mother gives up her life to let An-Mei have a stronger spirit.
3. The main conflict in this chapter is an internal struggle within An-Mei. She has a series of serious decisions with very big consequences on the outcome of her life. An-Mei eventually overcomes all the hardships and learns to stand up for herself, by standing up to Second Wife.
Magpies are from Cinderella!
(Magpies)
1) I really do pity both An-Mei and her mother for being put in such horrible situations. Her mother, tricked by the Second Wife and having no other choice but to marry Wu Tsing and An-Mei, making a life changing decision at the age of nine. I think An-Mei really did make the right decision to follow her mother even after hearing all the warnings from her uncle and aunt. She made that decision without hesitation, only feeling pity for his brother who was left behind by his own mother. Poor kid.
2) The relationship between An-Mei and her mother is like a protective mother being teaching her child how to learn from her mistakes. Kind of like the most experienced people revealing their secrets to those who aren't as experience. In the scene where the Second Wife gives the expensive looking, pearl necklace to An-Mei, her mother sees through its worth and crushes one of the beads, revealing to An-Mei that the necklace was made of fake beads. Later in her life, An-Mei learns this lesson of seeing through deception.
3) I learned more about how concubines were treated during the past, how prostitutes were worse than concubines, and how the social ladder was very important for picking a wife. Like how Wu Tsing chose the Second Wife only for her worth and not for the love since everyone wanted to have her.
“Pimpn, Pimpn, Pimpn”
Magpies
1] Reaction: I’d give this chapter thumbs up. I liked it because there is a lot of mischief that goes on between wife 2 and An-mei’s mom. I like how the different wives have different personalities that intertwine with each other. It’s also sad to see that when the husband is bored of one wife he moves on and gets another.
2] An-mei and Wu Tsing:
There relationship is forced and they shouldn’t be together. Second wife always gets what she wants so she tricked An-mei’s mom to become Fourth Wife. She does that by getting her to sleepover and that’s when Wu raped her. When An-mei’s mom had children, Second Wife took them as her own. To Wu Tsing, An-Mei is meaningless. He could just get a new wife when he wants so An-mei is just a toy to him.
3] The theme of this chapter is for women to stand up for themselves. The fact that the wives are all concubines and aren’t treated as wives is wrong. There shouldn’t even be more than one wife anyways. The women need to help each other out instead of scheming one another in having kids.
Can You Hear Me Now?
I liked this chapter because I learned plenty about how Chinese woman were treated in the old days. I think it is sad how a woman was measured by her husband and if she was a first wife to a man or not. In this chapter, I hated Wu Tsing and Second Wife, and I felt sorry for First Wife and An-Mei’s mother. I believe Wu Tsing is disguisting, Second Wife is conniving, First Wife is helpless, and An-Mei is completely honorable because she sacrificed her life for An-Mei to live a better life. The reference to wives and concubines reminds me of The Good Earth.
The relationship between An-Mei and her mother is love. One can tell that An-Mei’s mother loved her because she sacrificed her life for her daughter’s happiness. If someone gives up their life for some else, one can concur that the person who sacrificed themselves obviously puts the other person’s life before their own. This sacrifice is a sign of love which is what An-Mei’s mother gave to An-Mei. Her mother planned her death by eating sticky cakes with poison right before Chinese New Year. She did this because “she would rather kill her own weak spirit so she could give me a stronger one.” In other words, she wanted An-Mei to live a happier life even if she had to sacrifice her own. This is the ultimate sacrifice. It is like the movie Constantine, when Keanu Reeves sacrificed his own life by slitting his wrists to save another girls life. So even though he wasn’t supposed to go to heaven because he killed himself, he still was accepted into the great land above because it was the ultimate sacrifice. I think that was how it went.
Amy Tan used a lot of flashbacks in this chapter. It is really helpful because she does it very skillfully. One example is the beginning. First Tan introduces An-Mei talking about her daughter’s current situation ending it with the question, “When you no longer want to listen, what can you do?” This then transitions to An-Mei’s past and when the flashback finally ends, it answers the question with, “And on that day, I learned to shout.” Then Tan goes back to the present when An-Mei. The flashback technique really helps because it makes the story interesting and the transitions even give the reader more insight.
Since When Did Turtles Learn How to Talk? : “Magpies”
1. This chapter was very depressing because An-Mei and her mother both lived unhappy lives. I thought that it was wrong for the mother’s family to disown her when the mother could not do anything about becoming a concubine. After the An-Mei’s father died, her mother’s life worsened as the days passed. It was heartbreaking when An-Mei had to leave her little brother behind and never see him ever again after that day. Even though this chapter mainly focused on the misery of An-Mei’s mother, An-Mei suffered as well, before and after she followed her mother. This chapter truly shoes the sorrows that the people of China were forced to face throughout their lives.
2. An-Mei and her mother had a mother-daughter connection even though An-Mei only saw her mother twice in her lifetime before she left to live with her mother. Although An-Mei’s mother was barely ever there, An-Mei easily forgave her mother for neglecting her all those years. When she did see her mother, however, her mother showed deep affection towards her. As An-Mei’s mother took her to the British Concession of Tientsin, her mother told her how beautiful it would be and how An-Mei would love it when she arrived. When they arrived, her mother was very protective of her. For instance, she would not let An-Mei fall into Second Wife’s trap when Second Wife gave An-Mei the pearl necklace that was actually made out of glass. Also, An-Mei’s mother died so that An-Mei could have a better future. Even though An-Mei’s mother had a terrible history living as a Fourth Wife, she was a caring mother who wanted what was best for her daughter.
3. Amy Tan uses symbolism in the chapter to help describe how An-Mei would fit into her new home in the mansion. When An-Mei is given a white dress to wear from her mother, she tries it on, realizing that the dress is too large for her. This symbolizes how An-Mei does not really fit into the new lifestyle that her mother brought her into. An-Mei has need to grow into the dress more in order for An-Mei to fit into it, just like how An-Mei needs to mature more before An-Mei can truly fit into her new home with her mother.
"Fake Peals"
("Magpies")
1) I really liked this chapter! It was well written. Poor An-Mei, she was so young to make such a powerful-life changing decision. I was so sad when she sees her little brother crying all angry about her and her mother leaving. I kinda liked her mom, but sometimes i got the impression that she should have come home for her daughter sooner. And i don't like the aunt or uncle or the 2nd wife! They are evil! ESPECIALLY the 2nd wife. She had her polys and diabolical plans easy at her advantage.I was appalued when i read about the 2nd wife taking the baby as her own! Wu-Tsing is a studpid idoit, jerk that deservese to die alone.
An-Mei's and her mother's relatinship together is pretty strong on both halfs. They had to deal with being apart for so long. Her mother wants everything good for her, as she wants to make her mother happy and content. I was super sad when she dies.
3) This relates to the opening allegory by how they grew up and how they loss their innocence. An-Mei's mother talks to her about this. How to be sad, and keep hope and ect...
-Andrea Ulloa
Overdose
1. Reaction
I felt bad for An-Mei Hsu because she had a tough decision to choose when she was only 9 years old. She had to choose whether to live with her mother or with her aunt. All of An-Mei's life she has been told that her mother was evil, and a ghost but that didn't stop her from going with her mother. An-Mei chose to live with her mother, and after that it seemed okay and fun for awhile. An-Mei later, realizes her mothers unhappiness in the household, and finds that her mother overdoses and kills herself from opium for her to have a stronger spirit, and ultimately, a better life. This chapter to me seemed pretty deep and a pretty crazy reminiscence if you ask me. It sucks that her daughter doesn't know the story that her mother had to experience as a child.
2. An-Mei and her mother's relationship is caring, just like a normal loving mother should. An-Mei's mother is very protective of An-Mei. She doesn't let other people, like Second Wife, buy her daughter's likeness. When An-Mei first meets Second Wife, Second Wife gives her the pearl necklace, and An-Mei treasures it. Her mother, on the other hand, tries to tell An-Mei that she can't let Second Wife tell her what to do. An-Mei doesn't really listen and as a result, she takes the necklace and breaks a pearl to show An-Mei that it is fake.
3. From this chapter, I learned that foreigners actually live in Asia, a whole bunch of them actually. I thought Asia was filled with tourists who come and go, but I didn't actually think that foreigners actually lived there. I learned how shameful it is to have the status as a columbine. An-Mei's mother's brother even slapped her when she called him brother. Ouch!
Chinese Bluebirds?
"Magpies"
1) I found this chapter decent. IT showed how a life can have its upsides and downsides to it. It shows the many sides to An-Mei’s life. I thought that her life was messed up because of everyone around her who either hated her or didn’t respect her. I give this chapter thumbs up because I liked how Amy Tan described An-Mei’s life so well.
2) The relationship between Yan Chang and An-Mei’s mother is that of great friends. These two were through everything together since the time An-Mei’s mother was tricked into becoming the fourth wife to the end when she suicided. These two are great friends and helped each other throughout.
3) Question 4: I learned a lot about Chinese Culture in this chapter. I learned that Chinese people often have more than one wife and that the wives that aren’t the first are often disrespected. I learned that this life of concubines is saddening even though it was normal back in that time.
"shout at her, little girl"
Magpies
1. I really enjoyed this chapter. Before I read it, I had hatred for An-Mei’s mother. I believed that her mother had left her family behind to obtain a better life with another man, even if it meant being a concubine. The harsh treatment she faced from her family, I strongly agreed she deserved. But then, I found out that she didn’t choose the life of a concubine. She was tricked into that life by the Second Wife. I was relieved. That meant I didn’t have a grudge against An-Mei’s mother anymore and that pleased me. I also found it cool how An-Mei was able to follow her mom back to Tientsin and get to know her. An-Mei understood that her mother suffered and unsuccessfully tried to hide her shame. One day, An-Mei stormed up to second wife and showed her up.
2. An-Mei’s mother and Second Wife are two completely different people. One is graceful with a sense of dignity while the other a conniving, backstabbing traitor. Early in her life, An-Mei was content being married to her scholar husband. When he died, she was tricked into being a concubine. However, second wife was a renowned singer. She willingly became a concubine, and used her cunningness to manipulate others. She was the one who caused An-Mei’s mother to be the concubine that she is. With cunning and deceitfulness, the second wife lured An-Mai’s mother to her home and had her raped. Second Wife even claimed the son of An-Mei as her own. She caused misery and despair for everyone else; and in contrast, An-Mei’s mother, taitai, drowned herself in shame and misery.
3. A theme that Amy Tan is trying to make in “Magpies” is that you cannot hide your shame forever, it will eventually come out and hurt you. I believe this is the theme because I was thinking about An-Mei’s mother as I came up with the theme. I thought about her life, how she had to cover it up. She never told Popo or her entire family the real story. An-Mei found out through a house servant. No one could help her because no one would believe her over the second wife. Believing this, she lived behind a mask, not letting another soul understand her shame and humiliation. Eventually, she died because second wife had drugged her new year’s cookies. Yet, no one believed her because she was the “dirty,” “scheming” concubine. Everyone had thought she tried to commit false suicide to get her ways with the master. Not knowing her devastating.
Fake Pearls!
Chapter: Magpies
1. Reaction
I did not really enjoy reading this chapter. Although it was very informative about the Chinese culture and was quite interesting, the whole story was just a bit too sad for me. However, the characters were all developed well and I was captured in all the emotions throughout the poem. Amy Tan wrote this chapter beautifully. I felt sorry for An-Mei’s mother who was disowned by her own family and how her family thinks so lowly of her. I was kind of glad that An-Mei decided to leave with her mother. I hated Second wife though! I couldn’t believe that she pretended to commit suicide so many times just so she could get more things from Wu Tsing and stealing away An-Mei’s younger brother! I thought that An-Mei’s mother was extraordinary. An-Mei’s mother was such a nice woman and I thought she was smart to commit suicide to give her daughter a better life. With An-Mei’s mother dead, Wu Tsing would raise An-Mei and her brother as his “honored children.”
2. An-Mei Hsu & Her mother
An-Mei and her mother’s relationship develops from nothing to a very close and understanding relationship. They both care for one another and An-Mei depends on her mother when she needs help. They also both know each other’s feelings pretty well and communicate well. An-Mei’s mother is very caring and wants what is best for her daughter. This is shown when An-Mei’s mother breaks the glass pearl necklace to show An-Mei that Second wife is a fraud and to not fall into Second’s wife trap of letting her buy her way into her feelings. An-Mei’s mother will also do anything for her daughter. An-Mei’s mother sacrificed her own life to let An-Mei have the best position in Wu Tsing’s home. In turn, An-Mei was devastated to lose her mother and cries for her. Although this part was sad, this really shows that An-Mei and her mother have a good relationship with each other and An-Mei’s mother would make the ultimate sacrifice for her daughter.
3. I learned many things about the Chinese culture from this chapter. I learned about what concubines were, who were not prostitutes to earn money, but rather wanted a certain position in a household. First Wife is always the most important in the household because she was the first to marry the man of the house. However, the husband can choose to have as many concubines he wants after that all living in the same household. Fourth Wife is always the lowest position of the household, even below Fifth Wife, because four in Chinese is si, also sounding like the Chinese word that means death. Certain wives use secret tactics to make the husband treat her better and to give her more things that she wants. Widows, like An-Mei’s mother, could no longer marry. Concubines were not treated like real wives loved by their husband, but instead were like “things” used by the husband and could be taken away anytime at the husband’s orders. I also learned when An-Mei’s mother died that respecting and honoring the dead is essential for people. Otherwise, the dead people’s soul will come back to bring bad luck to the family.
“A few calling birds”
1)This chapter stars Ann-Mei Hsu, who looks back at her childhood. I really liked how in this chapter, when her mother is forced to leave, Ann-Mei follows. I really like the action in the beginning. My favorite part of the chapter was way in the beginning, when Ann-Mei’s uncle told her not to leave. Overall I thought this chapter was pretty good, but long with great information and detail.
2)Two characters I would like to spotlight on are Ann-Mei and her mother. When Ann-Mei was just a infant, her mother left, and betrayed her families orders to marry, and become the third concubine to a wealthy man. Many years later when Popo is dying, Ann-Mei’s mother comes back. Ann-Mei’s uncle, and whole family is outraged, and after Popo’s death they tell her to leave and go back to the life she had gone to, when she left her past behind. When these events occur Ann-Mei, just like her mother, disobeys her family, and leaves her family behind for a new life, with her mother. Ann-Mei is just like her mother, leaving her old life behind, for a new life someplace far. “A girl is no better than what she follows!” what this quote means is that Ann-Mei chooses to follow in the footsteps of her mother, and what her aunt is saying that she is no better than her mother.
3)In this chapter I have learned that in China, a long time ago, you were allowed to have more than one wife. The wives would not be called wife 1, wife 2, etc, but they would be called concubines. I learned, that the wives, and their husband would live in one house, with all their children. Men were allowed to marry more than once, but women were not allowed too. That is one thing I have learned about
“Yay! Second Wife has White Hair!”
Chapter “Magpies”
1) Reaction
I thought this chapter was full of pity. An-mei’s mother was considered as a disgrace to the family because she married a rich merchant but what they didn’t know what that she had no choice but to marry the merchant with three wives. When I read that part how Second Wife “conspired with Wu Tsing to lure [An-mei’s] mother to his bed,” I was angry and shocked (236). How wicked were they to trick a widow into sleeping with a big, rich man? In this chapter, I hated Second Wife the most because she was selfish and greedy. All Second Wife wanted was the property and money so she was willing to use other people to get was she wanted. What was even worse was that Second Wife “claimed [Syaudi] as her own,” causing An-mei’s mother to just sit back and watch Second Wife earn all the credits that An-mei’s mother rightfully deserved. I gave this chapter a thumbs up because I think Amy Tan did a great job in creating characters that made me want to abhor them and others that made me pity them.
2) An-mei’s mother and Wu Tsing
Their relationship was not a husband-wife kind of relationship but rather a boss and an employer. An-mei’s mother “did not love Wu Tsing [since] she [only] married [him] for position” (228). Wu Tsing treated An-mei’s mother like a doll. He would play with her when he felt like it and put her off to the side whenever he didn’t want her. He had complete authority over her. For example on the night when Wu Tsing slept with An-mei’s mother, “he grabbed her by her hair and told her undress,” (237). She obeyed him without screaming or crying. An-mei’s mother always swallowed her bitter tears even through the toughest times. She never dared to disobey him. Afterwards, he still married another concubine, pushing An-mei’s mother to the side unless he wanted to make love with her.
3) From the Chinese culture, I learned that all the debts had to be paid because of the New Year; otherwise, unfortunate events would occur. Like An-mei’s mother, she intentionally chose to die three days before the Lunar New Year because three days later, her soul would come back. I don’t really believe how one’s soul will come back in three days after he or she dies. How did you know if they came back or not? I think it is ridiculous how people only want to become good after they realize that something bad is going to happen. Why can’t they just be good all the time instead of waiting until the last minute?
“Holding Back Tears” – Chapter “Magpipes”
I found it extremely creepy that An-Mei could foretell the future but at the same time, it was very mysterious. I loved how Amy Tan continued the childhood story of An-Mei. This chapter really opened my eyes to see the strains of being a concubine and especially when you do not bear a boy for a child. It hurt me when Wu Tsing was such a jerk to An-Mei’s mother! He hurt her and ruined her whole life. He forced her to be exiled and rejected from her family forever. Although her mother’s death scared Wu Tsing, I really felt An-Mei lost a part of her the day her mother died as she was holding back her tears. It also me understand how An-Mei really didn’t know the other wives of Wu Tsing. Throughout her entire story, she calls them their real names.
The relationship between An-Mei and her mother was so pure and adorable! It reminded me of a true relationship between a mother and a daughter. Her mother really loved her and protected her. She is able to reveal to An-Mei the true hearts of people like the Second Wife and Wu Tsing. She teaches An-Mei not only about life but about one’s self worth. Her love was also sacrificial towards the end because she gave up her life in order for An-Mei to have a better one since she knew that giving her life would scare Wu Tsing.
This chapter really showed me the importance of a wife commiting suicide in Chinese culture. Wu Tsing went through a lot of trouble dealing with Second Wife. He gave her everything she ever desired because of her “opium-suicide attempts.” Wives who commit suicide are said to haunt their husband for eternity, ruin good fortune and “scatter tea leaves”. After An-Mei’s mother commited suicide, Wu Tsing was so scared he honored An-Mei and her little brother. He would also make An Mei’s mother his first and only wife.
Don't fall into her little white lies,
peer into her heart and you'll see
it's not half as pure as mine.
“Magpies”
1. I agree with An-mei about her daughter, that “if she doesn't speak, she is making a choice. If she doesn't try, she can lose her chance forever”(241). In my life, I've run across a few people who I don't think really say what they want to say. They also don't try to make their life better; I think some people are so engrossed in what they see on television that they think their life sucks, but obviously, they don't try. It really, really irks me. I tremendously hate talking to people like that.
I always thought the name “magpie” was an insult. After reading in this chapter that they are “birds of joy”, I'm not so sure anymore (243).
I can't believe An-mei's mother told her that when she goes back to Tientsin, “[An-mei] can follow [her]”(245). That's completely and utterly selfish. She knows her life is the worst of the worst in Tientsin, so I just can't believe she'd drag her daughter into it.
My opinion of An-mei's mother grew worse with this passage: “My mother was not jealous of this girl who would now be called Fifth Wife. Why should she be? My mother did not love Wu Tsing. A girl in China did not marry for love. She married for position, and my mother's position, I later learned, was the worst”(256). I also disagree with the Chinese women who marry for anything other than love. That's just not the way to live.
Just because Wu had sex with her does not mean that An-mei's mother had to marry him. She herself said that her life is “shameful” and that she has “no position”(258). I honestly don't understand why she would live like that for the rest of her life just because he raped her.
I can't believe An-mei's mother “did not scream or cry when he fell on her”(267). She didn't fight back. She was hopeless and useless. \
2. I think An-mei and her mom's relationship is very deep because they seem to understand each other strongly. This passage reveals it: “My mother was a stranger to me when she first arrived at my uncle's house in Ningpo. I was nine years old and had not seen her for many years. But I knew she was my mother, because I could feel her pain”(242). An-mei's mother said, “Poor An-mei, only you know. Only you know what I have suffered” and An-mei “felt proud, that only [she] could see these delicate and rare thoughts”(246).They really understand each other.
3. I like Amy Tan's use of similes, especially how she compared the similarity of girls. “All of us are like stairs, one step after another, going up and down, but all going the same way”(241). I also liked how Tan compared An-mei and An-mei's mother's lives to the life of a turtle. “But after my mother finished her story, I looked at her and saw she was crying. And I also began to cry again, that this was our fate, to live like two turtles seeing the watery world together from the bottom of the little pond”(244). Her similes make the story more interesting.
4. I think the theme of this story is that you shouldn't cry too much or your life will always be sad and some people would grow happy that you're sad because they don't like you. An-mei's mother said the turtle said that “if you cry, your life will always be sad”(243). It also said that “it is useless to cry. Your tears do not wash away your sorrows. They feed someone else's joy. And that is why you must learn to swallow your own tears”(244). I think it's okay to cry every now and then. I also think that you should never let the person who hurt you see you cry (but that can change depending on the conditions). I know that if someone I hate were to cry, I wouldn't feel bad; in fact, I'd be overwhelmed with satisfaction. You can also learn that you shouldn't put down your guard so easily. “Later she removed that broken bead and knotted the space together so the necklace looked whole again. She told me to remember how easy it is to lose myself to something false. And after I wore those fake pearls long enough to learn this lesson, she let me take them off”(261). Those were the pearls that Second Wife gave to An-mei, and An-mei had been ready to listen to Second Wife.
Swallow Your Sorrow
Focusing on: Magpies
My initial reaction to this chapter was sorrow and depression. I felt like the weeping turtles in the pond, looking up with An- mei and her mother, at a world where "tears [did] not wash away... sorrows, [but] [fed] someone else's joy." One character that really drove me to the edge was Second Wife. Her greediness and cleverness was used to devise a horrible conspiracy against An-mei's mother. Second wife's genuine acting skills and fake kindness dragged An-mei's mother into a life of dishonor and inescapable sorrow. Her evil plots did not end there, however, for Second Wife also faked multiple suicides, slyly encouraged First Wife to intake more opium, threatened Third Wife, and advised Fifth Wife to be foolishly pompous, simply to get what she wanted. She even took An-mei's brother, Syaudi, away from her mother and claimed him as her own, making An-mei's mother's life unbearable. Even if it meant destroying other peoples' lives and dignity, Second Wife made sure that she ensured herself a life of prosperity. A scene in which I became really disappointed was when An- mei was ignorant towards her mother's intentions, and was foolishly embracing the fake pearl necklace that Second Wife gave her. I couldn't believe that she betrayed her mother over a stranger's fake act of kindness. I felt that her mother had gone through so much to lose her daughter over to a woman who had made her life a living nightmare. One paragraph that gave me feel victorious was "And on that day, I showed Second Wife the fake pearl necklace she had given me and crushed it under my foot. And on that day, Second Wife's hair began to turn white. And on that day, I learned how to shout" (272). This phrase was said by An-mei, in response to her mother's well-planned and somber suicide. I felt refreshed in the sense that An-mei's mother was able to "kill her own weak spirit so she could give [her daughter] a stronger one." I also felt grieved because of the fact that the only solution, way to make her daughter's life better was by killing herself. In the end, I was left feeling more victorious than saddened because her death had caused the beginning of Second Wife's miserably slow death.
One adjective to describe the relationship between An-mei and her mother is "sacrificing." This adjective relates more to An-mei's mother, in that she literally gave up her spirit to "give [An-mei] a stronger one." An-mei, however, also "sacrificed herself" in the sense that she chose to follow her mother, even though she knew that she would not be able to " keep [her] head lifted."
One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was simile. An example of this was shown on page 258 in which she wrote, " So behind the motorcar came a dozen or so rickshaws, bouncing up and down like crickets following a large shiny beetle." Tan's use of simile, in this scene, helped describe the motion of the rickshaws and car more precisely to the readers and also animated the scene, which made the scene more interesting to read about.
I believe that the theme of this chapter is that in times of agony and sorrow do not cry and feel pity for yourself, but instead, stand up and fight against your oppressions Letting out your sorrow through tears can only "feed someone else's joy." This theme was shown in An-mei's mother's story when she killed herself in order to make Second Wife's life miserable. Instead of feeling sorry for herself and letting Second Wife " drink her tears" she fought back and was able to become the eternal victor. This theme was also shown in the last passage as well, which described the story of hopeless farmers, and the evil birds who greedily ruined their crops. Just like An-mei's mother, these farmers did not sit and watch, but instead, persistently fought against these birds. In the end, they were able to kill off every single bird and were able to overcome their sorrow.
Kimmy Tran
Period 6
1. Two Turtles in a Pond
2. Magpies
3. I was very depressed as I read this chapter. This chapter was very sad and I was very angry about the treatment of women in this chapter. I didn't know that in China, at that time, men could have multiple wives and that they had "rankings" also. That was disgusting to me. I don't know how the first wife could handle their husband sleeping with another person who is probably very young. I'm glad that the United States don't devalue women as much as China.
I felt really sad for An=Mei because she lived her life among all this conflict amongst other people but their emotions were spotted on her. I admired her mother's determination to give her daughter a better life and how she sacrificed herself for that.
I didn't really understand the symbolism of the birds and turtles that well. I thought that it meant that one must swallow their sorrows but I couldn't understand if it was a theme of the chapter because I think the theme of the opening story contradicts it. Also in the end, An-Mei learns to shout so she stopped swallowing her sorrows and started to show them.
I really didn't like the Second Wife. She seemed very conniving and greedy.I didn't like how she used this nice persona to get what she wants and she even endangered her own life just to get a "higher allowance." I thought that it was very mean of her to set An-Mei's mother up like that.
4. I would describe the relationship between An-Mei and her mother as very loving. An-Mei goes with her mother to a foreign place that she doesn't know and leaves her aunts behind, even thought she knows that she will be shunned from there. That show's An-Mei's attachment to her mother, despite her aunt's and uncle's hatred of her. Her mother also loves An-Mei very much. She sacrifices herself in order for her to have a better life. They seem to understand each other more than any other person and that makes them care and love for one other even more.
5. A technique that Amy Tan uses in this chapter are similes. One simile in the chapter is when An-Mei describes the Third Wife's daughters : "They were was plain as their mother, with big teeth, thick lips, and eyebrows as bushy as a caterpillar" (259). Using similes like things makes the writing more amusing to the reader and it will keep the reader interested because they get a clearer view in their mind.
6. In the allegory that starts off the section, the grandmother reveals that she has instilled in her daughter that one must forget how to smile and lose their innocence but along with it, also their joy. The grandmother regrets doing that and wants her newly born granddaughter to teach her mother to not lose her joy and to still have the inner child within. In the chapter, An-Mei's mother teaches her to swallow her sorrows but An-Mei later learns that it is bad to do this. But like the grandmother in the allegory, their daughters turn out to learn a lesson from their mothers that the mothers didn't want them to learn.
Rikki Dionisio, Period 6
1. “Losing a Life is a Lesson Learned”
2. Queen Mother of the Western Skies: Magpies
3. This chapter was probably my favorite because there was plenty of heartfelt story telling. I was intrigued by the story of the line of concubines that We Tsing had and the story behind that. I was especially interested, and slightly disgusted, at the rape topic in this chapter. The way they treated women in this chapter was absurd and disgusting. I was surprised that there wasn’t a more upfront conflict between all the wives. They all hated each other “quietly”. I don’t understand how the wives could bear their husband sleeping with numerous other women and bare to sleep with him also. I would also feel a bit unloved because my husband is lavishing four other women aside from myself. The definition of marriage is between two individuals, not twenty.
4. Although the relationship between An-Mei and her mother is rocky and “taboo” of sorts, it is still very loving. This is apparent when we see An-Mei yearning to be with her mother even after she abandoned her for years, then reappears to take her daughter back and An-Mei complies. An-Mei’s mother puts herself is dangerous situations to give her daughter a better life. They both understand why the other person makes the decisions they do, and they love each other unconditionally no matter what happens.
5. Similes are abundant in this chapter. One simile is “All of us are like stairs, one step after another, going up and down, but all going the same way” (241). This means that the women are placed in a hierarchy of importance and all want the same thing.
6. I learned plenty of information about concubines. They are objects of sexual gain to the husband, and only there to bare children – sons. They are powerless and are at the whim of their husbands and must comply with their wishes or they are “banished”. I would never want to be a concubine because you are among numerous women that a husband uses for his personal gain. I don’t believe you can love seven women simultaneously. Therefore, I would not want to use several women for their ability to bare children.
The Fourth Wife
Joy Luck Club: Magpies
1) This chapter was good. I think that this was the most interesting chapter I’ve read so far because it actually drags your attention until you read it all. An-Mei’s mother was not so bad after all. I thought that An-Mei made the right chose to move on with her mother to Tientsin, but at the same time wrong to leave her younger brother behind. It was because a son could never abandon his own family to join a new one or he would be disgraced. I could relate to this. Wu Tsing has a lot of wives and it is just kind of funny how they are could, first wife, second wife, and so on. It was funnier how An-Mei has to call second wife, Big Mother. I thought of it sad that two of the Wu Tsing’s wife, fourth wife and third wife, were set up by second wife. It was all set up by second wife and Wu Tsing was too stupid to understand this because he was just so blinded by what second wife was all up to. How An-Mei’s mother die was harsh. Overdose of opium killed her. An-Mei’s mother commits suicide and killed herself. I thought this was a dumb and smart plan. Dumb because she suicides and smart because she had a purpose to this and it was good. But like An-Mei says, she died, but the outcome of it was a powerful weapon that she could use for better. I thought it was smart to die in such a way, that it could make someone think such thing, and fearful of what could happen. This superstition was interesting.
2) Amy Tan symbolism in the story and this improves her writing because she gives us and example to attach to and see the views from it. The turtle, tears, magpies, all this was what she used to show us. Each tear that we drop is being eaten up and people just laughs at us. Amy Tan says that if we cry too much we would just become much more depressed than how we are already.
3) I learned that in the Chinese culture believes that you get married not for love, but for position. Some family reserves their children to be married with someone specific and you are not able to do anything. I learned also that a guy could have multiple wives, just like Wu Tsing who had 5 wives. There is probably no limit to it. Also I learned that the Chinese culture believes in many things such as spirits and numbers. An-Mei’s mother dies and Wu Tsing believes that she would come back in spirit and stock Him and track things he is doing wrong to punish him.
1. Money Doesn’t Solve Everything
2. Magpies
3. I read and remembered that Rose Hsu’s marriage was falling apart. As I read, I read a very special phrase, “All of us are like stairs, one step after another, going up and down, but all going the same way” (241) a very special one because it was one of Amy Tan’s few plainly stated comparisons. I enjoyed the little story of the turtle and how tears feed someone else’s joy, but I don’t understand how that works. Then when it reached the part of An-Mei leaving, I agreed with her because her aunt and uncle seemed completely unreasonable. I felt glad for An-Mei when she arrived at the new house, and I thought that this was what she deserved after suffering at her uncle’s house for many years. I was surprised that all the wives were kind to An-Mei, but usually that doesn’t happen in stories; the step moms would always be rude to their step daughters, and especially in this novel filled with suffering, I was extremely surprised to discover that they treated her quite well, or at least didn’t bother her. Then I discovered Second Wife’s evil ways to monopolize Wu Tsing’s money, and the stories behind each of the wives, which led to my belief that maybe An-Mei’s mother really wasn’t such a bad person. Then I was caught off guard with the death of An-Mei’s mother because even though she lost her dream of being able to live away from Wu Tsing, she had her dreams taken away by Second Wife, and to me it was a drag because An-Mei was just so close to being free and happy with her mother for the rest of their lives. I compared the birds with the evilness of certain people, who feast off of others’ pains and hard work like magpies feasting on tears or the birds eating away the crops that farmers worked so hard to plant and grow, and understood why An-Mei was glad to hear the news of many birds dying.
4. I would describe the relationship between An-Mei and her mother as deeply caring, yet also very selfish. They cared for each other a lot because of their mother and daughter bond, especially to protect her daughter like when she warns her that “She (Second Wife) is trying to trick you, so you will do anything for her” (260). This shows that she wants her to not be easily tricked by a very vile person. Then again, their relationship showed selfishness from the mother. She decided to leave the world behind and let poor little An-Mei live without her mother in the cruel world, and An-Mei “fainted with all the grief” (270) of her mother’s death. Her mother is very irresponsible for her own daughter that she tried so hard to get.
5. Amy Tan used metaphors in this chapter to make it have a deeper meaning. The birds represented the greed of those that had a black heart, like the magpies that feasted on the tears of sorrow from An-Mei and the birds that ate the crops that belonged to farmers who worked so hard just to grow them. The turtle represented An-Mei’s mother, trying her hardest to keep An-Mei happy by eating her tears, but the Magpies are always there eating them before she can, so she fails to keep her daughter happy.
6. I learned that in Chinese culture women had to have small feet to be considered elegant and proper. They also needed to respect the wishes of their husband and never speak up or against it. They were kept far below men in the social class, and were expected to serve them and do everything they can to support them. They also should never leave their side and when they did they shouldn’t marry again.
Glass Pearls
“Magpies”
1. I really liked the chapter “The Scar” and I really wanted to know what happened to her relationship with her mother after she got her scar. Therefore, I’m glad Amy Tan decided to continue with that plot. I thought the flashback in this vignette was a great and tragic story. I especially liked the ending for the flashback when An-mei broke the fake pearl necklace in front of Second Wife. It made me feel delighted because she finally learned to speak for herself and say what she wanted.
2. The relationship between An-mei and her mother is strong. Even though An-mei hasn’t been with her mother for a long time and An-mei has no reason to trust her mother, she still chose to go with her to Tientsin. It’s like her mother has a pulling force on An-mei.
3. Tan uses the fake pearl necklace to symbolize how easily fooled one can be to trivial objects and emotions. An-mei almost secured a spot for Second Wife because she gave her a pearl necklace. She almost lost trust in her mother because of the necklace until her mom broke one. Then near the end, An-mei breaks another piece of the necklace. This is used to symbolize that An-mei will never trust Second Wife and understands why her mother died.
4. I learned that a widow can’t remarry once her husband dies. I also learned that women are of less importance to the society. Women do not marry for love, but rather marry into rich families to increase their money and status in society. I also learned that the concubines are like empty shells and serve as a host for a man’s children so that the family name can be carried on. Furthermore, the families prefer male children over female.
Fourth Wife
Magpies
1. This was a very interesting vignette because up until now the life of An-Mei Hsu’s mother has been very mysterious. I think that An-Mei must be a very loving daughter because she never felt ashamed of her mother. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t fully understand what her mother is, but to me, I think that most people would be ashamed if their mother was like An-Mei’s. It must have been heartbreaking for An-Mei’s mother to leave her son behind in that depressing house. She must have wanted to take him just as much as An-Mei. It didn’t seem as though An-Mei gave it much thought though when they left her brother behind. I wonder how the brother felt and if he knew why he was being left. I feel badly for their family because it is so broken, but none of them really intentionally caused it.
2. The relationship between An-Mei’s mother and the second wife is very fake. They both dislike each other on the inside, but on the outside they have to pretend to get a long and show respect for each other. When the Second Wife gave An-Mei a fake pearl necklace An-Mei’s mom had to pretend to really appreciate it saying, “This is too much for a small child. She will break it. She will lose it” (230). Then later when she and An-Mei were alone she showed An-Mei that it was false and warned her not to be won over so easily.
3. I liked how Amy Tan used word choice in this chapter. It was important because in the first half of the chapter An-Mei’s mother had two personalities, the one where she wanted to share all the good things with An-Mei, and the other where she acted scared and restless. Amy Tan had to show the difference between the two sides of the mom by being careful with her word choice. For the happy side of the mom she used words like “calm” and “warm.” However, when her mother became nervous she used words like “dark” and angry.”
4. I think the life lesson in this chapter is to fight for what you truly want. In the beginning of the chapter An-Mei talks about her daughter does nothing to try to save her marriage and will lose her change at happiness forever. She then talks about how she understands how it feels for that to happen and how she has been raised to swallow other peoples’ miseries and to eat her own bitterness. Then at the end she concludes with the stories where the villagers who were tormented by birds finally rose together and defeated them. These two scenes show that we need to fight for our own happiness.
-Laurie Jeng
Beryl Bai
1. I will survive
2. Magpies
3. Oh how mournful. She doesn’t even have a name throughout the whole entire story. Who is An-meri’s mother? She doesn’t even have her own identity but I envy her that she refuses to be defeated by the system of abuse of women. By killing herself, she affects her daughter as well.
4. To her mother, Rose reveals that her marriage is falling apart. Paralyzed with grief and indecision, Rose can do nothing but weep. An-mei understands that by refusing to do something decisive about this problem, Rose is, in effect, choosing to do nothing. She knows that her daughter must make a choice: Rose must try to uphold herself or she will lose her chance forever. An-mei understands this character flaw because she herself was taught to demand nothing for herself.
5. Wu Tsing represents the system that has abused women for centuries. He raped An-mei’s mother so that second wife could have children and a son because I guess she was infertile. An-Mei’s mother was also made the fourth wife and in Chinese four rhymes with death, so as superstition goes, it is very bad luck. As a widow, An-Mei’s mother had no value at all, despite such traditional female assets as beauty and refinement. both An-mei and Rose have remade themselves, invented new identities to survive. Tan reinforces this concept of strength by having to trip to Tian Jing take seven days, the same number of days in the Hebrew myth creation. Notice also how she interweaves the theme of appearance and reality. It appears that An-mei’s mother is a “fallen woman” but in reality, she was trapped by rape and a vicious social system. An-mei believed that Second wife is nice but she is actually evil. The child the pearls were real, but they were made of glass. Tan inverts the symbol of magpie to reinforce this theme. “magpie” is the common name for members of the crow family. Chinese people traditionally regard the bird as a symbol of joy. Tan, however, uses it as a symbol of evil. The birds destroy crops and must be beaten back. So also must women cry out against evil and fight for what is right.
6. Oh lookie here. Once again the feminist. Tan is definitely stating as a theme that women must rise up and beat back oppressive systems, especially male-dominated ones. An-mei’s daughter, Rose, has been defeated by her marriage to ted, but there is no need for such misery today. Rose should stop pouring out her tears to the psychiatrist – just as An-meri should not have cried to the turtle. Such tears only feed someone else’s joy. Instead, Rose should assert herself, as An-mei once did. In “Without Wood” Rose does indeed stand up to Ted. In sense, both An-mei and Rose have remade themselves, invented new identities to survive.
Pearls of Wisdom
“Magpies”
3) There are so many things about this chapter that are so far outside my realm, it is hard for me to make sense of it. The whole idea of first , second, third, wives is crazy! Who is this Wu Tsing that he deserves three wives? And why do the wives put up with it? It seems ridiculous the way the wives compete and manipulate each other. It was sickening enough that second wife tricked An Mei’s mother into sleeping over and being raped by Wu Tsing, but then to steal her son! It is horrible. The idea that she had to watch her son grow up and be mothered by that terrible woman is disgusting. I can’t belief An Mei’s mother could stand it. I guess that kind of oppression made her strong.
4)The relationship between An Mei and her mother is one of devotion. An Mei’s mother did everything to protect her, from sending her to another bed when Wu Tsing came into the room, to commiting suicide in the end, she did everything for An Mei.
5) A significant metaphor in the story is the pearls that second wife gave to An Mei. The way her mother described it, second wife, “makes clouds with one hand, rain with the other” She was trying to trick An Mei into doing anything for her. She was trying to buy her devotion. And it almost worked. An Mei was in love with those pearls until her mother smashed them and showed them to be fake......just like second wife.
6d) The story of An Mei’s mother’s suicide fits the allegory of the Queen Mother of the Western Skies. An Mei’s mother was not the least bit innocent, but she held out hope for An Mei. When she committed suicide two days before the lunar new year, she ensured that Wu Tsing would repay his debt to An Mei by promising to raise An Mei has his honored child, right alongside her brother.
1) The Clock Girl and Her Violin
2) Queen Mother of the Western Skies “An-Mei Hsu: Magpies”
3) My first comment is that this vignette was an unbelievably long chapter of 33 pages. It was interesting, but so very lengthy.
Anyway, I really liked this chapter because I thought that I was most like a movie or something- in a nutshell. I remember being so upset when An-mei left with her mother, leaving her little brother behind. It was like a drama or something where the siblings get separated… and then the saddest part is where they meet again later when they are all grown up and they can’t recognize each other. I was so angry when An-mei’s mother didn’t take her son along either. After all, he was her son; she went through all that labor only to not be able to call him her son. When I read the part that explained why she didn’t take him along, I realized that it wasn’t her fault. It was still really sad.
Upon reading the vignette “Scar” and the beginning of this vignette, I always had the impression that An-mei’s mother didn’t something really wrong. She married a man for his wealth only to be his fourth wife and h concubine and left her children. A fault too big to explain any further. When I finally realized that An-mei didn’t have a choice and that she was set up to it. I felt so sorry for her and didn’t understand why her family members didn’t try to understand her situation and help her out of it. I didn’t realize that An-mei’s mother probably didn’t tell her family which is a very very stupid thing to do. Even though it would be hard for a “worthless widow to accuse a rich woman of lying,” (267), who is to stand up for you or back you up if not your own family? She was not a prostitute, so why think of herself as one?
One thing that I didn’t understand were her mood swings. Why was it that An-mei’s mother sometimes cheerful and sometimes sad? I guess she could have been worrying about seeing second wife, but why did it happen at such random times?
It was sad how An-mei’s mother gave birth to another son only to have him taken away by second wife and claimed as her own. It must have reminded her of how she was unable to care for her two other children as well, reminding herself of those failures. It made me really mad. Just because second wife couldn’t have a son of her own, didn’t mean that she should take away someone else’s child. It must have really hurt An-mei’s mother to have to stand from afar and listen to Second wife say “’As long as I am your mother, you will never be poor. You will never be unhappy. You will grow up to own this household and care for me in my old age,’” (268).
Another thing that I didn’t understand was on page 271, where An-mei’s mother “opened her eyes slowly...” Wasn’t she already dead? How was she able to open her eyes and then have her daughter close them again? That’s scary cause I don’t understand it.
4) The relationship between Second wife and An-mei’s mother could be described as unequal rivalry. Second wife always caused trouble for An-mei’s mother, but she was never able to do anything because second wife was always in advantage. Being the third concubine, she wasn’t quite as respected and definitely not respected by second wife. It is like a selfish big bulky boy picking on a little kid. Yeah, there are some disadvantages being the little one. Second wife lured An-mei’s mother into bed with her husband and then broadcasted it saying that “the shameless widow…enchanted Wu Tsing into bed,” (267) and took An’mei’s brother. When she tried to win An-mei over with a necklace of fake pearls (which she almost did), An-mei’s mother stopped her.
5) I thought that the most significant writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was symbolism. One symbol was An-mei’s mother being the “fourth wife.” It was bad luck because Sz, meaning ‘four’, rhymed with the Chinese word for ‘death’ and An-mei’s mother did end up dying by suicide for a purpose. Another great symbol was the clock girl and her violin. I think that the girl’s violin music represented her mother and more specifically, her mother’s voice. An-mei once said that it was a “wonderful clock to see,” just like how much she loved and admired her mother. An-mei continued that line saying “but after I heard it that first hour, then the next, and then always, this clock became an extravagant nuisance,” (254). An-mei thought about how much her mother complained and as she continued talking about he clock, she said that she “found that [she] had an ability: to not listen to something meaningless calling to [her],” (254). Later on page 260, she said that she “sat quietly, trying not to listen to [her mother].” I guess you can only have too much of a good thing and no more.
6) (a. What is the theme or life lesson in this chapter and which line or scene reveals this?)
I think that the theme in this chapter is to not cry because it doesn’t help with anything and there is always someone out there happy to see you crying. Depressing thought because who would do that? But we all know that there are a lot of different people out in the world. This is revealed when An-mei’s mother says, “your tears do not wash away your sorrows. They feed someone else’s joy,”(244). I do agree with what An-mei’s mother said, but I have to admit, keeping things bottled up doesn’t help either, it just creates anger and what not. Crying when you really need to, however, feels really good.
Brian Tat
Period 7
Drink the Sorrow and Misery
Magpies
When reading about An-Mei’s words “I was taught to desire nothing, to swallow other people’s misery, to eat my own bitterness,” I felt really depressed. It made me think how she was raised this way and if she was still in that position. I feel pretty confused about the symbolism of the turtle and the birds. I believe that the tears represent a person’s misery and pain. I think the tears form eggs, which hatches out the birds. I think our misery and pain creates our selfish desires, in which we think is joy. I gathered this reasoning from certain words like “birds of joy” and “drink greedily.” It felt awkward of how Tan describes them as “birds of joy,” but then shows that there is a darker side by using “greedily.” Reading about An-Mei’s brother, I wondered what ever happened to him. Did she ever reunite with him? Did he have feelings of resentment? Just reading five pages into the story, brought me a feeling of pity for the characters. I thought the Big Mother was really manipulative in the story. She tried to buy An-Mei’s loyalty, created a number of pretend-suicides, and arranged An-Mei’s mother to become Wu Tsing’s fourth concubine. I was horrified to hear how An-Mei’s mother allowed Wu Tsing to have sex with her, and about her position in society. If I were her brother, I would’ve punished Wu Tsing instead of disowning her from the family or kicking her. It was really smart of how An-Mei plans her suicide to help An-Mei’s position in the family. I felt sorry for An-Mei, because her mother had sacrificed herself. I am still confused of what the birds actually represent from people. When reading the end, I realized I was wrong, but that the magpie in the story could actually be the Second Wife. She drank the other wives’ misery for her own greed.
I think Wu Tsing and Second Wife’s relationship is a manipulative and abusive relationship. Second Wife used pretend-suicides to bring Wu Tsing in a moment of fear to have her riches. Wu Tsing’s desire for Second Wife was only for the “prestige of owning what so many other men wanted” (264). However, when Second Wife uses her practice of pretend-suicides, Wu Tsing was so scared that he never bothered to ask why Second Wife would actually even try to commit suicide.
I notice that Tan uses similes often in the chapter to help the reader imagine and think about the objects Tan uses to describe. For example, Tan describes the “wood carvings painted white to look like ivory.” (247). On the same page, An-Mei sees her mother “like a stranger” when she dresses up, which allow readers to think that her mother seemed like a different person than who An-Mei imagined.
From Chinese culture, I learned that when you were a widow, you could not marry once more for it would dishonor your family. A son’s future depended on which house he lived in. For example, if a son went to somebody else’s house to live in, he would have no hope for the future. I learned that on the first day of the lunar new year, you were supposed to pay all of your debts or disaster and misfortune would follow. People eat a stick sweet dumpling to celebrate called yawnsyau.
1. Even the Most Stunning Pieces of Jewelry Can Be Fake
2. Magpies
3. I thought that this chapter was very touching. I kind of felt some sympathy for An-Mei Hsu because she had to make a life-changing decision when she was only nine years old. An-Mei had to decide whether if she wanted to live with her mother or to stay with the rest of her family: her bother, her uncle and her aunt. I was pleased to read that she chose to go and live with mother because it was a chance for her to get to know her mother better after being forcefully separated from each other for so long. I was very surprised when Yan Chang told Am-Mei about her mother’s story of how she became Wu Tsing’s fourth wife and concubine. I was also shocked to learn that Syaudi was, literally, An-Mei’s littlest brother. At first, when An-Mei’s mother told her that the baby was her brother, I thought that it was only an affectionate term to call close friends or relatives. As Yan Chang told An-Mei about Second Wife, I was a little angered by her actions. She was extremely cleaver, using everybody to her advantage so that she could get what she wanted. Second Wife even went as far as faking suicide so that she could receive a “bigger allowance” from Wu Tsing, who she knew was highly fearful of ghosts. I’ve also learned that, overall, An-Mei’s mother is very caring. She sacrifices a part of her for both her own mother and daughter. In the chapter titled ‘Scar’, An-Mei’s mother cut a piece of her own flesh, putting it into a soup and feeding it to her own mother, An-Mei’s Popo. In the end of this chapter, she purposefully poisons herself in order to give An-Mei a better and more stable future.
4. An-Mei and her mother share a very loving and understanding relationship with each other. When the chapter first started, An-Mei saw her mother as a stranger after being separated from her for many years. Even though she saw her mother as a stranger, she still felt attached. This is shown when she goes with her mother to an unfamiliar and foreign place, leaving the other members of her family, who are not fond of An-Mei’s mother, behind. The two understand the other’s feelings and care deeply for each other. Like many mothers would, An-Mei’s mother only wanted what was best for her daughter. This is shown when she breaks the glass pearl necklace that An-Mei received from Second Wife. The reason for her action was because she wanted An-Mei to be aware of the people that surround her, not everyone can be completely trusted with everything. Second Wife is conniving and An-Mei’s mother didn’t want her daughter to fall into her trap of letting her buy her way into An-Mei’s feelings. An-Mei’s mother also sacrificed herself so that her children would have a better position in Wu Tsing’s household. An-Mei was devastated by the death of her mother and cries for her, even promising to be strong. This sad scene really showed that An-Mei and her mother had a close, caring, and understanding relationship with each other.
5. One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was metaphor. An example of this is shown on page 260 when she wrote, “She makes clouds with one hand, rain with the other.” Tan’s use of metaphor, in this scene, helped me understand the true nature of Second Wife. The metaphor implied that her Second Wife and her personality is two-faced. She acts harmless and trustworthy, but, in reality, it was the opposite. Selfish, cunning, and inconsiderate--Second Wife only wanted what was best for herself.
6. From this chapter, I learned a lot about the Chinese culture. I learned that Chinese women married men for position, not for love. If you are a widow, you are looked down upon and aren’t even allowed to remarry. I have also learned that Chinese is a tonal language, meaning that a word can have multiple meanings if you change the tone of your voice. One definition of sz is “four”, but if you say it in a sharper tone, it can mean “die”.
Was it really worth it?
Magpies
1. I can see what An-mei means when she says “if she doesn't speak, she is making a choice. If she doesn't try, she can lose her chance forever” (241). Everyone always has a choice. If there is a situation where you truly don’t have two or more options, you must really be in trouble. And I can see how An-mei is disappointed with Rose for not trying to fix her marital problems. She has a choice to fix it, if she really wanted too, but she doesn’t want to take the right path, she wants to take the easy one and give up. I think An-mei is disappointed with Rose because she sees a lot of herself and her mother in her daughter: “And even though I taught my daughter the opposite, still she came out the same way!...All of us are like stairs, one step after another, going up and down, but all going the same way” (241). An-mei’s mother had many opportunities and choices to better her life, but she stayed how she was. “My mother did not love Wu Tsing. A girl in China did not marry for love. She married for position, and my mother's position, I later learned, was the worst” (256). It’s sad that she married someone she didn't love, and she wasn’t even the first to marry. She was the fourth concubine. She didn't have to marry him, but she chose to. And then she was replaced with another, younger concubine. She, again, didn't have to stay and endure all the torment she suffered from second wife, who stole her child so she could stay with Wu Tsing, but she stayed anyway, and brought her daughter into the mess too. I think that might be a major factor about why An-Mei doesn’t like to see her daughter just sit there and ignore her problems, because that’s what her mom did.
2. An-Mei and her mother’s maid, Yan Chang, had a better relationship than her and her mother did. When An-mei meets Yan Chang at Wu Tsing’s home in Tientsin, she gives her a tour of the house and was introduced to everyone else. Yan Chang was who entertained An-mei when her mother was “busy” with Wu Tsing. Yan Chang became An-mei’s friend and she explained what was happening with her mother and the other concubines. She told her why certain people were good to talk to and who to avoid. He mother didn't.
3. There were a lot of similes in this chapter. Girls were compared to stairs, how everyone is similar. An-mei and her mother were compared to the turtles in the pond too.
4. This chapter taught me about how in the Chinese culture, it didn't matter how many girls you married. You could have a lot of concubines, and it wouldn’t matter. The man wasn’t looked down on for having concubines, but the women were, which is kind of screwed up. You were a disgrace if you were a concubine, especially if you weren’t the first one.
1. Swallow your tears and Stand your ground!
2. Magpies
3. This chapter was one of my favorite chapters and I enjoyed reading every page! It had a heartwarming touch and often brought tears into my eyes. I was delighted by the fact that An-Mei agreed to live with her mother and leave her unpleasant aunt and uncle behind. An-Mei’s aunt and uncle were so callous! I was surprised when the aunt told An-Mei that “[her mother’s] ancestral spirit [was] lost forever. The person [she saw was] just decaying flesh, evil, rotted to the bone” (242). Gosh, the aunt was so cruel and the uncle, An-mei’s mother’s brother, even more merciless. He yelled at An-mei’s mother uncontrollably as she cried and pleaded in front of him to let her take An-mei with her. I mean whose brother is like that? How could he watch himself hurt his own sister’s feelings!
I was also appalled about the story of why Wu Tsing had a line of concubines! If Wu Tsing had concubines just because he needed an heir, then why did he bring a fifth concubine? He used most of them to bear him a son and sometimes he used others for his own pleasure. The way women were treated in this chapter was ludicrous and disgusting! I was surprised that none of the other wives stood up for themselves and taught Wu Tsing a lesson about how he was treating them!
4. The relationship between An-Mei and her mother can be described as empathy and protective. When An-Mei saw her mother for the first time, her aunt told her that the person [she saw was] just decaying flesh, evil, rotted to the bone” (242). However, An-Mei knew that the stranger in front of her was not evil, but a nice and sweet person, her mother. Therefore, An-Mei leaves the family that she has been living with, in order to live with her mother at an unknown place. Their mother-daughter relationship reveals how much they both care and understand one another. When Second Wife saw that An-Mei was Taitai’s daughter, she gave An-Mei her necklace in order to gain An-Mei’s trust. An-Mei’s mother, however, knew that Second Wife was very mischievous and cunning. Therefore, Taitai broke the glass pearl necklace that An-Mei acquired from Second Wife to divulge her daughter of Second Wife’s evil intentions. Taitai wanted An-Mei to be assiduous of the people around her because Taitai knew that An-Mei could not trust the people that surrounded her.
5. One of the many writing techniques that Amy Tan uses in this chapter is similes. It helps the reader compare two familiar things so they can imagine the scene, giving the reader a better understanding. An example of this technique is when Tan wrote “so behind the motorcar came a dozen or so rickshaws, bouncing up and down like crickets following a large shiny beetle” (258). In this scene, Tan’s use of simile helped me paint the motion of the motorcar and rickshaws into my mind.
6. There was a variety of Chinese culture and local color embedded throughout this chapter. I learned that a concubine’s position is very important. Usually the first wife is in charge and has the priority over the other wives. A prostitute is a lower position than a concubine, but both are equally loathed. Also, concubines don’t marry for love; they marry for wealth and position, regardless of the fact that it may disrespect their families’ dignity. In addition, widows cannot remarry and “are worthless in many respects” (266) (this fact was quite similar to Indian culture long ago).
Also, superstitions played an important role in China. For example, it is believed that on the third day after a person’s death, [their] soul comes back to settle scores” and “all debts must be paid” on the first day of the new year “or disaster and misfortune will follow” (271).
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1. The Truth Hurts Doesn’t It?
2. Magpies
3. When reading this chapter, I soon remembered how the previous chapter “Scar” also starts off with the mother and the setting at An-Mei’s uncle’s house. The mother is portrayed as a bad influence towards An-Mei because of her roll as the wealthy Wu Tsing’s third concubine and Fourth Wife. The family was against An-Mei’s mother, thinking all her intentions were bad and she was a shame towards their family. From the verbal abuse from her brother to the neglect of her own mother, An-Mei’s mother was kicked out of her own home. It seems that the mother has done something terrible, shameful, and appalling. However, in the end of the chapter, we found out that the mother did not choose her path and role as a third concubine, but rather she was forced into it. When I finished reading this chapter, it made me very sad and I pitied An-Mei’s mother very much. She lived a very unfortunate life. Many unlucky events occurred in her life: the death of her first husband, the role of a concubine, the ridicule of her family, and the lost of her both sons.
4. The relationship between An-Mei and her mother was a truly remarkable. When her mother tried to convince An-Mei to follow her to live with Wu Tsing, An-Mei ignored her relative’s harsh words and criticism and pursued her goal of living with her mother. She loved her mother dearly and accepted her for who she was. She looked past the mean things said about her mother and looked forward the the happy future they’ll have together. An-Mei’s mother in return also loves her daughter dearly, just like any other mother loves their kids. In the end of the chapter, An-Mei’s mother decides to sacrifice herself to protect and assure the well-being of her daughter.
5. I think Amy Tan uses a lot of foreshadowing in this chapter. She tells the happiest of times when An-Mei first arrived at her new home, and soon starts by saying, “But I remember clearly when all that comfort became no longer comfortable.” (255). Amy Tan foreshadows upcoming tragic events to the readers, saying that all the happy moments will end. It allows us, the readers, to be more “into” the novel.
6. From this chapter, I learned that in Chinese culture and society, women are treated as property and ownership. The whole process of marriage back then differs greatly from what ours is today. Firstly, the women have no rights in saying what goes on in the marriage or before the marriage. Also, women married to me must sometimes live with the knowledge that their husband might be out with another women that night. I think its very tragic and heartbreaking that women’s society leveled were that low back then.
Eileen Ly from 7th period
The Tear-eating Turtles
Magpies
For the most part, I really liked this chapter. I felt like it was a bit too gloomy at some points but it was very inspiring at the end, how An-mei’s mother gave her life up so her daughter could have a better one. I didn’t really understand the turtle story (Why turtles?) but I was cheering the whole time for both mother and daughter at the same time. I hate 2nd wife and Wu Tsing. Wu Tsing is a pervert.
The relationship between An-mei and her mom would best be described as close. Her mother loved her yet felt pain when she was forced to leave An-mei and her brother. She teaches An-mei to swallow her tears just to spite all the people around them. It shows her pride, defiant and stubborn, even if she is forced to obey Wu Tsing. Her mother held a lot of hatred for 2nd wife and would confide in An-mei, teaching her not to trust someone just because he or she gave you a pearl necklace.
Amy Tan uses the symbolism of the turtle and the magpie story to convey her messages or themes. The turtles symbolize An-mei and her mom. Both of them are sleeping in the bottom of the lake, eventually coming up for air. They live in darkness but love the light as they let their heads or souls take in the sunlight above. However, when they reach up for the air, the magpies attack them and mock them, just continuing to swallow up the turtle tears. This could be metaphorically set in comparison to An-mei and her mother’s situation. Her mother was tricked into becoming a concubine by the magpie, Second wife. She swallowed her tears. Her hatred of Second Wife was stronger than her sorrows. This improves the story by adding cultural detail while setting a symbol.
I am learning about the life of concubines, the meaning of the positions of the wives, and the story about the turtle and the magpies.
1. Lost and Found
2. “Magpies”
3. This vignette was kind of depressing, though it was pretty good. I felt glad for An-mei because her mother finally came back for her after all those years, but I felt sorry for her brother because he had to be left behind. The trip to Tientsin was really long, but it must have flown by for An-mei because her mother told her so many wonderful stories of the things they would find in Tientsin. The makeup An-mei’s mother wore on the morning they were supposed to arrive in Tientsin reminded me of the makeup that geishas would wear in Japan, with the pale face, red lips, and sharp eyebrows. The disgusting part was when she took out a dead fox pelt and used it as a scarf. Although the house An-mei was going to live in was very fancy and expensive, it felt stuffy and uninviting to me since I prefer small and cozy homes. It seemed like after living in that extravagant house for a while, An-mei quickly became a spoiled brat. She said “’Oh, this. I’ve tasted this already,’”(254) when Yang Chang brought her some sweet meats. I found it really shocking how Second Wife would just fake death or illness in order to get what she wanted. That’s completely wrong, and she might have put her life in danger by eating that raw opium. I felt kind of sorry for First Wife because she was such a ghost due to all of her past misfortunes. When Fourth Wife died, I wondered what would happen to An-mei because she didn’t really have any blood relation to Wu Tsing.
4. The relationship between Second Wife and Fourth Wife could be described as hatred. It was the Second Wife who deviated a plan to force Fourth Wife to marry Wu Tsing. Once Wu Tsing raped Fourth Wife, Fourth wife had no dignity left and had no choice but to marry him. This produced a grudge between Second and Fourth Wife. This hatred also thickened when Second Wife tried to buy An-mei away from her mother with a necklace of fake pearls.
5. Amy Tan uses a big flashback in this chapter. This helps the reader see more about the character An-mei and what she had to go through as a child. This flashback really helped me understand the hardships An-mei had to put up with before she moved to America. When the reader is given more insight on a character, the may change their opinion about him or her. I sure did.
6. I learned a lot about Chinese culture in this vignette. I didn’t know there were foreigner communities in China back then. I also learned that concubines have a very low standing in society, almost equal to that of a prostitute. If a man was wealthy enough, he could just buy any woman he wanted.
Tiffany Vuong
6th period
1. “The Hidden Truth”
2. “Magpies”
3. I felt that An-mei chose to go with her mother only because she felt pressured while living with her aunt and uncle. They were always giving her the choice but yet, forced her to do the things they felt was right. With her mother standing right in front of her, she did not say a word while An-mei was deciding. I think that was what really made the decision for An-mei. As I was reading the passages where An-mei’s mother is telling her stories, it seemed as though she was building her standards up too high. She was telling her all the wonderful and positive things that go on in Tientsin, but what about the horrible and negative things. From what I'm reading, I’m guessing it’s going to turn out to be nothing like what her mother had told her on the trip there. I feel like the mother is telling her nonsense just to make her not regret the fact that she left everything behind to live with her shameful mother. WOW! This chapter was nonetheless phenomenal. How everything tied together, making sense of everything, this chapter definitely shows the authentic writer Tan really is. This chapter was amazing, it truly left me speechless.
4. The relationship between An-mei and her mother is disguised. An-Mei sees her mother physical but at the same time her mother is hidden and covered with thoughts and gossip said by the people around her. An-mei loves her mother, but doesn’t necessarily understand why her mother became a concubine and what her mother’s going through that makes her so unhappy. “She was crying now, rambling like a crazy woman: ‘An-mei, you must not forget. I was a first wife, yi tai, the wife of a scholar. Your mother was not always Fourth wife (258).’” At this point An-mei is really confused. She didn’t understand why her mom was saying all these things and why she was crying so hard. She thought her mother was rambling like a crazy woman.
5. Amy Tan uses similes which improves the chapter because they give you a sense of what Tan is trying to say. She compares it to something the reader could understand because not everyone goes through what the characters go through or sees what the characters see. Tan bases the similes off of things that will spark something similar in your head, giving you a sense of understanding.
6. In the Chinese language, “swanle” means finished, “yi tai” means first wife, “sz tai” means fourth wife, “tyandi” means heaven and earth, “ywansyau” means sticky sweet dumpling. In the Chinese culture, the number four, “sz,” is a very unlucky number. Especially because if its said or pronounced incorrectly in a forced and angry manner “sz” means die. Usually when the concubines aren’t satisfying the husband’s needs, he would go into teahouses to get what he wanted. The concubines use sneaky and clever ways to get the most out of the husbands.
Johnny Chu
Period 7
1. Hopeless Bird
2. Magpies
3. An Mei Hsu’s life was very tragic when she was little. As she left for Tsintin with her to live in Wu Ting’s house. Her mother actually suicides from the shame of being raped and losing her son to second wife. One thing that puzzled me is that why would An Mei teach her daughter to be opposite of her. Even though she did that Rose ended up the same as her.
4. The relationship between An Mei and her mother was very good, since after years of not seeing each other An Mei recognized her mother right away when she came to Ningbo. Her mother taught her the ways of the game in Wu Ching’s house. So I think their relationship is very close. An Mei and Second wife’s relationship could be described as close, but Second wife was actually using her and trying to make her believe her more than her mother with briberies.
5. Amy Tan used good word choice when An Mei’s mother died.
6c. In Chinese customs if a widow was remarried they were in shame and would be kicked out of the house.
1. “Sorry, Uncle”
2. “Magpies”
3. I was shocked at how An-Mei’s relatives treated her mother. It was harsh for them to shun her completely; even if what she did was shameful, she was still their family. Even her own mother cast her away and didn’t dare speak to her. It was even more shocking for me to read that An-Mei really did not have a choice in becoming Wu Tsing’s concubine. “He grabbed her by her hair and threw her on the floor and then put his foot on her throat and told her to undress” (267). I was appalled at the way that after the disasters that she faced, her family did not support her. I imagine that she must have felt betrayed, alone, and ashamed, for something that wasn’t even her fault. Why didn’t she tell her family what had really happened to her? Would it have mattered if she did? I wonder how An-Mei’s life would have been different if she did not go with her mother and stayed with her aunt and uncle. Would it have been better for her as her aunt and uncle had said? Did she ever regret going with her mother?
4. The relationship between An-Mei and her mother can be described as a gentle longing. An-Mei was told that her mother was evil by her own relatives, yet she still wanted to be with her. “‘An-Mei, I am not asking you. But I am going back to Tientsin now and you can follow me,’” (245) her mother had told her at her departure, and she did.
5. In this chapter, Amy Tan used flashbacks. She began with An-Mei ranting about her daughter getting a divorce, and then flashed back to when she was a little child of 9 years, going to live with her concubine mother.
6. c. I am learning that men in the Chinese culture can take more than one wife, although much of the time they do not. I learned how the families of the women who become concubines shun them completely, and refuse to even look or speak to them anymore.
"One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish."
Chapter: Magpies
3. This chapter was okay for me. I felt saddened by the fact that An-Mei's mother didn't have a name throughout the entire chapter (or the book in general). This made me think that she didn't have a name because it would've symbolized how she wasn't that important because of her lifestyle. Now that I think about it, all of Wu Tsing's concubines didn't have a name. I felt angry because, although they led a lifestyle that most people frowned upon, I felt that they should've been giving the right to have a name, instead of "first wife" or "second wife". “My mother did not love Wu Tsing. A girl in China did not marry for love. She married for position, and my mother's position, I later learned, was the worst” (256). The part of the chapter that shocked me the most was when I learned that An-Mei's mother didn't become a concubine willingly. It was cruel to see that the Second Wife tricked An-Mei's mother and allowed Wu Tsing to rape her. She was defenseless as the Second Wife launched claims that An-Mei's mother seduced Wu Tsing. God, she's such a "insert-slander-here". I was even angrier when I learned that An-Mei's only son, Syaudi, was taken from her by the Second Wife. She even "attempted" to give An-Mei pearls as a peace offering. My feelings towards this fictional character can only bephrased as, "Sz! Sz! Sz!" (273).
4. In this chapter, the relationship between An-Mei's mother and the Second Wife can be described as emotionally abusive. An-Mei first met the Second Wife shortly after her husband passed away. The Second Wife found the opportunity to make An-Mei's mother into Wu Tsing's fourth concubine and she readily jumps on that chance. An-Mei's mother is emotionally shaken as Wu Tsing raped her and when she learns that the Second Wife, whom she trusted, set up the entire meeting. Another blow towards her heart is when the Second Wife took away Syaudi and told everyone that it was her own son. Evil, evil lady.
5. The writing technique that I noticed Amy Tan using often in this chapter is foreshadowing. One of the foreshadows that stuck onto me is the Chinese word for the number four, "sz". In this chapter, it is said that "four is a very unlucky number because if you say it in an angry way, it always comes out wrong" (258). An-Mei's mother is the fourth concubine and while she lived under Wu Tsing's house, she had received everything but good luck. Also, if the number four is said incorrectly, it resembles the word for die. This foreshadowed An-Mei's mother's suicide by the end of the chapter.
6. From this chapter, I learned the Chinese customs about concubines. I learned that they were called Second Wife, Third Wife, etc. I also learned that one of their purposes was to create heirs and to serve as a mere status symbol for the man of the house.
1. “Now Can You Recognize What Is True?”
2. QUEEN MOTHER OF THE WESTERN SKIES: “AN-MEI HSU: Magpies”
3. The mother and daughter relationship was mainly portrayed in this chapter. An-mei and her mother understood each other even though they spent a short amount of time with each other. I felt sad when An-mei’s little brother didn’t get to come with them to Tientsin. I guess he would be better off staying with his uncle because it was forbidden for a son to live in somebody else’s house, but the fact that An-mei’s mother didn’t ask him to come was disappointing. I didn’t like the fact that at Wu Tsing’s house, An-mei’s mother as well as the other concubines were called first wife, second wife, and so on. They are like robots and don’t have any identities. I really detest the second wife because of her cleverness to lure An-mei’s mother into becoming Wu Tsing’s third concubine and fourth wife.
4. The relationship between An-mei and her mother can be descrbed as understanding. Even though her uncle and her family hated An-mei’s mother and didn’t want her to bring An-mei to Tientsin, An-mei desided to come along. An-mei did this because her mother was the only person who understood her and respected her and loved her. She didn’t treat her mother the way Popo and her family did. She didn’t care that her mother was a concubine but saw her as her mother. An-mei’s mother was there to comfort and assure An-mei that everything would be alright. She wanted the best for her daughter and taught her the importance of staying true to herself.
5. Amy Tan uses similes in this chapter. In the beginning, An-mei described how her daughter, her mother, and she were “like stairs, one step after another, going up and down, but all going the same way” (241). It helps the readers understand that no matter how much An-mei didn’t want her daughter to suffer, their fates were inevitable and all of them took the same path. The way Amy Tan compared “quince blossomes in the spring” to snow falling (247) helped me visualize the scene. She compared rickshaws like “crickets following a large shiny beetle” (258) when Wu Tsing’s other concubines came back home. It helped me visualize the third wife’s eyebrows when An-mei described them “as bushy as a caterpillar” (259).
6. I learned new chinese words. Swanle means finished, houlu is a small stove for burning coal, yi tai in chinese means first wife, and sz tai means fourth wife. Also, sz means die. In china, four is a very unlucky number because if a person says it in an angry way, it comes out wrong. By law and by custom, the first wife was the head wife no matter how many concubines a man has. Tyandi means heaven and earth. Suicide is the only way a woman can escape her marriage and gain revenge towards her husband.
1. The Truth
2. Magpies
3. Even though An-mei grew up without her mother and in an environment where her family members hate her, she still loves her. She “would stare at [her] mother,” thinking she wasn’t and evil and would rather “touch her face” than slap her like An-mei’s uncle had done. I think it was understandable that she did not have much hatred towards her mother. An-mei grew up without her, so she longs to have that mother-daughter relationship. I felt sorry for An-mei, as well. She has so much weight on her shoulders and I don’t see how she dealt with it all. At such young age, she was loaded with a very important decision to either leave with her mother or listen to her aunt and uncle and stay. I felt sad for An-mei’s brother. I wonder how he felt when his mother didn’t ask him to follow. I also think it’s disgusting how a man in China could have multiple wives. I can’t believe the first wife even allows it! I think that is degrading to women and I’m glad multiple wives are not encouraged in America today. I don’t understand how the first wife permits her husband to sleep with other women who are usually much younger than their self.
4. I would describe An-mei and her mother’s relationship as longing. An-mei was raised without her mother and by Popo and other family members who have told her that her mother was something horrible and a person she doesn’t want to be. When her mother came to Ningpo, she was a stranger to her; but, when she was leaving, An-mei had a desire to leave with her. So, she did. Her mother tells her, “An-mei, I am not asking you. But I am going back to Tientsin now and you can follow me” (245). She did not try to force her to follow. An-mei decided to go.
5. Amy Tan uses the technique of flashbacks to show An-mei’s past, allowing the reader to see the hardships she went through before she came to America.
6. I learned about Chinese culture. Men in China were allowed to have many wives. And if a man was had enough money, he would be able to buy any woman he desired.
Magpies “Tears and Rain”
1.The first thing that I noticed when reading this chapter was that it was very long, probably the longest vignette of all in this novel. But besides this, I thought that this chapter was really good. The title of this chapter came across to me as something really gross or disgusting, but it was a surprise to find out that it meant totally the opposite. I found out that magpies really were “birds of joy” (243). At the end it left me thinking about a lot of things, which I really liked. I thought that the Second Wife was a cruel and heartless woman after all and I felt glad that her hair started to get white in the end of the chapter. She really deserved it after all the horrific things she had done to An-Mei's mother. I felt so sorry for An-Mei's mother after learning the truth behind her marriage to this hideous and monstrous man. My opinions towards An-Mei's mother changed after learning what really happened. Before I just thought that she was bad woman who was just desperate of human affection and whose only choice was to turn into a concubine. I think that it's only after An-Mei's mother died that she finally got the strength and courage to stand up to Second Wife. An-Mei's mother told her that An-Mei's spirit will be stronger than her own because she will die to let An-Mei be stronger. With that in mind, An-Mei “can see the truth, too. [she's] strong, too” (271). An-Mei also “learns to shout” at her and realizes the reason why her mother gave up her life, in order to give her daughter a better life than she did. The story with the turtle was really interesting to read too.
2.The relationship between An-Mei and her mother is really strong and I think that it's clear to the reader that they share a really strong bond between each other. This term of affection is displayed at the beginning of the chapter after Popo's funeral where An-Mei's mother has to leave and return back to live with the wealthy man she married after her husband died. An-Mei decides to leave with her mother even though she is told by her aunts and uncles that she will ruin her life if she does. Once her mother passes away I think that their bond isn't broken, but is strengthened more. Her mother's death changed her life for the better good. An-Mei is able to take charge of her life and stand up to those who hurt her mother. When she was young, her mother had this reputation for being this evil woman and everyone agreed with this because of who she married and the path she took. I think that shortly after her mother died, An-Mei saw her mother in a different light and learns that she is not that different from her mother after all.
3.Amy Tan used several similes in this chapter. The similes that she used in order to compare the turtle to both An-Mei and her mother. Just like the two turtles who live and see in “the watery world together from the bottom of the little pond,” An-Mei and her mother are condemned to live with despairing secrets their entire life. (244) I thought that the story with the turtle was a cool way of comparing An-Mei and her mother's life and theirs had a lot of similarities to it.
4.The main theme or life lesson that it to be learned here in this chapter is that you shouldn't cry a lot because that means that you are showing weakness to somebody. The person who despises you will feed off in your weakness and become more powerful than you. It's okay to shed a little tear in a while but if you look like you're going to give up, than your enemy will conquer you. Also, you should always be cautious about things that are given to you easily. In other words, you should sleep with one eye open if you share a room with an enemy so that you are aware of what's happening to you. You shouldn't be so gullible with other people, otherwise they will take you for granted.
Learn to Shout
Magpies
1. From all of the chapters in this book, I like this one the best. What really made me like this chapter was probably An-mei’s mother doing everything within her power to ensure that her children have the best they can have. An-mei’s mother told An-mei the story of the turtle, how it is useless to cry and tears only feed someone else’s joy. The turtle ate An-mei’s mother’s tears and poured out pearly eggs, which broke. Out of the eggs came magpies, who were birds of joy. I thought it was ironic that the birds of joy were hatched from tears, but when the turtle said the tears only feed other’s joys, I sort of understood. I was not really surprised when An-mei’s mother brought out the clothes she had prepared for An-mei. An-mei later realizes that her mother had known that she would follow her. An-mei’s mother was always thinking of her and had hopes that she would one day follow her. However, when An-mei’s mother began to look fearful at the port and when Wu Tsing came home, it showed that her mother did not feel at home and she was not happy with her life. When Yan Chang told An-mei the story about her mother becoming Wu Tsing’s concubine, I was really shocked. There were plenty of women who would happily marry Wu Tsing for money and power, why did he have to have An-mei’s mother? And Second Wife was seriously evil. An-mei’s mother said that she would rather kill her own weak spirit so she could give An-mei a stronger one. I disagree that An-mei’s mother had a weak spirit. Even though An-mei’s mother was weak in the beginning, in the end, she found enough courage to return home and to take her daughter with her. She found enough courage to give up her life so that her daughter and son may have a better life. She was not weak.
2. An-mei’s relationship with her mother is very close and protective. At a young age, An-mei has lost her mother because she was disowned from the family. Despite being disowned by her mother, An-mei’s mother had returned home to take An-mei with her. Her mother had said that only An-mei knew what she had been through, only An-mei knew her pain. Not only did An-mei’s mother take care of An-mei, but An-mei had also been the one protecting her mother. In order for An-mei to have a better life, An-mei’s mother had killed herself. And An-mei had, instead of being scared, told her mother that she can see the truth and that she too was strong. An-mei’s mother had given An-mei more courage with her death than she had given An-mei in her life.
3. Amy Tan uses foreshadowing in this chapter. She has An-mei’s mother as the fourth wife “sz tai.” Sz also means death, which foreshadows that An-mei’s mother will die. The turtle’s story of the magpies also foreshadows that someone’s suffering would bring happiness to another. Second wife enjoyed her life very much, taking away Syaudi as her own son when An-mei’s mother was the real mother. She made Third Wife fearful of being thrown out, and she treated First Wife with respect, while handing her more opium to poison her. To Fifth Wife, she gave her much money to show her rich she had become, constantly reminding Wu Tsing of the girl’s background.
4. From this chapter, I learned that in China, many people married for position and power, not out of love. I also learned that a man can take as many wives as they want, and go to teahouses with prostitutes, while women were thought badly of if they were to remarry. Wu Tsing and First Wife were married through a matchmaker, so their marriage is a real one, where First Wife should have the power of woman of the house, but Second Wife, who’s marriage was not joined by heaven and earth, saw that First Wife was weakminded, so she was able to take over as the woman of the house. I also learned that a wife could take revenge as a ghost by suiciding.
1. “Raised the Chinese Way”
2. Magpies
3. This chapter wasn’t surprising. I preditcted that karma would get the mean wives. I thought it was really emotional though. In the beginning it tells the story of how An-mei’s mother was banished and I thought it was really unfair how no one bothered to hear her side of the story. It was pretty devastating to find out that she was raped, but understandable why she couldn’t come back home. She wouldn’t want to be a prostitute, but she was already carrying a baby. I hated how her own family was so judgmental. Even though she was carrying a baby, she was still family and that was supposed to mean they needed to help her through the situation. I also think An-mei was very fortunate to follow her mother out of the house. She was able to learn much more. She saw how evil humans can be. I thought it was a good thing that An-mei was exposed to her mother’s real past. She was able to see her mother had suffered a lot and still wasn’t living a happy life. The people in the house mistreated her, but she did nothing. She had nowhere to go, so she soaked in the pain. Later on, after she dies, people end up regetting the way they treated her because they were scared her ghost might come for them. An-mei gains her authority at the end. I was confused at the analogies of magpies. Was it a sign for the good or bad? It seems like it’s supposed to be something beautiful, but it was unwanted. But why would something beautiful be unwanted? Also the turtles were totally unrelated to magpies, so I didn’t know what that meant either.
4. The relationship between An-mei’s mother and Wu Tsing can be described as a resenting mistake. An-mei’s mother did not want to get into this relationship, but she was tricked into it. Wu Tsing only used for pleasure that one night. After she got pregnant she didn’t want a bad reputation so she had to stick with Wu Tsing. It was a mistake that she got pregnant, and of course she regretted it. She was certainly not a prostitute, but it would seem like it if she left Wu Tsing. It was like being forced into the relationship. When they live together, Wu Tsing doesn’t treat her like a wife, and the other wives don’t treat her well either. I don’t think An-mei’s mother was happy either. Wu Tsing only used her for pleasure for certain nights when he got bored of the other wives.
5. One technique Amy Tan used was foreshadowing. In the beginning An-mei talks about her daughter’s relationship with her husband. She said her daughter was going through a divorce and thought there was no way out. She compares her daughter’s “no choices” to her “no choices” and how it was passed down from her mother. In a way, we’re given a glimpse of what she was about to talk about. “All of us are like stairs, one step after another, going up and down, but all going the same way”. We see that she’s about to tell us in what way they all have dealt with the same type of situation that have all caused them pain.
6. From this chapter I learned a lot of new words! Well, not a lot, but more than I usually do. “Swanle” means finished. “Houlu” means a small stove for burning coal. “Yi tai” means first wife. “Koutou” means respect. “Ywansyau” means the sticky sweet dumpling that everybody eats to celebrate. “Sz” means the number four, but when you say it in a mean way, it sounds like die! I also learned that the Chinese practiced a lot of polygamy, but at least these families were rich.
1. The Brightside
2. Magpies
3. My first thought was how did this chapter fit in with “Queen Mother of the Western Skies” section? The story didn’t seem to take place in America, or that’s what I think. Anyway, Amy Tan succeeded in making another depressing chapter. Like when An-mei chose to live with her mother, she left her heart-broken brother behind. Even though some parents leave their own children behind, it’s still sad to think about something like this happening. Another sad event in this chapter was the death of An-mei’s mother. Although the death was noble since it secured An-mei a better life, her slow and painful death was still sour and permanently left things on a bad note. She never reconciled with her family and they are still wrongly ashamed of her. There is something sad about having to die while everyone still has the wrong idea of you.
4. I would describe An-mei and her mother’s relationship as deep and caring. When An-mei first learned the reason why her mother became a concubine, she “suffered so much” (269). An-mei noticed the pain her mother was going through because of the Second Wife and Wu Tsing. She wanted her mother “shout at Wu Tsing” and “shout at Second Wife” for making her mother’s life that way (269). Later in the story when An-mei’s mother killed herself, she was not trying to “pretend-suicide” so that Wu Tsing would treat her better. She did it so An-mei would have a better life. This sacrifice showed how much An-mei’s mother cared for her daughter.
5. One writing technique that Amy Tan uses in this chapter is word choice. She uses words like “bitter”, “dull”, and “poison” in a passage to describe a scene (271). These words have a negative connotation; therefore, creating a negative atmosphere in the passage. Good word choice generates different moods in different scenes as well as adds more depth to the story.
6. I learned that there is a ranking system amongst wives in Chinese Culture. The first wife would have the most power, then the second, third, and so on. The social standings often lead to competition and rivalry. I also learned that for the lunar new year, you must pay all your debts or be cursed with misfortune.
“Hiding and Pain”
2. AN-MEI HSU: “Magpies”
3. Overall, I thought this chapter was really depressing, but at the same time, empowering. In the beginning of the chapter I kept on trying to guess how depressing Wu Tsing’s home could be, but I couldn’t really figure out anything that could actually be sadder than Amy Tan’s previous chapters. All the foreshadowing Tan used, however, told me otherwise. I was kind of bored at the beginning because it seemed like everything was filler. The part where An-mei Hsu met Second Wife really stuck out to me, though. Second Mother had seemed really nice to me, and I didn’t get why Hsu’s mother may have not liked her, but then when Hsu’s mother stepped on the necklace Second Wife gave An-Mei, I was shocked to learn that the pearl necklace was fake. After Hsu’s mother lectured her, I began to believe that Hsu’s mother was a really good person, and a really good mom. I could never imagine someone like her being a concubine for a man like Wu Tsing, nor could I imagine her allowing herself to be oppressed like that, in that home. So when her mother had talked about being a First Wife, a wife of a scholar, I was really moved. She didn’t want to be the way she was, as a concubine, and she didn’t want to her daughter to see her in such a lowly position as she was now.
Later when Yan Chang told Hsu that her mother was too good for this family, I couldn’t help but agree. As Yan Chang continued to talk, I was shocked to learn about how Second Wife had deceived Hsu’s mother, and about how Second Wife controlled the home. At that moment, all I wanted to do was wring Second Wife’s neck (I still kind of want to). I felt so, so sorry for Hsu’s mother. I was further agitated by this chapter when I realized that Hsu’s mother could not do anything about it. She could not do anything to Second Wife and she couldn’t escape, no matter how much she wanted, just because of what people would have thought. I felt it was utterly unfair that Hsu’s mother was even kicked out of her own home by her family, her family that did not know the true reason as to why she was stuck in Wu Tsing’s home. I really wished that she had at least explained it to them, so they would still regard her as a respectable person. At the end of the chapter, I was happy to know that the “ghost” of Hsu’s mother would at least come back to avenge herself, which is probably my favorite thing when it comes to Chinese culture, at this point. I was glad that Hsu “learned to shout” (272). If the Chinese did not have this way of getting back at people, I would have probably still been mad at Tan for making things so tragic. I really liked what I feel is the overall message of the story, that if you have the chance to take things into your own hands, you should, rather than ending like Hsu’s mother.
4. The relationship between An-Mei Hsu and Yan Chang can be described as friendly and caring. This is especially shown as Yan Chang is always taking care of Hsu as she lives with her mother. Also, she is always playing with Hsu as a friend, rather than a worker. “Yan Chang and [Hsu] roasted chestnuts on top of [a] little coal stove. And burning [their] fingers while eating [their] sweet nuggets, [they] naturally started to giggle and gossip” (264). They had a friendship that was probably very unusual between worker and the daughter of an employee (though it may have helped that Yan Chang had been with them since before Hsu’s mother married Wu Tsing). Furthermore, Yan Chang considers Hsu enough of a friend that she is able to tell Hsu about her mother’s past, and the reasons as to why she is living with Wu Tsing, even though she does not love him at all. Normally, an adult would not tell a child about something like this, but their friendship is close enough that Yan Chang is capable of confiding in Hsu. Yan Chang also shows a true care for Hsu as she readily accepts Hsu in times of need, like when Wu Tsing took Hsu’s mother away for the night.
5. In this chapter, I see Amy Tan using tons of foreshadowing. Tan uses foreshadowing many times as An-Mei Hsu is narrating, for example: “She married for position, and my mother’s position, I later learned, was the worst” (256). This is foreshadowing as the readers do not know why Hsu’s mother’s position is the worst, but through this, Tan is capable of further intriguing her readers into understanding why things are so in the chapter, making the chapter much more captivating for readers. Tan also uses foreshadowing in the beginning of the chapter, where she describes the mood of the city Wu Tsing lives in, and in several parts of the chapter where Hsu hints her mother’s sadness and despair. Readers do not know why such a city of wonder is so gloomy or why Hsu’s mother is so sad, which pushes them to continue reading. In several parts of the chapter, Tan also mentions comparisons of how mesmerized Hsu was in her initial time at Wu Tsing’s home, and contradicts it by quickly stating things that hint that Hsu would not always be happy living there, that she would not be amused forever. All of the foreshadowing Tan uses intrigues readers, which makes the overall reading experience much more exciting. It also improves the chapter by allowing things to fall into place. As it pushes the reader, it is also pushing events, working as transitions for a smooth continuation and connection between several parts of the chapter. In short, it ties up loose ends for the chapter, polishing up the sharp sides of the chapter cleanly and smoothly.
6. What are you learning about Chinese culture?
From this chapter, I mainly learned about western influence and the position of women in Chinese society. Firstly, I learned about western influence through the clothing of the women, and the layout of the city. There was an area for westerners, which I had not previously known before. Westerners were also highly regarded in China, having their own special area that showed they were rich and powerful in China. Also, back then in China, it was fashionable to dress fancily in westernized garments, especially in the metropolitan areas. Women liked to adorn themselves with outrageous western goods (as shown through Second Wife). Furthermore, I learned that the status of women in China at that time was very complicated. Though regularly, the First Wife is to hold the most power in a home, manipulation and the stress of keeping power could get to them and power would thus descend from wife to wife. Second Wife gained power through great manipulation and through a strong understanding of how her husband worked. Once a Wife gained power, the others were basically powerless pawns in the house, making their positions the most horrid. It was also hard for them if their husbands decided to take another wife after them because that meant that he had lost his liking for them. Being a wife among many was truly difficult at that time, and women did not have much power at all. They were just toys to some men, and social laws basically kept them oppressed and misunderstood.
Jane Wong
Period 6
1. Pain or Joy?
2. Magpies
3. I thought this chapter was a very emotional chapter for the reader because it was definitely sad to see that An-Mei Hsu was pushed in between a sticky situation when she was young. She had to choose between her own mother or the place where she originally grew up in. Though I thought it was a good choice for her to choose to go with her mother in the beginning, I still felt bad thinking back about her brother that was left behind at her uncle and aunt's place. "A son can never go to somebody else's house to live. If he went, he would lose any hope for a future" (246). This was sad because today, there are no such things like this because if a person wanted to leave, it would not be against the religion or whatsoever to do so. When An-Mei and her mother arrived to the new house of Wu Tsing, a rich merchant's house, An-Mei was quite happy and content with where she was staying at. She really liked her new room and everything that seemed good to her on the outside, but when she thought back after wards, it did not seem too picture-perfect anymore. "Thinking back, I find it hard to remember everything that was in that house; too many good things all seem the same after awhile. I tried of anything that was not a novelty" (254).It was sad to read about how An-Mei later found out what her mother went through from the past with Wu Tsing and this second wife of his. The pretend suicidal that the Second Wife attempted again and again was just unnecessary. I thought it was selfish of her to try and overtake everyone and everything just to save her position in the house. Looks could be deceiving, so I thought it was good that An-Mei was able to see the other face of the Second Wife after she heard more about her.
4. I think the character relationship would be between An-Mei and her mother because there is definitely love going on in between because if An-Mei's mother did not love her enough, she would not have wanted An-Mei to leave with her from the beginning. She taught An-Mei how the turtles ate up An-Mei's tears, which was to teach her to bite back her pain. She also taught An-Mei to not trust the Second Wife so quickly because things are not what they seem sometimes. I thought that the fact that her mother would teach her things once in awhile showed a lot of concern and care in their relationship because An-Mei did listen once in awhile. But when she really figured things out after wards, she eventually understood her mother.
5. Amy Tan definitely uses foreshadowing in the chapter Magpies because from the beginning, An-Mei was teaching her own daughter Rose to move on with the past and stand up for herself. Amy Tan goes into details when she thinks about about her own memories of being a child being in a wealthy family that made no sense to her. "And on that day, I showed Second Wife the fake pearl necklace she had given me and crushed it under my foot. And on that day, Second Wife's hair began to turn white. And on that day, I learned to shout" (272). An-Mei was saying that she learned to stand up for herself after her mother died. So she was telling Rose to stand up to Ted and not let him step all over her. This chapter foreshadowed a lot of An-Mei's past and how she does not want her own daughter Rose, to follow her footsteps from the past, but only to move forward with what's best.
6. a. I think the life lesson of this chapter is to tell us that we should just do what we need to do and not let anything stop us. From the beginning, An-Mei talked about how her daughter Rose complained about her marriage falling apart with her husband, Ted. "If she doesn't speak, she is making a choice. If she doesn't try, she lose her chance forever" (241). I believe this line revealed a lot about choices in life. It lets the reader know that sometimes you should just follow your heart and do what your instincts tell you to do, and not hear or ask advice from anybody else, but yourself.
1. Sz! Sz! Sz!
2. Magpies
3. I thought this chapter was one of the best because it shows a lot of real emotion. At the beginning, I did not like An-Mei’s mother because it seemed that she betrayed her family and left them. It was sad to hear the story of how her mother was tricked into becoming one of Wu Tsing’s concubines. An-Mei’s mother is a really strong person because she does not argue with her family when they disown her even though she knows that deep down, it was not her fault. She was forced into her new family. It made me angry how another woman (second wife) would do something so evil as to befriend an innocent widow only so she could be made into a concubine. She is incredibly selfish and fake. Though her mother feels like she has lost her dignity, she doesn’t want the same fate for her daughter. Her mother loves An-Mei because she comes back for her and somehow knew that An-Mei would follow her. I really don’t get why she doesn’t want to take her son along with her though. Doesn’t she care about all her children? Her mother does seem like she wants the best for her daughter. When the second wife tries to bribe An-Mei with her fake pearls, her mother tells An-Mei that, “[she] will not let her buy An-Mei for such a cheap price (260).” Her mother knows that her daughter is worth more.
4. The relationship between An-Mei’s mother and the second wife can be described as fake. They both despise and want the worst for each other but they don’t show it. Her mother’s hand “stiffens” as she sees the second wife. An-Mei’s mother still has to act polite because the second wife serves more as the first wife. The second wife has the ability to manipulate everyone except for An-Mei’s mother. The second wife is the reason for all of An-Mei’s mother’s pain. She went as far as to claim Syaudi as her own son. While the second wife is hugging and comforting Syaudi, all An-Mei’s mother could do is watch. She tries to be strong, especially in front of her daughter.
5. Amy Tan uses imagery in this chapter. She describes Wu Tsing’s home and how extravagant it is. The reader can picture the “Chinese stone gate” and “big black lacquer doors”. Also, the house is unlike any other house because of its “long rows of bushes on both sides of the wide brick walkway” and “big lawn area of fountains”. Inside, there are too many things to see like the curved staircase, stiff teakwood furniture, paintings of hunting dogs, and mahogany desks.
6. In Chinese culture, I learned that if a wife suicides, she can then take revenge. Especially if it is first day of New Years, everyone has to pay their debts or else they will be cursed. I also learned that men that own concubines can go to teahouses for even more prostitutes. Also, people in China marry for position and power, and not just for love. I learned that the first wife in a marriage is the one that controls everyone.
“Birds of joy, turtles of tears”
CH. Magpies
3. This chapter was very interesting and I was actually able to read this one without pausing and getting distracted. When An-mei’s mother told her that “she would rather kill her own weak spirit so she could give [her] a stronger one”, my first reaction was “no way”. To be able to face rape and the tragedy of being disowned by your own family is not what I would call a “weak spirit.” Even then, her mother still had the courage to return home and take An-mei back to Tientsin.
Another thing that caught my attention was Amy Tan’s constant reference to the magpies and turtles. At first I was confused because I didn’t know what they were supposed to mean and represent. However, at the end of the story, I finally realized their true significance to the story. The magpies, or birds of joy, were the people like Second Wife. Finding joy and power in oppressing other people, she was the bird that would “drink the tears” of her victims, the crying turtles.
4. I would say that the relationship between An-mei’s mom and Wu Tsing is basically nonexistent. An-mei’s mother only married Wu Tsing because Second Wife tricked her and put her to shame. Although her mother was treated very well and had many riches, she was just one of Wu Tsing’s concubines.
5. A technique that Amy Tan uses in this chapter is descriptive language. When An-mei’s mother died, An-mei described her last image of her mother as “She wore funeral clothes far richer than those she had worn in life…A silk gown, sewn with gold thread. A headdress of gold and lapis and jade. And two delicate slippers with the softest leather soles and two giant pearls of each toe, to light her way to nirvana.” (271). This technique helps the reader to imagine and see the scene more vividly.
6. One Essential Question: Choose at least 1 of our essential questions to answer for each chapter:
b. What is the main conflict in the chapter? Is it internal or external, human vs. self, vs.
I think the main conflict in this chapter is character vs. character, An-mei’s mother vs. Second Wife. It was bad enough that An-mei’s mother was a widow, but after Second Wife pulled off her trap, An-mei’s mother had to face the burden of being a widow and a prostitute. Even worse, she had to give up her own son and let Second Wife raise him as her own.
1.Swanle!
2.“Magpies”
3.This chapter gave a lot of information to better understand An-Mei. It was the most helpful, because it gives us events and reasons as to why she thinks her daughter has to speak up. In the scene where An-Mei’s mother is taking her to Tientsin, I felt angered that An-Mei’s little brother could not follow his sister. The Chinese custom seemed so irrational at that point. I became more angered about An-Mei’s mother’s family, for pushing her out of their lives and disowning her like that. I compare what I know now about this family, from before, and realize that An-Mei’s mother was never the “bad” guy. She had an ugly bout of misfortune, and she had to pay dearly for it, regardless of whose fault it was.
4.I thought the relationship between An-Mei and her mother was very stable. Even though they had not been with each other for long periods of time, I felt that their relationship was complete, and that they had no opposing personalities. I thought that their well-suited relationship was shown throughout the chapter – when An-Mei decided to follow her mother to Tientsin, when they both felt excited about new clothing, when An-Mei’s mother taught her a life lesson about people like Second Wife.
5.In this chapter, I found that the foreshadowing was very helpful. For obvious reasons, it helped me figure out what kind of events would come. Still on the boat, after An-Mei has been told many wonderful stories about Tientsin, she looks down in the water and sees that it has “changed from muddy yellow to black” [247], and what further expresses a negative future, is that the “boat [begins] to rock and groan” [247].
6.In this chapter, I was very surprised about the Chinese culture and custom that “a son can never go to somebody else’s house to live” [246]. It was strange to have a character be blocked by something like that. To intensify it even further, “he would lose hope any hope for a future” (246) if that did happen. (And), when I thought the Chinese people (in this book) couldn’t be any stricter, An-Mei’s relatives become worse than before, disowning her for following her mother.
1. Money Isn’t Everything
2. Magpies
3. Reading this chapter, it was very long. At the same time, I thought this chapter was very interesting because it kept me reading the entire time I was reading. I felt An-mei had to make a difficult decision when she had to choose to either live with her mother or with her aunt and uncle. Naturally, she chose her mother who was the one that created her. When she finally got to the house, she looked around amazed at how rich he was. She then realized, her mother had a tough life after a servant named Yan Chang told her. I thought it was very sad that her mother suicided so that the impact of that would benefit her daughter. Overall, this was a sad but interesting chapter.
4. The relationship between An-mei and her mother is close but distant. They were close in a way they could read each other’s expression and understand each other a little but distant because An-mei was not informed about why she would marry this man or why they came here. She slowly finds out information after a servant named Yan Chang told her who has been serving her since she arrived at the house. Even before her mother had suicide, she knew the truth of her why she did it because An-mei understood her mother at that point.
5. In this chapter, I noticed Amy Tan uses simile. She helps the reader understand what is being compared by allowing imagination to play a part because not everyone She compared rickshaws like “crickets following a large shiny beetle” (258) and the third wife’s eyebrows “as bushy as a caterpillar” (259). All this helped me visualize.
6. In this chapter, I learned a lot about how wives had no power in their marriage and how the man always has the control. How the marriage was arranged and why it happened also had different reasons. I also learned about how the first wife of the husband usually has the most power in the family out of the wives.
An Appetite for Anguish
"Magpies"
1.The whole talking turtle bit kind of startled me. I would’ve expected a talking turtle in a St. Clair chapter but not in An-Mei’s. I couldn't believe that An-Mei's mom committed suicide. I don't commend suicide but I have to admit that her sacrifice for her daughter was admirable. I feel that there were other ways for A-M’s mom to better the lives of her family, but I can’t think of them. I never want to think that suicide is the only option but, I guess in this case, it was the only sure way out. As for Second Wife, I can’t say that I totally hate her because part of me admires her. She’s a clever woman; her power doesn’t come from her looks but from her mind. For her to have control over her husband, especially in a time period where women had little to no power, is an amazing feat you have to admit. Now this is where my admiration ends because with the power that she was able to amass she used for evil. It’s horrifying that
2.I think the relationship between An-Mei's mother and Second Wife can be compared to the story of the Goose Girl. The Second Wife tried to pretend to be the "princess," An-Mei's mom, leaving An-Mei's mother as the goose girl. The Second Wife thinks she’s got her outwitted what with having her son and the rich husband in her hand but it’s An-Mei’s mother who beats her in the end. I also think that they’re sort of foils for one another. An-Mei’s mother is sincere and has good intentions while the Second Wife is charismatic and manipulative.
3.The chapter incorporates a lot of symbols; the magpies, the turtle, the large white dress, and the fake pearls. The large white dress represents An-Mei not being about to fit in with her mother’s new life. She was still too young and too pure for her lifestyle. An-Mei still needed to grow. The fake pearls that the Second Wife gave An-Mei symbolism Second Wife’s false purity and false humility. The scene in which An-Mei’s mother stomps on the pearls I think in a way An-Mei’s mother was also stomping on An-Mei’s purity. An-Mei had to continue wearing the broken pearls as a reminder of her loss of innocence.
4.I learned a lot more about concubines and their ranks in this chapter. I never knew that status could be gained among concubines through birthing sons. I always thought that the ranks would never change, that power flowed chronologically and that was that. I also never realized how many concubines one man, or rather one rich man, could amass. I’m curious as to when concubines were outlawed in China because I just realized in this chapter how recent this is. Another thing I learned was that widows weren’t supposed to re-marry and if they did they’d be dishonoring themselves and they’re family.
1. Crying to Sleep
2. Magpies
3. This chapter was a good, yet long chapter. Honestly, I like it, but at times it felt like this chapter just went on and on. I believe An-mei leaving with her mother was the best idea, for one could never replace one’s own mother. Her choice led her to Tientsin, to her mother’s home with the rich and powerful Wu Tsing. With plenty of money and many concubines, Wu Tsing is the perfect example of male hormones running loose. With many many wives, and countless children, Wu Tsing was just made to be hated upon. In this chapter we, the reader, learned the history of An-mei’s mother. I felt sorry for her, really. Being tricked and raped, then losing honor from her family, An-mei’s mother was forced to go back to live with Wu Tsing. It’s hard to place my feet in her shoes, but seeing what happened, I’d rather die then run back to Wu Tsing.
4. The relationship between An-mei and her mother is sincere. Both love each other very much and would sacrifice everything they had just to see the other safe. An-mei’s mother actually did sacrifice something to give An-mei the best life she could have. She sacrificed herself.
5. The pearl necklace given to An-mei from 2nd wife, I thought, was the symbol of one’s greed and how their selfish greed is revealed by artificial possessions. An-mei’s mother smashed the necklace into pieces showing how something so beautiful, something so magnificent swayed An-mei’s judgment, yet it was fake.
6. From this chapter, I learned that to a rich man in china, wives are like the pearls of a necklace, one pearl doesn’t fill the necklace strand. I also learned that many women in china don’t marry for love, but for the bags of gold stashed under the man’s bed. Many women marry for their status, their rank to be higher than others, for beneficial purposes.
1. Magpies
2. The Wicked Witch of China
3. This chapter was really long, but I enjoyed it all the same. I couldn’t believe all the drama that happened in the household. Perhaps this is what happens when men are allowed to have more than one wife. I couldn’t’ believe how evil Second Wife was. Despite her wicked personality, she is very clever. It was very smart of her to try to trick An-Mei into coming to her and betray her own mother. I was relieved when An-Mei’s mother saw past what Second Wife was doing and kept An-Mei her on her side. Second Wife must indeed be awful if she tries to turn a girl against her own mother. Second Wife reminded me of an evil witch who knew everyone’s weaknesses and how to exploit them. The way Second Wife held and talked to An-Mei’s brother was extremely cruel on An-Mei’s mother’s part.
I also loved how An-Mei’s mother planned her suicide to perfectly. It was proof that she was able to outsmart Second Wife, the clever witch. Second Wife definitely got what she deserved the day An-Mei’s mother died.
4. The relationship between Second Wife and the rest of the household was one that a tyrant might have over a country. Even though she wasn’t technically the leader of the house, she stole power, and had more than anyone. I was frightened because of how powerful she was, and how she could use that to harm others. Wu Tsng and First Wife were under her control and she could manipulate them to do whatever she wanted. She received no consequences when she did evil things and could come and go as she pleased.
5. The entire story was told in the form of a flashback. I thought this helped enhance it. This is because with a combination of a tragic event that was happening, and a story that was told to make that event sound like nothing, the message that An-Mei was trying to send got through. If An-Mei had just gone and told us the theme, it wouldn’t have been as powerful as a whole story to explain and illustrate it.
6. What I learned about Chinese culture was all the traditions that the Chinese followed. Men were allowed to have more than one wife. The first wife held all the power; except for the case of this story, where Second Wife held all the power. I also learned that a girl is taught to swallow other people’s misery and eat her own bitterness. That a girl is to remain quiet , even when the world is crashing around her shoulders.
1. Things aren’t as they appear
2. Magpies
3. This chapter I thought had was an interesting chapter because An-mei’s mother didn’t seem as bad as she was. This chapter cleared up everything, and made her mom seems good rather then the dishonorable mother she was described in the previous chapter. It shows she really cares about her daughter An-mei, and that she left to hide her shame. She was tricked into sleeping wit Wu Tsing. It was really sad though, when Tan describes how An-mei’s mother son was taken away from her, and that the Second Wife said the child belonged to her. I really hated the Second Wife because she was so mean and evil. At the beginning, she seemed like a nice person, who wouldn’t do all these things. She was what she appeared liked just like An-mei’s mother wasn’t what she appeared to be.
4. I would compare An-mei’s relationship with her mother as a hardship. An-mei has to go through all these tough ordeals; such has Popo saying her mom was a horrible woman. She also had to deal with the fact that her mom was a third concubine, and that she was tricked into getting married again. She also had to deal with the Second Wife, and how she was a horrible woman. She lied and married all for the riches of Wu Tsing. With all the lies going around, I think it’s hard for An-mei to have a smooth relationship with her mother.
5. Amy Tan uses a flashback at the beginning of the story to move her plot. She uses this to create a smooth transition from the present to a past memory. She also makes great descriptions about the house, such as “the three stories, of mortar and stone with long metal balconies on each floor and chimneys at every corner.” This showed the house was big and magnificent especially to the people of China, but she also made it seem as something was wrong with it when she wrote “there were no willows or sweet-smelling cassia trees, no garden pavilions, no benches sitting by a pong, no tubs of fish”. This line gives off a connotation that said the house was big and enormous, but there’s something wrong with it, it isn’t happy.
6. I learned more about Chinese culture that they feared the woman’s spirit dying. This was explained when Wu Tsing was afraid of An-mei’s mother coming back to haunt him, because of the bad things he did. He raped her when she was tricked, and took her son away from her. When he made An-mei and her littlest brother his number one children, it showed that he was afraid of the vengeance. This shows that the Chinese culture was afraid of the mother’s spirit and wanted her to die in peace.
“To Swallow One’s Own Tears”
Magpies
1. I don’t agree with the story about the turtle telling An-Mei’s mother to swallow her own tears. I think it is healthy to let out one’s emotions. If you keep them bottled up inside, sooner or later, they are going to come out, hurting yourself and others in the process. Therefore, it is better to let off some steam once in a while, or you are just going to explode. I thought the story about how An-Mei’s mother became the fourth concubine was tragic. The second wife is so evil to arrange a marriage that way. Why did she have to trick someone into it anyway? Aren’t there any gold-diggers out there that want to marry him? He’s so stupid anyway to fall obvious tricks by the second wife to get more money and power. And what’s up with the second wife trying to bribe An-Mei with fake pearls? Did she honestly think that An-Mei wouldn’t figure it out? Or that someone wouldn’t tell her? That was stupid because it would only serve to alienate An-Mei and turn her against the second wife. It was so sad that An-Mei’s mother killed herself in order to allow An-Mei to have a better life. It is great that An-Mei turned such a tragedy into an opportunity and used her mother’s death to “learn how to shout.”
2. The relationship between An-Mei and her mother is like one of a martyr and her cause. An-Mei is the cause that her mother literally dies for. She gives up her own life so that her daughter might obtain a better status in the household, and therefore, a better life. This is shown in the scene where An-Mei recalls her mother, before dying, telling her that she was “killing her weak spirit,” in order to make An-Mei’s stronger.
3. A technique that Amy Tan uses in this chapter often is foreshadowing. One example of this is where, in this chapter, it is noted that the Chinese word for “four,” sz, sounds very similar to the Chinese word for “death.” This foreshadows that An-Mei’s mother, who is Wu Tsing’s fourth concubine, will die later in this chapter. This improves the chapter because it adds suspense to the story.
4. This chapter is related to the allegory at the beginning of the section because they both talk about mothers passing on traits to their daughters. Although An-Mei tries to teach Rose to speak up for herself, Rose ends up becoming like An-Mei was before her mother’s death, keeping her emotions bottled up inside. Like An-Mei, through a set of circumstances, Rose changes and discovers her voice. Just like the woman in the allegory, who passed on her traits to her daughter, An-Mei worries about her traits that are manifested in her daughter, and how they might possibly prove detrimental in her.
Dan Truong
Period 06
Emo people make me happy.
(on “Magpies”)
3) I felt sorry for An-mei Hsu’s mother throughout this whole chapter. I thought it was sad how her mother got pushed around by the Second Wife. The way Second Wife tricked An-mei’s mother into becoming Wu Tsing’s fourth concubine made me really hate her. (Plus, I wish Amy Tan gave An-mei’s mother a name, so I don’t have to keep saying “An-mei’s mother” every time.) This was such a long chapter, but I kind of enjoyed it.
4) I think the relationship between An-mei and her mother is a misunderstanding, because An-mei never knew about how her mother lost her face. Only until this chapter did she learn that her mother was tricked into becoming the fourth concubine of Wu Tsing. I think An-mei is very loving towards An-mei and warns her about the Second Wife’s manipulating actions.
5) One of the techniques that I noticed Amy Tan used abundantly in this chapter were similes.
One of the similes she wrote was “The rain would fall more softly…until it became white and dry as the petals of quince blossoms in the spring”. I thought this simile was beautiful and showed just how slowly the rain fell.
6c) In this chapter, I learned that, in Chinese culture, men could have many wives called concubines. I learned that the latest concubine had more status than the later ones, though the First Wife or Second Wife had the most power. I learned that widows were not supposed to remarry, or they would lose their face. I learned that being a concubine is very shameful.
1. “Birds of Joy”
2. “Magpies”
3. When I read this chapter, I noticed how long it was, but how much information it contained. I finally understood why An-Mei’s mother went to be Wu Tsing’s concubine, not because she wanted to, but because she had no choice. I really disliked Second Wife because she was so conniving, tricking An-Mei’s mother into becoming Wu Tsing’s Fourth Wife and sending the other wives off. I felt bad for An-Mei because she had to choose to either live with her aunt and uncle or with her mother. And I also felt sad for her brother because he was just left behind, not even thought about. When I read that her mother committed suicide, it surprised me. I didn’t think she would go to such drastic measures, but for her to take her own life to give An-Mei a better one showed that she really loved her.
4. The relationship between An-Mei and Yan Chang can be described as open and friendly. When An-Mei first came to stay at Wu Tsing’s house, Yan Chang was the one who gave her a tour and told her what and who everything was. She told her the stories of each wife and welcomed spent time with her, as if they were each other’s best friends. They “roasted chestnuts” together and “giggle[d] and gossip[ed]” (264), showing that they liked to accompany one another. And she even told An-Mei the truth about her mother, even though it was best to not tell children anything at all. That showed that Yan Change cared for An-Mei, telling her even though it may hurt to hear.
5. Amy Tan incorporates symbolism in this chapter. Tan used the magpies as a symbol of the people who enjoy the sorrow and pain of others. Physically, they’re just “birds of joy” (243) but symbolically, they stood for those who stood by, wanting and inflicting pain on others, to see them suffer. People like Second Wife, who would drink the tears of others, nothing more but taking pleasure in it all. This technique improves the story because it shows us how something that sounds so wonderful such as “birds of joy” could really mean something horrible, people who like to see others endure hurt.
6. In this chapter, I learned that the Chinese believed that if a wife were to have committed suicide, then she can take revenge upon her husband. The family was to pay respect and pay their debts to her, or be cursed forever. It was especially important on lunar new year, because if they came back to settle scores at this time, then disaster and misfortune will follow. I also learned that concubines could change their ranking, decided on whether or not they bore a son. I’ve always thought that whoever was the First Wife was always the most powerful, and so on.
Margaret Trask
1. “To Swallow Your Tears”
2. Magpies
3. My first reaction to this story was fear that the little girl was going to be abused in the house of concubines. When I realized the truth of the mother’s situation, I was saddened by the way she was trapped into torture and shamed for a situation that was not her fault. I was astonished that such a heartless scheme could possibly be hatched in clean consciousness. Then I realized that desperate times call for desperate measures, and that Second Wife was only taking care of herself and trying to survive even in the worst of situations. I was able to sympathize with her, but for the pain she caused An-Mei through the loss of her mother both early in life and again when her mother died was unforgivable.
4. The relationship between An-Mei’s mother and Second Wife is twisted and exploitive. Second wife takes control of An-Mei’s mother’s life, stealing away what she loves and restricting her privileges with her every whim. The only reason An-Mei’s mother is married to Wu Tsing is that Second Wife staged a scandal on an unsuspecting widow. Forced from her family and put to unbearable shame, An-Mei’s mother has no choice but to marry Wu Tsing and become his Fourth Wife. Later, Second Wife takes An-Mei’s mother’s baby boy as her own, and attempts to lure An-Mei into loving her with a strand of fake pearls. Second Wife even takes away the chance for Fourth Wife to have her own house in a little beach town.
5. The entire vignette is a flashback, wherein An-Mei remembers how she was as a little girl and her relationship with her mother. The author uses this to illustrate a thought of An-Mei’s in the beginning of the story, when she knows that even though the ways they were raised are different, they are both their mother’s daughters.
6. The life lesson learned is that we all are a product of our mothers. Though we may have a few stark differences, the thought holds true. Without the arms that held us tight when we first came into this world, we would have found it much too cold to bear.
Death to buy life
Magpies
1) This is a sad chapter, despite all the wealth and prosperity that is in Wu Tsing’s house, it is still just as sad as An-mei’s uncle’s house. I’m also surprised at how powerful women can be and the Chinese belief in spirits. Second wife was able to control Wu Tsing through his fear in spirits and run the house. She even stole An-mei’s brother to raise as her own. Not only is she incredibly manipulative, but she is completely immoral in her treatment of An-mei’s mother. We also see that some women have very little power. An-mei’s mother could not resist Wu Tsing when he raped her, nor could she protest when Second Wife declared that it was Wu Tsing who had been seduced. I guess she could have protested anyway, but what would it have given her? It seems me that she would be shamed either way. She wasn’t even believed by her own family, they tossed her out of their house and disowned her. About An-mei going with her mother, I don’t think that An-mei’s mother (I really wish she had a name) was being selfish for taking An-mei with her. It is true that she knew her life was miserable in Tientsin, but so was An-mei’s life with her uncle. Everyone’s hatred and shame of An-mei’s mother rubbed off on An-mei, even though nobody realized it. It is also sad how An-mei’s mother killed herself to give An-mei a stronger spirit, a more powerful presence, to be able to live life like a person rather then a ghost.
2) An-mei’s mother and Second Wife. They hate each other, but it’s not a fiery hate that erupts. Their hate is much quieter, more in the way they act toward each other. When Second Wife tries to steal An-mei’s loyalty, Second Wife didn’t have to do that, An-mei is a daughter and is supposed to be unimportant. She would only do that to spite An-mei’s mother, make her even more miserable then before. An-mei’s mother fears Second Wife, how much power she has and how easily she can shame and humiliate An-mei’s mother. I think she also hates Second Wife, for forcing An-mei’s mother into this position and stealing away her honor and son.
3) Amy Tam uses foreshadowing many times in this chapter. One of the times she uses it is when An-Mei’s mother is telling An-mei that she was not always Fourth Wife. And the way she says Fourth sounds like “die” in Chinese, so she would be saying “die wife” or dead wife. This foreshadows that An-mei’s mother will die, causing the reader to think of death and how horrible life is for An-mei’s mother here.
4) This chapter teaches us many things about Chinese culture, especially about women and their positions in a household. We learn how widows are supposed to be chaste and not remarry. We also learn how the Chinese belief in ghosts, spirits and retribution can effect their lives. This is how Second Wife controls Wu Tsing and this is how An-mei’s mother makes a better life for An-mei. We also see that honor is very important in Chinese society, how losing it can crush a person and can effect their children.
The Turtle and the Birds
Magpies
During the story, I couldn't help but awe at An-Mei because of the decision she had made. The decision was very pressuring, and a lot of people, including me, would probably break on it. As the story line progressed, my respect for An-Mei grew to new heights. During the story, we witness the transformation of An-Mei's mother. It was not a whole big thing, but it was simply a cosmetic change. I wasn’t, surprised, however when we had learned that the wives had married for power, and money; however, the fact that An-Mei’s mother was raped, and tricked by Second Wife really surprised me. I know that some people are ruthless, and have to achieve everything they desire, yet the idea of rape disgusted me.
The relationship between An-Mei and her mother is almost a stereotypical relation, yet the events aren’t. Throughout the chapter, one can see how much An-Mei’s mother and her love each other, and support each other. Also, mother teaches An-Mei how to be wise, and how to survive in the house, especially about Second Wife.
From this chapter we learn much about Chinese culture. One of these things is that the Chinese people had arranged marriage so that the family could increase in power. Also, we learn about how the system of concubines work.
1. false pearls, false promises
2. magpie
3. How can second wife take away her baby like that? After all that she has done to An-Mei’s mother, this seems one of the toughest. If she had been the mother to the only child of Wu Tsing she would have received more consideration. I think that the second wife was horrible and manipulative to the rest of the women. She managed to control the entire household because of Wu Tsing’s fear of ghosts. But, at the end An-mei’s mother used this to her advantage too.
4. the relationship between AnMei and her mother is strong. Strong to the point of her mother sacrificing her own life to give her daughter a better life. An-Mei ahad lived her life without her mother, when she came back, she went with her right away. Her mother worked to keep her safe from second wife’s influence.
5. I liked how Amy used the simile of stairs in this chapter. She talks about how they are going the same direction. Sometimes they have different lives, but are still connected.
6. I learned about Chinese culture. About the way that the wives have different orders. The first wife having the most respect. All the other ones transcend down, the last wife having the least power in the house.
Raymond Yeh
Period 6
1. The Secret Family
2. Magpies
3. This chapter is one of the darker ones in the book. In this chapter, An Mei discovers that finally reuniting with her mother might not be a good thing after all. She sees that her mother is treated badly in the wealthy household because she is a lowly fourth wife. The higher ranking second wife even tried to lure An Mei onto her side with a new necklace, but fortunately, An Mei was able to resist with the help of her mother. Her mother later commits suicide and changes An Mei’s life forever. Wu Tsing, the master of the house, feared that the spirit of An Mei’s mother would haunt her so he started to raise An Mei as his own honored children. That is when An Mei finally discovered her own true self worth.
4. When An Mei’s mother died, she actually felt herself become stronger. She used her own mother’s death and pain to change her own life and finally confronted second wife by smashing her necklace. Ironically, it is after the death of her mother when An Mei starts to feel how similar to each other they are.
5. Amy Tan uses a lot of similes in this chapter. One example is when she says "They were as plain as their mother, with big teeth, thick lips, and eyebrows as bushy as a caterpillar" (259) when she describes the daughters of the Third Wife. It gives us a vivid picture on how Third Wife’s daughters were drained of their livelihood by staying in this dysfunctional household.
6. I think that the overall theme of this chapter is to stand up to your beliefs. For years, An Mei has been taught by her family to despise her mother but An Mei longed to be with her. When her mother comes over to visit, An Mei decides to leave her family and join her mother. She arrives at her mother’s mansion and discovers that her mother is a lowly fourth wife. The high ranking second wife tries to win An Mei on her side by giving her a pretty necklace. Near the end of the chapter when An Mei’s mother commits suicide, An Mei goes up to Second wife and smashes the necklace showing her newfound courage. That was the day that she “learned to shout” (272).
“And on that day, I learned to shout.”
Magpies.
This chapter was quite long, but I didn’t even think about that after I started reading the second half. I liked this chapter because it gave me more insight into An-Mei’s life, and I started to realize how sad it really is. Having a mother who was a concubine that lived with a rich man with other concubines and having to deal with them must’ve been absolute torture. When I read this chapter, I was reminded of this really famous French singer called Edith Piaf. She had a movie made about her, which was also named after her popular song, “La Vie En Rose.” Edith grew up poor and her father gave her away to live with these other women in this brothel. But then they cared for her like their own daughter, and I remember being baffled and thinking how can any little girl grow up in that kind of environment? I guess there are people out there who really lived that kind of life. I was sorry for An-Mei when her mother took her own life, but I was happy too because she did it in a smart way, a way that guaranteed a respectable life for her daughter. I was proud of An-Mei for learning how to “shout” after her mom died, and basically just speaking up for herself. It’s sad how you only realize things or do the things you’ve always wanted to do, but never had the guts to do it before because you were afraid, when the people you love die. I think that An-Mei grew up more than any kid her age when she was young.
An-Mei’s relationship with her Mom I think would be described as “sacrificial.” Her mom basically sacrificed her life by poisoning herself bit by bit and she planned her death so carefully, thoughtfully, lovingly. But that’s what mom’s do, they sacrifice themselves, their life, everything, for their children, their world. That’s what I call true love. Towards the end when An-Mei “closed her [mom’s] eye with [her] fingers and told her with [her] heart” that she “can see the truth” and she is “strong, too,” I felt that she was older than her young years (271). I thought she wouldn’t understand what her mother did, but it turns out she did. I think An-Mei’s very wise and she probably got that from her mom, along with her strength.
Amy Tan uses flashbacks in this chapter for most of it to show the story of An-Mei’s tragic childhood and shine light on the relationship she had with her mom. It’s kind of like in Titanic, where it ended with Rose, who’s old now, and she’s finishing up her epic love story about the boy she met on the ship. When I was reading this chapter, I felt it was like that. Like An-Mei took us with her on a journey back to her childhood with all the concubines. I like how there was only one flashback, because it was less confusing that way; therefore, it was more effective. I definitely prefer the longer one than the many short ones.
I think the theme or message in this chapter is very clear. You should never let anyone control your life and always stand up or speak up for yourself. Otherwise, you’ll get stepped over and suffer. Sometimes you need to wake up and face reality, and make it what you want it to be.
1. Single Path
2. Magpies
3. This lengthy chapter was captivating and intriguing. I was appalled by the vanity and luxury used in the chapter, especially the furs and the foxes. I found it misleading and slightly malicious for An-Mei’s mother to deceive An-mei of Teintsin and her new home with luxury when she knows that materialism means nothing. She dragged her daughter down with her. Before this chapter, I though An-Mei’s mother was wrong and naïve to become a concubine, but after her story, I was really sad a pitiful. No woman should experience that and then be shunned by her family. This slightly angers me how she put up with it without protest. Where was her voice?
4. An-Mei’s relationship with her mother is loving and caring. They have the most ideal mother-daughter relationship of all the Joy Luck Club relationships. Their love and care is apparent from the beginning when An-Mei leaves her brother and uncle for her mother. She sacrifices her old life for her, watching over her. They show adoration and love. When her mother dies, An-Mei can’t help, but cry.
5. Amy Tan uses symbolism to create a deeper connection to the theme. She uses pearls and fur to represent vanity. When second wife gives An-Mei the pearls and she happily accepts, her mother smashes it to reveal it is fake, proving that materials are deceiving, shallow, and empty. Living a life off materialism is empty.
6. The theme connects to the beginning of the allegory because it shows how daughters are taught to be like mothers. To lose their innocence to protect themselves. An-Mei teaches Rose to be the same as her. To make no choice and be silent, just as An-Mei had learned from her mother to accept a life of a concubine. They all follow the same path.
1) “ Hidden Beneath A White Dress is who I am”
2) “Magpies”
3) On the very first page, Lindo makes a remark about her daughter’s failing marriage, saying that by not speaking up to defend herself Rose is making the decision to. I was so awestruck at how wise that one line was, at how much Lindo must have gone through to get to the point where you view life as just something that causes you to “swallow other people’s misery, to eat [your] own bitterness.” What a life she must have lived not knowing her mother. I was so glad that An-mei went with her mother. The little bit in the chapter about An-Mei putting on the white dress and shoes that were too big for her, as though her mom knew that one day An-Mei would come, was so touching. I couldn’t believe the story behind An-Mei’s mother’s reason for becoming a concubine. It wasn’t because she was simply shameful and decided to disrespect her family, no, it was because she was raped. I felt so bad for her; she had to live this life of pain, ignored by her ‘husband’ and shunned from her family as well! But what really ate me up was the fact that An-Mei’s half brother was claimed by Second Wife. I wanted nothing more than for An-Mei’s mother to just go up to her and yell, “Give me back my child you vile woman!” but that never happens.
4) An-Mei and her mother have a very “loving” relationship. There is no doubt in my mind that there is unconditional love for the other on both sides. An-mei, even at a very young age, decided to be with her mother, a woman whom she had never known. Her mother did not let her be fooled by Second Wife’s fake kindness. She had to break her daughter’s heart by stepping on the necklace of pearls to reveal to An-Mei that there were some people in the world not worth loving. But An-Mei’s mother only did this out of concern for her daughter.
5) In this chapter, Amy Tan uses foreshadowing. There was a line in the book on page 258 that read, “Your mother was not always Fourth Wife, Sz Tai!” the paragraph goes on to say that the way “Sz” was read, it was just like the word for “Die”. This foreshadows the death of An-Mei’s mother later in the chapter.
6) I learned a lot about Chinese culture from this chapter. I leanred a couple new words like, Sz means four, but if you say it the wrong way it sounds like death (which I know is Si). I believe Koutou means respect, which I think Shou is also. I learned that the Chinese believe a soul or spirit comes back three days after their death. I also learned more about the system of concubines and being named “first wife” or whatnot in China. It not only benefits the man by having multiple wives, but the women, if they were poor, now become rich I would assume.
The Turtle and the Birds
Magpies
During the story, I couldn't help but awe at An-Mei because of the decision she had made. The decision was very pressuring, and a lot of people, including me, would probably break on it. As the story line progressed, my respect for An-Mei grew to new heights. During the story, we witness the transformation of An-Mei's mother. It was not a whole big thing, but it was simply a cosmetic change. I wasn’t, surprised, however when we had learned that the wives had married for power, and money; however, the fact that An-Mei’s mother was raped, and tricked by Second Wife really surprised me. I know that some people are ruthless, and have to achieve everything they desire, yet the idea of rape disgusted me.
The relationship between An-Mei and her mother is almost a stereotypical relation, yet the events aren’t. Throughout the chapter, one can see how much An-Mei’s mother and her love each other, and support each other. Also, mother teaches An-Mei how to be wise, and how to survive in the house, especially about Second Wife.
During this chapter, I noticed a very important symbol: the fake pearl necklace. As I read this chapter I noticed how An-Mei was being swayed by Second Wife, as An-Mei’s mother tries to break the persuasion. I think the pearl necklace represents a leash, in which Second Wife controls An-Mei. However, when her mother crushes one of the pears on the necklace, the beginning of the shattering of the control begins. At the end, when An-Mei crushes all of the necklace under her foot, it symbolizes the end of the influence Second Wife has.
From this chapter we learn much about Chinese culture. One of these things is that the Chinese people had arranged marriage so that the family could increase in power. Also, we learn about how the system of concubines work.
Trung Tran
Swallow your tears
“Magpies”
1. This chapter was interesting because it finally told the reader the story behind An-Mei. It was sad that her mom had to leave her brother behind. Just like that, she never saw her brother ever again. It’s strange yet understanding how all the guys in the story are rather feeble and play very little roles since the book is based off of Amy Tan’s life. At first, I was shocked that An-Mei’s mother would choose to be in such a pathetic situation but it all made sense when Yan Chang told An-Mei her mother’s story. Her mother is such a strong woman who is willing to sacrifice her life to better her daughter’s. To be forced to live with a man who treat you as a toy, only for pleasure, and then his other wife who uses you as a chess piece in her game is so depressing. It was no surprise she took her own life.
2. The relationship between An-Mei Hsu and her mother is passionate and loving. Even though the mother came back to visit her mom who was dying, part of it was to take back her daughter. She never forgot about her daughter. It was so touching when An-Mei’s mother killed herself to better her daughter’s life, which only proves how far a mother would go for her own flesh and blood.
3. Amy Tan used a lot of
imagery in this chapter. Using a lot of descriptive words to describe the setting such as her “gloved hands” and large cream-colored box. Then she described the house using adjectives like stone gate, big black lacquer doors, and wide brick walkway.
4. I learned a lot about the Chinese culture from this chapter. First, they name the wives by numbers and not their actual names (first wife, second wife, third wife, etc). Second, the environment of this type of family in the past. The tension and rivalry between the wives to see who is more powerful and who gets more attention from the husband. It especially shows seeing how the second wife is always scheming, trying to control everything and everyone.
Feeding Someone Else’s Joy
Magpies
1. At the start of this chapter I found it not very interesting, but as I kept reading, it turned out to be quite a moving and good one. What An-Mei and her mother went through was tragic and painful. It was surprising to me how An-Mei’s mother lived in so much disrespect and torture, but never did she even object or speak back. It’s as if she knew that she had done wrong and was ashamed. Her own brother yelling at her for wanting to ruin her own daughter’s life was unbelievable to read. What kind of mother wouldn’t want their daughter to lead a better life? Of course mothers aren’t set out to ruin their child. It also must have been really hard for her to leave her son with her brother. Although it was the right decision since if he were to follow, “he would lose any hope for a future,”(246) it meant to never be able to see her own son ever again and that is unthinkable. I felt sorry for him because he lost his mother and sister and was now stuck with his aunt and uncle. When An-Mei and her mother traveled to Tientsin, how An-Mei’s mother changed her clothing and became all somber was odd to me. Once they arrived at Wu Tsing’s mansion and Second Wife gave An-Mei a pearl necklace that turned out to be fake, it made me question exactly how wealthy they were to how they presented themselves. Second Wife is such a manipulative woman. I was relieved to find that An-Mei did not fall into her trap. It was so cruel and unthoughtful of Second Wife to take An-Mei’s mother’s son as her own. I too wonder why when Fifth Wife came home, An-Mei’s mother “often stayed in her room working on her embroidery” (256). To learn how An-Mei’s mother ended up becoming one of Wu Tsing’s wives was so sad and how she died was even more saddening. Everyone just watched as she was suffering and dying.
2. An-Mei and her mother’s relationship can be described as close and understanding. This is revealed when An-Mei’s mother says to An-Mei, “’Only you know what I have suffered’”(246). It is also shown when the two are riding in a rickshaw to go to a store for embroidery thread. An-Mei’s mother tells An-Mei about her unhappiness and shame.
3. A writing technique that Amy Tan uses to improve her writing is flashbacks. The use of flashbacks reveals how hard life was for An-Mei and justifies why she wants to help her daughter, Rose, with her problems. If Rose would let her mother help her, it would lessen the hardships to come ahead for her.
4. This chapter really connects to the allegory at the beginning of the section. An-Mei is like the grandmother and Rose is like the baby in the allegory. An-Mei is confused with how to raise Rose just as the grandmother is confused with how to raise her grandchild.
1. Feeding on Tears
2. Magpies
3. In this chapter, An-Mei Hsu remembers her childhood in China. After her Popo dies, An-Mei leaves with her mother to go back to Tientsin. I felt bad for her younger brother, who was left behind without knowing why. He probably thought their mother didn't love him as much. When she finally got to Tientsin, she met Yan Chang, her mother's servant, and lived in Wu Tsing's big house with her mother. Weeks later, An-Mei meets the rest of the wives, their children, and Wu Tsing himself. She disliked Third Wife's dull children and almost fell for Second Wife's deceiving kindness. Second Wife gave An-Mei a pearl necklace that she later found to be fake like Second Wife herself. Meanwhile, An-Mei's mother is waiting for Wu Tsing to finally buy her her own house, so she can move out and live with An-Mei. However, after Second Wife faked another suicide her hopes for a new house was gone. In An-Mei's mother's mind, there was only one thing she could do. So in the end, An-Mei's mother killed herself to scare Wu Tsing into buying a house for her daughter. An-Mei became stronger after her mother's death, because she believed that her mother gave her her strength when she passed away.
4. The relationship between Second wife and all the other wives was very manipulative. On the surface, Second Wife seemed to be very kind and thoughtful, but in reality she always had her own schemes. She pretended to be kind to First Wife by giving her opium, but the opium was actually killing her. She sent Fifth Wife back to her family to remind Wu Tsing of her poor background. She scared Third Wife because without First Wife she would have ultimate power. Last but not least, she took Fourth Wife's (An-Mei's mother)
son and pretends he is actually hers.
5. In this chapter, Amy Tan used a metaphor by incorporating the story with the magpies and the turtle in the pond. In the story, the turtle eats the tears and produces eggs, which "birds of joy" fly out of. The story is really saying that people feed off of your sorrow and create their own happiness. The moral of the story is not to let people do so by being a strong person.
6. I learned that during that time in China, men often had many wives and they are ranked in order. Men often got more concubines when failing to have sons with his current wives and wives were rewarded for bearing sons. The wives are competitive with each other and often try to get the most from their husband. There is a lot of jealousy between the younger wives and the older ones.
To Live Your Life like a Dream
“Magpies”
1. Originally, I had thought that An-mei’s mother was what her grandmother had described her as, a disgrace to the family, a concubine. However, after finishing “Magpies,” I learn that there is more than just what meets the eye. I felt a pity for An-mei when she was forced to choose between her brother, aunt and uncle, and her mother. I also felt saddened, when I read that An-mei’s mother could not take An-mei’s brother with her and the underlying reason of why she couldn’t. When An-mei was quick to judge her mother’s “long brown dress with a white lace collar that fell all the way to her waist” because they were “in mourning” (221), I saw a bit of hypocrisy. When her mother gave her the “starch-white dress” her shame melted away. I feel that An-mei is a bit materialistic. At first, I was surprised that An-mei’s mother would take away the pearl necklace that Second Wife had given An-mei, but as I read that Second Wife had taken An-mei’s brother as her own, I understood why. I truly felt sympathy for An-mei’s mother and how much she had to suffer. The story of how An-mei’s mother became a concubine also surprised me. I found hatred towards Wu Tsing and Second Wife and how they could have plotted such an evil plan together. My hatred for Second Wife only grew when I read that she poisoned herself to trick Wu Tsing into giving her money, and letting her handle his affairs and then later on, taking a child that was not her own, An-mei’s youngest brother whom she never knew she had. When An-mei’s mother tries to poison herself with opium, like Second Wife, and ends up dying, I was very saddened. An-mei’s mother had been driven to insanity by Second Wife and her life as a concubine. However, I was also touched that An-mei’s mother had sacrificed her “own weak spirit so she could give [An-mei] a stronger one” (240).
2. An-mei and her mother’s relationship is very loving. Although An-mei had not seen her mother for many years, and her mother “was a stranger” (216) to her, An-mei immediately felt a bond to her mother. Even when faced with the decision of leaving with her mother, whom she had not seen in many years, or with the people who took care of her for many years, she chose her mother. This shows that she is very close to her mother, and loves her very much. An-mei’s mother also cares for An-mei very much. She shows this when she warns An-mei of the evil Second Wife and tells her that “what [she hears] is not genuine” (231). An-mei’s mother also sacrifices her life for An-mei, so that she could “killer her own weak spirit” and “give [An-mei] a stronger one” (240). So basically, An-mei’s mother sacrificed her unhappy, dissatisfying life to give An-mei a better one.
3. I noticed that Amy Tan uses some foreshadowing in this vignette. When An-mei’s mother says that she is the “Fourth Wife, Sz Tai!” and then explains that the word sz, when pronounced in an angry manner, can sound like “dead”. When An-mei’s mother is saying sz, she is pronouncing it in an angry manner, which foreshadows her death at the end of the chapter. The story of the turtle and magpies also foreshadows the sorrow of An-mei’s mother and how it eventually feeds Second Wife’s joy. An-mei’s mother’s loss of Syaudi fed into the happiness of Second Wife, who joyfully accepted Syaudi as her own son.
4. A lot of Chinese culture is revealed in this chapter. For example, concubines are often disowned from their families, and are considered disgraces and show shamefulness. I also learned that a son could not go to someone else’s house to live. Amy Tan also reveals that wives are most powerful from the order they marry; First Wife is most powerful, then Second Wife, then Third, and so on. There is also a belief that when someone dies, the soul comes back to settle the scores and that all debts must be paid during the new year or misfortune will follow.
1. "Joyous Fluttering"
2. "Magpies"
3. This chapter was quite the emotional roller coaster. From concubines to flat-out stealing someone else's child, I was a little amazed. Understandably, concubines have been standard practice throughout ancient China. However I don't understand the need for it? I was once told that only Chinese men with high rankings had multiple wives, but Wu Tsing is nothing more than your average merchant. I wonder if money had to do with anything.
4. The relationship between An-Mei and her mother is one of fidelity. An-Mei’s mother did everything to protect her. From sending her to another bed when Wu Tsing came into the room to committing suicide in the end, she did everything for An-Mei.
5. A major symbol in the story is the the pearl necklace that the second wife gave to An-Mei. The second wife tried to trick An-Mei into doing anything for her represented her trust. An-Mei's mother smashed them to show that they were counterfeit.
6. (d. How is this chapter connected to the allegory at the start of the section?)
The story of An-Mei’s mother’s suicide fits the allegory of the Queen Mother of the Western Skies. Staying strong for An-Mei, An-Mei’s mother was neither naïve nor innocent. When she committed suicide two days before the Lunar New Year, she ensured that Wu Tsing would repay his debt to An-Mei by promising to raise An-Mei has his honored child, along with her brother.
1. All You Can Eat Tears
By Fiona Cheung
2. Magpies
3. This chapter was long, so I found it a bit tedious to read. I have to admit it was sad and I was fooled by An-Mei’s mother as well. Like her family, I really thought she ran away to Wu Tsing for the money and status. I felt bad for finding the truth out later on that she was actually tricked. I hated the character of Second Wife—she was just like those evil wives you would find on typical dramas. I found it confusing, though, maybe because once the chapter got long, I started getting lost. For example, there were too many wives to distinguish between.
4. An-Mei’s mother’s character stood out in this chapter. She was one to stay strong despite all her shortcomings and tragic events in her life. She taught her daughter to swallow her tears because nobody cares if you cry; they’ll only “feed someone else’s joy” (217). At one point in the story, we see her finally breaking down and confiding in her daughter with complaints and dissatisfactions. She taught her daughter to be strong and not be “bought” so easily with cheap fake things, like the pearls. Still, she kept many secrets from her daughter, probably to prevent her daughter from pitying her. Regardless of what other people think, she still went back to Popo when she was dying and ignored her family’s comments. Her tragic life and story behind marrying Wu Tsing was revealed to us by Yan Ching. Amy Tan used indirect characterization to develop her and tell us about her ugly past through Yan Ching’s words.
5. The conflict in this story would be an internal one within An-Mei and losing her innocence. She started out thinking her mother’s life must have been so grand, until she uncovered bit by bit the dark side of living in the grand house being the Fourth Wife, third concubine. She lost her innocence after living with her mother for merely a few weeks and learned to “not listen to something meaningless calling to” her (226). She learned that her tears would only result in someone else’s joy, and that things aren’t always what they seem to be. Through Second Wife, she discovered how fake people could be, and how behind one pearl necklace could be so much more; accepting gifts may be opening a Pandora’s box. This conflict was resolved in the end, as she grew stronger like her mother and even stood up to Second Wife by stepping on the pearl necklace.
6. The fake pearl necklace was a symbol of our vulnerability to pretty things and how easily we could give in to it. When An-Mei was first given the pearl necklace from the Second Wife, she smiled immediately and was awed by its beauty. Her mother warned her and told her “what [she] hear[s] is not genuine” (221), telling her that the necklace is fake and that Second Wife’s kindness to her is fake as well; she only used it as a bribe to be controlled by her. An-Mei’s mother then stepped on it, revealing shattered glass under her feet and the fake pearls. Once An-Mei grew strong enough, she was able to step on those pearls and her vulnerability in front of Second Wife as a sign of not believing Second Wife and seeing through all her evil schemes.
1. The Humble Master
2. Best Quality
3. I thought the chapter was pretty interesting. I thought the New Years dinner had a lot of conflict because there seemed to be some conflict. I also wondered why and how did Waverly get into drugs and smoking. Overall, the chapter was quick and easy to read. All the other characters grabbed their crabs immediately and searched for the best of the best and none of them wanted the worst one.
4. Jing-Mei Woo seems to not appreciate what she has because she forgets about the precious gifts her mother gives her. This shows that Jing-Mei doesn’t care about what others give her. Jing-Mei seems to not learn the true value of gifts or what she already has until she is left with no choice or nothing. During the dinner, Jing-Mei is left with the second worst crab to eat. She does not want it but in the end she eats it. When she is left with something she does not want she automatically doesn’t want it. In the end she accepts it and is stuck with it. This shows that she is also able to adapt.
5. The main conflict of the chapter seems to be accepting things. The conflict seems to be Jing-Mei accepting that her mother died and that she must accept what her mother wanted her to do and have. At first she does not seem to want to accept the gifts from her mother. In the end, she is left with no choice because she is stuck with it even if she didn’t need or want it. The conflict seems to be Human vs. Human because it is Jing-Mei not wanting to accept gifts from her mother. The conflict is internal because Jing-Mei is forced to accept it yet she does not appreciate or use it. It is internal because Jing-Mei is learning how to accept things and accept how things are going to be whether like or not.
6. The theme seems to be that you are stuck with it even if you don’t want it. It is shown when Jing-Mei’s mother tries to evict the people renting the floor above them. Jing-Mei’s mother says she wants them to leave but then the people who are renting do not budge. Jing-Mei’s mother doesn’t like or want this but she learns to accept it. It is also shown once again when Jing-Mei’s mother cooks the crabs. One of the crabs were dead but Jing-Mei’s mother cooks it anyway. She hopes that even though it died, it won’t have a bad taste. After the crab is cooked, it has a bad smell. Jing-Mei’s mother did not want to waste the crab and wanted to eat it but she has to accept that she can’t eat it because it had died long ago and is a bit spoiled and is not fresh. She doesn’t like it but she has to accept it and she throws the crab away.
Benjamin LY
1. Roasted Chestnuts are Yummy :3 Mmmmmm
2. Magpies
3. This chapter was kind of long, but I really liked it. And, I really abhor Second Wife. My goodness, she is so mean. I feel really really bad for An-Mei's mom. Her life and honor was completely ruined by this selfish lady! Like I just want to go beat Second Wife up or something! Some parts were kind of weird, like the whole turtle and eating tears thing and the birds. The story that was only briefly touched in "Scar" is fully revealed in "Magpies", and overall, the story was very interesting. I used to side with Popo, and believe An-Mei's mother willingly left, but now that the truth is revealed, I cannot help but sympathize with An-Mei's mother.
4. The Second Wife stood out to me in this chapter. She reminded of the "evil stepmother" from movies. I felt like she was out to torture and ruin An-Mei's mother, pure and innocent. The Second Wife obviously holds much power in the household, as shown by the reactions of other characters who fear or shrink back, yielding to her demands. Second Wife has manipulated everyone in the house: the servants, the other wives, and even Wu Tsing. Her character is revealed by the story told by Yan Chang. She is described as "clever, an enchantress". She is devious and manipulates people with her false kindness, as shown when she presents An-Mei with a fake pearl necklace and also when she takes advantage of An-Mei's mother's loneliness and leads her astray. Second Wife is an antagonist and, in my opinion, characterized to be disliked by the audience.
5. There is some internal conflict in this chapter, man vs. himself (An-Mei Tsu vs. herself). An-Mei is confused in this chapter. She is unsure about what to do, whether she is to follow her mother or not, whether she is destined to be unhappy or can she swallow her tears and feed off them to be happy. There is also some external conflict between An-Mei's mother and Second Wife. An-Mei's mom hates Second Wife for tricking her into the disgraceful life she lives. She is powerless against the second wife, but shows her anger when she crushes An-Mei's fake pearl necklace. In the end, An-Mei's mother loses herself internally and commits suicide. When An-Mei finally understands her mother's story, she stands up to Second Wife for her mother.
6. Although probably not the main theme, I think a possible theme for this chapter could be "Even if one has wealth and money, those material objects cannot provide happiness for one." This is portrayed through many characters in the chapter. For example, when An-Mei and her mother first enter the busy port, "everybody [seems] unhappy." (222) Even though An-Mei's mother is provided many material objects at the mansion, her unhappiness is evident. An-Mei's mother tells An-Mei that she will "live in a new house", have a "new father", "many sisters", "another little brother", and "dresses and good things to eat". Yet, she still asks "Do you think all this will be enough to be happy?" (222) The obvious answer is no, and even though An-Mei is dazzled and amused by the fancy mansion at first, she eventually gets bored of the "same sweet meats" "[she had] already tasted" "the day before]" (226) and annoyed by the "wonderful clock" that became an "extravagant nuisance" and a "meaningless" call. (226) An-Mei states that "too many good things all seem the same after a while." (226), and she experiences this in the mansion, that provides her with endless luxuries. She feels comfortable during the beginning, "But [she] remember[s] clearly when all that comfort became no longer comfortable." (227); her mother's unhappiness rubs off on An-Mei, leaving her with the same uneasy feeling of unhappiness. Another example is An-Mei's mother. Even though An-Mei's mother has elegant dresses and scrumptious foods, she is obviously unhappy because she has lost her honor, her face, and her status; her own family does not trust her. She is ashamed. I also believe this theme is portrayed through Second Wife. I honestly do not believe the Second Wife is happy. She used to be respected and wanted by many men, but she sold herself to Wu Tsing. I think she is actually unhappy and that's why she acts mean and bitter, and commits "fake suicides", not just for the money. She is shallow and selfish, and I believe that she compensates for her unhappiness by controlling other people in the house, and forcing her unhappiness on them, making them unhappy as well.
1. “Wives Differences”
2. Magpies
3. Well, this chapter was a pretty long chapter compared to the others. All the wives had differences, not just in how they looked, but how they acted towards their husband and the other residents of the house they all lived in. Also, I really disliked how there were so many wives! What the heck is with there being five wives? I could not fathom the idea. Also, marrying someone to gain position seems like a strategic move and is horrible to me. Marrying someone should be about carrying for that someone and knowing that that person someone chooses to be with is a perfect match in the whole world for that one person alone. The way things were run back in the past years seems to be very difficult, especially for women.
4. The person I chose to focus on was Second Wife. The wife seemed to be a very intelligent person to live with when it came to getting things that she wanted. She did not give up when it came to getting something because she would always seem to find a way to her goal. Two examples would be when she did not want her husband to keep spending so much money at the tea house and when she wanted a bigger payment. The way she got her husband to stop spending so much money at the tea house was to get him to sleep with An – Mei’s widow mother. After she had slept with him, she had no logical choice, but to go and live with him. The way Second wife got a bigger allowance was to first figure out a weakness of her husband. She had finally found that he was terrified of spirits from the beyond so her plan was to tell him that she would die if her needs were not met and haunt him as a ghost. She tricked him by eating raw opium and in a term of three days, her allowance was greater than she had asked for long ago. Second Wife is a mischievous person, but a very clever one at that.
5. The main conflict in this chapter in external and is human vs. society. The main conflict is that An – Mei’s mom wants a great life for An – Mei but her mother cannot give that to her because of how society is run and what her position is in the household amongst all the other residents of the home. There are five wives, but An – Mei’s mother is fourth and four is spiritually a bad number to have for different unthinkable reasons. Since An – Mei’s mother is fourth in line of the wives, she does not have much power over anyone whatsoever. However, in the tragic ending, An – Mei’s mother decides to be very sneaky and kill herself, or in other words, suicide. The reason she does this is a very brave and risky reason. It is that she wants An –Mei to live a wonderful life and since the husband of the household to all the five wives is deathly afraid of ghosts, she says that she will haunt him if he does not take the best of care to her children. In the end An – Mei and her brother live the wonderful life their mother wanted them to live.
6. The life lesson in this chapter is that if anyone tries to make the best of their life in any way, and try with all their might to reach their goals, they will live up to them or very close.
Four.
Chapter - Magpies.
1) Reaction: This vignette is from her An-Mei's point of view, relating her daughter, Rose's problems in marriage and her reactions to that of her own in the past. She goes into a flashback of her childhood. I believe it was pretty sad that An-Mei's mother had to experience all the things she had to go through. After her husband died, An-Mei's mother became a widow. She was tricked into Wu Tsing's bed by his Second Wife. Wu Tsing forced her to into bed, and because she was already a widow, sleeping with someone else is a great dishonor and degradation. She had no choice but to marry him or else everyone will think of her as a prostitute, which is the greatest dishonor one can bring to their family. I acknowledged her mother's grief and pain. Second wife is really evil, she even stole An-Mei's mother's son. I feel bad for An-Mei as she had to witness her mother's death and listen to the truth that Yan Chang told her.Her mother lived in constant shame and despair. I can't imagine how she lived with seeing her son being caressed by Second Wife all the time. Her spirit was strong but it eventually faltered and she died to toughen An-Mei's spirit.
2) An-Mei Hsu. An-Mei as a child grew up without the support of her mother. She grew up in the quiet and dark home of her Aunt and Uncle's in the country side. There, she lived without even knowing her mother, who she was and what she was like. Then her mother comes and takes her to Tiantsin, hurling her into a new lifestyle that would completely change her forever. At first, she lived happily, intrigued by this new luxurious and carefree lifestyle that her mother had brought her into. Nevertheless, she could see everyday in her mother's eyes that they are filled with despair, shame, and a deep tunnel of sorrow. Later, she finds that her mother has killed herself with poison, and she also has listened to Yan Chang's stories. It is like she awoke from a big dream, and now she can see all the realities and evils of the world. She toughened her spirit because her mother died and it allowed her to not live in dreams any longer.
3) Conflict: I think the main conflict in this story was internal but also external in some ways. An-Mei and her mother both experienced man versus self and man versus society conflicts. An-Mei's conflict was with the outside world, but also within herself. In herself, she is trying to tell the difference from dreams and reality. The household that once seemed so luxurious and friendly was but all a dream, reality is much harsher. Her mother faced a more society conflict. Her status in society has been corrupted and her background is stained. She can do no better than stay at Wu Tsing's house because even her family has exiled her from her house.
4) Symbol. I think the symbols in this vignette were the turtle and the fake jewel that Second Mother her. The turtle was said to drink on your misery, so you shouldn't cry that much. It was like a pain reliever, it fed on your misery so you wouldn't it. It was like an imaginary shield. The Jewel that Second Mother gave An-Mei symbolized a reflection of the dream world. Like water, the jewel mirrored a world that was all too good to be true. Then in the end, she steps on it, cracking the illusion that the jewel had cast
Arun Jandaur
Period 3
Blog #10: Magpies
1. Tears, Tears, Go Away
2. “Magpies”
3. I found this chapter very descriptive and really long. It was also nice to see what actually happened to An-mei after the chapter “Scar”. I thought it was sad that An-mei’s mother just left her son behind at her brother’s house. I was interested, however, when An-mei decided to go with her mother because I wanted to see where and how An-mei’s mom lived. When An-mei arrived at Wu Tsing’s home, I was surprised at how all the wives were known by number. It was hard to keep track because I got confused on who was who. I was surprised at how distant everyone was that they didn’t even bother to learn each other’s names. What really struck me, though, was when Yan Chang told the story of how An-mei’s mother was tricked into Wu Tsing’s bed by Second Wife. That really made me angry and sad. It was sad that An-mei’s mother was forced to marry him or else her reputation would be fully obliterated. It also made me mad that Second Wife would manipulate someone like that just so she wouldn’t have to conceive Wu Tsing’s son and instead put the burden on someone else. Another thing about Second Wife that agitated me was how she claimed An-mei’s mother’s son as her own. She took advantage of An-mei’s mother, knowing that she was rich and that no one would dispute her authority.
4. The character that I found the most interesting was Second Wife. She is a cruel, conceited, and manipulative person. At first, I thought she was nice by giving An-mei her pearl necklace. Later, however, I saw that she was a total jerk. She took control of Wu Tsing via his fear of ghosts. She would pretend to suicide to get what she wanted. For a moment, though, we see Second Wife’s good side. She can’t conceive children, so instead she arranged a marriage between Third Wife and Wu Tsing. Third Wife was very happy that she got married to a rich man and “was of course indebted to Second Wife for arranging this” (235). However, like a candle runs out of wax, Second Wife’s kindness faded away when I heard Yan Chang narrate the story of what happened to An-mei’s mother. Second Wife’s ability to deceive An-mei’s mom, tarnish her reputation, and not even feel guilty about it shocked me. She is certainly a static character because of how she always has been a selfish person and still is by the end of the chapter. She is also a round character because for a moment we see the kind side of her when she helps Third Wife. For the most part, though, she is a bad person. She even claimed An-mei’s brother as her own son.
5. The conflict in this chapter was clearly Human vs. Human with An-mei trying to understand her mother’s pain and see the world around her. She is losing her innocence by seeing the grief that her mother went through and how her mother has no face to lift up anymore because of Second Wife’s trickery. An-mei is also trying to become a stronger person by not crying as much and remembering what her mother told her: People will feed off of your tears if you cry. At the end of the chapter, she does become braver when her mother commits suicide. An-mei stands up for her mother and smashes Second Wife’s pearl necklace, symbolizing that she will not be bribed.
(See continued because of character limit)
Arun Jandaur
Blog# 10: Magpies
Period 3
(Continued)
6. There are a few symbols in this chapter that I noticed. One is the turtle. It represents something or someone that feeds off of your tears, like the Magpies. The difference, however, between the turtle and the Magpies is that the Magpies take advantage of your tears and feed off of them for pleasure whereas the turtle absorbs them, lightening your load or burden of sadness. Another symbol is the fake pearl necklace. When Second Wife gives An-mei the necklace, it represents Second Wife trying to win An-mei over with the supposedly good intentions but, like the pearls, the intentions are misleading and false. An-mei’s mother clearly sees these and shows it by stepping on one of the pearls. When An-mei’s mom dies, An-mei finishes what her mom started by standing up to Second Wife and smashing the rest of the necklace. An-mei finally saw through the ‘pearl necklace’ and didn’t let herself give in to Second Wife.
1. Five Wives
2. “Magpies”
3. I felt sad and also interested with this chapter. Both An-Mei and her mother seem to have this sort of sadness that surrounds them. I feel hurt for An-Mei because her life if hard because of the things that have happened to her mother. Her mother has also gone through so much hurt that it made me sad to hear about the stories of how she was TRICKED and how much her brother and mother hate her. Her OWN family turned their back on her. When I first read the story of An-Mei, when she was much younger, in the chapter “Scars” I thought that her mother was a concubine, and deserved to be mistreated but she did not deserve any of the hurtful things all these people have done to her. When Yan Chang tells An-Mei the whole story of how her mother came to be the third concubine and the stories of all the wives, I thought that it was a mistake because An-Mei should not have known these things. Then I realized that she needs to know these things, they helped An-Mei to understand her mother more, and also these words helped her to grow into a more mature person. This chapter was very long but I think that it was still interesting and there was SO much going on that I am still a little confused about some things. Why did it take An-Mei so long to finally speak up for herself? Why did the second wife trick so many of the other wives? Why did An-Mei’s mother give the second wife her son? I now understand why her mother killed herself. She could not go on living anymore, she had too much hurt and suffering going on in her life and she wanted to forgive Wu Tsing and she knew that An-Mei would be secure and protected living with her “husband.” This chapter also taught me a lot about the Chinese culture and beliefs they have.
4. An-Mei goes through much pain as well during this chapter. She learns things from her mother: who to not trust, to not shout things, the way she should act in the house. Seeing her mother go through so much pain also puts part of this “burden” on An-Mei. When she finally learns of the story her mother went through, she understands her more and this makes her a more mature person in her thinking. An-Mei didn’t realize it, but she always had the power to make her own decisions starting from when she left her uncle to live with her mother and ending with her ability to finally at last SHOUT!
5. The main conflict in this chapter is man vs. self. An-Mei does not understand her mother at first. She loves her mother and they have an unbreakable bond, just as it should be but she follows her mother to live with her even though she questions things about her mother. In the end, when she learns of her mother’s hardships, she stops doubting the thoughts of her mother being a “whore” and she finally accepts her fully and feels no more doubt to the way her mother lives but rather she feels bad for her and ends up loving her even more.
6. Several symbols are mentioned in this chapter. One of the most important ones I believe is the pearl necklace that the second wife gives to An-Mei. This necklace makes An-Mei think that second wife favors her, and that she is special however An-Mei’s mother does not want her to accept the necklace. Her mother tells her that this necklace is a bribe, a bribe for her to do things that she would never do if she had not given it to her in the first place. Then her mother stomps on the rope and An-Mei forgets of it. After her mother dies, An-Mei takes the necklace to the second wife and she stomps, breaks, and destroys it all at once. To me, this necklace is a symbol of the deceptions of life. This necklace deceits An-Mei into thinking that the second wife is a very wonderful and amazing person but her mother will not let her trick her into thinking this. Her mother tells her to not fall into this lie, not to fall into this deception. Once An-Mei finally breaks the necklace, this deception that once almost existed is destroyed, and An-Mei listens to her mother, avoiding this deception that almost crept into her heart and she rose above it, destroying the deceit that once entered her thoughts.
Allison Olkie Period 3
This comment has been removed by the author.
1. All or Nothing
2. An-Mei Hsu – Magpies
3. This chapter enraptured me right from the beginning of the flashback. For some reason, I found this chapter to be the most interesting out of them all. It invoked a sense of sadness in me, seeing such a grisly event unfold, and then known the whole act of suicide was for love, for her daughter to gain a better position in life. An-Mei Hsu’s mother knew that her daughter would have no place in life if the current situation ensued, so she planned out a suicide that would place her daughter in a much envied position. This displayed a mother’s boundless love for her child. This chapter even made me consider my own mother and the sacrifices she made for me to have a better life, moving to America so I wouldn’t have to suffer what my dad had to in Taiwan. Overall, I felt that this was one of the most appealing chapters to read, grasping my attention right from the start and not letting go until the end.
4. One of the most important characters in this vignette, An Mei Hsu’s mother, displayed the boundless love and care she had for her daughter when she commits suicide. She commits suicide in order to provide her daughter with a better life, a life that wasn’t controlled by her dad’s other wives. Clinging on her husband’s superstitious mind as a last hope, An Mei Hsu’s mother plans her suicide exactly three days before Lunar New Years. According to Chinese customs, a dead wife can’t be denied anything on New Years, or she will wreak havoc. Thus, through an act of ultimate love, An Mei Hsu’s mother gave her daughter invulnerability through the sacrifice of her own life.
5. The main conflict in this story, in my opinion, is external. It’s the conflict An-Mei Hsu’s mother faces in an affluent household where she’s constantly mistreated by people with higher authority than her. She has to always be polite and feel subservient to the other mistresses of the house, as she is only a concubine. Her hatred for the Second Wife is also clearly displayed in a myriad of occasions, since she took the son that belonged to An-Mei’s mother. In the end, however, she resolves the conflict by committing suicide. This suicide convinces the owner of the house to provide An Mei Hsu’s mother with what she wants: a better treatment of her children.
6. I think a theme in this chapter could be the cliché statement: “Money can’t buy happiness”. An-Mei Hsu’s mother originally married a scholar and happily bore two children. However, after the death of her scholarly husband, she was deceived by an extremely affluent man’s second wife to spend a night with the affluent merchant. After they proclaimed her misdeeds, she had no choice but to unwillingly marry Wu Tsing as his third concubine. Moving into such an affluent family, she obtained much more money and materialistic gains but lost all her happiness. Although she didn’t possess nearly as much money with her scholarly husband, she remained much happier. When love was replaced with money and bitterness, she ultimately committed suicide. “She was crying now, rambling like a crazy woman: ‘You can see now, a fourth wife is less than a fifth wife. An-mei, you must not forget. I was once a first wife, yi tai, the wife of a scholar. Your mother was not always Fourth Wife, Sz Tai’ ” (229). She much enjoyed her life as a first wife of a man who really loved her, rather than having as much money as she could spend, the most extravagant clothes, and all the possessions she could want.
~Scott Lee Period 3.
1. The sad little turtle
2. Magpies
3. This chapter was so long! I thought it would never end, but it was still very entertaining. I felt so bad for An-mei’s mother in how she had been tricked by the second wife to stay the night and then pretty much got raped by Wu Tsing and after all of her already unfortunate luck she is considered a lower then a prostitute, gives birth to a son that she has to give up to Second Wife and is not allowed to return home. The real villains in this story were Wu Tsing and mainly Second Wife. How many wives could you have in this time period? Wu Tsing randomly brings home a fifth wife who is only a few years older then An-Mei. An-mei is only nine years old! Disgusting! What’s a wet nurse, by the way? I’ve heard it used twice already.
I’m really happy I did not live in China is this time because “a girl in China did not marry for love. She married for position….” No love? How awful.
4. Even when there seemed to be no hope, An-mei’s mother still wanted the best for her daughter and tried all that she could to give her a house away from Wu Tsing. The mother’s story is extremely tragic, though she had done nothing to deserve it. She is a strong woman for trying to keep hope for her daughter. The story she tells to An-mei is about the turtle in the pond that would swallow tears and when the magpies come to drink the tears they are drinking away your happiness. The quote “your tears do not wash away your sorrows. They feed someone else’s joy,” (217) shows that An-mei’s mother really cares for her daughter and wants her not to cry. This is very unlike Popo who would never tell An-mei such a sweet, yet melancholy story is such a soft way.
An-mei’s mother can see what is false or real in life. She knew that the pearls that Second Wife gave An-mei were only glass and took one pearl and crushed it with her foot to show her the truth.
5. The conflict is an internal man vs. self. An-mei is dealing with losing her innocence. At first she thinks her new home with her mother is a wonderful rich palace and gets lost in the grandeur, but when Wu Tsing returns home the truth starts to unravel itself. An-mei is sent to Yan Chang’s room when Wu Tsing comes into her mother’s room in the middle of the night and later she finds the Pearls that Second Wife gave her are fake, but she really loses her innocence completely when Yan Chang tells her about how her mother got to be Fourth Wife. She understands the treacheries and even wishes she had not been told the truth.
6. I think that one of the themes is “things are not always what they appear to be”. An-mei thinks her new life will be grand with her mother telling that she will “live in a new house” and have “dresses and things to eat” (222) and An-mei does receive all these things, but the setting is unhappy. Her life is not as grand as she had pictured it. It was actually very dull, depressing and tragic. Like the pearl necklace Second Wife given to An-mei to win her over turned out to be nothing but glass. It was as fake as the person who had given them to her.
Nancy Le, period 3
The Color of Happiness
Magpies
1. The Anmei sections are my favorite vignettes of the story. Her life is filled with sadness, starting with her mother's entrapment, but she continues onward for her family's sake. I really felt sorry for her little brother, being left behind and not understanding why she could go and he couldn't. Anmei really has a good eye for detail, and describes every bit of her new life of luxury with clever, descriptive words. Looking at her family's history, I think Anmei's family may have been cursed or something mystical, because how else would one family be subject to so much pain and suffering? Wu Tsing's wives made me shudder, how they were all being controlled by Second Wife. Second Wife, like Holden Caulfield would say, is such a phony. How dare she take away Anmei and her mother's chance for happiness by faking another suicide and making Wu Tsing forget about his promises? I was glad when Anmei learned how to shout and fight back, though, since her mother had lived in shame and sorrow because she couldn't fight back. My favorite line is probably the one describing Anmei's mother's endless search for a bolt of cloth in a color she couldn't name, just like the sadness she could not name. Happiness is a difficult color to find.
2. Anmei is a strong child. Though her mother cannot openly oppose Second Wife and Wu Tsing's wishes and is driven to suicide, Anmei learns to shout and show her anger after her mother's death, distressing Second Wife so much that her hair begins to turn white. Anmei realizes this, telling her mother's corpse that she 'can see the truth too. [She is] strong too' (240). Before this, she also has the guts to question if her mother is only unhappy because she complains so much. It takes a lot for a girl nine years old to question her mother.
3. The main conflict in this chapter is man vs. man, between Second and Fourth Wives, although their power struggle is never explicitly shown as such. It shows through in the myriad little things Second Wife does that hurt Anmei's mother and try to win Anmei to her side: the fake pearl necklace, cooing over Syaudi in front of his real mother, frightening Wu Tsing so that he won't help them. It also shows when Anmei's mother cries over these things and complains about Second Wife, winning back her daughter's heart.
4. A symbol I spotted, aside from the magpies representing those who profit from others' sadness and the turtles representing those who share and lighten others' sadness, was the necklace, representing deception for self-gain. The necklace is given to Anmei to win her over, but turns out to just be cheap glass beads. If Second Wife had really thought Anmei was pretty and needed something to put the light on her face, she would have given her something genuine. Instead, Anmei is given an inexpensive, easily replaceable trinket, worth about as much as Second Wife's morals.
Sz! Sz! Sz! – Die! Die! Die!
An-mei Hsu’s “Magpies”
At first, I thought the vignette was slow and lengthy, yet I kept reading because it was like Amy Tan wrote it in a way that as I kept reading, questions developed. As a curious reader, I want my questions answered to I keep reading. Of course, my questions were answered yet more questions developed. I thought that this vignette was brilliant. At first, I thought this vignette would be one that I would like less compared to others. However, by the end of the vignette, I can say that this vignette was . . . amazing. (This vignette alone can be a movie!) I liked how Second Wife was crafty although it is unfortunately that she was. An-mei tells how she saw Second Wife’s nature. She sees that Second Wife’s encouraging Fifth Wife to visit her poor village has the bad intention of reminding Wu Tsing of Fifth Wife’s low-class background. An-mei understands that First Wife’s power had been drained away with Second Wife providing opium. An-mei also sees how fearful Third Wife was when Second Wife told her stories of old concubines kicked out in the street, resulting in Third Wife watching over Second Wife’s health and happiness. An-mei also saw her mother’s pain as Second Wife bounced her mother’s biological son as her own. Second Wife is indeed clever . . . However, I LOVE how An-mei’s mother beat Second Wife at the end of the vignette. I am amazed with what Chinese women struggle with in their lives because of their culture. With this vignette, it is obvious that Amy Tan honors these women. I believe too that these women are honorable.
An-mei’s mother indeed is to good for Wu Tsing’s family. With the help of Yan Chang, she tells a story about how An-mei’s mother came to her situation. She was tricked into the marriage. Unfortunately, she had no choice as her status was as low as a prostitute and her family had banned her. An-mei’s mother is a interesting character to me. She committed suicide at the end of the vignette. Readers see this as a sacrifice for the sake of her daughter to live a better life with a more respected rank in the household. An-mei’s mother loves her daughter and wants the best. She is also a very selfless character. I wish her family would see the side that An-mei saw. They wouldn’t see a woman who had lost her face but a honorable woman.
The main conflict in this vignette is external human vs. human between An-mei’s mother and her situation (Second Wife). It is Second Wife’s fault that An-mei’s mother is the third concubine of Wu Tsing! In addition, An-mei’s son Syaundi becomes Second Wife’s son instead. Second Wife makes An-mei’s mother miserable. Fortunately, this conflict is resolved at the end of the vignette. When An-mei’s mother sacrificed herself, she escapes her situation and also allows her daughter to live a better life. An-mei and her mother escape Second Wife’s control.
The allegory talks about learning life lessons from a maternal figure or inheritance. The grandmother talks about innocence. The grandmother used her mistakes to teach her daughter. However, this becomes a mistake. The grandmother learns from these mistakes and betters her wisdom so that her granddaughter does not suffer. Mothers learn from their mistakes and their daughters and hope that their daughters do not suffer the same mistakes. In this vignette, An-mei’s mother teaches her daughter to swallow her tears with the story of the turtle in the pond. Another lesson that she teaches is to be careful of manipulation by crushing the fake pearls. The last lesson that her daughter learns from her death is to speak up for herself. An-mei sees her daughter Rose as an opportunity to teach and cease suffering with the lessons she learned from her mother.
1) " Tears of Joy "
2) Magpies
3) I ABOMINATE this chapter. It was long. Way too long. Sure, it was descriptive and told us alot about An-Mei's mother. But the background information was long and boring. It made me feel like going to sleep. The information given was also excessive and stuff. I was constantly looking towards the ending of the chapter, as the chapter was too boring. Now that I got that out of the way, I would like to say that I hate the Second Wife. She is a jerk because first, she tried to give An-Mei a fake pearl necklace to earn her trust. And then later, we find out that Syaundi was not the Second Wife's child, but that in fact Syaundi was An mei's mother's child; An mei's brother. But because the second wife was selfish, she claimed Syaundi as her own so that she would get a higher allowance from Wu Tsing because Syaundi was a boy. And how Second Wife got Wu Tsing to rape An mei's mother is horrendous.
4) Second Wife. This person is a jerk. She attempts uses other people to try to get what she wants. An example of this is when she gave An-Mei the pearl necklace. According to An-mei's mother, she gave the pearl necklace only to gain An-mei's trust. Her mother showed her later that the pearl necklace was fake. Another example of this is how she tried to pretend Syuandi was her child. She had An-Mei's mother get raped by Wu Tsing so she could have Syuandi, who is An-Mei's brother.
5) I think the main conflict here is Actually An-Mei's mother's, not An-Mei's. The conflict is Man vs Man. It is an external conflict. An-Mei is married to a merchant who marries a bunch of other girls. She struggles to be noticed by Wu Tsing. At the end, when she commits suicide, He notices her and makes An-Mei and Syuandi important so that An-Mei's mother won't haunt him.
6) I think the theme of this chapter about control. People have to take control of their lives and do what they want. An example of this is when An-Mei decided that she wanted to leave her aunt and uncle's house and pursue a luxurious life with her mother as she left her brother at home. Another one is where The second wife tries to control her allowance from Wu Tsing by claiming Syaundi as her own.
1.) Learning to Scream
2.) Magpies
3.) After reading this vignette, An- Mei’s previous vignette made sense. Now that I have read it, her mother is not a bad person at all, as was implied in the other vignette. I truly felt sorry for An- Mei’s mother because her family have treated her like dirt and finally in this vignette, we learn that they had no right to treat her like that. It is also more depressing when her family didn’t even believe her word. I also feel sorry for An- Mei because as a child, she didn’t spend much time with her mother and then when she was able to live with her mother, she committed suicide, leaving An- Mei all alone again. An- Mei’s mother was tricked by Second Wife in order to force her to marry Wu Tsing so she would bear him a son and to me, that is shady and vulgar. Even though this chapter was a bit longer than the other vignettes, it certainly intrigued me.
4.) The protagonist, An- Mei’s mother is a strong and devoted mother. Not only does she come back to her previous home to try to take An- Mei with her, she is persistent to take care of her daughter. Eventually, An- Mei follows her to the house in Tientsin. Also, as an act of love, her mother quickly tells An- Mei to get rid of the pearl necklace that Second Wife has given her because “[Second Wife] is trying to trick [An- Mei], so [An- Mei] will do anything for her,” (231). Her mother is just trying to look out for her own daughter. An- Mei’s mother ultimate sacrifice for An- Mei was killing herself and her spirit in order for her daughter to have a more complete, stronger spirit. Also, her mother was intelligent because she organized her suicide so that Wu Tsing will have to lament her and honor her child, allowing An- Mei to have a better life than she had.
5.) The main conflict in this vignette is external. It is man vs. man, or An- Mei’s mother vs. Second Wife because she tricked An- Mei’s mother into staying the night and eventually becoming Wu Tsing other concubine with hope that she will now bear his children, preferably a son. An- Mei’s mother gave birth to a baby boy but unfortunately, Second Wife claimed that baby boy as her own in order to continue to live in the house. This makes An- Mei’s mother abhor Second Wife because he is not truthfully and rightfully hers. There is some tension between the two wives. In the end, An- Mei’s mother beats Second Wife at her own game by committing suicide at the right time to ensure the position of An- Mei, so her conflicts do get resolved.
6d.) Amy Tan used numerous of flashbacks in this vignette. From complaining about her daughter’s divorce, she transitions to her life in China and she describes all the hardships of her childhood about never knowing her mother which shows more insight on An- Mei’s character and how she was struggling with her life. And then finally, the flashback moves back to the present, answering the question and sentence that ended the first scene. I have to say, though, that the transitions are excellent and I like the fact that some scenes end with a question. All the flashbacks helped make the vignette suspenseful and interesting.
Michelle Méndez
4th Period
"Overwhelmed With Information"
Magpies
3)I felt bad for An-Mei Hsu because she had to make the decision to either stay living with her uncle and his family or leave her home, including her little brother and go far away and live with her mother. All the traveling that An-Mei did with her mother seemed like it would be very tiring and not to mention long! I had no idea that An-Mei Hsu and her mother would be living in a house filled with other wives. It shocked me to read and find out that An-Mei Hsu was the fourth wife to a very rich man. While reading I just couldn't find myself to understand how a man seems to feel no shame in having five different wives who he also goes around and just sleeps with when he feels like it. One action that brought the chapter to the next level was when Yan Chang told An-Mei the story of her mother's life and how her mom came to living in this beautiful house with other women and their kids. Even though Yan Chang opening her big mouth made the story even more interesting then it already was, I was she hadn't told it to An-Mei. Once An-Mei knew the story something changed in her and she viewed her mother and the people around her differently. In all this story was one of my favorites. It was one of the stories where I couldn't find the strength to put the book down.
4)The character I would like to focus on is An-Mei's mother. Her mother across as being two kinds of people. For one she was very caring and protective when it came to An-Mei. But An-Mei's mother was also somewhat of a slut. Before An-Mei's father died her mother was seemed elegant and beautiful but once her husband had died everything seemed to go down hill. It's sad to think that An-Mei's mother was so unhappy with herself that she went and slept with a man who already had three other wives and who didn't know a single thing about her. An-Mei's mother was by far the most interesting character of the chapter.
5)Two different conflicts take place in this chapter. One of them is man vs. self being internal. It is between An-Mei and herself. She is debating about many situations about her life in the future. Should she go to a new home with her mother? Is she suppose to be in an unhappy life? To get through life's obstacles An-Mei uses the technique of holding back tears so keep her safe from reality. The second conflict is external and is man vs. man. It is between An-Mei's mother and the Second Wife. An-Mei's mother hates the Second Wife and doesn't want her to win over her daughter so that An-Mei ends up obeying to the Second Wife in the long run. To show hatred towards the Second Wife An-Mei's mother steps on the beads that the second wife gave to An-Mei. In the end once An-Mei's mother has died An-Mei goes to the Second Wife and steps on the same beads in front of her showing that she doesn't care for the Second Wife and will obey her mother's wishes.
6)In this chapter the beaded necklace represents the control that they Second Wife has put over An-Mei. Another symbol includes the fine western dresses that An-Mei and her mother both wear. These dresses symbolize wealth and are used to try and show that these women have money even though most of them don't.
Magpies
3. First of all, this chapter was SO long! However, i did find this chapter to be very interesting. I felt really bad for An-mei's mom! How could the Second Wife do that to An-mei?! How could she trick An-mei into staying the night then letting Wu Tsing take advantage of her causing her to give birth to a son she eventually gives up to the second wife. Like her mother, An-mei goes through alot of hurt and pain too. I thought it was so GROSS how Wu Tsing brought home a fifth wife that was a few years older than An-mei. Who's the prostitute now?
4. I would like to focus on An-mei herself. Throughout this chapter, it's obvious that she goes through lots of pain too. As a young child, she didn't grow up with her mom by her side. She didn't even know her mother, not one thing about her. When her and her mother reunite, her mother takes her to a more luxurious place where she would start a new life. Her mother took her to Tiantsin. An-mei lived this new happy life only to realize her mother's shame and despair she has experienced in her previous life. An-mei also heard stories about her mother from Yan Chang. I think after she learned about her mother's past, she definitely learns more about her and life itself. I think that An-mei does mature from this and she becomes a stronger person.
5. In this vignette, the main conflict is internal and man vs. self. An-mei has to deal with her loss of innocence. By seeing and hearing what her mother has gone through, An-mei accepts her mother for who she is and that's when she completely loses her innocence.
6. I think the theme is that you can't buy yur happiness and that "things are not what they appear to be." When An-mei moves in with her mother, her life is much more luxurious than her old life. when she learns about her mother's hardships, An-mei becomes depressed and what not.
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3. First off, I'd like to say this was a pretty lengthy chapter, probably the longest thus far. However, the length didn't matter because the content was very interesting, and it really had me glued to the book. This chapter really gives the reader a visual image of what An-Mei and her mother went through. At a very young age, An-Mei was torn between following what her family wanted and following her heart. Ironically, her mother had to go through even more, being tricked into becoming the Fourth Wife and third concubine of Wu Tsing, becoming a disgrace to her family. What I really liked was the message Amy Tan was trying to bring forth; she continuously reminded the reader the "swallow your tears and let the Magpies drink it" concept. It made this chapter very easy to understand.
4. The character I would like to focus on is An-Mei. This poor girl has gone through so much at the age of nine. What I liked about her was that she chose to stay with her mother because it was what SHE wanted, not what her family wanted. I think that showed her strength in character, willing to go against a crowd. She followed her heart and in return, got a bucket full of truth. She learned about her mother and once she discovered why her mother was in the situation she is in now, she finally understands her. I also think she gains more respect for her mother because An-Mei's mother remained headstrong even when she didn't deserve to be treated the way she was. I think An-Mei made the right choice in coming with her mother because if not, she would have never known the truth. She is a very strong spirit who loved her mother very much, and I appreciate her.
5. I think the main conflict in this chapter is man vs. man external, and it is between An-Mei's mother and the Second Wife. If it wasn't for the Second Wife, An-Mei's mother would have never became the Fourth Wife. You would think An-Mei's mother would want to be the third concubine for it's "position," but she didn't care for the riches and fancy fine things. She was a widow coping with the absence of her husband, and a year after the death of her first husband, she was married to Wu Tsing and her son was no longer entitled hers. ALL OF THIS IS A RESULT of the Second Wife. And as if the Second Wife hasn't done enough damage, she tries to win An-Mei over with a pearl necklace that proves to be fake. An-Mei's mother has had an ongoing hatred for the Second Wife, her tricks and her potent actions. Is this conflict resolved? I guess it was resolved when An-Mei's mother died. After her mother's death, Wu Tsing feared her revenge as a ghost and treated An-Mei and her brother of much importance. Who really won, the Second Wife or An-Mei's mother? I think An-Mei's mother did because she didn't "fake" anything, but she sacrificed.
6. There are quite a few symbols in this chapter, but the one I would like to focus on is the fake pearl necklace the Second Wife gives to An-Mei. The Second Wife gives An-Mei the necklace when they first meet, and at first, An-Mei is in awe. She caresses it around her neck, admiring it's finery as her mother bites through her bitterness. An-Mei's mother warns her about the Second Wife and her tricks to win people over, so they will bow down to her forever. She takes the necklace off of An-Mei and crushes its fake pearls. I think this necklace symbolizes the Second Wife's power in the house and her fakeness. "Fake suicides,"fake pearls," and fake person.
Linh Vuong
3rd Period
1.Uncovering the Truth
2. Magpies
3. The first vignette to The Queen Mother of the Western Skies began with An-Mei Hsu’s story. Her thirty-page chapter was probably the longest yet it was packed full of her childhood stories and comparing her daughter’s life to hers’ in the beginning along with mentioning at the end. The way Amy Tan sandwiches the mother’s life with her daughter’s features reminds the reader once more that life is complicated and some of the characteristics describe in the mother does not always end up in the daughter as well. I enjoy how the author incorporated a preview into the chapter to recapture the symbols and stories that were express. This style helped me understand what I might have missed in the vignette. Although the section was long I was able to understand most of the plot, but I still feel like I can dig deeper in the text to uncover a symbol or theme in bedded in the vignette.
4. Throughout the chapter An-Mei Hsu’s aunt is a flat character because she does not evolve. When An-Mei Hsu lived with her relatives and never with her mother because she was banish. Her aunt was a storm lightning bolts of negativity about An-Mei’s mother and how she in unfaithful. She could never let go what she feels of the mother who dishonor her family so with that in mind she would tell An-Mei that her mother is terrible.
5. The vignette conveyed a human versus human complication. An-Mei is troubled by her aunt and uncle’s rejections of her mother along with how her mother is treated differently when visiting. When she was a girl she had to choose between staying with her relatives and going with her mother to Tientsin. Her choice was to go with her mother. While they traveled together she experience the joy of spending time with her mother, but she would recognize the change of mood in her mother. The conflict began when An-Mei hears about her mother’s story of how she came to be the fourth wife along with the evil, mischief of the second wife. The chapter ended with her mother poisoning herself and passes away two days before Lunar New Year.
6. Amy Tan uses a diversity of writing techniques into her novel. She uses foreshadowing, imagery, and strong word choices. The help of incorporating a run through everything that happen to An-Mei in the beginning of the chapter to remind readers’ how the character evolve. The imagery structures the scenery by giving descriptive visuals of the situation. When adding in the word choice that is what spices the storyline even more because Amy Tan uses specific words to describe the scene.
1. What a player.
2. Magpies
3. Reading the chapter sickened me because it shows what big jerks people can be. An-mei’s mother was framed into marrying Wu Tsing. I found it surprising that the second wife can actually stage a rape. Worst thing is, An-mei’s mother had to give birth to a baby, who she had to give away to the master mime of the tragic events. In the end An-mei’s mother just commits suicide to strengthen An-mei’s spirit. Throughout the vignette, I felt sad for An-mei’s mother because she’s a widow who got raped, had to give son away, and suicided. Jeez, I haven’t even heard about someone’s life getting anywhere close to being as bad as that.
4. Throughout the chapter, the second wife keeps giving me the impression of the jealous and slick antagonists in your typical Asian shows. Like the antagonists of drama, she’s sly and plans something horrible for An-mei’s mother. Her actions by framing An-mei’s mother and getting her raped is unacceptable and pretty much places a label over her forehead that says jerk on it. Not only was getting a widow raped bad enough, but the second wife also takes the baby of An-mei’s mother and claims him as her own.
5. I believe the conflict is Man vs. Man between An-mei’s mother and the second wife. For god sakes the second wife plotted for An-mei’s mother to get raped. Throughout the chapter, I keep reading about second wife’s inhuman nature and her twisted schemes. Sad thing is, it doesn’t seem that An-mei’s mother does anything about it but reveal tolerance. The conflict is pretty much resolved when An-mei’s mother suicided.
6. I believe a symbol of the vignette could be the pearl necklace. It looked perfectly real, but An-mei’s mother proved it fake by crushing it with her foot. I believe the necklace can kind of be a symbol of the second wife. She sounds nice and kind, but her nice and kind intentions prove to be nothing but a fake. Similar to how the pearl necklace looks nice on the outside, but in the end, it’s only a fake.
JamesYu
3period
1. “Die! Die! Die!”
2. Magpies
3. This was the longest vignette, but it was interesting. The vignette explained so much about what happened to An-Mei’s mother. I knew she couldn’t be that bad. Second wife was evil. She used people for her own benefit. I felt bad for An-Mei’s mom. She just wanted a friend, and second wife tricked her and when she went home, her family treated her like dirt. Second wife took the son that belonged to An-Mei’s mom and acted like he was hers. I also felt bad for An-Mei. She saw her mom’s death in such an early age and she had to carry the burden of knowing her mom’s past because of Yan Chang.
4. Second wife is a nincompoop. She manipulated people and destroyed people’s life. She made An-Mei’s mom miserable by staging a rape and then taking An-Mei’s brother. She faked many suicides to obtain whatever she wanted from Wu Tsing. She gave An-Mei a necklace so that An-Mei would be in debt and she would feel obligated to do what second wife told her.
5. I believed that the main conflict was Man vs. Man. An external conflict between An-Mei’s mom and second wife. Second wife is very slick and she tricked An-Mei’s mom into a disgraceful life. Second wife claimed An-Mei’s mom baby boy as her own. An-Mei’s mom abominated second wife. She showed her anger when she crushed the necklace given to An-Mei. At the end, An-Mei’s mom killed herself and made An-Mei learn to stood up for herself. The conflict was resolved because second wife was scared and she got nothing.
6. I think one of the symbols in the vignette is the pearl necklace. I think that the necklace represented second wife. Although second wife seemed nice, she had another intention. After An-Mei stepped on the pearl, she learned to shout. She made second wife cower. An-Mei didn’t only broke the necklace, she also broke second wife.
Jessica Hartono, Period 4
1. “Living life like a dream”
2. Magpies
3. This chapter was great. I like how it explains the depressing events that are constantly uprising in An-Mei and her mother’s lives. I thought that it was wrong for the mother’s family to disown her when the mother could not do anything about becoming a concubine, instead she should have given her away to some close relative. After An-Mei’s father died, her mother’s life worsened as the days passed. It was heartbreaking when An-Mei had to leave her little brother behind and never see him ever again. I like how these events foretell the misery that happened in China.
4. The Second wife is evil and cruel, a character I despise. In this chapter, the Second wife caused many mischievous acts which included deceiving An-Mei’s mother into marrying Wu Tsing. When An-Mei’s mother bears a child, she takes him as her own. The Second wife also attempts to steal An-Mei from her mother with a fake pearl necklace. The relationship between the second wife and An-Mei’s mother isn’t a pleasant one. The Second wife is a sadistic person who tries to take everything away from An-Mei’s mother.
5. The conflict in this vignette is clearly human vs. human with An-Mei trying to understand her mother’s pain and see the world around her as well as the relationship between An-Mei’s mother and second wife. At the beginning of this chapter she’s gradually losing her own face unable to stand up to the second wife’s remarks. At the end of the chapter, she does become braver when her mother commits suicide. An-Mei stands up for her mother and crushes Second Wife’s pearl necklace, symbolizing her/her mother’s spirit is not so easy to break.
6. The pearl that second wife gave An-Mei is a symbol of a dream that was too good to be true. It symbolizies the worth of An-Mei’s mother when second wife gave the necklace to An-Mei, An-Mei’s mother notices quickly that the pearl was fake and made of glass. The way second wife gave the necklace was like telling An-Mei and her mother that they are worthless, their life is only worth what the fake pearl necklace is worth. Therefore, the pearl necklace symbolizes the reflection of both An-Mei and her mother.
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1. Wu Tsing Clan!
2. Magpies
3. This chapter was a very easy read, but I liked watching it in class because it really reinforced my understanding of the chapter. I was pretty surprised to find out that Wu Tsing’s second wife set up An-Mei’s mother to get raped. The worst part was that An-Mei had to give birth to the baby and give it up to the second wife. I really pitied An-Mei’s mother because of her terrible life, and I could see she really cared for her daughter because she committed suicide to give An-Mei strength.
4. I liked how An-Mei gathered the courage and strength to follow her mother to Wu Tsing’s house even though her family told her not to. At such a young age An-Mei has already been able to do what she wanted, which is a great sign of character. An-Mei arrives at Wu Tsing’s house and learns about her mother and why she is in the situation she has. An-Mei made the right decision to follow her mother because she found the truth and she became even stronger. An-Mei loved her mother very much and is strong at heart.
5. The conflict I easily identified in this chapter was between An-Mei’s mother and Wu Tsing’s second wife. An-Mei’s mother would have never become Wu Tsing’s fourth wife if his second wife did not set her up to be raped. An-Mei’s mother became the third concubine of Wu Tsing, had her baby taken away from her, and was rejected by her family all because of the actions of the second wife. To top it all off, the second wife tries to buy An-Mei with a pearl necklace which turns out to be fake. I think the conflict was resolved when An-Mei’s mother committed suicide and Wu-Tsing treated An-Mei better because he feared An-Mei’s mother’s ghost.
6. The big symbol in this chapter is the fake pearl necklace. The necklace was given to An-Mei when she arrived to Wu-Tsing’s house with her mother. An-Mei received it from Wu Tsing’s second wife. An-Mei was captivated by it, but her mother tried to explain to her that the second wife is very sneaky and always tries to win people over so that she has control over them. The necklace symbolizes the second wife’s power in the house because An-Mei’s mother takes it and crushes it.
Living the dream/nightmare
Magpies
1. I thought this chapter was really depressing but powerful. At some parts, it was hard for me to understand and focus because it was so long, but I still learned a lot in this chapter. I found it surprising how back then, women married for position rather than love. I felt sorry for An-Mei because it wasn't her intention to become a concubine, it was 2nd wife who trapped her in this awful life.
2. Second wife is a very despicable person. She ruined An-Mei's life and destroyed her dignity, power, and innocence just for her own personal gain. She wanted was a boy to give to Wu Tsing, so she staged a rape, ruined An-Mei's mother's reputation, and then took her son. The pain from separating a mother from her son must have been unbearable. Second wife does not care about this though, which reveals her condescending, inhumane personality. She also frequently fakes her own death and tries to buy Rose's love with a pearl necklace which reveals how fake of a person she is.
3. The main conflict in this chapter is Man vs. Man between An-Mei's mother and second wife. Second wife is to blame for her tragic new life as only a 4th concubine. Although she has no power to fight 2nd wife, she does have control over her daughter An-Mei and as her only child left, she tries to protect her from the grasp of 2nd wife. The conflict is resolved when An-Mei's mother sacrifices herself in order for An-Mei to have a better life. She realizes that is the only way to defeat second wife.
4. I think the theme of this chapter is that 'things are not always what they seem'. Second wife exemplifies this saying when she gives a beautiful but fake pearl necklace to An-Mei and when she plays dead for Wu Tsing. On the surface it looks like they are living the dream, but in reality, they are trapped victims with no way out until An-Mei's mother breaks them free.
Alvin Lee 4th period
1. Eaten Teardrops
2. “Magpies”
3. I feel pity for An-mei because of what she had to deal with at such a young age. Also, her new family was not so much better as well. The new family treated her like some lowlife slave or servant, nothing of importance in the household. I was amazed at how the Second Wife had so much power and position in the family. She could order around the husband and all the wives. I found the scene where Wu Tsing tricks An-mei’s mother in bed to be very disturbing. Why wouldn’t she fight back? Why wasn’t there anyone that would help her? Also, I find it surprising how An-mei’s mother finds this life better then the one she had back with her original family.
4. I want to focus on the character, Second Wife. She is very clever with her plans as to control the household and its inhabitants. Although, this manner is very despicable and just plain mean. She is greedy, wanting everything for herself including An-mei’s true brother, not Second Wife’s so-called son. In addition, the way she attempts suicide as a way of making sure she stays at the top is just plain pathetic. She resorts to actions like that to scare others into being loyal to her and also using Chinese superstition against Wu Tsing and his other wives.
5. I believe the conflict in “Magpies” is internal within An-mei because she searches within herself to try and cope with the new life her mother had brought her into and solve the stirred emotions she has towards her mother. This conflict is man vs. self but there is also an external man vs. man conflict between An-mei’s mother and Second Wife. An-mei’s mother despises Second Wife for stealing her son and Second Wife continuously puts down An-mei treating her like nothing more then a pebble in the middle of a road.
6a. I believe the theme of this chapter is that no matter what one should always stand for one’s self in times of need because after An-mei’s mother died, she learned to stand up for herself against the rest of the new family and gained the respect she deserved in Wu Tsing’s household.
1. Can’t Handle the Truth
2. Magpies
3. First off, I must say that this chapter felt like it went on forever. Good thing it was interesting. The thing that most caught my interest was the life that An- Mei’s mother lived. When An- Mei’s mother’s situation was explained, I felt very sorry for her. I didn’t know whether or not An- Mei’s mother had the chance to fight against Wu Tsing when he first made the move that resulted in her becoming his concubine. An- Mei’s mother had a good and respected life but I also felt sorry that in their culture, she could not remarry. I also feel bad about the fact that people didn’t marry for love; they married for position in society. I noticed that An- Mei is independent. It’s probably because of the fact that she grew up unhappily and towards her older years as a child, she grew up without a loving family. She also passed that trait down to her own daughter.
4. I wasn’t quite sure of An- mei’s mother relationship with An- Mei. If An- Mei’s mother wasn’t happy with her life, why did she bring An- Mei along to live with her? Maybe An- Mei was happy for a short term living with her mother, but what would her life back at home with her aunt and uncle have been? Would she have been happier in the long run? Another possibility is that An- Mei would have grown up wondering about her mother and could have ended up resenting her. One other minor conflict is the relationship between An- Mei’s mother and her brother. Her brother must have grown up feeling abandoned by his mother.
5. I learned a lot about the Chinese culture from this chapter. Two major things that I learned are that the people marry for position and not for love, which is sad to me. Also, once a person is widowed, they cannot remarry. It should be up to the person to decide if they want to remarry or not. It shouldn’t be a culture’s set rule.
1. Does knowing the truth make you feel happiness?
2. Magpies
3. I thought this chapter was kind of sad because at such a young age, An-Mei had to make a very difficult decision. She had to choose between living with her mother or staying with her brother, aunt and uncle. When her father died, her mother married a rich man as a third concubine and was disowned by her parents. An-Mei chose to leave with her mother but was also disappointed to see that her mother turned into a totally different person.
4. The character I chose was An-Mei's mother. When her husband died, she married a rich man as the third concubine. When she was disowned, she was very sad but couldn't show it to An-Mei. Without much thought, I felt bad for her but after some intense considering, I felt even more bad for An-Mei who had to figure out what was happening. An-Mei's mother turned into a stranger when they arrived at Tientsin to find her new husband, Wu Tsing. When An-Mei's mother found out about the 4th and 5th wives, she finally saw she was just a concubine.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is external, human vs. human, between An-Mei's mother and Second Wife. Second Wife tricked her to be a concubine with Wu Tsing so that she could bear a son for her that would allow her to stay in the house. When An-Mei's mother bore a son, Second Wife claimed it was hers. Therefore, An-Mei's mother smashed Second Wife's pearl necklace. In the end, to keep the position of An-Mei, her mother commits suicide.
6. Amy Tan uses the fake pearl necklace as a symbol of the relationship between An-Mei's mother and Second Wife. Second Wife gives the necklace to An-Mei's mother to try to win An-Mei but fails because she the mother saw through her devious thoughts. When she and An-Mei broke the necklace in the end, it symbolized that the relationship between Second Wife and An-Mei and her mother had ended.
~~becca! (period 3)
1. Passive Aggresive
2. Magpies
3. The length of the chapter was daunting and I did find it terribly boring for a good part of it , but in the end, right after I had read the last sentence, my whole opinion of the story had changed for some reason. Call it an epiphany, I don' know, but the completion of the chapter made me realize how great it is. Really, this has to be my favorite chapter next to Rice Husband. And oddly enough, the qualities that made me like this chapter were the same as the ones that made me dislike the other mother chapters. It was dramatic, yet not so much melodramtic as the other chapters. It had a bit suspense and it was well deserved in terms of its context. Where as I praised Rice Husband for lacking suspense and being relaxed, I found that it fit perfectly in here. It's not subtle like Rice Husband was, but its more blunt nature didn't diminish any of its poignancy in the end. The plot was more complex and much deeper than the other chapters and while it is relevant to the book as a whole, I think it would stand really strong as a short story separated from The Joy Luck Club. I feel that Rice Husband is at its best fitting into the unifying narrative The Joy Luck Club while Magpies would be better suited in some kind of short story anthology. My only real complaint was that sometimes I felt the descriptive sections were a bit too long.
4. An-Mei's mother is a very passive person, as is apparently a recurring theme in the book, who learns to not speak up. She had supposedly encountered a turtle who taught this to her and has remained passive since, which she passes on to An-Mei. When she returns to the family that disowned her, she is able to hold her tongue in spite of their verbal abusing. She even learned to cry with her mouth shut. She really is the epitome of a pushover.
5. I'd say that the conflict is ultimately a man vs self one in that An-Mei has to find her "voice" and become assertive, unlike her mother. In the end, she does and speaks out at Wu Tsing and co.
6.C. Both the allegory and the vignette are related in that both have mothers who pass on lessons to their daughters that negatively affect them in some way; the allegory one had the daughter losing her innocence and An-Mei becoming passive.
-Nolan Tran
1. “I don’t wanna fight you, but don’t make me do anything drastic.”
2. Magpies.
3. I think that the length of this chapter is probably one of the longest in the entire book. I did not enjoy the fact it took up a good portion of the last section in the book. It was overall, a boring story and did not draw me in, unlike chapters Four Directions and Best Quality. I admit I find the story to be depressing with An-Mei learning that her mother is essentially the lowest of the low in terms of rank in society and concubines. I felt sympathetic towards An-Mei and her learning of how things really are in the house of Wu Tsing. When An-Mei finds her strength, I felt relieved that she resolved her situation. Overall, it does not rank high in my favorites, but Magpies did its job in keeping me awake.
4. An-Mei’s mother is a character who just happens to be very unlucky. She was schemed into becoming a concubine, exiled by her family because of misunderstandings and their obliviousness to what really happened, being separated from her daughter for years, and losing her son to a conniving second wife of Wu Tsing. I am not surprised that she would end her life to stop her continuous, non-slowing pain. She is promised a house of her own because of the hardships she endured, but it is never delivered. She must also constantly live in shame in front of her daughter. In the end though, she proved to be even more cunning than Big Mother. That in Chinese superstition, a ghost comes back to haunt on the third day after their death. She successfully planned it so the third day would be the Lunar New Year. It is said that “all debts must be paid, or disaster and misfortune will follow” (pg 240). Wu Tsing then swore to raise An-Mei and her brother as his honored children. She turned out to be the cleverest out of all characters in this vignette.
5. I think that the conflict in this vignette would have to be internal, with both An-Mei and her mother trying to cope with their passiveness. While her mother cannot speak out for herself, she ultimately gives this strength to her daughter, An-Mei. Like her mother had said before she died, “she would rather kill her own weak spirit so she could give [An-Mei] a stronger one” (pg 240).
6a. I think that the theme in this chapter is that while there are very little instances that you do not need to speak out, there exist many more instances that you do. Instead of letting her family disown her, An-Mei’s mother should have spoke out and let them know what happened. She should have also let Wu Tsing know what was the matter and not let second wife step all over her.
Bryan Bui
Brandon Lam
1. WOOOOO
2. Magpies
3. The chapter was easy to read, but was very sad. At such a young age, but having to choose life-altering decisions must have been tough for An-Mei.
4. An-Mei is shown to be strong-willed and loving. She chose to follow her mother, and in-so-doing learned a great deal at such a young age.
5. The conflict is Man vs. Man, being between An-Mei’s mother and Wu Tsing’s second wife.
6. A symbol in the chapter might be the pearl necklace. Symbolizing the second wife's power. In the end the necklace is crushed.
1) Pearl Necklace
2) “Magpies”
3) My first reaction to this chapter was that it was too lengthy and kind of dull in the beginning. However, towards the end, it became a lot more interesting. It was depressing how An-mei and her mother had such a tragic life and had to make tough choices. I felt bad for An-mei’s mother because she was put into a bad position where she was forced to be a concubine and leave behind her family.
4) An-mei is shown as a very strong-willed girl at an early age. She chose to follow her mother even though her family had disowned her. It shows how she trusted her mother and decided to stick with her. I think An-mei had a very sad life. She never really knew her mother or saw her very often most of her life. She never really had a mother figure. She is able to be independent and make choices on her own like following her mother.
5) I think the main conflict of this chapter is man vs. self, between An-mei and her self. She is trying to understand who she is and about her mother. Because her mother wasn’t with her for most of her life, An-mei must solve her emotions towards her mother and build their relationship. She tries to understand her mother and why she left.
6) A symbol of this chapter would be the pearl necklace. It symbolizes second wife’s power. Second wife is sneaky and fakes her own death to get what she wants. She gives An-mei a fake pearl necklace to trick her. However, An-mei’s mother is able to see past that and crushes the necklace.
1. Truth Revealed
2. Magpies
3. This chapter was sad and a bit boring. It's sad how women can't really marry for love because the families wanted to be in a high position in the society. A lot of crazy and unexpected things happen throughout the course of the chapter. The second wife was just a horrible person. She didn't deserve to take An-Mei's mom's son.
4. The second wife is really evil and cruel in this chapter. She did many things to ruin the lives of others. She also set An-Mei's mom up to get raped. She did many evil things to An-Mei's mom to get whatever she desired.
5. The main conflict in the chapter is Man vs Man. It is between An-Mei's mother and the second wife. An-Mei's mother was like the "doormat" for the second wife and let her just walk all over her and not do anything about it. She even set her up to get raped! After all this, the conflict is resolved with An-Mei's mother commits suicide.
6. I think a symbol in this chapter is the pearl necklace. It looked real and perfect, but only to be revealed as a fake. This represents the second wife and how she is nice and perfect on the outside, but is revealed to be a fake when she is crushed.
EricTam
Period 3
1. Step It Up
2. Magpies
3. I thought this chapter was pretty long and at points it was kind of dull. It jumps from being interesting at some parts then there were some parts that were just a bunch of talking and didn’t really catch my attention. Once the story on how An-mei’s mother became a concubine was interesting because it talks about how her mother was “tricked” into becoming what she is thought of now. The scene on when they left the house and how her brother cried hysterically was pretty sad, and for her mother to have to leave him I wonder how a little boy would take it.
4. The main character focus in this chapter is on An-mei. The story starts off with her telling how her daughter doesn’t speak up, but acts like a doormat, and her daughter’s relationship with her husband was falling apart. She states that she was raised the Chinese way, “…to desire nothing, swallow other people’s misery, to eat [one’s] own bitterness” (215) but raised her daughter differently. The story then jumps to a flashback of her life, and how she always let people walk all over her, with stories and secrets spilling out while she absorbs everything inside. It wasn’t until her mother died that she finally spoke up to the second wife, for the first time in her life.
5. The main conflict in this story is man vs. man and it is between An-Mei’s mother and the Second Wife. First, An-mei’s mother was tricked into Wu Tsing’s household and the Second wife evilly stirs up a plan to give An-mei’s mother a bad reputation. This whole secret story spills out with An-me has a talk with Yan Chang. The conflict between An-mei’s mother does not get resolved in the end, but An-mei’s mother commits suicide hoping that it would give her daughter more spirit.
6. Amy Tan’s uses the writing techniques, flashback and imagery, quite well in this chapter. The flashback on how she remembers her life back when she was a kid, and the internal fight she had with herself while running away with her mother was good. I hardly remembered that it was a flashback until I reread the beginning over again. I picture’s Wu Tsing’s house, the expensive clothing, and the sad scenes of her running away with her mother.
Jessica Lee
1. Cry me a pond
2. Magpies
3. To me, this was the sadest chapter of the book. After I finished reading it, I remembered the interview of Amy Tan, that her mother watched her grand-mother commit suicide. And An-mei watched her mother commit suicide. I think An-mei's mother loved Syaudi even though his father was Wu Tsing. But I wonder if she thought about killing her baby, like the way Ying-ying did, to get revenge on Wu Tsing. I think that society was horrible during that time, if women only married to raise their social status. It was heartbreaking that An-mei's mother was disowned from her family, but did she think about tell her family the truth, that she was raped? Or did she think she was foolish and shameful to fall into Second Wife's trap?
4. I think that An-mei's mother heart was very deep and she was selfless. She planned her death so that An-mei would have a stronger spirit and be able to speak up for herself. She also outsmarted Second Wife because Wu Tsing to raise An-mei and Syaudi "as his honored children" and to treat An-mei's mother as she was his "First Wife, his only wife". (pg.240). It wasn't until after death that An-mei's mother was in the highest position.
5. I think that the main conflict was human vs. self, An-mei vs. herself, to learn how to speak up for herself and know her self-worth. I also think that the main conflict was human vs. society, An-mei's mother vs. society, because she had to fight agaisnt her low position as fourth wife.
6. I think Tan was foreshadowing An-mei's mother's death very well. She showed how a wife gains revenge is to kill herself and then come back as a ghost to "scatter tea leaves and good fortune" (pg. 234). Tan tells this through Second Wife's bouts of pretend-suicides. Another way Tan hinted about An-mei's mother's death was when An-mei thought how the word four "Sz" sounded like the word for death when spoken angirly.
Finished.
"Magpies"
1) "Magpies" was a somewhat interesting chapter, it certainly filled in a few gaps and answered a few questions that I had about the first chapter of the book (Scar). I did not think An-Mei's mother's past was that horrid, I do wonder why she didn't tell her family that it wasn't her choice to become Wu Tsing's husband, she might have received better treatment from them if they knew the truth.
2) I'd have to say An-Mei's mother is the "star" of this chapter. It is easy to see that she is ashamed of her past and she probably wants to undo some...events. Can't say if An-Mei's mother wanted to leave her daughter when she was chastised by An-Mei's family, but she most likely did not want too. Can say though the mother is protective of An-Mei and certainly loves her enough to allow her to go along with her mother.
3) In this chapter, I noticed Amy Tan uses some similes. She helps the reader understand what is being compared by allowing imagination to play a part because not everyone can picture what is going on. She compared rickshaws like “crickets following a large shiny beetle” and the third wife’s eyebrows “as bushy as a caterpillar."
Alex R.
Two-Faced
Magpies
Reaction: This chapter was really fascinating but a bit crazy at the same time. An-Mei’s mother’s life was like a roller coaster because she had to endure and go through so many pain and grief. She was banned from her own family, separated from her children, and disowned from her own parents. Her parents were lost respect for her and were disappointed in the decisions she made. She was the second wife of another man because she was in concubine. I think the saying about how a mother and daughter’s bond is hard to break is true in regarding to how An-Mei was so attached to her and their bond grew even after so many years of being separated.
Character: Second Wife is the most manipulative and deceiving person ever. However, she is also very clever to get her way with things. At first, she pretended to be nice An-Mei her pearl necklace and since she couldn’t conceive kids, she arranged a marriage between Third Wife and Wu Tsing. However, as the chapter went on, Second Wife gradually revealed herself and her kindness faded away. She was able to deceive An-Mei’s mother, destroy her reputation but not even care or feel guilty about her. Plans and schemes were created by Second Wife to get what she wanted and they always worked. For example, she controlled Wu Tsing by attacking his fear of ghosts and spirits to get a higher pay. She is a round character because we were able to see the kind of person she was by her actions and decisions.
Conflict: One of the main conflicts is an external man vs. man between An-Mei’s mother and Second Wife. The cause of this conflict was created by Second Wife because he had tricked An-Mei’s mother in staying the night and then eventually becoming Wu Tsing’s other concubine. An-Mei’s mother bore a son but as selfish as Second Wife was, she claimed the baby boy as her own in order to stay living in the house. This was one of the main causes of the tension between these two women. Finally, the conflict got resolved by An-Mei’s mother out-smarting Second Wife. She committed suicide and sacrificed herself to allow her daughter, An-Mei a better life and escape from Second Wife.
Symbolism: A symbol used by Amy Tan in this vignette is the fake pearl necklace. This represents the relationship between An-Mei’s mother and Second wife. Second Wife had given this necklace to An-Mei’s mother when she had arrived at Wu Tsing’s house to win her over so that later on she could control them. An-Mei’s mother saw through her devious plan. Since the pearls are fake, it represents Second Wife’s kindness and personality, which is also fake. With the necklace not being worth anything, An-Mei’s mother crushed and took control of the situation and Second Wife’s power.
1) Do Turtles Cry When They Are Sad?
2) “Magpies”
3) This chapter was a bit long for me and seemed to drag on. It was a typical boring chapter; however, I did enjoy the overall story and how sad it must have been to learn the truth about your mother. The whole time when I read this chapter I was imagining An-Mei slapping Second Wife. Second Wife was absolutely annoying in this chapter. She’s able to seduce people into doing her dirty work and I can tell she is the reason that An-Mei’s mother is the way she is. I’m surprised that after An-Mei’s mother killed herself, An-Mei really did have a stronger spirit. The turtle part and the birds that hatched confused a bit. Because I couldn’t fathom the symbolism behind the turtle, it ruined this chapter for me a bit.
4) An-Mei’s mother seemed to stand out the most in this chapter. It’s like she taught everything An-Mei knows indirectly. I’m not sure if An-Mei’s mother actually helped her by moving her to the Wu Tsing house, but I knew there was a purpose for her to come there. It was to learn the truth behind her mother. Although some parts of her characteristics are accurate (from Popo’s viewpoint), I have seen there are some good qualities to An-Mei’s mother. For example, she sacrificed her own life to prove to her daughter she wasn’t just Wu Tsing’s accessory and she would rather sacrifice her own spirit and unhappiness to make her daughter stronger. An-Mei’s mother is desperate at times and is obviously unhappy ninety-nine percent of the time; however, in the face of her daughter she tends to act calm and collected. She always tells An-Mei to try and avoid becoming like her. In the end, An-Mei finds a voice and is able to stand up for herself.
5) The external conflict is obviously the conflict An-Mei’s mother has between Second Wife. She abhors Second Wife into tricking her into this depressing life. There’s also one more conflict that is between An-Mei and herself/human. She’s trying to find out who her mother really is and whether she is going to live a horrible life or have good one in the Wu Tsing house. It was her sense of doubt and curiosity that caused the conflict. She finally understands who her mother is and in the end stands up for herself and her mother.
6) The pearl necklace in the story was a symbol that stood out. It was immediately given to An-Mei when Second Mother met her. It stands for her luxurious characteristics and the power she has over others, but later when An-Mei’s mother demolishes the necklaces I can see that Second Mother is a fake. Another symbol that I didn’t understand to clearly was the turtle. I believe the turtle represents strength and wisdom to stand up for yourself and without those characteristics the magpies (other people) will use you as a fountain for drinking out of (like a doormat).
Glass Beads
Chapter:Magpies
This chapter was alright. It was very boring, and I don't feel that the chapter doesn't seem to have the same "style" as the other chapters. The previous chapters had really good symbols, like the part where the rice bowl represented the pock-marked face of a possible future husband (Rice Husband) but in this chapter, it was the turtle that swallowed the tears and talked. It just didn't sound right. The second wife from this chapter is pretty lame, because by poisoning herself with raw poison, she is hurting herself and gaining little. I'm not exactly sure how much risk is involved in the self-inflicted "poisoning" but it's not smart at all to abuse your body in order to gain little things like money. The ending was pretty good though, but I thought it should have ended where she said that she "learned to shout." That was the epic place to end it, but I guess Amy Tan had to write more.
2. I think the relationship between An-mei and her mother is much like the bond between a duck and her little duckling. Like a duck finds food for her child, An-mei's mother looks after her and takes care of her, and like a duck, she is also willing to put her life on the line and do the unthinkable to save her child. Not only is she willing to risk her life, however, she is also willing to hurt herself to simply benefit her child. She gave her sapphire ring to An-mei, and she also "killed her weak soul to make An-mei's soul stronger." I feel that their relationship was good and not conflicted as the other relationships in the novel.
3.I learned a few things in this chapter about the chinese culture. I still don't understand why it's even called a "marriage" if it's for rank and social standing instead of love. I could understand it if it were called a "partnership" or an "alliance" but the word "marriage" exists for a reason. Anyways, part of the chinese culture is that marriage was arranged, so I think it's a bit pointless but I guess status really matters to them.
1. Turtle Tears
2. "Magpies"
3. Man, this chapter was super long! At first, I thought this chapter was going to be one of those extremely long, boring chapter that readers dread; however, to be honest, after
reading pass the first couple of pages, I couldn't put the book down! I think this chapter really digs deeper and explains more about the events that happened in, "Scar." In this chapter, I felt really bad for An-Mei's mother. She was tricked into re-marrying and becoming Wu Tsing's third concubine. After her family found out, An-Mei's mother
was seen as a disgrace to the family and was disowned. Also, I thought it was really sad how An-Mei and her brother were forced into thinking their mother was a “nobody,” only "decayed flesh, evil, rotted to the bone" (216).
4. To me, Second Wife was one of the characters who stood out most. Second Wife is an evil, mean-spirited woman! She really does portray the evil step-mother in Cinderella! Through false attempts of suicide, Second Wife always seemed to get what she wanted. Plus, not only did Second Wife set up An-Mei's mom with Wu Tsing, she also claimed Syuandi as her own son! What a cruel, devious woman! >:O
5. I think the main conflict in this chapter is man vs. man; An-Mei's mother vs. Second Wife. In the chapter, we read about Second Wife's scheme to set up An-Mei's mother. Despite the fact that she was a widow, Second Wife tricks An-Mei's mother into becoming Wu Tsing's Fourth Wife. Second Wife also takes advantage of An-Mei's mother by claiming Syuandi as her own son and trying to win An-Mei over by bribing her with a fake pearl necklace. Now, I fathom why An-Mei's mother abhorred Second Wife so much!
6. The fake pearl necklace given to An-Mei by Second Wife is a very vital symbol in this chapter. The necklace symbolizes Second Wife. At first, in An-Mei's eyes, Second Wife was seen as a genuine, loving and caring woman who presents her with a beautiful pearl necklace. However, by not listening to her mother's advice, An-Mei soon comes to realize how fake the necklace and Second Wife really are. Watch out, "Looks can be deceiving!"
Harems are no good
'Magpies
Wow when my WHAP book said Chinese women played power politics in their household, they weren't kidding... Second Wife was a scheming arse –I mean who steals someone's son and claims him as her own? And THEN having the real mother see him in another woman's arms, that is downright just not right. I read someone's comment about WHY An-Mei would commit suicide and that is very true; why would a mother bring her daughter to her miserable household if she's just going to commit suicide?
An-Mei's mother is probably the only character that has enough material in the chapter to analyze deeply, so it'll be her. I really do feel sorry for her when Second Wife tricks her into sleeping with that fat *******, but committing suicide? Not to be harsh, but I think when one commits suicide, it means they're too weak to go on, and selfish to ignore the pain that their death would bring to the people around them. Even An-Mei's mother admitted it ,saying she'd rather give the little of her 'weak spirit' to her daughter.
The conflict is probably man vs man, with An-Mei and her mother against Wu-Tsing and his household (I JUST remembered his name) and internal as the protagonists, An-Mei and mother struggle to deal with the damaging and shameful actions that were inflicted upon them by Wu-Tsi.
Connection between allegory and 'Magpies' probably being An-Mei's mother trying to spare her daughter of any more pain and suffering (shame inflicted to her family when she was raped by Wu-Tsing), so she commits suicide in the hope that her daughter could gain something from her death. I think both An-Mei and her mother are trying to sacrifice themselves for their daughters' sake, in the hope that they would no longer suffer.
~El Schelonai, AKA Nicholas Lee, Period the Fourth
1. Manipulation
2. Magpies
3. I felt that An-Mei should have had a better childhood. Instead of having a happy and memorable childhood, she left her home with her mother. An-Meis mother then commited suicide not long after. I also thought that the Second Wife was manipulative and has wrong intentions. She gave An-Mei a fake pearl necklace and also tried to get a new wife for her husband just to get a son. An-Meis mother being raped signifies that Wu Tsing is a horrible person.
4. An-Mei had to live through her mothers suicide and leaving her household. This shows that An-Mei is a strong, independent person, even though she was only a child at the time.
5. The main conflict is human vs. human. There is a conflict between An-Mei and her uncle and aunt because they wanted her to stay while An-Meis mother wanted her to leave. This conflict is resolved when she goes to live with her mother. Another human vs. human conflict is between An-Meis mother and the Second Wife. An-Mei would have received a new household if the Second Wife had not faked suicide. This is resolved with the suicide of An-Meis mother and Wu Tsings decision to honor An-Mei.
6. The main theme of this chapter is that many people are good, as well as evil.
4.
Raymond Glassey
Period 3
1. Suicide is a weapon?
2. “Magpies”
3. This was a really long chapter (maybe to compensate for the shortness of “Scar”), but in my opinion it was quite well written. The characters truly seem realistic and the extent to which viciousness of Second Wife comes through or the misery of An-Mei’s mother is astounding. There was a lot of symbolism (turtles + magpies) in the chapter as well as foreshadowing such as on page 229. An-Mei talks about how Sz (four) Tai and Sz sounds like “die” when her mother said it angrily, thus giving a hint of An-Mei’s mother’s death. Truthfully, it seems rather ridiculous though how Second Wife can pull of the same stunt of pretend suicide on Wu Tsing time after time after time. I mean, if he’s intelligent enough to amass such wealth, how come he’s so stupid to fall for the same trick honestly. His extreme superstition is believable but other than that, there’s no obvious reason Wu Tsing would fall for it after the third or fourth time.
4. The Second Wife strikes me as an evil conniving vicious monster, which is undeniably effective. She observes her husband Wu Tsing, and successfully concocts a method to best obtain a position of power and wealth within the family. It is remarkably cruel when explained by Yan Chang how she arranged for the rape of An-Mei’s along with all her other methods to remain in a prominent position. The scene where Second Wife attempts to win over An-Mei demonstrates cunning as well, and it probably would have succeeded if not for An-Mei’s mother’s shrewdness.
5. The main conflict a human vs. human between An-Mei’s mother and Second Wife. It is an external conflict, which was initiated by her plot to force An-Mei’s mother into marrying Wu Tsing. The conflict is effectively resolved with (in one way) An-Mei’s mother coming out on top. She dies admittedly, but in return, An-Mei and her little brother becomes honored children, she is revered, and Second Wife effectively loses most of her position.
6. In this chapter, Amy Tan makes use of the writing technique of foreshadowing (as mentioned in #3.) On page 229, her mother expresses her dismay at being demoted from First Wife (yi tai) to fourth wife (sz tai). An-Mei talks about how her mother says “sz” so hatefully that it sounds like the Chinese word for “die”. It foreshadows An-Mei’s mother’s imminent suicide towards the end of the chapter (sz tai = die wife?), but this turns out to be a good thing as well as a tragedy.
1. Glass pearls
2. “Magpies”
3. Although this chapter had some dull moments, I thought it was emotional and sad. Like when An-Mei has to choose between her mother and the place where she originally grew up in. Making the decision to go with her mother was the right one because An-Mei realized she wasn’t happy in her uncle and aunts household. “Thinking back, I find it hard to remember everything that was in that house; too many good things all seem the same after awhile. I tried of anything that was not a novelty" (254). However, living with her mother was also quite difficult because they lived with Wu Tsing, a man with many wives, including her mother who was the fourth wife.
4. An-Mei had a very tragic past, not knowing her mother. When her mother comes back, she makes a very important decision to stay with her instead of staying at the household she grew up in. All her experiences in this chapter make her grow stronger, and when her mother killed herself, she learned to be strong and stand up for herself.
5. The main conflict in the story is the internal struggle between An-Mei and herself. She is trying to be strong for her and her mother, yet she feels like a burden. When her mother dies, she finally realizes her strength and speaks up for herself.
6. I think that the pearl necklace symbolizes the second wife. An-Mei’s mother realizes that the pearls are fake and she crushes them with her foot. This showed that the second wife could not control her or have power over her.
Kathy Nguyen
Per 4
1) "Sticky sweet opium dumplings remind me of pot brownies!~"
2) "Magpies"
3) I thought this chapter was pretty long. Even though it seemed uninteresting at first, it got better as I continued reading. I felt sorry for An-mei mother for living as a concubine and being abandoned by her family. I also feel sorry for An-mei especially when she found out what her mother really was in Wu Tsing's home, "a fourth wife [that was] less than a fifth wife" (229). I predicted that the conflict wouldn't be resolved, and that An-mei would be living a bad life, but I was glad to find out at the end of her story "[she] learned to shout" (240). After finishing the chapter, I realized how much An-mei and Rose were alike, how they weren't able to speak their thoughts out. They both learned how to "shout" from their mother, An-mei learned after her mother's death, and Rose learned after An-mei told her that "[she] should speak up, not to "save her marriage" (193).
4) I chose to focus on An-mei's mother. An-mei's mother seems to have a bad life. She was tricked into becoming Wu Tsing's concubine by Second Wife, and that ended up having her shunned from returning back to her family, no longer existing to them. Then being tricked once again by Second Wife, An-mei's mother conceiving a male from Wu Tsing, only to be taken away by Second Wife for the credit. Obviously knowing she's been living in a life of misery, An-mei's mother seemed to plan out her death so An-mei could live better life. The Chinese superstition An-mei and her mother knew: "that on the third day after someone dies, he soul comes back to settle scores." Cleverly, the third day An-mei's mother would come back was on "the first day of the lunar new year." Meaning that "all debts must be paid, or disaster and misfortune will follow" (240). With that, Wu Tsing promised to raise An-mei and Syaudi as his honored children, as if An-mei's mother was his first and only wife.
5) I think the main conflict of this chapter is an internal conflict, man vs. self. In An-mei and her mother's situation, they are in a low position of the family and have no power whatsoever to be able to speak their mind. The conflict though, is resolved when An-mei's mother kills herself from too much opium intake and tells An-mei that “she would rather kill her own weak spirit so she could give [An-Mei] a stronger one” (pg 240). When An-mei's mother passed away, An-mei felt as if it really did happen, and with the help of her mother also, An-mei was able to live a better life.
6a) I think the theme of this story is that you should not let necessary subjects go when you know it is needed to be taken care of. I was able to achieve this theme when I read how An-mei's mother was never able to fix her abstroose situation with her family. Also how An-mei's mother never told Wu Tsing that Syaudi was really her child, and not Second Wife's.
"Maggie likes Magpies?"
(a.k.a. Magpies)
3. First off, I thought this chapter was awful long. I hate how An-Mei's aunt and uncle curse at her mom, while her mom silently absorbed all the insults; she didn't do anything to them, so why were they making her feel bad? Aw, poor An-Mei's brother, getting left behind like that. Did they ever reunite? An-Mei was right; when you're a Chinese child, you can never scold at a parent. It's disrespectful and there's a possibility that you might get disowned! xD "Everything was too big" (221); was An-Mei's outfit a symbol, a sign that her new life was going to be too much, but manageable for her to survive? I liked how Tan used descriptions like "Chinese stone gate" and "big black lacquer doors" to desscribe Wu Tsing's house. It seemed extravagant and authentic for such a foreign place. Uh-oh, "lacquer" also was used to describe the symbolic vase in "Rice Husband". Does that mean that Wu Tsing's house is a symbol, too? How was the clock with the tiny people significant? I bet it's a symbol, but I can't figure what it is a symbol of. & I really liked the sentence "But I remember clearly when all that comfort became no longer comfortable" (227); it would sound really lame if I wrote that in my essay, I admit that, but when Tan uses it, the sentence just fits perfectly with the transition and it sounds right. Okay, so An-Mei's mother brags about the grandiose of her life, at first, then states outright that it is "shameful". Was she lying before or did she say so to convince An-Mei to come with her? What was the story behind the sapphire ring that An-Mei's mom showed her? Was it a symbol? (Okay, I admit, I'm scrutinizing the chapter way too much for symbols. xD Scrutinize, oh dear.) Second Wife is a real ... JERK for involving An-Mei's mother in the situation, forcing her into Wu Tsing. I TRULY ABHOR HER. But An-Mei's mom should have just told Popo the truth; maybe her mother would understand and not shun her, maybe not, but at least she tried and opened up to her mother. I thought An-Mei's mother was smart for committing suicide, giving her strength to An-Mei like that, but kind of tragic. Hehe, I liked the ending. My pyschiatrist would say that you needed to make an appointment with him. xD Really, concubines are not that much more than prostitutes, are they?
4. Second Wife fed First Wife opium, draining her power. Second Wife threatened Third Wife to do what she said or else she would become a concubine in the streets. Second Wife arranged for Wu Tsing to sexually abuse Fourth Wife, forcing her to become who she was. She also tended and nurtured Fourth Wife's son as if he were hers in front of Fourth Wife's face, but he's not. Second Wife nicely gave Fifth Wife money to visit her village, but is just trying to use the opportunities as reminders of Fifth Wife's low-class origin. Second Wife is a luring, devious, manipulative witch. The end.
5. I believe the main conflict has to be An-Mei vs. Rose (external: man vs. man). Even though it An-Mei's mother has issues against Second Wife and maybe An-Mei is struggling against herself to lost her innocence, the whole point of the flashback to An-Mei's childhood was to explain to Rose that she is worth more than she believes. An-Mei is trying to find a way to transfer her strength to Rose, just like how An-Mei's mother did so to An-Mei, and with the flashback, An-Mei describes how she achieved the strength for Rose to see that she, too, can achieve this same strength if she believed. In the end, I believe the conflict was resolved in the previous chapter "Without Wood"; Rose does find the strength to stand up to her husband.
6. The theme of this chapter is to find the strength within yourself to not let others receive joy from your sorrow by swallowing your own tears. This is repeated throughout the whole chapter: "It is useless to cry. Your tears do not wash away your sorrows. They feed someone else's joy. And that is why you must learn to swallow your own tears" (217).
Emily Huynh, Period 4
Hope & Innocence
“Magpies”
3. Amy Tan did an amazing job of manipulating my emotions in this vignette. I could clearly feel every ounce of the anguish of An-mei’s mother, and I could completely relate to An-mei’s confused reactions to situations that no nine year old girl should ever be forced to ponder. I can’t even fathom how terrifying it would have been for such a little girl to see her mother so miserable, so powerless, with no control over her own life. Mothers are typically supposed to be strong, the support system which children can count on. An-mei had none of this. Lost and alone, An-mei spent most of her childhood under the care of her Aunt and Uncle. But even after An-mei met her mother, she found that her mother was weak, ashamed and fragile, inhibiting none of the strength that An-mei so desperately needed. This vignette was one of the longest in the novel, but it was also the most interesting. It was so rich in Chinese culture which blended seamlessly into the plot. I felt terrible for the position that An-mei and her mother held in Wu Tsing’s household, and then I felt worse after it was revealed that Second Wife’s young son was actually the son of An-mei’s mother’s.
4. Yan Chang was undoubtedly loyal to An-mei’s mother, far more so than a typical personal maid. She even went to far as to state outright that An-mei’s mother “is too good for this family”, despite the backlash that she would have faced had she been overheard by Second Wife (234). Yan Chang took good care of An-mei’s mom and took in all of her responsibilities in a stride – even comforting An-mei after Wu Tsing kicked her out of bed. That being said, Yan Chang was also pretty tactless. She was the one who told An-mei about her mother’s “terrible pain”, which some pretty dark and twisty stuff to tell a little nine year old girl (238). Perhaps An-mei was strong enough and mature enough to withstand the massive wave of revelations that hit her that night, but it is indisputable that with those revelations came the loss of her innocence – and Yan Chang is completely to blame for that.
5. The one of the main conflicts in this chapter is the external conflict between An-mei’s mother and most of the members of Wu Tsing’s household. In this conflict of man vs. man, An-mei’s mother goes head to head with Second Wife’s deceitful ways and struggles to contain her abomination of Second Wife, particularly after Second Wife took away her son. An-mei’s mother is also in conflict Wu Tsing, because if you really think about it, he is the main source of her unhappiness. He and Second Wife coerced An-mei’s mother into becoming his third concubine together, and even after he claimed a fourth concubine for his pleasure, he still turned to An-mei’s mother and abused her in the middle of the night. This conflict comes to a close at the end of the chapter after An-mei’s mother commits suicide and her angry spirit comes back to haunt her two antagonists with a vengeance.
6. In the allegory at the beginning of the section, the message was that one must learn “how to lose your innocence but not your hope”(213). As previously stated, An-mei ceased to be a child the moment she made the decision to cross the threshold of her old home to follow her mother into a new life. An-mei lost her innocence for good when she learned the truth about her mother’s statue and how she had come to have such an unhappy life. Despite all this, An-mei never lost hope. Even after her mother committed suicide, An-mei did not fall or break apart. On the contrary, she grew more determined than ever to survive. She carried with her the spirit of her mother, and with it, her hope that her mother’s sacrifice would lead her to a better life. An-mei went through some admittedly dark stuff in her lifetime, yet she persevered to the point where she could support her daughter in a way that her mother was never able to help her.
- Michelle Chan =]
1. "Turtle in a Pond"
2. "Magpies"
3. This chapter was pretty long. As I was reading it, I thought it would never end. The story of the turtle and the magpies was really odd, and I didn't really understand it. The mother was a strange character to me, and how AnMei describes her, she seems really weird. I don't really understand the how she could seem a certain way, and then seem different.
4. AnMei's mother is a very important character in this chapter. As told in the chapter Scar, she left and married a rich man after her husband died. At first, I thought she seemed like a bad person, but then she came across as a really caring mother. She begged the uncle to let AnMei come with her, which shows that she really cares for her daughter. What I didn't get was why she didn't take her son with her.
5. The conflict is human vs human, and it is between AnMei's mother and Second Wife. Second Wife was a cruel character who had evil plots, but AnMei's mother somewhat came out victorious at the end, since Second Wife lost a lot of things.
6. A symbol in this chapter is the dress that An-Mei's mother wears. I think the dress symbolizes wealth and are used to try and show that she has money and is high-class.
1:famiLIES
2:Magpies
3:This was a very good chapter. I felt bad for An-Mei's mother because her family disowned her even though they didn't know what really happened. She couldn't go back to her family because she, a widow, has disgraced them for "sleeping" with another man. The descriptions of the other concubines were also good, espicially the cruel, second wife. I though Wu Tsing was sort of a puppet, being used by the second wife, but he brought it upon himself by marrying a famous singer because she was famous.
4:The second wife is cruel, intelligent women. She manipulates Wu Tsing by fake suiciding. She wanted Wu Tsing to have a boy, so she arranged for him to marry other ugly women so she can still have control of Wu Tsing's heart. The worst thing she did was take An-Mei's mother's son as her own.
5:The conflict of this chapter is man vs. man, An-Mei's mother vs. the second wife. The second wife caused An-Mei's family to disown An-Mei's mother. The second wife also takes An-Mei's mother's son. Conflict is resolved when An-Mei's mother suicides.
6:The pearl necklace given to An-Mei by the second wife is a symbol. It represents the second wife. When An-Mei first meets the second wife, An-Mei thought she was a nice woman and got a pearl necklace as a gift. It turns out that the pearls were fake, like the second wife. The nice woman turned out to be the one who ruined An-Mei's mother's life.
Wai Chan
period 3
Karma
Chapter: Magpies
1.Reaction:
This chapter was quite a rollercoaster for me, but fortunately, there was a bittersweet ending to wrap up the vignette. An-mei got her well deserved respect at the expense of her mother's death. I was really mad and shocked to see how people acted in society back then. I understand
2nd wife's desperation in trying to have a son, but Wu Tsing's compliant role in 2nd wife's schemes left me truly speechless. He RAPED her just to force her into a marriage and ultimately having to raise another side-family. To me, there's no logic in that. Also, I really did not understand why Wu Tsing would compliantly raise and admit An-Mei's child as 2nd wife's child so easily. A boy is a boy, and an heir is an heir. Why did it matter that it had to be 2nd wife's child? 2nd wife really WAS SECOND wife- not first.
2)An-Mei's mother was a very critical character in this story. I saw her as a distant mother that truly wanted to redeem herself in the eyes of her daughter. Her family had portrayed her as a disobedient peasant who was not worthy of An-Mei's love, but I totally disagree. An Mei's mother truly did love her mother and her daughter. She was obedient enough to travel afar to come back and give her flesh to her mother in the past chapter, and she earnestly knew how to look after her daughter. When 2nd wife gave An-Mei the necklace, she knew that her daughter could not be bought for such a cheap price, so instead, she gave her daughter a saphire ring and stepped on the glass necklace heself.
3)A conflict in this story was a Man vs. Man conflict. It was mainly between 2nd wife and An-Mei's mother. 2nd wife must have been extremely scared and jealous of An-Mei's mother and her ability to bear son, for she cruely claimed him as her own. An-Mei's mother really did not deserve the treatment that she was getting from 2nd wife and Wu Tsing. Her family, knowing nothing about her circumstances, thought she just ran away to marry some man out of greed and lust, but in reality, she was forced into the marriage out of shame and wedlock. She tries to fight back against 2nd wife, but it always proved to be of no avail until she finally took advantage of Wu Tsing's fear of ghosts and commited suicide in order to instill the fear of her after-life spirit into Wu-Tsing. By doing this, An-Mei was given respect and was revered as one of his honored children.
4)I think the theme in this story is "take control of your life, and know your worth". This is a re-occuring theme in this novel, especially for the Tsu family, since An-Mei's mother at first, was very submissive, and allowed herself to be pulled into a world of betrayal and treachery. I believe that as An-Mei's mother began to see the suffering that she was being put through and how this affected An-Mei's perception of her very own mother, this forced An-Mei to "take control" of her fate and give her daughter what she deserved. She KNEW what her daughter was worth and KNEW that An-Mei was to be treated as the best.
Watch and Listen
"Magpies"
This chapter was long, but at the same time it was also a very eye-opening page turner. Reading this chapter made me feel grateful that here in America, we're allowed to marry for love instead of for position and prestige like they did in China. Also, here we're allowed to have opinions, while back then women were taught to refrain from speaking up. This custom was what made An-Mei's mother so weak, because she kept so much sorrow and shame inside of her that it ultimately led to her suicide.
It seems like An-Mei's mother was never really happy in her life because she had to go through so many hardships, at the same time just watching the days pass her by. I felt so bad for her. I thought it was so horrible when Wu Tsing basically raped her, and she couldn't even do anything about it, because her whole life she had been "raised the Chinese way: taught to desire nothing, to swallow people's misery, to eat her own bitterness." (215) I think this shows her character when she not only sacrificed her flesh to save Popo's life in the previous chapter, but also when she sacrificed her life so her daughter would learn to speak up for herself.
The external conflict in this chapter is man vs. man, or An-Mei's mother vs. Second Wife. Second Wife took advantage of An-Mei's mother when they first met so she could get what she wanted, but in the end An-Mei's mother finally got the respect she deserved.
Second Wife was considered the 'magpie' in the beginning of the analogy because she benefit from the other wives' weaknesses, such as deluding First Wife with opium and by stealing An-Mei's mother's son. She was a devious women who gained power at the expanse of others', like "a bird drinking from [their] misery," (241). At the end of the chapter, An-Mei talks about the news article she had read in a magazine about China. The birds that had been tormenting villagers finally died when they banged pots and pans to scare them. This connects to how Second Wife lost her power when An-Mei finally spoke up for herself and her mother by crushing the fake pearl necklace.
1) Turtle gives birth to birds?
2) Magpies
3) This chapter seemed to drone on and on forever. But, it was very interesting at times, like when Yan-Chang explained the second wife's devious scheme to set up An-Mei's mom. All this time, I thought that An Mei's mother was that type of person who is easy to get into bed but I was surprised to find out that all along, she had been forced into this situation by the second wife and in the process, had her whole life ruined in the blink of an eye. The end of the chapter was stupid in my opinion. What's up with An-Mei's mother killing herself to make An-Mei stronger. I'm sure that killing yourself, and your daughter's only mother figure, would really help her out in the future.
4)The Second wife is an evil, clever, and cold. I found this out when I read that she would go to the point were she would eat raw opium in order to scare her husband into giving her more money and secure her position as his wife. Her character turns even more dark when I read that she found an unattractive wife to bear children for Wu Tsing so that he wouldn't give up The second wife's place in his heart. I didn't think that the second wife's character could be anymore screwed up but I was appalled when I found out that she took advantage of An-Mei's grieving mother and forced her to sleep with Wu Tsing and marry him. This chick is evil.
5) The conflict in this chapter is external and man vs man. The conflict is between the second wife and An-mei's mom. After An-Mei get's dragged into a marriage she never wanted, her whole life comes spiraling down. She loses her family, her daughter, and now she has to spend the rest of her life with a man she'll never love. All of this was because of the Second Wife. In the end, this conflict is resolved when An-Mei's mom commits suicide and "releases" herself from her torture.
6) I think that the theme comes from the story about the turtle. The theme is "Whenever one cries, one is not washing away one’s sorrows but feeding another’s joy. For this reason, one must learn to swallow one’s own tears." If you let your saddness take the best of you, it won't go away. Instead, it will only serve to make others happy
1. Some Role Model
2. Magpies
3. This chapter was long, but interesting. In the scene where Yan Chang told An-mei about the Second Wife tricking her mom was really sad, it was depressing that a person could be so selfish. This chapter made me wonder about how it would’ve been to live back in the day in those places where men had so many concubines, and women had such low social status.
4. In this chapter An-mei starts out thinking that her mom is not as slutty as her aunt and uncle say she is, and also, she does not speak u her opinions and just swallows their words and orders. But after she witnesses all of the contaminated events at Wu Tsing’s mansion, she says that she learned to shout the day that her mom died and she saw the fear in Wu Tsing’s eyes. This shows that An-mei was at first a young and innocent girl, but as events passed through her life, it stained her into a smart and manipulative person.
5. I think the main conflict was external between An-mei’s mom and Second Wife, which makes it man vs. man. Second Wife, who was manipulative and in control in the mansion, brought An-mei’s mom into the mansion in the first place and stole her son. I think that An-mei’s mom’s happiness is prevented by Second Wife and that at the end of the chapter, it is partially resolved, because after An-mei’s mom’s suicide, Second Wife became scared. Though An-mei’s mom was no longer alive, her happiness lived on through An-mei.
6. C)This chapter is related to the allegory in the beginning of the section because the allegory talks about how a mother lost her innocence and though she could once laugh without reason she couldn’t anymore. In this chapter, An-mei started out innocent, but it was quickly stolen from her once she witnessed the terrible events which took place in Wu Tsing’s mansion.
1. Opium is bad.
2. Magpies
3. This chapter showed the progress of An-Mei growing up, and how her life was. It was depressing that her brother didn't know the reason why he couldn't go with his mom, and would probably hold that grudge forever. If it weren't for the second wife, her mother wouldn't have gotten kicked out, raped, or married to a man who already had many other wives. I'm glad that the second wife got white hair, and Wu Tsing was dedicated to raising Syaudi and An-Mei.
4. The second wife is a manipulative person as we can see when she pretends that she's on the brink of death so she can get what she wants from Wu Tsing. When she realizes that Wu Tsing is spending too much money on stuff other than for her, she decides to get An-Mei's mom to provide a heir for him. She first became close friends with her, and when she let her stay the night, Wu Tsing raped her! This was all for her own benefit.
5.The conflict is man vs man as you can see the rivalry between the second wife, and the fourth wife. The second wife already had taken the fourth wife's son, her honor, and her family. The second wife set up so that An-Mei's mom would get raped so she had to marry the man. Her mother's family saw this as dishonoring her status as a widow because she had gotten married to a rich man who already had many concubines, and kicked her out. When second wife couldn't provide Wu Tsing with a heir, she takes the fourth wife's son. This is solved in the end when she dies from too much opium. Wu Tsing a strong believer of ghosts prays that she wouldn't come back for revenge if he took care of her son and daughter.
6. The lesson of this story is things don't appear what they seem. For example, when An-Mei goes to her mom's room for the first time, she sees the most luxurious bed, and lies on it. What she discovers is that the bed is even harder than the one she had back at her poor uncle's house. Another scene is when the second wife gives An-Mei a pearl necklace. An-Mei believes that it's the best jewelry she has ever gotten, and starts to like the second wife. However, her mom steps on the pearl revealing that it's just a fake replica made out of glass.
-Diana Li
Period 3
1. Faux Pearls
2. “Magpies”
3. That chapter came off to me as depressing and long, yet powerful and compelling. It’s really sad that An-Mei had to deal with so much at a young age. She never got to experience a normal, wholesome childhood like all kids should. It kind of bugged me how most people back then didn’t marry for love; it was only for position in society. That’s definitely not the way it should be. And also, I thought it was completely unfair how An-Mei was forced into being a concubine because of Second Wife.
4. I didn’t like Second Wife. At all. She just waltzed around like she had authority over everything, and everyone actually listened to her and treated her like the boss, which made it even worse. She had a lot of power and she did crazy things to keep that power, like trying to commit suicide. She had some idea in her head that if she almost committed suicide, people would be scared into being loyal to her. She was a despicable, materialistic, fake person, which showed when she tried to win An-Mei’s love by giving her a pearl necklace. This itself already portrayed a sense of phoniness, but it elevated when you realize she didn’t even have the decency to buy An-Mei real pearls.
5. There are a couple conflicts in this chapter, but I think the main one is man vs. man between Wu Tsing’s Second Wife and An-Mei’s mother. For crying out loud, Second Wife set up a rape for An-Mei’s mother. That’s completely cruel and twisted. An-Mei’s mother became a third concubine of Wu Tsing, her child was forced away from her, and she was banished by her own family all because of Second Wife’s decisions and actions. This got me really mad because of how unfair it was.
6. The pearl necklace was definitely a symbol. An-Mei was astounded when she received it, thinking it was real. When her mother saw it, though, she instantly realized that it was phony. Second Wife gave it to An-Mei to try and trick her into thinking that she loved her. It shows that she only thinks of An-Mei as worthless, since she couldn’t even get real pearls for her.
The Poisonous Yuan-Syao
Magpies
1. I thought that this chapter was rather mysterious because, unlike the previous four chapters, the narrator is one of the older Chinese women, An-Mei. To me, An-Mei has always seemed to be such an enigmatic character. The scene in which An-Mei decisively leaves her uncle’s house to go to Tientsin with her mother made me think that she was such a brave character to be able to leave behind her past life and look forward to a new one in a strange new place. The description of Wu Tsing’s mansion helped me picture a luxurious mansion that was so popular among the privileged westernized Chinese during the years of the early Chinese Republic. When Yan Chang told An-Mei the story of how her mother was raped by Wu Tsing, I could not help but pity An-Mei and the fact that she had to face such a harsh reality.
2. The main character of this chapter is An-Mei, who takes us back to her childhood life first in Ningbo, then in her later home in Tientsin. An-Mei is a strong-willed girl, like her mother, and she has faced much adversity during her early years because she was reared without the loving nurture of her mother. An-Mei pines for this motherly love, which ultimately leads her to follow her mother to Tientsin, where her mother is the third concubine of a rich businessman. After living with her mother for some time, An-Mei slowly realizes her mother’s hidden sorrows and grief, feelings that she had not known before because her relatives in Ningbo had previously refrained from telling An-Mei about her mother. Even though An-Mei is forced to grieve alone when her mother commits suicide, the short time that An-Mei spent with her mother gave An-Mei a chance to look into the realities of the world and mentally prepare her to face the challenges that lay ahead.
3. The main conflict of this chapter can be characterized as an internal conflict, man vs. self. An-Mei struggles to understand her mother, and in the process, discover an important part of herself. An-Mei wants to find strength from within, because all her life she has been lamenting the loss of not being able to see her mother. Even though she has learned to “hold back her tears,” An-Mei feels that she needs motherly support to make the right decisions in her life. After An-Mei’s mother passes away, An-Mei finally realizes the full meaning of the wisdom that her mother had been intermittently trying to impart to An-Mei. Through the loss of her mother, An-Mei can finally appreciate her mother’s advice and stand up for herself, as is the case when An-Mei openly accuses Second Wife’s greed for An-Mei’s mother’s death.
4. One of the symbols in this chapter was the synthetic pearl necklace that Second Wife offered to An-Mei. It represents misleading pretenses in real life, since An-Mei’s mother was quick to show An-Mei the true quality of the necklace by crushing a plastic bead under her shoe. Another symbol shown in this chapter is the Second Wife was trying to manipulate An-Mei’s thinking, inducing An-Mei to like her and heed to her commands, somewhat like a bribe.
-Albert Li
1.) birds of joy
2.) “Magpies”
3.) This chapter was a pretty interesting installment in An-mei & Rose’s lives. I really liked the part about the turtle, it felt like a little lore inside the book and it really spoke to me, how animals and humans could communicate without words; but with emotions and expressions. Though after the story I didn’t really care for the rest, rape, death, all of that helped me understand An-mei’s horrendous past, but it didn’t help captivate me into the book as much as the little intriguing lore in the beginning.
4.) The second wife is an absolute genius, though sadly uses her brilliance for cold blooded, greedy goals. Since she knows quite a bit of psychology or so it seems, she knows that people are weak and scared when it comes to death so she uses a threat of suicide to scare and persuade Wu Tsing into giving her futile objects, money, power, and attention.
5.) Certainly the conflict here is man vs man, the struggle between An-mei’s mother and the second wife continues to clash throughout the story. An-mei’s forced marriages starts off hard, but after a while she finds out there are issues far worse than she could have anticipated. An-mei’s choice of coping with these issues turned out to be death, which worked to release her from the pain and agony she felt every single day.
6.) The theme here is clearly stated smack dab in the middle of the chapter, during one of my favorite sections of the book; the turtle lore. The turtle tells that whenever one cries, it does not wash away one’s sorrows, yet feed another one's joy. I could only assume that this means crying doesn’t push away the pains, yet help us cope with it by adding a unique joy.
-khanh
Running Off to a Better Life?
2. "Magpies"
3. I was filled with excitement when I read the first few pages in the chapter "Magpies" because I enjoyed the chapter "Scar". I felt sorry for An-Mei because she had to witness what her mother had to go through. The Second Wife is a jerk. She gave An-Mei a pearl necklace that she said it was "expensive" but it was a cheap fake necklace that Second Wife thought would suit An-Mei. Then, the husband used An-Mei's mother as a person just to get himself a baby boy that she wouldn't be able to see. When she killed herself from overdose of opium, I wouldn't blame her. She had her son taken away, her own family had disowned her, and her husband had only used her. This chapter was a depressing, yet it was very interesting to read.
4. I thought An-Mei's mother was a strong-willed woman, but turns out she wasn't as strong as I thought she was. She tries to stand up to Second Wife but she's too scared. After, her "husband" used her to try and have a baby boy, and she bores a baby boy. He gets taken away from her. That's when she loses her will and commits suicide telling An-Mei before she died that she wanted her spirit to join with An-Mei to make her spirit stronger. She commits suicide from overdosing on opium. She has the courage to kill herself. I thought it was dumb to kill herself because she had left An-Mei alone, but this is where An-Mei learns to speak up and stand for herself.
5. I think the chapter is an internal conflict between An-Mei's mother and herself. She wants to stand up to Second Wife but her rank is lower. She cannot confront herself to Second Wife and just bottles up the issues. Also, An-Mei is fighting to speak up and do things her way. She doesn't do anything when her mom was around, but soon after her mom committed suicide, she couldn't bear it and stood her ground against the Wu-Tsing family.
6. Symbolism: The magpies are a symbol of joy. However, in this story, the magpies are considered evil and eat tears that shed from people and destroy farmer's crops. The "pearls" that Second Wife gives to An-Mei resembles An-Mei's trust and when her mother broke one of the pearls to show her it's fake, she doesn't trust her as much. Then, at the end of the chapter, she crushes the rest of the pearls underneath her foot and abhors Second Wife.
-Jerry
You can never tell how good a book is by just looking at the cover.
"Magpies"
3) I really liked this chapter. Even though it was long, the story was very interesting and the intensity never dropped. I pity An-Mei Hsu's mother for being cheated on like that and because of it, she faced much dishonor such as being disowned by her own mother. When it came for the decision for An-Mei to choose between her mother and uncle, I was first rooting for her mother but now that I've read all of the chapter, I wish that she stayed with her uncle. I wished this not because of the bad things that happened, but because of the things that changed her. I think her old home represented her Chinese culture and innocence, when she went to her new house she adapted to a new culture, a Western-like culture filled with riches. I can not emphasize how much Amy Tan's skills are with her descriptions and writing structures in this chapter. Overall, this was one of the best chapters by far. Two Thumbs up all the way.
4) An-Mei's mother was a person with pure intentions and personalities. Like in th beginning of the chapter, she wore a white outfit that was meant for mourning but I believe that it also represented her pureness. So when they came back to the town she now lived in, she changed showing that the pureness was now taken away and covered with foreign and alien things. Something that caught my attention was the lesson that An-Mei's mother taught her which was to "swallow one's tears." This lesson showed that she was a doormat and this trait was passed down to not only her daughter but her granddaughter as well.
5) A conflict in this chapter was between An-Mei's mother and Second wife. This was man vs man. Another conflict was an internal conflict inside An-Mei. It was a clash between her old life and her new.
6) I think the theme of this chapter is that you always have a choice, even doing nothing is a choice.
“Bought With Fake Money”
“Magpies- The Joy Luck Club”
My Reaction-
An-Mei seems to be the one who needs the most pity this chapter. At such a young age she is lead to a fork in her life and has to make a decision- a type of decision that would drive people even tens of years older than her insane. I felt very sorry for her in that prospect. The decision presented to An-Mei was to either continue her life without knowing the warmth of her blood mother, or to plunge into the depths of the unknown with a woman that only has a blood bond with An-Mei. She decides to go with the latter and I really must question whether or not she had made the right decision. Does An-Mei ever regret walking out of her shelter life even once?
My View-
This entire chapter revolves around An-Mei who is presented with a decision to make- stay with her aunts, or live with a person she has only heard evil things about. Obviously it’s a bit more complex than that, but to put it simply, An-Mei choose the latter and began her life anew. This tells me a lot about her character. Naturally, I think she would have been afraid (I mean, how can you not be?) but what more amazes me is that her fear of walking into the abyss is over powered by he desire to finally be with her one and only blood mother. She herself is either very brave, or very foolish for making such a rash decision; however, it doesn’t feel like she made the wrong one.
The Fight-
I think one of the main clashes in this chapter is An-Mei’s struggle to accept her new environment. She’s no longer in a normal household, but rather a house that has its own social hierarchy. She is ranked lowest as the fourth daughter and everyone above her is treated better and more important then she is. The worst would be second wife, who tries to buy her over with counterfeit pearls. An-Mei lives a now completely new life and she can’t do anything about it. However, after her mother commits suicide, she changes on the inside. She finally decides to speak out and go against her apposition and earns herself a new position, the highest position on the social ranking.
The Theme-
The message I derived from this chapter was simple- Speak your mind and you will get ahead in life. I could already incorporate this into my daily life as a moral to live life by. Not speaking your mind makes you a flat character- boring, uninteresting, and bland. By voicing opinions and ideas you can become a 3-D character- a person who can agree if they really do, or that can stand their ground and defend their feelings.
Selling Out
2. Magpies
3. This chapter was of particular interest to me because of the themes that it reflected, like swallowing your bitterness and your tears. While reading this chapter, one item that really stuck out to me were the turtles that supposedly fed on people's sadness. To me, that sounds pretty evil, like the way the devil feeds on evil or something similar to that. I felt sorry for An-Mei's mother, especially in this vignette, because even though the only thing that she did "wrong" was become the fourth concubine of Wu Tsing, her family treats her like dirt and her parents completely disown her. Although, I suppose that it was stupid of the mother to not speak up, to not use her voice and tell her family the truth about why she was married to Wu Tsing and could not back out of the marriage. On the other hand, her family did not even try to look at it from their daughter's viewpoint; instead, they kicked her out of the house with no questions asked. I admire and hate the Second wife at the same time. She is admirable because of her intelligence, the way that utilized suicide as a weapon to grant her wishes. Meanwhile, I feel that she is a despicable character and the way that she manipulates her husband and his according riches is terrible. In America, this sort of thing would be hard pressed to occur because, unlike China, marriage is for love. Although this can't be said for every case, it is not like China where marriage is just a ritual that a family partakes in to boost their social and economic standing in society. The method that the Second Wife used to lure An-Mei's mother into Wu Tsing's bed was also extremely devious. If An-Mei's mother hadn't been feeling the aftereffects of her husband's death, she might not have been so vulnerable and her life might have been different today. I also applaud the suicide of An-Mei's mother. Now, that sounds like I am mental or something, but let me explain: If An-Mei's mother had not killed herself at the perfect time, three days before Chinese New Years, then An-Mei might never, ever have found the courage to speak up and voice her opinion to Wu Tsing and his family. An-Mei's mother was giving up her spirit in order to strengthen her daughter's spirit and to help her child find her voice as well as learn how to "shout". In this situation, Chinese traditions really helped An-Mei because the Tsing family really believe that all debts must be repaid on Chinese New Years. Lastly, the way that An-Mei sold out to "Big Mother" for some cheap pearls was really pathetic. Instead of her listening to her own mother, a person of the same flesh and blood, the person who had brought her into this world, she listened to an evil woman known for her reputation of trickery and deceit.
4. An-Mei Hsu was the daughter of the protaganist, her mother. She went to live with her mother at the ripe age of nine and changed profoundly throughout this vignette. At first, when she arrived at the Tsing estate, Second Wife, also known as "Big Mother", had given her some fake pearls. Thinking that they were real, she would not surrender them and eventually realizes, because of her mother's actions, that they are just glass. This course of action that An-Mei took really shows what kind of person she was in the beginning of the chapter. She had a weak spirit; her soul could be bought out by a cheap toy that meant nothing to Second Wife, who had given her that gift. By the end of the her chapter, after her mother has committed suicide, she learns that she has a voice too and that she can use this voice to express her opinions. She doesn't have to stand there and let people take advantage of her; rather, she can speak out and let her say be known. This is exactly what happened at her mother's funeral. She used her mother's suicide as a weapon against the Tsing family and, in doing so, found her true voice.
5.Like many chapters, the main conflict is both external and internal. It is both human vs. self and human vs. human. The former is within An-Mei herself. Even though she feels so much sorrow, she doesn't learn to express these feelings that she had until the end of the vignette, at her mother's funeral. Before, she was taught to swallow her tears and hide her bitterness, but now her voice can be known. The second thing about this conflict is that it is also human vs. human. An-Mei's mother might struggle to fit in amongst the hatred and lack of belonging that she feels when she is in the Tsing household. What with all the spite directed toward her by Second Wife, it's a wonder that she didn't commit suicide sooner than she had done.
6. I feel that the theme or life lesson of this vignette is to let yourself be heard. Nobody can read your mind and, if you don't speak your mind, nobody will know what's on it. Communication is the key to any relationship whether that relationship is with one's parents or with one's friends. Keeping "clammed up" about things doesn't make it any better; in fact, it only makes the situation worse. Of course, this doesn't mean to always say the first thing that comes into your mind all the time, but, at the right moment, everybody should express their opinions from time to time.
-Calvin Ho
Period 4
1. Sticky, Sweet and.. Deadly?
2. Magpies
3. This chapter was very long but interesting, thank goodness! I really enjoyed this chapter because there was so much drama going on. I really felt bad for An-mei’s mother because she is a concubine. I don’t understand how she could lower herself to do that. She knew what a low position it was and she did it anyways. It wasn’t the right thing for her children. I do think her family should have been nicer to her about it. I also don’t think she should of brought An-mei to her home. She gets to see all the horrible things and how her mother is treated. It wasn’t very responsible of her to do that to her daughter and expose her to this life. I think her mother brought her there for her own sake, so she can have her daughter with her. It was selfish when she became a concubine and this was also a selfish act.
4. The second wife seemed so nasty. She never felt bad for anything and she was so sneaky about everything. She gets everything she wants. In the end she finally got the shame she deserved I hope. I really couldn’t believe how nasty one woman be and how manipulative.
5. This chapter is man vs. man. It’s An-mei’s mother vs. second wife. The second wife does everything to make her miserable. Second wife steals her baby and claims her as her own. That would be horrible to go through and everyday she would have to deal with her son belonging to the second wife. It’s almost as if the second wife tries to steal An-mei away from her mother by giving her the fake pearls. It’s as if she is flaunting in her face that she is better than her in every way.
6. I think the theme of this chapter is your find your voice in the worst of times. An-mei finally found her voice when she had lost her mother. She found her voice just like Rose did when she lost her marriage.
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1. Hungry for tears
2. Magpies
3.Even though this chapter was super long, I really liked it, and it was fairly easier than most chapters to understand. Discovering the story of An-mei's mom's tragic life was truly interesting. She had to make some really heartbreaking decisions like when she had to leave her son behind, even while he was sobbing uncontrollably. On the other hand, the character of the second wife really irritated me. I really couldnt stand the way she would trick and manipulate others.
4. The second wife was a scheming, selfish woman who stopped at nothing to get what she wanted. In this chapter she went as far as faking her suicide.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is internal, human vs self. An-mei struggles to fully understand her mother, who wasn't the great person she expected, which she learns shortly after living with her. In addition, An-mei fights with herself to swallow her tears and basically grow up. In the end, she does, but only after An-mei's mother kills her self in order to give her daughter a chance at a better life.
6. One symbol mentioned in this chapter was a the white dress that An-mei could not fit into. I believe that this represented how she could not fit into her new home and way of life.
Vincent Nguyen Period 3
1. Breaking Truth!
2. Magpies
3. This chapter was really long! But the length didn't matter, It was a great awesome chapter filled will sorrow and trickery. I hated the second wife, whats the point of taking the baby if shes only second wife, her status didn't change! I couldn't fathom the turtles in the pond, they eat sorrow then what? And what was the third wife? Did they do anything important?
4.Second Wife, A lying deceiving person, she tells the third wife if she doesn't follower her orders, she will be on the streets. She tricked An-Mei's mom into staying in the house for an extra day, which made her get raped by Wu Tsing which then made her become fourth wife. She also stole An-Mei's mom's baby, and stole her credit, which didn't help her much. She also gave An-Mei a pearl necklace to “light up her face”, but it was a fake pearl necklace.
5. Human vs Human (An-mei's Mom vs. Second wife) An-Mei's mom was fighting against second wife. Second wife stole her son, so An-Mei choose to kill herself three days before Lunar new year to get vengeance, on the second wife and Wu Tsing
6. A I think the theme is don't stay sad, it will become someone else's happiness, like the turtle story
1. Double Faced
2. Magpies
3. I thought the chapter was pretty interesting. It showed what a poor person’s house was like and a rich man’s house. There was a lot of details and showed how others deceive others. I think An Mei Hsu was a bit shallow because Second Wife almost won her over with one pearl necklace. The chapter seemed to have a lot of traps and falls for others to fall into. Second Wife had a lot of traps and tricks to make Wu Tsing give her whatever she wants. I wondered why the other wives did not use traps or tricks to get what they want. Second Wife seemed to control everyone and everything.
4. An Mei Hsu seems pretty shallow because she is almost won over by Second Wife after Second Wife gives her a gift. This is shown in the scene when Second Wife gives An Mei a gift because after An Mei receives it, she has a smile on her face and she is filled with joy. This makes An Mei think that Second Wife is a good person, but An Mei’s mother tells her that Second Wife is not a good person but is a bit evil and can manipulate people.
5. The main conflict in the chapter seems to be An Mei being able to see what is behind the mask. This conflict seems to be external because the mask represents Second Wife and she is trying to trick and manipulate An Mei through kindness. The conflict is Human vs. Human because it is An Mei vs. Second Wife. In the end, the conflict is resolved and An Mei is able to see the true form of things. She can see what people are really trying to do.
6. The theme of the chapter seems to be, do not be deceived by what you see. It means that the outside may look nice, but inside it does not. This is very similar to an old Chinese phrase, “gold and jade on the outside, rot and decay on the inside”. It means that what is on the outside is not the same as the inside. The gold and jade would represent Second Wife’s gifts and kindness to An Mei, and the rotting and decaying would be Second Wife’s true intentions for An Mei, which is to win her over and manipulate her.
Benjamin Ly
1.Pearls
2. Magpies
3. so i thought that this chapter was very long and strange! i dont really know about the rest of the class, but i thought that An-Mae is too innocent to be witnessing her mother become emotionally abused. There were so many wives! i actually thought that there were like 3 at most, but this guy is the all time pimp!!!!! i dont see why women would want to share a husband anyways. i also thought that the pearl necklace was a good symbol. who knew that the pearls were as fake as the second wife.
4. An-Mae:
I feel bad for her. She, first of all, grows up not knowing her mother and having to live her life so alone. Her family members always told her how horrible her mother was but i didnt blame her for still loving & wanting to be with her mother. When her mother does come back to take her, she expects to be happy. unfortunately, she only lives to see reality. she sees who her mother really is, but also loses her innocence. At the end of the chapter, she finds her "voice" and stands up for her mother's spirit.
5. i think the main conflict is man vs. man, and that being with An-mae's mother and the second wife. Since the beginning, the other wives knew to beware of the second wife because she gave the only son. An-Mae's mother struggles with herself to prove she is worthy enough, but the second wife comes along and takes the most important thing from her, An-Mae. She lets An-Mae believe that the pearls given to her was a gift of love or honor, but instead it ended up to be fake. An-Mae soon realizes that it was all an illusion set up by the second wife, who is just as fake as the pearl necklace.
6. Which brings me to symbols. The pearl necklace was a symbol in this chapter because An-Mae received what appeared to be a real, genuine pearl necklace by the second wife, but it turned out to be fake. An-Mae sees that the second wife just only wanted to take advantage of An-Mae and turn her against her own mother by thinking she could buy An-Mae away. realizing that the pearl necklace was fake, she sees that the second wife is no different
Magpies
1) Shuttlecocks.
2) The chapter that I am focusing on is Magpies.
3) This chapter was kind of sad. It was sad how An-Mei’s mother killed herself. The saddest part for me, however, was how An-Mei’s mother was never disloyal after all. It was sad to find out how An-Mei’s mother was raped and forced to be the fourth wife or concubine of Wu Tsing. It must have really sucked to be An-Mei’s mother, because anything that she would say would have no value because she was just a woman. I don’t like it how An-Mei’s mother bore a child for Wu Tsing. Finally, I wish I can just castrate Wu Tsing and kill the second wife for being so evil and barren.
4) The character that I am focusing on is An-Mei’s mother. She is a round character because we don’t know that much about her. We do know that in truth she is very faithful, however, because she had been forced to sleep with Wu Tsing. We also know that she is very loving and committed because she kills herself in order to give An-Mei a good life in Wu Tsing’s household. Finally, we learn that An-Mei’s mother is very smart, because she planned out her own suicide very well.
5) The main conflict in this chapter is between An-Mei’s mother and the second wife, so this is a human vs. human. Throughout the vignette, second wife tries to win An-Mei over and control the household. She also tries control (and succeed in doing so) all of the other concubines as well, by appealing to all of the things that they need. By the end of the story, the conflict is resolved with An-Mei’s mother killing herself and making Wu Tsing scared of her spirit. In the end, second wife’s power wanes.
6) This chapter can be connected to the allegory at the beginning of the fourth part. The allegory basically said that one should learn to lose his or her innocence, but not his or her hope. In this chapter, An-Mei loses her innocence when Yan Chang tells An-Mei about how her mother came to live in Wu Tsing’s household; however, An-Mei doesn’t lose hope in losing her identity, especially because by the end of the chapter, An-Mei learns to shout.
1.In the clutches of Misery
2.Magpies
3.This story is very interesting and tragic. It shows almost four generations of women in their family: Popo, An-Mei’s mother, An-Mei, and Rose. Each woman suffers from something related to a marriage. Popo, An-Mei’s mother, and An-Mei all suffer from the shame of An-Mei’s widow mother becoming Wu Tsing’s concubine. Rose suffers from her own divorce. I like this story because there are twists to the story when you least expect them. There is more to the story than just a mother losing face and shaming her family. It is about a mother’s struggle to make the best out of her miserable life and to provide her children a happy future. It is also about manipulation and loss of innocence. I really loathe Second Mother. She is such a magpie, someone who benefits from other people’s sorrows.
4.An-Mei’s mother is strong for her daughter and loves her daughter very much. Throughout the entire story, An-Mei’s mother remains subservient and scared unless it is related to her daughter. Her daughter gives her strength that she did not know she has, the strength to defy and speak up for herself. The mother first shows this when she cowers in front of her Uncle, taking Uncle’s shouting. When she saw An-Mei though, she stands up straight and tall, and walks away with An-Mei, showing that she has the courage to take back what is rightfully hers and to try to provide her own daughter a happier and better life. When they go to Wu Tsing’s house, An-Mei’s mother turns submissive again. But in the end of the vignette, An-Mei’s mother stands up to Wu Tsing and Second Wife by taking poison and killing herself. She sacrifices her life to ensure the welfare of her daughter and son, and said that “she would rather kill her own weak spirit so she could give [An-Mei] a stronger one” (240), sending An-Mei the message that An-Mei should stand up for herself. An-Mei’s mother is a loving mother who wants the best for her daughter.
Jodie Chan
Period 3
5.The main conflict is external, man vs. man, An-Mei’s mother against Second Wife. Because of the cunning and sly Second Wife, An-Mei’s mother gets shunned by her family, misunderstood, raped, and gets her son taken away from her. Everything is to Second Wife’s favor. She controls Wu Tsing’s household. An-Mei too was also almost swayed to Second Wife’s side when Second Wife gave An-Mei the pearl necklace. Second Wife is unsuccessful though because An-Mei’s mother breaks the pearl necklace, revealing Second Wife to be the fraud she is. In the end, An-Mei’s mother eats poison to free both her children and herself from the miserable life under Second Wife’s control. By committing this suicide, An-Mei’s mother ensures the welfare of her children because Wu Tsing is very superstitious and fears her vengeful spirit. He promises to make An-Mei’s children his honorary children and promises to revere An-Mei’s mother as his only wife, the First Wife. Rising in status and encouraged by the actions of her mother, An-Mei stands up to Second Mother. Eating the poison resolves the conflict because both An-Mei’s mother and An-Mei learns to stand up for themselves and oppose the evil witch.
6D. I noticed that Amy Tan really used word choice and foreshadowing. To describe the outside of Wu Tsing’s house, she said “there were no sweet-smelling cassia trees, no garden pavilions, no benches sitting by a pond…Instead… there was a big lawn area with fountains.” The house was made of “mortar and stone with long metal balconies” (223-224), showing the house to be cold with no warmth and love. The house was not one for comfort, relaxation, or enjoyment. Amy Tan used words like curved, wound, lost, twisting, turning, stiff, large, faces in every corner, and dark to describe the inside of the house, indicating a feeling of lost, manipulation, and deceit, giving off a negative connotation. Amy Tan foreshadowed events with the weather. She used the start of the Cold Dew to tell her readers that it is the start of bad events. Wu Tsing came back home with the start of the Cold Dew. Tan hinted the worst thing happening when she said “during the coldest winter month” (233). During this time, An-Mei found out the truth about her mother and lost her innocence. Amy Tan also foreshadowed the death of An-Mei’s mother when she mentioned that An-Mei’s mother was the Fourth Wife, “four” sounding like “die.” Using all of these writing techniques, Amy Tan keeps her readers in suspense and interested.
Jodie Chan
Period 3
1. “Shout”
2. “Magpies”
3. This vignette was the longest one by far, and the most captivating one for me. It was rather tragic and made me feel sympathetic towards An-Mei’s mother. Having being deceived by Second Wife, An-Mei’s mother had no other choice but to marry Wu Tsing. What’s even worse is that her mother couldn’t face her family, since she had brought shame to them by bearing a child. Because of this, her social status had lowered to that of a prostitute. I thought the situation couldn’t be any worse for An-Mei’s mother and that it was really unfair how her life turned out. I thought there was some payback at the end, when An-Mei’s mother kills herself for An-Mei to have a better future. Wu Tsing promised to raise An-Mei and her younger brother as his honored kids and to revere An-Mei’s mother as his first and only wife.
4. Second Wife is the most manipulative and greedy person I’ve come across in this entire novel. When An-Mei meets Second Wife for the first time, Second Wife gives her a fake pearl necklace, in an attempt to win her over. However, An-Mei’s mother is able to see her true intentions. An-Mei’s mother knows that actions are nothing but a façade. Second Wife is also able to take advantage of Wu Tsing’s fear of ghosts. As a result, Wu Tsing gives Second Wife even more than what she initially asks for. Later on, she plots a scheme with Wu Tsing to make An-Mei’s mother Wu Tsing’s fourth wife. After this, Second Wife spreads fake rumors around to cover up the truth as to what really happened. All of her actions show her evil nature and greediness. After An-Mei’s mother gives birth to her first child, Second Wife took it and claimed it as her own. It is clear Second Wife has absolutely no morals whatsoever and is not above stepping on others to get what she wants.
5. I thought the conflict was human vs. self, with An-Mei’s mother. She is forced to become a concubine for Wu Tsing and her child is taken away. An-Mei‘s mother’s status in society is lowered after being falsely accused by Second Wife. She also is unable do anything, having been disowned by her own mother and she is also powerless compared to the concubines in the household. The conflict is resolved when she commits suicide, giving An-Mei the power over Wu Tsing.
6. A symbol I found in this chapter was the fake pearl necklace. An-Mei is keen on accepting it as a gift; although her mother is clearly see that Second Wife is get An-Mei on her side. To me, the necklace could represent Second Wife. It’s all a false act, and when Yan Chang tells An-Mei the truth, An-Mei perspective of Second Wife changes and she crushes the necklace after her mother’s death.
Brian Yang
Period 4
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1. Glass Necklace
2. “Magpies”
3. I thought this chapter was very interesting because of all the descriptions and imagery of An-mei’s journey to her new home. Maybe the true reason An-mei’s mother did not ask to bring An-mei’s little brother along with her is because she is scared that Second Wife would also take him away from her. An-mei’s mother was very strong for waiting so long to commit suicide, and it is blatant that she loves An-mei very much because she died to give An-mei life. I wonder why Second Wife was wearing a fake pearl necklace if she was so rich. Or maybe it was already part of her plan before she saw An-mei?
4. Second Wife is a very manipulative woman who only cares about her position in the Wu household. Seeing that First Wife is not a threat at all, she put all the power unto her own hands and used it exploitively, often faking suicides to get more money from Wu Tsing, or plotting schemes that would always make the other wives have less respect than her. For example, she told the servants that An-mei’s mother wouldn’t arrive until at least one week later so they wouldn’t greet her when she returns. Second Wife’s sneaky bribe to An-mei with the fake pearl necklace and the way she schemed to have Wu-Tsing marry An-mei’s mother to steal her son infuriated and disgusted me. I abominate her!
5. I think the main conflict of this chapter is the external conflict of human vs. human: An-mei vs. Second Wife. After An-mei realized that the “valuable” pearl necklace was only made of glass beads and after An-mei found out that the son of the household was really her little brother, she also uncovered Second Wife’s mask and saw the ugly truth underneath. An-mei became suffered from watching her mother’s grief because of this Second Wife, who manipulated every bad thing that happened in the household. The conflict was resolved after An-mei’s mother’s planned death. Three days after her death, when souls come back to settle scores, was also New years of the lunar calendar, when everyone had to pay their debts. Wu-Tsing and Second Wife both promised to revere An-mei’s mother as First Wife, and raise her children in honor.
6d. I think the pearl necklace symbolizes power. Second Wife tried to loop An-mei into submission by the pearl necklace, wanting An-mei to think that she is actually giving her such a valuable present generously. When An-mei’s mother first broke one pearl of the necklace but knotted the space together again, she wants An-mei to know Second Wife’s duplicity but it is not yet time to reveal it. Then, after her mother’s death, An-mei crushed the pearl necklace in front of Second Wife, openly defying her.
Alice La, Period 4
1.Tear-eating turtles!
2.An-Mei Hsu: Magpies
3.Let me start off by saying that this chapter wasn’t surprising. I predicted that karma would eventually catch up with those despicable wives. Also, I thought this was a really emotional vignette. At first, it told the story of how An-mei’s mother was exiled and I thought it was unfair how not one person bothered to listen to her side of the story. I found it devastating to find out that she was raped, but I understood why she couldn’t come back home. I abhorred how An-mei’s own family was so judgmental. I felt that even though she was carrying a baby, she was still part of that family and that meant that they needed to help her through the situation instead of neglecting her. I also think An-mei was very fortunate to accompany her mother out of the house because she was able to find out the truth. I thought it was a good thing that An-mei was exposed to her mother’s genuine past because she was able to see her mother’s. I was confused at the correlations of magpies because I wasn’t sure if they were good or bad. It appeared like they were supposed to be something beautiful, but they were unwanted. Why would something so beautiful be unwanted?
4.In this chapter, I thought An-mei’s mother was very selfless, considerate, and clever. She outwitted Second Wife by planning her own death so Wu Tsing would promise “to revere [An-mei’s mother] as if she had been his First Wife, his only wife” and so he would treat Syaudi and An-mei “as his honored children (240).” By dying, this also ensured that An-mei’s mother would be able to give An-mai a stronger spirit, and An-mei would be able to stand up for herself and not be a doormat.
5.I fathom that the main conflict in this chapter is external, man vs. man. The problem is between An-mei’s mother and Second Wife. Second Wife convinced An-mei’s mother into staying the night. This lead to An-mei’s mother becoming a concubine of Wu Tsing thinking that she would soon bear his children. After An-mei’s mother delivered a baby boy, Second Wife declared that the child was hers because she wanted to continue to live in Wu Tsing’s house. At the end of the chapter, this conflict is resolved when An-mei’s mother commits suicide assuring that she is revered as Wu Tsing’s First Wife.
6.In this chapter, the writing technique that I noticed Tan using frequently was foreshadowing. For example, Tan uses the Chinese word for the number four, "sz". It is thought that four is an unlucky number, but An-mei's mother was the fourth concubine. While living in Wu Tsing's house, she never received good luck. Also, if the number four was said incorrectly, it resembled the word for die. I think this foreshadowed An-mei’s mother’s death. This technique improved the story because I caught onto these minor hints allowing me to guess what would happen next and it made me want to read more to find out if I was right.
-Melani Cabanayan; Period 3
1. “False Pretense”
2. “Magpies”
3. This chapter is probably one of the most lengthy and it definitely doesn’t capture my interest as much as a few of the others. Watching the movie prior to reading, unfortunately, is a disadvantage since I already had a general idea of the plot and it makes me even more uninterested. The chapter is generally depressing from the pain An-Mei deals with when truths are revealed during the transition from feeling glamorous to being the daughter of a low rank concubine of Wu Tsing. I feel sympathetic for all those unlucky women who get cheated into marriage where love is obviously not evident.
4. An-Mei’s mother seems like a very strong woman to have dealt with the insults and complaints from her mother, aunt and uncle. Though she is despised and looked down upon, she still respects and loves her mother (as seen in the chapter “Scars”). Her death being three days before the Lunar New Year cannot have been just a coincidence. As a Chinese superstition, a person’s soul comes back for vengeance on the third day after their death. Because of her death, Wu Tsing promises “that he would raise Syaudi and [An-Mei] as his honored children. He promise[s] to revere [An-Mei’s mother] as if she had been First Wife, his only wife” (240). With her death, An-Mei “learned to shout”, something her mother never could.
5. The main conflict of this chapter is the internal man vs. self difficulties of An-Mei’s mother. She is obviously ashamed of what she becomes, especially when she speaks of her misery for the first time and says to An-Mei, “Do you see how shameful my life is… Do you see how I have no position…you must not forget. I was a first wife… the wife of a scholar. Your mother was not always Fourth wife” (229). Hoping her daughter will be different, she “would rather kill her own weak spirit so she could give [An-Mei] a stronger one.” An-Mei has no strength to do what she wants and lets others control her life, however, ends it all with the only escape: death.
6. Amy Tan uses flashback as the main writing technique in this vignette. It helps improve the readers’ comprehension of present situations. It also helps their understanding of the characters and the reasons for their intentions. For example, we get to learn about An-Mei and the things she has encountered, which leads up to her expectations and wishes for her daughter.
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