"Without Wood"
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.
- "Half and Half"
- "The Voice from the Wall"
- "Rules of the Game"
- "Moon Lady"
- "Red Candle"
- "Scar"
- "The Joy Luck Club"
- Directions for BLOGGING!
- Welcome to Woods' 2A blog!
174 Comments:
“Speak Up!”
1) Reaction:
I give this chapter a small two thumbs up. It was interesting about how as a little girl; Rose dreamt of Old Mr. Chou saying that she must listen to her mother. And as she grew up, and was dealing with a divorce, again, her mother’s words became very useful. But, I did not think that it was all that interesting because Tan kept on writing about Rose’s confusion, what she could not make up her mind about the divorce. She would tell different things to all her different friends. It’s just that I found it a little bit boring, not as relatable as the other chapters, but the way Tan writes it, is still excellent as always.
2) Rose’s and mother’s relationship:
Similar to the chapter, “Half and Half”, Rose’s mother serves as an advice giver, the commander, and Rose listens because she is one that sails under her mother’s commands. Rose, sometimes, finds her mother’s advice annoying such as when her mother says, “You are getting too thin” or “You must eat more (208).” She thinks that her mother doesn’t know everything, doesn’t understand her. She even thinks that her mother is way out of line when she accuses Ted, her soon to be ex-husband of doing “monkey business”. She is blind to her mother’s words. When her mother asks why she sees a psychiatrist, her mother claims that only a mother can see the thoughts of her own child. Rose then receives her mother’s key advice: “I only want you speak up (218)” in the divorce. This triggers Rose’s decision to fight for everything she deserves out of the divorce, including the house. Rose finally sees again that her mother’s words are worth listening too.
3) Tan’s theme or message:
I think that Tan’s message is conveyed through these lines: “A mother is best. A mother knows what is inside you (a daughter).” She is trying to say that daughters should listen to their mother’s advice. It may sound rude, inconsiderate, or just plain annoying at the time, but in the future you will see that your mother said it for a reason. And that reason is to help you in life. Nobody, not even a psychiatrist, can understand a person better, than that person’s biological mother. Like Rose, through her mother’s words, she learns to speak up, to use her voice, and to fight for what she deserves from her ex-husband.
My House. My garden.
1) I would give this chapter two thumbs and two toes up, however, I thought that it was boring when Tan kept talking about how she was confused with what she should do, and how she kept talking to her friends about Ted. I loved the part where she found out that hew as cheating on her and that he wanted the papers signed so that he could remarry. I loved it when she called him over told him that she wanted to show him something. He wanted to keep the house to himself, and when he saw the ruined garden, she handed over the unsigned divorce papers. She wanted the house and her lawyer was going to help her get it.
2) Rose finds help from her mother in her time of most need. She is going through a divorce and even though she never really connected with her mother, her words had reached her and helped her fight Ted. Her mother told her that she was confused and that she needed to speak out. Even though Rose, like all her Americanized friends, does not connect with her mother, it is still her mom that tells her what she needs to do and gives her courage to do so.
3) The conflicts in this chapter are both internal and external. Rose has an internal conflict with herself. She is confused on weather or not she should fight for her marriage or just let Ted have everything his way. She does not know what to do. As Ted comes over and asks for the house and the signed divorce papers, the external conflict is the fight that follows. Rose is not signing nor giving up the house.
Chapter: Without Wood
"Roses don't have trunks"
Reaction: =)
This chapter really elated me, especially after all the past depressing chapters. However, I'm going to make this clear. I really abhor Ted. In my opinion, he is the epitome of a bad husband, or an ex-husband, that is. He could have at least talked to Rose about housing arrangements, instead of uprooting her like an undesired plant. I am repulsed. Anyway, I really enjoyed how Rose was eventually able to "grow wood" and stand up to for herself. I loved how, all along, An-Mei had been right about her daughter's marriage. Her critisms and innuendos were not intended as discouragement for Rose. In the contrary, An-Mei's suggestions were there for maternal guidance and support. Tan proves to her readers that mothers really have what seems like a sixth sense.
Rose and An-Mei
Rose and An-Mei develop an even stronger, closer relationship in the duration of Rose's divorce. Like always, An-Mei gives her daughter valuable advice, helping her through tough times. It is as if An-Mei is Rose's "wood." Although Rose acknowledges her mother's concern, she does not entirely believe and put into action her mother's words and suggestions. When Rose's disbelief toward Ted doing "monkey business" with another woman is undermined, she realizes the truth and wisdom in her mother's admonishment. It is not until she sees for herself how weak she is, how "without wood" she is being, does she finally stand up for herself and speak up to Ted. With the help of her mother, Rose is able to pull through her divorce.
Internal Conflict
In this chapter, Rose faces a conflict with herself. She struggles with the concept of having "wood," as she is not accustomed to making her own decisions and opinions. It is apparent that Rose confuses even herself. She speaks differently to her friends and to her psychiatrist about the divorce. Eventually she realizes her vulnerability to Ted and learns to stand up for herself.
Reasons to not weed your backyard.
Without Wood: Joy Luck Club
1) Reaction
I found this chapter to be more on the bizarre side, to the point where I believed it was Lena narrating. However, I enjoyed the tale of Old Mr. Chou and Rose’s gain for independence and fighting against her divorce. It’s very sweet and I grinned at the ending. The plot is, for the most part, straightforward, and Rose is a fun character to relate to.
2) Rose and An-mei, her mother
Within this vignette, An-mei first starts out as an intimidating mother to Rose. Within her dreams, Rose is always afraid of Old Mr. Chou, but it’s shown that she’s even more terrified of her mother, saying “but Old Mr. Chou listens to you too!” However, as the story progresses and Rose’s conflict with her husband over the divorce grows, An-mei takes a supportive role, trying to help Rose find her own strength and speak up. An-mei has an effect on Rose at the end, where we are shown a dream of weeds and how proud she is of Rose’s stand against Ted.
3) Connection to Allegory
In the allegory, the daughter is irritated with the mother’s Chinese tales and superstitions, similar to how Rose is afraid of her mother’s tales. And like the allegory, in which the mother fixes the daughter’s “problem” by placing another mirror against the headboard, Rose’s mother helps Rose fix her problem by encouraging her to stand up and face her husband.
"I'm Here to Stay"
1) I thought this chapter was just "ok", the storyline itself was pretty interesting, but when Rose kept contemplating about what to do with the divorce papers, that got quite boring. I enjoyed the part when Rose decides to stand strong and return the papers unsigned and not just let Ted have his way too easily.
2)Rose and her mother's relationship is of typical mother and daughter relationship, her mother keeps nagging her and telling her this and that to the point where Rose discards what her mother says. But eventually she realizes her mothers words are wise and have a lot of insight when she finds out Ted is committing some sort of "monkey business". Her mother's words help her through her divorce and help her stand strong and not give in to Ted.
3)I can relate to this chapter because my mother also constantly nags at me and tells her this and that. After awhile it gets very annoying and her words go in one ear and out the other, but I try and remind myself that her words are only there to try and help me improve as a person. Besides, once in awhile, her advice is crucial and I couldn't live without it.
"Don't get lost in the heimongmong"
Chapter: Without Wood
1: This chapter was pretty interesting to read so I give it a thumbs up. Although, it was kind of weird about her dreams with Old Mr. Chou. I didn't get the doll one or why Old Mr. Chou was trying to find her, those were just crazy. However, it kind of got boring where Tan kept writing about what Rose should do about her divorce...those parts made my eyes skip ahead and skip the parts about Rose's confusion. I liked the ending of this chapter though. Throughout her whole marriage, Rose never made any decisions, she always let Ted decide. Then, when Ted wants a divorce so that he can marry someone else, he says that he'll give her some time to find a new place to live. Rose answers that she already found one and says she will stay here. She also tells Ted that "you can't just pull me out of your life and throw me away" (219). I applaud Rose for finally standing up for herself and speaking her mind.
2: Rose and An-Mei's relationship kind of sparked and grew throughout the duration of Rose's divorce with Ted. An-Mei gives Rose valuable advice on what to do, and Rose takes it. An-Mei has always been giving Rose advice throughout her whole life, but Rose doesn't take the advice, until its too late. For example, An-Mei tells Rose that "she is a young tree," she has to listen to her mom in order to grow tall and strong, "but if [she] bends to listen to other people, then she will grow crooked and weak" (213). Rose then says that "by the time she told me this, it was too late. I had already begun to bend" (213). An-Mei has been on the sideline throughout Rose's entire life, always shouting advice to her, but its Rose's choice on wether she follows it or not. In this chapter, her mother is pained because she thinks that her daughter will go to visit a psychiatrist before she talks to her own mother about the problem. But in the end, their relationship becomes stronger.
3: The theme of this chapter is that if you don't listen to your mother, then you won't know where to go. On page 208, Rose is having a dream about the dolls and the sand boxes in where Old Mr. Chou is chasing her and saying, " 'See what happenes when you don't listen to your mother.' And [Rose] became paralyzed, too scared to move in any direction." Rose doesn't know where to go in her divorce, she doesn't know what she wants and what to do. Her mother has been trying to tell her what she should do this whole time, but Rose hasn't been listening to her because she thinks that her mother is just going to tell her to try to save her marriage. But in fact, her mother is only telling her to "speak up." When Rose listens to her mother and speaks to Ted about the divorce, she finally knows what she wants. After listening to her mother, she finally knows where she wants to go and what she wants to do in this divorce of hers.
Brave Findings
1. I found the beginning of the chapter a little boring and the part with Mr. Chou was strange to me. I was surprised how long Rose and Ted stayed together. Fifteen years and then breaking up is big on any person. It was brave of Rose to finally stand up to her husband and take charge. He was mean to her even though they were married and he cheated on her. This chapter was good and I would give it a thumb up. It was an inspiring chapter and showed you can be brave; you just have to find it inside of you.
2. Rose and Ted have a very bad relationship. They are getting a divorce and Rose just found out Ted was cheating on her and has moved on. He wants the house and doesn’t need her anymore. They were bound for a divorce since Rose worked for her husband and he didn’t acknowledge her hard work because he didn’t want marriage and work to mix. Rose was tired of being in Ted’s shadow. It is better that they are getting a divorce, that way Rose can be free from her unhappiness.
3. This whole chapter reminded me of the movie, Diary of a Mad Black Woman. In the movie the main character is a woman whose husband is a rich lawyer and they live in a fancy house like Rose and Ted. However, in the movie, the woman’s husband cheats on her and gets another girl. He also kicks her out of the house that they bought together. Rose is in the same situation and both women were at first shocked and in disbelief. The two have family and friends who want them to do something about it. In the end both Rose and the woman from the movie want their house back and stand up to their husbands.
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Listen to Your Mother
Chapter: Without Wood
1. I couldn’t believe that Ted was cheating on Rose Hsu Jordan. He wasn’t too good looking, according to Rose and yet he dared to cheat on her. Rose was too good for him, and she was better off without him because Rose wasn’t content with him or without him. The only thing she liked was their house and garden. Her mother was right because maybe Rose listened to too many people, so this explains why she isn’t enjoying her life. I hope that Rose will get to stay in the house. I was glad that Rose listened to her mother when she said that she needed to speak up. I enjoyed this chapter because it showed that not everyone’s marriage is peachy. I would give this chapter a thumbs up.
2. The quote, “He faced me and I saw his eyes, the look I had once mistaken for kindness and protection,” (P. 219) describes Ted because he changed a lot and all he wanted from Rose was her signature on the divorce papers. He was practically throwing her out of his life. I can’t believe how much Ted changed! The quote, “You must stand tall and listen to your mother standing next to you,” (P. 213) was said by Rose’s mother because she believed that she was always right and that Rose must obey her. Rose’s mother was right about Rose having to speak out on her divorce.
3. The lines, ‘“A girl is like a young tree,’ she said. ‘You must stand tall and listen to your mother standing next to you. That is the only way to grow strong and straight. But if you bend to listen to other people, you will grow crooked and weak. You will fall to the ground with the first strong wind. And then you will be like a weed, growing wild in any direction, running along the ground until someone pulls you out and throws you away,”’ (P. 213) hold the message of the chapter. The message is that a child must listen to their mother before they listen to others because others’ opinions can be misleading, but a mother knows what’s best for their child. As Rose listened to her mother when she told her to speak out and let Ted know that she's not leaving her house.
The Green Grass Grows All Around
American Translation: Without Wood
I liked it because there wasn't anything I didn't like about it. This doesn't mean there was anything I picked out that I did like. American Translation doesn't seem to have much excitement in it. I think this is because they are the last stories for these characters and so have to end on a overall good, final note. The stories take up all their space pulling everything together that there isn't any room for something new and interesting. I didn't get the end; what do the weeds represent? I thought it was people who don't think for themselves, but then why would her mother plant them? Are they supposed to be Rose and show how she is a weed that is not torn out of the ground and thrown away?
An-Mei doesn't want Rose to be a doormat and cast aside. She pushes Rose to stick up for herself and take what she deserves. An-Mei gives Rose the advise of listening to her own voice instead of letting other people speak for her, because if she "bend[s] to listen to other people, [she] will grow crooked and weak" (213). An-Mei encourages Rose to "speak up" for herself. Rose listens to her mother, but doesn't plan on taking her advise. Rose still thinks her mother wants her to save her marriage, which she doesn't want to do and is not possible. In the end, Rose takes her mother's advise, her mother's exact words, and fights for what she wants. At first Rose waves off her mother's concern as if it's too late already, then later she realizes her mother was right the whole time and finally starts listening to her mother.
b The theme of this chapter is to stand up for yourself and not let others act like you're nothing. It is told through the simile comparing a girl to a young tree. Only by listening to one's self will the tree "grown strong and straight" (213). But if the tree "bend[s] to listen to other people, [it] will grow crooked and weak" and "fall to the ground . . . until someone pulls [it] out and throws [it] away" (213). If you let other people tell you how to act or what to say then you will not be able to stand up for yourself at the time when you need to most. After listening to so many other people's thoughts and ideas, you forget to have your own thoughts and ideas and are not your own different person but a clone of everyone else put together. When you have nothing to say for yourself, others forget to ask you your opinions and decide things for you. If you say something, the people around you cannot help but hear it.
"No Longer Confused"
Chapter: Without Wood
1. This chapter made me pretty confused. Throughout the chapter, Rose was confused about what to do with her relationship, and I was confused with what was happening. I had to read this chapter twice to understand what was going on. I didn't really like this chapter because it dragged on and on about the things that Rose was going through and her confusion. However, afterwards, I understood that Rose was suffering from indecision and that she was depressed because Ted was taking advantage of her indecision to just throw her out of his life.
2. Ted takes advantage of Rose's indecisive behavior. He pushes her around and expects her to just sign the divorce papers and leave. Rose says, "To each person I told a different story. Yet each version was true, I was certain of it, at least at the moment that I told it." She can't seem to get things straight. She can't focus on one thing, and Ted takes advantage of that when he gave her the divorce papers and check: "Sign 4x where indicated. ...enc: check, to tide you over until settlement." Rose was caught up with herself exactly the way Ted intended to make her feel when she said, "I sat there quietly, trying to listen to my heart, to make the right decision. But then I realized I didn't know what the choices were."
3. (Describe the tension in this chapter. Is the main conflict internal or external and how do you know?) The main conflict is internal. Rose is the one with the conflict. She is struggling with herself and what decisions to make. Because she is not sure of what to do, she is in conflict with herself, which makes the conflict internal. In the end, she resolves her conflict by setting her priorities straight and make a solid decision to try to get the house.
Michelle H.
Don’t Pull Out Those Weeds!- “Without Wood”
1) This chapter was pretty strange, which helped me stay focused on the reading. I thought the concept of Mr. Chou was pretty funny and I thought it was weird how a mother would just tell their kids that some random guy opens their dreams for them. I was surprised when Ted revealed he had been having an affair. From what we learned about him through the narrator he seemed like a decent guy other than the fact that he relied on Rose too much. I thought it was a good ending when Rose finally faces her fears of Mr. Chou at the end. He was actually starting to creep me out as well. :o
2) I think the relationship between Rose and her mother is very important in this chapter. When Rose is a little girl and her mom tells her about the mysterious Mr. Chou and she gets frightened, her mom tells her that she should not listen to him and just follow her rules. She does this with care, knowing that her daughter is frightened. During the funeral we find out that Rose’s mother once again cares for her when she tries to get Rose to talk about her relationship with Ted. Her mother wants to help her out with the situation but does not get the chance because Rose is not willing to share it with her.
3) The Chinese culture in this chapter is shown in a couple of ways through the words of Rose’s mother. She is very superstitious and told tales to her children to get them to listen to her. It seems that many of the mothers in the book do this and believe in many myths and stories. The mother tells Rose about Mr. Chou and how he controls the dream world. She also believes in hulihudu and heimongmong. Apparently these words cannot be directly translated into English because of their strong connection with the Chinese people. The mother also believes that her daughter should tell her everything. This is another trait I’ve noticed throughout the book and it seems that in the Chinese culture it is always respectful to obey and confide in your elders.
Without Wood
Break-ups are never easy.
1) I didn’t particularly enjoy this chapter. It seemed too basic to me; Rose struggles with a divorce, confronts Ted, and then realizes how much better off she is without him. This vignette never really grabbed my attention. Everything was predictable. The only interesting element of the chapter was the reference to Rose’s dreams and “Old Mr. Chou,” which added a bit of charm and innocence to Rose’s character.
2) Rose and Ted are an extremely typical divorced couple, where the husband is rude and unyielding, and the wife is lost and is unsure of whether to sign the divorce papers. Ted just wants to get the whole ordeal over with, and said “he wanted to get married again, to someone else” as soon as possible. Conversely, Rose is frantic about the divorce. She reminisces when she looks at the garden, remembering Ted’s “pulling up roots,” “[pruning] the rosemary,” and “[squirting] Snail B-Gone around the flower beds.” Rose feels much more pain from the divorce than Ted does.
3) The conflict in this chapter is mainly composed of the mixed internal feelings of Rose. Throughout the story, unsettling thoughts run through her mind, making her more and more tense and worried about Ted. For example, just looking at the blue ink that Ted signed the check with sends Rose spiraling into a tornado of remorse and wild assumptions such as, “Why had he sent [her] the check with the paper? Why the two different pens?...And why had he chosen to sign it with that pen?” The conflict is mostly one-sided, because the reader rarely hears anything about Ted’s view of the divorce.
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"Monkey Business"
Without Wood
1. In the beginning I didn't really like this chapter because nothing to interesting had happened but towards the end I began to like it. I liked how Rose had seemed to become stronger and able to stand up to Ted instead of sleeping in bed and trying to get away from it all. I thought the voodoo doll was a weird and really random. I don't really think that Rose should have went to a psychiatrist because it didn't seem to help her much. She just needed to look inside of herself to gain strength. I also found it funny when Rose found out that Ted was cheating after reading about Ted's description. It's a little hard to imagine.
2. Rose and An-Mei have a relationship in which An-Mei is always helping and giving advice to Rose. Unlike the other mothers and daughters they don't seem to have frequent quarrels. However, Rose doesn't seem to think her mother understands about her situation with her divorce from Ted. But her mother was right about Ted doing money business with someone else.
3.I think that Rose is having an internal conflict with herself. In the beginning she seeks help from a psychiatrist and is still trying to figure things about in her divorce. She try to get away from it all by sleeping in bed for four days. However, in the end she realizes what she needs is to stand up to Ted, which helps her greatly.
"Wild Garden"
Without Wood
1)This chapter was weird and I didn’t think it was that great. Dreams were called Old Mr. Chou and whatever she did had an evil side to it. This chapter didn’t say much because it only mentioned divorce and dreams. But the interesting thing was Old Mr. Chou and Rose’s mother had a connection with each other and if Rose didn’t listen to her mom then Old Mr. Chou would haunt her!
2)Rose and Ted were growing apart and becoming distant. They have been together for 15 years and Ted usually touches up the garden every week, but lately, the garden is wild and dead. Ted is not gentlemen because he rushes to get his divorce paper signed so he could marry another woman. Who does that! Even thought Ted loved each other before, they clearly have some problems now.
3)Amy Tan used symbolism while describing her garden. She said that it had fallen, turned brown, crushed down, and grown wild. This also symbolizes her relationship between Ted and Rose. The garden was once nice looking and no weeds, but now there are weeds growing from the pavement. Now, her relationship has fallen, turned brown, crushed down, and grown wild.
Chicken Noodle Soup for Three Days?!
Chapter Without Wood
1. I liked this chapter. The thing I liked the most is how Tan explained the internal conflict Rose was going through. Of course she explains it in other chapters as well but I thought that in this one, it hit the nail on the head more than the other ones did. I also liked how all of these thoughts Rose is having moves the plot along and to the point where Rose decides to stand up for herself. It’s great because the reader understands why she made that decision because Tan strings us along with the internal conflict so well that the reader can see what she might think next.
2. The relationship between Rose and her mother is kind of a usual mother daughter relationship. The mother cares about the daughter, the daughter pushes her away, but I enjoyed how Tan made the mother reason with her daughter saying “why can you talk about this with a psyche-atric and not with mother?” Rose’s mother really cares about Rose and I like how Tan shows this.
3. The title of this chapter could symbolize Rose’s spine, and it says that her spine is without wood meaning that it is not strong and sturdy. This is apparent when Rose declines to talk to her husband about the divorce, and does not wish to confront her mother either. That is why she is without the strength and endurance of wood, it is because she does not wish to confront anyone and tries to deal with it herself.
Grow a Backbone Already
1) I would give this chapter a one thumb up. I felt that this chapter was neither boring nor interesting at the same time; it was just some where in the middle. As long as it wasn't confusing to read, it's fine by me. I feel like this chapter is really relatable to modern day, and I guess that was what made this chapter easy to read. It was nice to see Rose grow a backbone in the end and stand up to Ted for herself.
2) Rose and Ted have a relationship that turned from loving to a horrendous downfall. After the divorce, Ted planned not only to marry another woman, which gives the suspicions that he has been cheating on Rose during their marriage, but he also plans to kick her out of their house for himself Rose at first is afraid of Ted and makign decisions on her own. She is even fearful of calling a lawyer simply for being "confused" about what to say. Rose even eats sleeping pills and goes to sleep for days on end to try to escape her life.
3) I think that a major message that Amy Tan tries to deliver is that one should always stick up for themselves against the oppressors. In this case, Rose was the oppressed and Ted was the oppressor. Rose is scared of Ted and allows him to push her around after their divorce. However, in the end, through some pep talks with her mother, Rose realizes that she must stick up for herself if she wanted to keep her home and her own dignity.
‘’Wood is Good :]’‘
1. This chapter was pleasing for me. I liked how An - Mei’s help and advice changed Rose so that she may build up this lack of wood. I liked how Tan showed this similarity between An - Mei and Rose, how they both have faced similar challenges in life and were both able to overcome them. Their mother - daughter connection is strong, and I admire An - Mei’s wisdom that she shares with her daughter. Ted really angered me in the fact that he was being a typical egotistical self - centered pig of a husband. The way Rose stood up to him and kept her ground made me happy in the end. Thumbs up for me.
2. Rose and An - Mei share a relationship that grows as life goes on. They continually better their relationship due to An - Mei’s warmth and concern as a mother. I think that it’s because of An - Mei’s gift of love and knowledge that makes Rose realize her faults, bettering her in the long run and building up some wood in her life. Rose inherits a lot of An - Mei’s positive traits, bringing them closer to each other and building their relationship.
3. This connects to the allegory in many ways. In the allegory, the daughter is in a deep bind because of the bad luck coming from the mirror in her bedroom. Like the allegory, Rose is in a deep bind with her divorce with Ted and building up wood. The mother in the allegory then helps her daughter by adding another mirror in the room to multiply luck. An - Mei uses her concern and love as a mother and helps Rose finally making her realize that she needs to stop listening to other people and stand her ground. The allegory and the chapter are connected in that it was always the mother’s help that resolved the conflict.
Dreamland...
1) I thought that this chapter was very sad. Rose was dumped by her husband in the last chapter and now her family is starting to find out about it. Also now what is worse is that her indecisiveness is making her take a long time to decide whether to accept the check or not. I felt sorry for Rose because while she was trying to make a decision on her life, her husband was already about and found a new girlfriend. I liked how in the end she was able to make up her mind and stand up for herself to try to get her house back.
2) I think the relationship between Rose and her mother is like how a mother and daughter should be. "I am not telling you to save your marriage...I only say you should speak up." (page 216), this shows that her mother cares for Rose by giving her an opinion that is not very forceful yet still very helpful. It doesn't force her to be pressured into anything but gives her something to think about and what to do. Her mother also shows that she cares for her by calling her and trying to give her leftovers to eat.
3) Conflict.
I think that the main conflict in this chapter was an internal conflict. In the story Rose fights with herself on a decision of what to do now that her husband wanted a divorce. She had to make though decisions on what to do with her life. I know that this is the main conflict because it was the one that caused her the most grief and needed the most time to think about and try to solve. I think that another important conflict was an external man vs man conflict where Rose stood up to Ted when he returned to the house to collect the papers.
-Aaron Ly
"Monkey Business"
For the most part, this chapter is good and interesting to read about. I thought it was especially interesting the way Tan described Ted to be doing "monkey business." I didn't really get why Rose was "forced" to leave the house though, I mean, didn't they buy the house together? I got confused reading all the descriptions Tan wrote about Rose's confusion too. Rose's decision of staying and refusing to sign the paper is a strong ending point for the internal conflict, although I don't really get how Rose will deal with the problem in court, her external conflict.
Old Mr.Chou doesn't treat Rose's sisters badly, but he seems to be especially "tough" on Rose. He would slam the door, "hoping to squash [Rose] like a fly" when she tries to sleep, unenabling Rose to fall asleep until later when he would get "tired and leave the door unwatched." However, even in dreamland he continues to bother Rose. Duing a dream, Rose picked a different doll than one that her mom had said she would pick, thus causing Mr.Chou to chase her. Near the end of the chapter, when Rose listened to her mother and stood up to Ted's advancement in getting a divorce, Rose once again dreamt of Old Mr. Chou. This time however, he was standing next to An-mei and smiled and waved at when he saw her. He is now friendly towards Rose because she has learned to listen to her mother's wisdom. In the beginning, Mr. Chou was mean towards Rose but as Rose begins to learn to appreciate the wiseness of her mother's words, Mr. Chou no longer needs to force her to accept those words.
In the allegory, a mother believes that the placement of a mirrored armoire in her daughter's bedroom is badluck for her marriage and thereby starts to remove it. The daughter however, does not believe such thing and insisted on leaving it there. Similarly in this chapter, Rose is confused in how to deal with her divorce. She refused to listen to her mother and let the days pass by, letting Ted control the divorce. At the end of the allegory, the problem is solved by the witty mother, who placed another mirror to counteract the one already there. Similarly, when Rose followed her mother's advice and stood up to Ted, the problem becomes solved and she is no longer so confused.
Do the Monkey Business With Someone Else
Without Wood
1)Reaction:
I absolutely loved this chapter. It was very humorous. I liked how Amy Tan used Old Mr. Chou as the guardian to Rose Hsu Jordan's door that "opened into dreams"(207). It's like Rose's own concience. I especially found it funny when An-Mei Hsu kept on talking while everyone was singing in church. I also loved the line where she suggests that ted is doing "monkey business" with someone else. Rose tends to overanalyze things, like when she recieved the check from Ted with the ink he used. Her mother really didn't seem as bad as the other mothers. All An-Mei does to Rose, is that she encourages her to speak up for herself.
2)Rose and An-Mei Hsu
Rose and her mother connect with each other more in this vignette. An-Mei gives Rose helpful advice, and Rose actually takes it. It's not like An-Mei nags Rose to do stuff, she just suggests it to help her daughter.
3)The main conflict is an internal conflict within Rose. She really doesn't know what to do about the divorce. She doesn't want to accept is either because she keeps the papers unsigned. Rose finally resolves her internal conflict by standing up for herself, and telling Ted that she is going to take the house.
Speak up, Rose!
1. This was a good chapter, really short though compared to all the others. I liked how Old Mr. Chou said Rose has to listen to her mother, and her words did help her when she was dealing with the whole divorce situation. And her mother was so rude at the funeral! Just kept on talking and talking and talking about nothing related to the poor old woman who died. It made her seem so selfish, like she didn't even care that she was at a funeral. It was kind of sad how An-Mei was right about the monkey business. Rose seemed really revengeful in this chapter. "I saw what I wanted: his eyes, confused, then scared. He was hulihudu. The power of my words was that strong." (219). That passage was such a "ha!" moment. I'm glad Rose spoke up for herself.
2. I feel that Rose thinks her relationship with her mother is very distant, but then I think that they have a really good relationship if you look hard enough. Rose seems to always disagree with her mother, but it's always her mother whom she always seems to go to in the end for help. I think their bond is there, it's just not visible to the human eye. It's more of of an inner bond between mother and daughter.
3. I think the main conflict in this chapter is human vs. self. Rose is unlike her mother, she doesn't speak up for herself. She had all her emotions bottled up inside, when all she needed was to let then all out. After she spoke with Ted, she felt free, and no longer did she sulk around and such over the divorce.
“I Said I’m Staying Here”
Chapter: Without Wood
1. Reaction
I thought this chapter was very good overall. I found it interesting to read about Rose and An-Mei’s relationship. I also thought that the dreams about Old Mr. Chou scaring Rose into listening to her mother were quite funny. I think that An-Mei is a very intelligent and good mother to Rose because she gave good advice to her when Rose was having troubles with her divorce. The conversations between Rose and An-Mei were enjoyable to read. I also loved Rose’s attitude at the end of the chapter when she listens to her mother about speaking up to Ted and states that she is staying in her home. Rose had finally spoke up for what she wanted and no longer lived in “Ted’s shadow.” Although I wasn’t really able to relate to the situation, I liked reading this chapter a lot.
2. Rose Hsu & An-Mei Hsu
The relationship between Rose and An-Mei grew stronger and tighter as Rose was going through a difficult time during her divorce with Ted. Ever since she was little, she had dreams about Old Mr. Chou and always knew to listen to her mother. However, Rose and her mother never really connected until the time of Rose’s divorce. When Rose had trouble about what to do about her divorce, her mother gave her opinions on what was going on. Although Rose sometimes became annoyed when her mother spoke of Ted doing “monkey business with someone else,” there were some things that her mother said that really helped her fight Ted (209). Her mother’s words of wisdom of telling Rose to speak up to Ted about what she really wanted triggered Rose into fighting for her stance. She stated to Ted that she would not leave her house and wasn’t going to back down. Rose’s mother knew what was best and gave Rose the strength to speak up, which strengthened the bond between mother and daughter even more.
3. There are both external and internal conflicts presented in this chapter. Rose is having an internal conflict with herself about her marriage. She doesn’t know what she wants to do about her divorce. She is torn between standing up for herself to save her marriage or to let Ted always have his choice like every time before. Rose has trouble understanding even herself, speaking with different opinions to her psychiatrist, mother, and friends. To resolve her internal conflict, her mother gives her simple, but helpful advice to finally stand up for what she wanted from Ted. This results in an external conflict, which is the fight that Ted and Rose have about the divorce papers. Rose resolves both conflicts by stating to Ted without hesitation that she was not signing the divorce papers or leaving her home. Rose was finally able to speak up and express her own opinions.
"Dark Fog"
(Without Wood)
1) Reaction: I thought it was strange how Rose talked about her dreams. It was as if she actually had dreams about a person named Mr. Shou even though she understood the concept of Mr. Chou being a gaurdian of the door that lead to dreams (in the mystical sense). I'd give this chapter a quiet thumbs up. I also found it odd that Rose would change the story or alter the way she told the story about her and her husband to her friends.
2) Relationship: Rose and her mother have one of those typical mother-daughter relationships where they dont always appreciate one another or get along. Rose's dream gave the impression that her mother is very demanding. Rose is also very impatient with her mother when she tries to give her advice and over time has begun to think that her mother is flawed in some aspects. This may be why she did not believe her mother when she started that conversation about Ted's checks and affair. But Rose admits to herslef that she has been in a "dark fog" in her mind and she comes to gradually accept her mothers advice to fight for what she wants.
3) I learned quite a bit about Chinese culture in this chapter. They have a large vocabulary that extends past english terms and some woulds have very rough, if any, explenation.Like the words, "heimongmong" and "hulihudu." They also believe that the world of dreams is an entirely different realm that can be entered through a door which is gaurded by a man named "Mr. Chou." Also, a mother could see her daughter's thoughts. Lena even sept Rose a voodoo doll of Ted. This makes me wonder if voodoo is also a Chinese trademark.
“Come see Old Mr. Chou”
Without Wood
1/ I thought that this was a pretty average chapter. It was not exciting but not overly boring and tedious either. The most interesting part for me in this vignette is when Rose finally stands of up to Ted and tells him that she wants the house. I hope she gets the house too because Ted is pretty much a jerk for trying to use Rose’s indecisiveness against her in order to make her pull the short end of the stick. Maybe Rose will get extra perks out of the divorce too.
2/ Rose and An-Mei have a very typical mother-daughter relationship with one another. An-Mei gives Rose’s a lot of advice throughout her life but Rose ends up disregarding the advice at times. However, when she figures out that Ted was doing monkey business with another women just like An-Mei said he was, Rose ends up realizing that An-Mei knows her well and that Rose should listen to what her mother says. By listening to her mother, Rose finally gains the wood that she needs to speak out her mind.
3/ The main conflict in this chapter is the internal conflict within Rose. When Ted decides that he wants a divorce, Rose has to decide on what to do about it. Rose could have gone her natural route and just let Ted does all the deciding for her or could stand up and speak out. However, with the help of An-mei, Rose ends up realizing that she has been pushed around for too long and begins to fight Ted for the house.
"Confidence is Fierce"
Chapter: Without Wood
1) This was a pretty bizarre chapter in general. Thought I love the confrontation at the end of the chapter, all the events leading up to it was very weird. I really did not get the whole concept of Mr. Chau. In fact, I do not get the whole concept of having a creepy and old man rule your dreams. However, I did enjoy the one brief section on how Rose explains how to choose advice from her friends and how the American version is always better. Her later actions would then contradict her belief, because she does what her Mom tells her to do!
2) The main conflict in this chapter is between, Rose and Ted. Ted has been cheated on her and has left Rose in shreds. Rose has been living in his "shadow" for the past 15 years and has been blinded from the truth that he was actually cheating on her. Once she realizes this and the whole divorce situation she grows disoriented like her garden. However, she find the courage to talk to Ted and stand her ground. Throughout, this chapter Rose has been portrayed as insecure but by standing up to Ted she manages to have a rebirth, just like a real rose does every spring.
3) This chapter actually relates to the opening allegory. In this chapter, Rose is warned by An-Mei Tsu that she does not have enough wood in her. Yet, Rose just goes on ignoring this and not taking heed to her mother's words. Like in the beginning allegory, Rose eventually tumbles but manages to pick herself up. The whole point is that she was wrong and her mother was right, as mothers are always ;] Just kidding :P
“Stand up for yourself, Girl!”-“Without Wood”
1. This chapter kind of lost my interest because the situation that Rose was in seemed like an every day issues in our society, whereas some of the previous chapters were really abnormal and strange, making it interesting to read. The whole “Old Mr. Chou,” idea was pretty weird but I can totally see Rose and her sisters believing in him like how we believe in the tooth fairy. An-Mei, like most mothers, tried to protect Rose by telling her she had to listen to her mother or many bad things would happen, and it was cute how Rose believed everything her mother said. I think that Ted is kind of a jerk because not only did he leave Rose, but he left her for someone else, and treated her as if she was a piece of furniture. He thought that she would just go along with his wonderful plan, signing the divorce papers without a word, but she didn’t and I was so glad that she finally stood up for herself.
2. The relationship between Ted and Rose Hsu Jordan seems like the relationship between a boss and his employee, instead of a married couple. Ted was the boss in their relationship, and even though they’re separated now, he still thinks that he can just order Rose around because she never spoke up. He obviously cared nothing about how Rose felt about their divorce and just wanted to get the whole thing over with because he wanted to marry someone else. Ted has no feelings for her but Rose is unsure of her feelings and in the end, she tells him that he can’t “just pull [her] out of [his] life and throw [her] away,” meaning that she isn’t going to just give up that easily.
3. The main conflict in this vignette is between Rose and herself, an internal, human vs. self conflict. Rose is seriously confused with her divorce from Ted and thinks over every little detail of their relationship, such as when Ted sends her a check for 10,000 dollars. She wonders if she should just sign the divorce papers, whether Ted really still loved her, whether he wanted to trick her and make her give up, or whether she meant nothing to her. She wasn’t sure what to think or how to proceed with the situation, but finally, after her mother asks her why she can’t “speak up for herself,” and Ted rushes her about signing the papers because he wanted to get married to someone else, she comes to a decision, a resolution. She doesn’t sign the papers, she speaks up to Ted, and decides to fight for what she deserves, instead of letting Ted take everything he wanted.
“My House, all mine!”
Chapter: Without Wood
1. I really liked this chapter. The mood was actually kind of happy. I was really proud of Rose when she stood up for herself and said that she wasn’t going to leave the house in the end. From going through her phase of not being able to make decisions, she finally stuck with an idea and stood firm. Go Rose!
2. This divorce really drew An-Mei and Rose closer in their relationship. Through this hardship, An-Mei really gave Rose the boost that she needed to fight back against Ted. Rose listened to her mother to stand up for herself, and faced Ted head-on, it must have taken a lot of courage. An-Mei also reacted differently to Ted and Rose’s divorce, Rose had expected her to hang onto it as tightly as possible. But instead, Rose fought back.
3. I think that the message that Tan is trying to send out is that without wood, you will bend. Meaning with no support or something to stand firm on and rely on, you will sway easily and make bad choices. Don’t let things influence you that easily. To find support, going to your loved and trusted ones and they will help you.
This Rose has thorns
"Without Wood"
1) I found this chapter both interesting and saddening. I found it awful that Rose’s husband would leave her just like that just by sending divorce papers in the mail. I found it cool that Rose stood up for herself though too because she refused to get divorced and to lose her house. I give it a thumbs up for the mood.
2) The relationship between Rose and An-Mei was actually not very typical of an Asian family in my opinion. In a Chinese family, the mother would just send the child off to do it herself, but An-Mei suppored Rose the entire time and actually got Rose to stand up for herself.
3) Question 1: Amy Tan used a lot of good details in this chapter to show imagery and mood. She used situations like the time when Rose was sleeping for a few days to show the mood was sad at the time. She also uses words like refusing to uproot to show that Rose was brave and didn’t want to leave their marriage.
Title: Mr. Chou Likes To Squish Young Children
(Focusing on “Without Wood”)
1) Mr. Chou is creepy. That was the first thought that popped into my head when Rose was describing her dreams, how he would “slam [the door] fast” and not let her passage through into the “land of the dreams.” I saw at the end of the chapter that Mr. Chou wasn’t at all like that, that he was just caring, like An-Mei, and some insecurity inside Rose was making him behave like that. I really didn’t like Ted. He just seemed like the slimy, creep-ball kind of guy you’d want to kick out of your house if he dared set foot inside. I don’t know what it’s about, but he gives you that nasty, dirty feeling inside, like he’s just there to criticize you. I don’t really see what Rose saw in him. And the way Amy Tan made him look like, too; like a worm-slug thing come inside Rose’s house to defecate on all the good, clean things she has inside her life.
2) An-Mei and Rose’s relationship might very well be one of the most normal in this book. An-Mei isn’t controlling and incredibly competitive, like Lindo and Suyuan; she’s the kind, caring, and understand mother, the one that every girl should want and have. She doesn’t seem afraid of Ted as Rose is, and helps her realize that there is nothing to be afraid of. If she is going to break away from this man, she must realize how unhealthy the relationship was in the first place, so she will not feel so bad about it.
3) I learned that maybe some Chinese women tell their children to “go to Mr. Chou,” and that he will take them to their dreams. Mr. Chou might be like an antagonist or a protagonist, depending on the person “visiting” him. If they have internal conflict going on inside them, their dreams will probably turn into nightmares, or they might not be able to even fall asleep again.
Mr. Old Chou
“ Without Wood”
I didn’t like this chapter at all. Mr. Old Chou’s story was awkward and I didn’t understand it at all. I thought it was a weird thing for a mother to tell her young daughter because if I was Rose, I would’ve been scared. I think Rose has grown into a bery storng and confident woman. I was cheering her on when she gave the divorce papers back to Ted without signing them. She is trying to get her way and not giving up without a fight. I think this characteristic of her’s makes her one of the good characters.
3. An-mei and Rose’s relationship grows closed over the divorce process. When An-mei gives her daughter advice, she listens obediently but doesn’t think she’ll use it. But, she realizes that her mother was right and does use her mother’s advice in the end.
3. I like the theme that Amy Tan creates in this section. Before, Rose was feeble and didn’t believe in herself. Rose stands up for herself and makes a strong declaration when Ted comes over. I think this relates to the theme; be strong and stick up for what you believe in.
“Gardens Tell All”
“Without Wood”
1.Reaction- At first, this chapter seemed really weird to me, I think just because the whole Old Mr. Chou thing was really bizarre. After I passed the nightmares with Old Mr. Chou seemingly out to get Rose, I thought the chapter was pretty mellow, aside from the whole divorce. Rose being indecisive was actually something I can relate to, which my mom gets mad at me for doing, but in the end, I was happy to find out that Rose stood up to Ted for herself. I think that through the chapter, Rose became a stronger person, being able to fight for what she really wants.
2.The relationship between Rose and Ted is really extraordinary, not all that in a good way though. Analyzing their relationship, I am reminded of a bully who, because everyone is afraid of him/her, thinks they have the right to push everyone around. I think that Ted believed he could push Rose out of the house and finalize the divorce because throughout their whole relationship, Rose would just listen to what he said and do it. Little did Ted know, Rose was influenced to change and she stood her ground on keeping the house for herself.
3.I think a main conflict that stood out to me was an internal conflict between Rose and herself. Through the chapter when she gets the divorce papers and the check, Rose is completely confused about what to do from there. I would have thought that Rose was depressed; after all, she spent four straight days in bed. Her confusion blurred herself, but eventually she was able to push everything aside and follow what she really wanted deep inside her heart. She agreed to divorce Ted, but she loved the house, and she knew that she wanted to keep it. She took her stand and didn't back down, in the end, her words put an effect on Ted.
"MY House"
Without Wood
This chapter was extremely heart-breaking for me to read because as I read, I could almost feel Rose's pain. As I about all of Ted's wrong doings, I became angrier and angrier. Not only did he want a divorce, but he treated her as if she meant nothing to him. He was even planning to marry another woman after they were divorced! What an imbecile!
Rose's relationship with her husband, Ted, in this chapter was very clear -he wanted nothing to do with her anymore. Even so, she was still pondering on whether she was ready for divorce. "instead of being grateful," when Rose received the money, "[she] was hurt." This meant that she might have had some feelings left for him. Luckily, Rose snaps out of her depression stage and becomes strong. She even demands to keep the house.
I think that the main message in this chapter is to not let anyone put you down. Leave all the sadness behind and start a new life. Everyone can be strong. When Rose stated that "the power of [her] words was that strong,"she showed that she finally stood up for herself and gave herself a voice.
I Want More!
(Without Wood)
1. I thought the beginning was weird with Old Mr. Chou. The China Mary reminded me of “The Secret Life of Bees,” because of the Black Mary statue. I liked how the psychiatrist was a stereotypical psychiatrist; acting sleepy and saying different expressions about feelings. I found it awkward that she invited him to the house, but I thought that it was great she told him what she wanted.
2. Ted tells Rose what he wants and what she should do. Ted is like a general and Rose is her solider; she does not question his orders until later. Their relationship is breaking apart and they bother want a clean break, however, in the end they are both fighting for the house.
3. This chapter refers to the allegory by having the mother help with the marriage, in Rose’s case, her mom is helping her end the marriage. If Rose’s mom didn’t tell her to speak up for herself, then Rose wouldn’t have fought for the house. Rose’s mom teaches her about the power of words. Then Rose uses that power to get the house and Ted’s confused and scared look.
The Wild Wild Weed
This chapter is interesting to me because of the references to plants. I like plants ;) and they appear in the chapter in Rose’s nightmare, a picture frame, comparison to a young girl, the garden, and even the name Rose refers to flora! This excites me because it reminds me of my trip to the Huntington Botanical Garden. After going there two times, I get excited about plants. Plants have the quality to calm people and they are refreshing. I guess Tan made Rose feel just the opposite from plants.
I know this is pretty minor, but one see the friendly relationship Rose and Lena have together. They do what friends do: share their problems, lend each other things and give each other gifts. Rose told Lena private things about her ex-husband Ted such as how she “didn’t miss him… just missed way [she] felt when [she] was with him.” Sharing complicated feelings about such a heavy matter is not something one shares with a stranger. One would tell their problems to someone they felt close too, to get some sympathy. So, Rose considers Lena a friend by telling Lena about her feelings. Rose also imagined borrowing a voodoo doll from Lena. This is a sign of trust because sharing is a sign of trust and companionship. Rose also mentioned Lena giving Rose an aloe vera for a gift and giving a gift to someone certainly shows some compassion from Lena to Rose. Since they trust and give each other so many things, Rose and Lena are most definitely friends.
In this chapter, I finally recognized symbolism that enhanced my reading. Tan uses weeds to symbolize Rose. Rose’s mother talks about how Rose is without wood and is “like a weed, growing wild in any direction, running along the ground until someone pulls [her] out and throws [her] away.” This really means that Rose is a pushover. She listens to everyone else rather than standing up for herself like a tall stable tree. This is true because Rose was confused about her divorce, and she didn’t know what she wanted from her divorce. But then Rose noticed weeds growing into the house, and there was “no way to pull them out once they’ve buried themselves in the masonry,” because it would bring down the whole house. The weeds, here, still symbolize Rose, but now she found a way to stand up for herself. Like the weeds in the house, Rose told Ted that he could not “just pull [her] out of [his] life and throw [her] away.” Finally showing stability as a weed, even without wood, Rose has a dream of her mom protecting weeds. Conclusively, the weeds represent Rose throughout the chapter.
"Rose Garden"
"Without Wood"
1. I give this chapter thumbs up but it wasn't my favorite. The dreams Rose had is weird because Mr. Chou is like An-mei and he only listens to her. Then there is Ted. He is really getting on my nerves in the chapter because he sends Lena the divorce papers with the check assuming he can buy her off with ten thousand dollars. I was really proud of Rose when she told Ted that she is going to stay in the house and the house is her. When Rose said she wanted revenge on Ted, I wanted to really see her humiliate Ted in front of the restaurant patrons.
2. The relationship between Ted and Rose is getting out of hand and Ted has really changed his behavior after he accidentally made a mistake. He has already cheated on Rose and sent her the divorce papers. Ted thinks that since Rose is so indecisive, she'll just sign the papers so he can remarry. Rose finally came to her senses to tell Ted that she is not going to move out of the house and it belongs to her. This was something Ted had never expected which serves him right for treating Rose so bad.
3. The main conflict in this chapter is internal, human vs. self. Rose had always depended on Ted to make the decisions and do whatever he thinks is right. Now Ted sends her the divorce papers and she struggles within herself because she has no one else. She doesn't know what to do so she drags signing the paper and sending it back to Ted. She is not use to making such decisions so she struggles to come to a conclusion. In the end, she overcomes her conflict with herself and signs the papers but doesn't sign where Ted gets the house. She becomes stronger and independent enough to stand up for herself allowing her to keep the house.
“Taking Charge”
1) I really liked this chapter, especially at the end. When Rose told Ted that she was staying at the house. She did what her mother told her to do and that was to speak up. She wanted the house so she did what she could to keep it. Rose changed. She didn’t need someone telling her what to do anymore; she doesn’t need Ted telling her what to do. I think she has realized this with the help of her mother. I think that this chapter has a lot of character growth.
2) Rose and An-Mei:
An-Mei really helped Rose in this chapter. I think they are my favorite mother-daughter pair because they benefit from each other. An-Mei is always giving Rose useful advice. In the chapter “Half and Half” An-Mei told Rose to save her marriage because of her faith. Now An-Mei is telling Rose to speak up and this really helped Rose get what she wants.
3) A symbol that Tan uses in this chapter is the garden. At first the garden was beautiful and well taken care off. Like at the beginning of their marriage Ted and Rose really loved each other and had a great relationship. However when Rose goes out to the garden now had, “runner weeds growing between the flagstone walkways…the whole thing had grown wild from months of neglect” (215). The garden is now a wreck, like their marriage it is neglected.
“Old Chou”
(Chapter: Without Wood)
1. I found Rose’s dreams about veins of blood and snapdragons to be very weird. Her dreams of Old Mr. Chou were so strange and twisted that they gave me the chills. I had experienced nightmares similar to Rose’s before and they were anything but sweet. The chapter brought back memories of the many nightmares I had.
2. Relationship
Ted does not love Rose anymore. He wants to divorce her so that he could probably marry another woman. Rose is struggling to decide what she should do about the divorce issue. Ted knows that Rose is having many internal issues and is trying to take advantage of her condition and forcing the divorce paper on her so that he could get most of the property. I believe that their marriage is doomed and that Rose should just dumb Ted because he isn’t a good husband at all.
3. Conflict
The main conflict in the chapter is “human vs. self.” Rose is having a lot of internally issues with finding and understanding herself. She keeps having nightmares about Old Mr. Chou and doesn’t know what to do with the divorce. By the end, Rose is able to get her act together and hire a lawyer to get ownership of the house.
"Mister Sandman...NOT!"
("Without Wood")
1) It was an okay chapter i kinda just floated past it. I was glad that Rose stood up to Ted. He was getting on my nerves. I'm surprised they lasted so long. The Mr.Chou thing was weird i didn't really understand it.
2) The relationship Ted and Rose was is strange. They seemed to love each other more previously. Rose knows her relationship is going to end. When Ted tries to kick her out of her house, and she stands up to him, I put the book down and applauded! I was like, FINALLY!!!! I really didn't lie Ted and won't miss him in the future.
3) I think this relates to real life in the sense that many woman are afraid to have their marriage end because they think it makes them failures. When in fact it doesn't. Some woman just need a pivital moment, like the one Rose had. The turn of events had great satisfing results.
-Andrea Ulloa
Without Ms. Woods how would we survive?
Without Wood
1. This chapter was sort of boring because it just talked about how Rose was confused about her marriage. The dreams with Old Mr. Chou were weird and strange. It was funny when Rose says that he was doing monkey business with someone else. The ending was good because she finally learns to stand up for herself and says she will keep the house. This chapter wasn’t confusing but it was too plain so this chapter is a thumbs down for me.
2. Rose and her mother have a really good relationship. Her mother gives her advice whenever she needs it. Her mother helps give her the courage to stand up to Ted. With her mother Rose is able to fight Ted and get through the hard times. There relationship becomes stronger throughout this chapter.
3. The conflict in this chapter is internal. Rose’s internal conflict is about what to do with her marriage. When Rose gets the check and divorce papers she keeps asking herself all these different questions like “why had he sent the check with the papers.” She doesn’t know if she should let Ted win or fight back. She has trouble making decisions by herself but at the end of the chapter she learns to stand up and fight Ted to keep the house.
Be like "wood"!
Chapter: Without Wood
1) This chapter wasn't as interesting as the other three. I think it was boring how Rose was confused. On the other hand, I liked how Rose changes her cowardly self and calls Ted over to tell him straight up, she isn't going to sign the divorce papers. That was the part that made me say in pride, "You go girl!"
2) Ted is very predictable to Rose. As Rose notices he hasn't been nurturing his garden, she becomes suspicious and gets the idea from An-Mei, he is having an affair. Ted doesn't resemble a great husband and he seems to take Rose for granted. He probably expects Rose to sign the papers and leave the house since she never speaks up or stands up for what she thinks is right. Surprisingly though, she does and she is very firm on her word.
3) The theme in this chapter is to stand up for what you think is right. If one doesn't stand up for his or herself, people usually take advantage like Ted taking advantage of Rose. Rose did a good job for finally building up that courage inside of her that everyone has, and standing firm on her word.
"Speak for Yourself"
Without Wood
1)I liked this chapter because it was interesting that there was a Mr. Chou opening the gates to dreams. It made me wonder why she was so afraid to dream because what if that night she would have good dreams? I also like it because in the beginning it seems like she doesn't know what to do and is full of despair but in the end she decides to fight for the one thing she wants: the house.
2)It seemed that Rose misunderstood Ted from the beginning as caring and was too scared to leave him. She already wasn't on good terms with him in the last chapter, but in this chapter she is still with him! He must've taken the signs of his dying marriage as an opportunity to cheat. Their marriage and relationship was built on lies and unpleasant surprises.
3) This chapter relates to events in life today because many people, but not everyone, go through divorces. Sometimes, that's what it takes to find out who you are or gain independence. I like that about this chapter.
Monkeys
Without wood
1) Rose is brilliant. She stood up for what she wanted. Her husband deserved what he got and it’s thanks to her mother. Her mother was the reason she did not give in and just sign the papers. I think if I were rose, I would have done the same thing. She deserves a lot more than that guy. Her mother taught her right and the guy from her dreams even approved. I would give this chapter a thumbs up for the fact that it was about a weak girl finally finding herself and her strength to refuse others.
2) Rose and her mother were like the same person. They were both young and they both almost gave into the decisions of others. They both were strong and made it through there hard times with the help of their mothers. Both women are strong and they have there unique way of looking at things. It is not until the end of the chapter that rose starts seeing things the way her mother sees them. That gave her enough time to act and save her future. There relationship is close because they share a certain bond.
3) This was an internal conflict between Rose and herself. Through the chapter she had to find the strength to speak for herself. If she would not have speaked out she would have lost everything. In the end Rose won the internal struggle and learned to be a strong person. She listened to her mother and herself and became a tall proud tree who did not bend to anyone.
"Girl Power, Flower Power":
1) Reactions to "Without Wood":
This chapter was sort of interesting. I got kind of the gloomy and scary sense that I got when reading the stories of the ST. Clair family. It was a little scary who she envisioned Mr. Chou, which was a kind of unsettling concept that a little girl dreamt about old men in her dreams. Didn't her mother even think something was wrong when an old man was giving her bad nightmares? I also liked the whole idea of the flower concept. In the book, the flower is symbolic in several important scenes throughout the chapter during sad or unsettling times. For one the flower is apparent during China Mary's funeral, a dark time, when An-Mei describes how important the flowers are, "She was pointing to a large spray of yellow chrysanthemums and red roses. ' Thirty-four dollars. All artificial so they will last forever.'(Tan 209)" I thought it was real symbolic how woman have great power because they symbolized China Mary�s strength, and what Rose pulled her strength from with her confrontation with Ted, and even during her depression when she needed strength.
2)Relationships in "Without Wood":
One important relationship in this chapter was that between Ted and Rose. Overall, their relationship can be described in the scene Rose talks about Ted's flower garden, "I looked out the window and saw that the calla lilies had fallen and turned brown, the daises had been crushed down by their own weight...the whole thing had grown wild from months of neglect.(Tan 215)" As described by the scene, Rose was the flowers. She had grown old and "brown," and she had been "crushed down" by all the weight of what the divorce brought to her; depression, loneliness, and having to move on from such a settled life, all the while crushed by what Ted had done by seeing another woman. Most importantly, she had grown neglected by Ted when he started to leave all the major decisions in their marriage to her and started seeing a woman in "Half and Half."
***********************************
In the end, however, she pulls trough just like a new growth of flowers bloomed in her dreams. "The trees and bushes were covered with mist...(my mother, An-Mei) was hovering over something, as if she were tending to a baby...And below the heimongmong...were weeds...running wild in every direction.(Tan 220)"
In this quote, Ted is basically the fog that covers and torments the plants, but even as this happens, Rose is ready to put all his threats behind her and remain victorious by starting a new life (planting new roses) and live any way she wants like the weeds do.
3) Essential Questions in "Without Wood":
In this chapter, I learned many Chinese customs and superstitions about language and myths. For one, in learned about the childhood belief in Mr. Chou, a mythical person who is supposed to be the guardian to the gateway to the dream world. This story is told to all Chinese children to help them go to sleep. Another of Chinese customs are the language, like the word heimongmong, which means "dark fog," and hulihudu, which means "confused," which are perfectly good dark connotations for Chinese literature.
"Chou down at Mr. Chou's! Chinese Fastfood!"
(Without Wood)
1) After reading the chapter "Four Directions," I asked for a more complex chapter. Now after reading this chapter, I want a more simpler chapter! I wasn't so sure what the Mr. Chou dream meant, like what it metaphorically meant. Neither did I understand the spreading weeds in Mr. Chou's garden. Looks like I'm going to have to read this chapter over again...
2) The relationship between Rose and Ted alternately changes in this chapter. Previously, Rose would always agree with Ted whenever Ted isn't sure about something. Now, after seeing how much Ted used to boss her around and abuse her weakness, she is now doing the exact opposite. At the end of the chapter, she refuses to divorce and refuses to give up the house. Ted's eyes are like O_O.
3) The main conflict in this chapter was Rose vs herself because of her old habit of not being decisive. At first, when An-Mei asks if Ted's having an affair, Rose only took it as a joke. But when she returned home, she sees Ted's beloved garden in ruins, unattended for. Thinking about the marriage, she realizes that her marriage is everything to her, she can't just throw it away. Waking up after a three day sleep, Ted calls her and tells her that he wants to divorce immediately. This was heart breaking news to Rose and in order to fight it, she had to fight her own habit of agreeing.
"Psyche-atricks"
1)Reaction
I give this chapter a thumb up because it was boring even though Rose finally had the courage to stand up for herself. It was also bizarre and creepy in the introduction of the chapter. I almost thought it was Lena narrating.
2)Rose doesn't take much heed to what her mother says about her marriage. She finally sees that her mom is right about Ted seeing someone else and about standing up for herself. Her mom, An-Mei is also right about the dreams. If Rose listens to her mom, she doesn't need to worry about Mr. Chou, so when Rose listened, she no longer had nightmares with him in it.
3)The garden is a symbol of Ted's and Rose's relationship. Ted tended to the garden obsessively in the same way he controlled Rose. Ever since they got divorced, the garden has grew wild, uncontrolled like how Rose isn't anymore. She makes her own decisions and where to grow.
"Possessing the Strength of Voice"
1. Reaction:
I give this chapter a big thumbs up. I love how this chapter shows a growth of some sort, I always love hearing about meaningful accomplishments, anything that is a wise choice to make you stronger is always a good read in my book. Rose's confusion over the divorce made her turn into not a weak, simple minded woman, but into a strong woman, able to make her own decisions and take control of her indecisive life.
2. The conflict in this novel is apparent with both Rose and her mother, and Rose and her husband. Rose's conflict with her mother was that her mother to make decisions for herself, which she couldn't do. Rose shows control over her actions when she shows Ted her unsigned divorce papers. Ted has lived with Rose probably because he was able to take advantage of her, that was probably what made the relationship last for so long.
3. The conflicts in this chapter are both internal and external. Rose's internal conflict is with herself not being able to control her mind and her external is her failed relationship with her husband. She, in a way, finds a resolve for both of these in this chapter, which put a smile on my face.
Bending Whichever Way –“Without Wood”
1. This chapter seemed to be pretty straightforward, taking us through the ups and downs of Rose’s decision-making and finding in herself the strength to stand up to others. However, when Rose was deciding what to do, it got kind of boring. The ending was good though. Rose was able to stand up to Ted and instead of signing the divorce papers, wants the house.
2. The relationship between An-Mei and Rose is strengthened in this chapter. At the beginning, Rose is afraid to talk about her marriage problems to her mother. An-Mei is confused about “why can [she] talk about this with a psyche-atric and not with [her]? An-Mei states that a mother knows what is best and the psychiatrist will only confuse you more. However, towards the end, Rose realizes that her mother’s words are insightful and these words help Rose overcome her depression and stand up to Ted.
3. This chapter connects to the allegory because in the allegory, the daughter doesn’t care about the superstitions that the mother believes in. This is similar to the tale of Mr. Chou that An-Mei told Rose. Then, in the allegory, the mother fixes the problem with the mirror by putting another mirror to reflect the first mirror, multiplying the peach-blossom luck. In the chapter, An-Mei tells Rose that she should listen to her, not a psychiatrist. Then she tells Rose she is without wood, bending to anyone’s will and this is where Rose’s problem is solved.
Broken Branches – “Without Wood”
This chapter was the weirdest chapter of all the ones I’ve read so far. In the beginning I had no idea Mr. Chou was. I imagined him to be some sort of Boogeyman or Sandman. I was confused on whether he was a good or bad guy until the end. I felt really bad for Rose because her marriage was ending and I knew she didn’t want it to end that easily. What infuriated me was when Ted sent a check for $10,000. It appeared like Ted’s love for Rose was only worth that much. I actually wanted to comfort Rose during her internal struggle. I loved it when Rose said she was obsessed with revenge but sadly, she didn’t actually to take real action.
Rose didn’t really know what to do with her relationship with Ted. In the whole entire chapter, Tan talks about how she was lost and didn’t know who to turn to. Rose was a state of complete confusing and she had no idea what to do. She sought her friends and even a psychiatrist but in the end it was up to her to decide. Ted was in a hurry to get divorced. He really didn’t love her anymore if he was that quick to get his divorce papers back signed and make her cash in the check. She really didn’t want to give up in their marriage
Her divorce really causes her to think about her relationship with Ted and her plans for the future. When Rose goes out to the garden and sees the condition of the garden, she realizes what she has to do. The weeds symbolize Rose. Her mother mentions about how weeds “grow wild in any direction until someone pulls you out and throws you away” (213). As Rose realizes that her life is growing wild in any direction, she decides to confront Ted and tell him that he cannot just pluck her out of his life like a weed. The night after the confrontation, Rose dreams about her mother and Mr. Chou planting weeds “running wild in every direction”, just like Rose. Rose is set free and she’s proud to be a “weed”.
I think it’s really ironic how Rose’s name is from a type of flower and in this chapter, she symbolizes weeds! WOW.
“I’m Staying So What?”
Chapter “Without Wood”
1) My Reaction
I thought this chapter was awesome! I loved how Rose stood up to her husband and said, “I say I’m staying and my lawyer will too, once we serve you the papers,” (219). I gave this chapter a thumbs up because it shows that this woman here will not be intimidated by the man that she’s going to divorce with. I hated Ted because he was such a jerk. He wanted to divorce her and keep the house for himself. I would have done the same thing if I was Rose.
2) Rose and Ted
Their relationship was terrible because he did not treat her like a wife but like a worker. After Rose realized that the man that she had married was “doing monkey business with someone else,” she was humiliated and furious (217). Then, he wanted to marry someone else. Ted just sent Rose the divorce papers through a letter. It was like stabbing a knife into her heart. To make matters worse, Ted even wanted Rose to leave the house. Luckily, Rose toughened up and stood up for herself instead of following his orders.
3) Amy Tan’s message is “Never underestimate women.” After Rose’s talk with her mom, she felt enlightened and decided to defend against Ted. Rose was not the timid woman as she used to be because “now [she] felt nothing, no fear, no anger” (219). She did not have to listen to what Ted said and she followed what she wanted, what she deserved. Ted might have thought that he was going to see her for the last time and then get his house back, but he was wrong.
Weeds!
“Without Wood”
Like most, if not all kids, Rose believes what her mom tells her about superstitions and ghosts. This makes her afraid of the dark, and at the beginning of the story. Old Mr. Chou seems like the Chinese boogeyman to her. When talking about her situation with Ted, it seems like Rose gets a little crazy as she talks about her vengeance and messing him up using a voodoo doll. The psychiatrist doesn’t seem to help much, and Rose seems kind of lost on what to do, even though she doesn’t miss him. She’s got too many choices; she doesn’t know what to do, and it’s just really confusing for her. It seems that the garden is a symbol of their relationship, as before Ted took care of it and kept it clean, but it’s now gone to ruin. When she’s talking to Ted, I don’t really get why she starts laughing at him. She seems a little loony in her head, maybe because she’s been in bed for so long. After telling Ted off when he comes to see her though, she feels a lot better. Finally, at the end of the chapter, she sees that there’s nothing wrong with Old Mr. Chou at all, and he’s quite friendly.
The relationship between Rose and her mother seems to be a typical daughter just trying to gain some independence while her mother resists that. She still cares about Rose, and wants to help her fix whatever is wrong with her and Ted. Rose though, keeps her mom at a distance, preventing her mom from helping her. She does pick up some things from her mom though, such as hulihudu. When she tells Ted off, she feels confident and sees the power of her own words over the man who used to bring her joy but ended up cheating on her.
I think an important writing technique that made this chapter better is Tan’s use of symbolism. Old Mr. Chou at the beginning of the story represented the bad consequences of not listening to your mother, as she resists falling asleep and when she does, all she does is get scared even more. Years later though, when she’s got the confidence she needs and finally sleeps okay, she sees that Old Mr. Chou isn’t to be afraid of.
A Mother Knows Best – “Without Wood”
1. I liked this chapter because it relates to many other people’s married lives and how failed marriages teaches a person to grow into something that they never imagined they could become. In this chapter, I was appalled at the fact that Ted was actually having an affair with Rose Hsu Jordan. I did not think that he could even get another woman because of how cold he was and indecisive. Rose stuck by him and listened to his every word when Ted needed it most. However, when things got tough, he decided she was not good enough and left her. Rose always listens to others and never makes her own decisions because of how she was “trained” by Ted at the beginning of their marriage. Her mother knew that the marriage would end from the start, and told Rose that she had to take a stand or she will never be respected in the world.
2. Rose and her husband’s relationship is breaking apart. In the beginning of their relationship, Rose was content with letting Ted make all the decisions for the both of them. However, when Ted made a wrong decision in his career life, he continuously doubted himself and always asked Rose for her opinion on things. However, Rose was never used to making decisions, so Ted realized that he could not live like that. They’re indecisiveness as a couple forced them to decide have a divorce.
3. This chapter relates to many people’s lives. This is because many people nowadays have failed marriages. This chapter shows that the reason why the marriages fail is because people change, and no longer become the people they once were when they got married. However, this chapter also teaches people that good things can still come out of a harsh divorce in the long run.
“Support System”
“Without Wood”
Reaction: Id give this chapter thumbs down even though it had a lot of symbolism. I just didn’t find this chapter exciting. It was some what exciting to hear about Ted having an affair but other than that it was boring. Rose has a lot of nightmares about Old Mr. Chou which kind of surprises me since like she is older now.
Rose and Ted:
I think Rose and Ted’s relationship is confusing. Like, Rose is confused about her feeling for Ted. She tells people different things and their all negative but like they’re different feelings. Maybe she is confused about him and can’t decide on one feeling or what to tell her friends. Ted obviously wants to get out of the marriage since he sent divorce papers and is found having an affair.
3] The theme of this chapter is to stand up for your self. You must not be taking advantage of and stepped on. Rose stood up to Ted in saying she wanted to stay in the house when Ted wanted her out and the house to him self.
Nightmares and Dreamscapes
1. WEIRD! This chapter was bizarre the whole thing with Mr. Chou...all i kept thinking of was a tiny little gnome-like man laughing at her. So it freaked me out, to say the least. Rose was dealing with a divorce that was difficult to handle. Her husband does not want to stay with her for several reasons but the most apparent one being that she never spoke her mind. Her mother was trying to give advice but Rose hardly listened to her. That caused more tension for Rose in the end.
2. Rose and An-mei develop a stronger bond in this chapter. An-mei gives Rose good advice in her time of need. She tells her to stand up for herself and that is exactly what she needed to do. Rose really connected with her mother because she never though An-mei had any good ideas because she thought she did not fully understand. But it turns out that An-mei knew more about what Rose had to do than she did herself.
3.The overall message Tan was trying to imply is "mother knows best". No matter how iritating and unlikely you think your mom's advice is, it is ussually really good. Most of the time people do not really listen to their mother becasue they tink that the mother does not understand the "new trends" and stuff when really it is new but exactly the same concept.
"wild thorns"
“Without Wood”
1. I liked this chapter, really/ The first half when Rose described her life, such as marriage and issues concerning her mother, the story was extremely slow. It dragged on and on for quite a few pages. There were also many metaphors and symbols, like the tree, the Chinese proverb, and the plant garden, but I wasn’t sure of the meaning. Do the vines that attached itself to the house represent Rose and her attachment to her current life or her home? The mom said something about not having enough wood, and then you’d bend over and begin growing in all directions. Possibly, it could mean that Rose has many possibilities right now; she only has to choose which ones right and latch on. Once Rose began picking herself up after taking the sleeping medicine, that’s when the chapter began to get interesting. She was firm and told Ted exactly what she was going to do. That she was staying in that house. I’m a bit sick of these kinds of chapters though, where the main conflict stems from a marriage or relationship.
2. Rose and Ted, seemed like the perfect couple, but they’re from it. Rose is still lost about what to do. The man whom she once sought protection and comfort from had gone and betrayed her. Confused and unsure, Rose seeks advice form close friends and families. Along with their advice, new options and possibilities arise. Looking at Ted, he’s got a completely different mind set towards Rose than Rose has for him. He knows he wants a divorce from Rose, get back his belongings, and move out. Ted is a jerk. He doesn’t even care about Rose’s feelings; he just looks out for his own interest. Irritated and impatient, he arrives at the house where Rose was and all he had on his mind was the divorce papers. It’s surprising how this marriage started out in the first place. If they were bound to split, then why bother in the first place.
3. This chapter relates to the opening theme/ allegory because the mother didn’t want Rose to pursue Ted, but she did and now she ended up hurt and confused. Like in the allegory, the girls believe the mom doesn’t know what she’s talking about and decides not to listen. Once they’ve gone too far, they realize their mistake and regret not listening to their mothers.
1. "The Grand Essential of Happiness"
2. "Without Wood"
3. This chapter… rather depressing, but freeing at the same time. Rose was so alone, no one to turn to, intaking sleeping pills for days, and doing nothing but sulk in her room. Thankfully, she got pulled back into reality by the faithful phone invention by her mother, psychiatrist, and ex-husband. I felt amazing for her when she finally decided to stand up to Ted at the end of the chapter by telling him what she wanted for once in her life.
4. Ted and Rose don't quite have a relationship anymore. What they had, however, wasn't much to begin with. Rose had always lived in Ted's shadow, even when the two (thought they) fell in love. The end result was the infamous, ever-so-popular divorce, but in any case, Rose found the courage to stand up for herself.
5. Amy Tan's descriptions of Rose's dreams with Old Mr. Chou were examples of imagery. This helped me because I could picture the dreams in my mind and how Rose felt while dreaming them.
6. (d. How is this chapter connected to the allegory at the start of the section?)
Judging from the line "'See what happens when you don't listen to your mother'" (208), this chapter is exactly like the opening allegory. The daughters, at first, don't have a care about what their mothers say because they just want to listen to themselves and do what THEY think is right. But eventually, the both of them realize their wrongdoings because things eventually fall out of hand, like Rose's marriage for example.
I don't need your help
when it comes to speaking for myself.
“Without Wood”
1. When Rose says that her mother said that “doors would unlock themselves in the middle of the night unless we checked twice”, it reminded me of how my own mother always locks the door and gets irritated when we don't. She's paranoid; she thinks someone will break into the house any second.
When An-mei says that if Rose didn't listen to her, Rose's “ear would bend too easily to other people, all saying words that had no lasting meaning, because they came from the bottom of their hearts, where their own desires lived, a place where [she] could not belong”, I thought that was a very interesting way to look at that kind of thing (206). I always thought that things that came from the bottom of people's hearts were the most true and invaluable.
I can't decide if Rose was smart when she “clung to the bed, refusing to leave this world for dreams”(207). I'm not sure if she was smart to not get swept away from reality or dumb for not having dreams to follow.
The way Rose felt like she “had been talking to too many people, my friends, everybody it seems, except Ted” reminded me of how I rant to my friends when someone's on my mind. I'd talk to quite a few people, except that person who is irking me.
When I was a freshman, I had a teacher who wasn't called Mrs. Berry, but Mr. Berry. He definitely did not “make you bend over and whack you with a yardstick ten times” when you didn't follow him when he told you to (213).
In the first chapter about Rose and at through most of this one, I did not like her. She couldn't speak for herself. “What did I want from divorce—when I never knew what I had wanted from marriage?”(215). How could you possibly not know what you wanted from marriage? Don't people marry for unconditional love, happiness, and to have someone who will stick by their side for the rest of their lives?
2. Rose and Ted's relationship is nonexistent. I mean, there's not much to say about it. It was so one-sided from the beginning to kind of the end. Ted decided everything and Rose went along with whatever he decided. Rose never contributed to the relationship. Her relationship with herself is so foggy and unsure.
3. I liked how Amy Tan used imagery to describe the garden. “I looked out the window and saw the calla lilies had fallen and turned brown, the daisies had been crushed down by their own weight, the lettuce gone to seed. Runner weeds were growing between the flagstone walkways that wound between the planter boxes. The whole thing had grown wild from months of neglect”(215). While she used imagery to describe the garden, it seemed like Tan was also comparing the messed up garden to Ted and Rose's relationship.
4. The theme that I got out of reading this chapter was that you should have your own brain and listen to your own heart. An-mei said that Rose was “without wood. Born without wood so that [she] listened to too many people”(213). You shouldn't always “bend to listen to other people, you will grow crooked and week. You will fall to the ground with the first strong wind” or, in other words, the first person with a strong opinion and stands up for himself, making you fall to him because you have no idea where you stand (213). She compares Rose to being “like a weed, growing wild in any direction, running along the ground until someone pulls you out and throws you away”, which is what Ted is doing (213). But in the end, Rose learns her lesson and tells Ted that he “can't just pull [her] out of [his] life and throw [her] away”(219). I'm proud of her. It took her a while.
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Rikki Dionisio, Period 6
1. Mama Knows Best
2. American Translation: “Without Wood”
3. This chapter was saddening at first for when Rose finally stood up for herself it seemed liberating for her and added the gleam of happiness this chapter needed. Though it took a lot for Rose to stand up for herself she got out of her slump to realize that she didn’t need her husband to keep her happy and she found happiness and humor in their divorce.
4. The relationship between Ted and Rose was basically non-existent throughout the entire chapter. Rose, like how Lena was, lived in her husband’s shadow believing that she/women were lesser or below men. Once she finally went through the divorce she felt free and that helped her see that she was better than her husband.
5. There was plenty of imagery in this chapter from the view of the garden, to the description of how Rose was feeling when she was in her “pre-divorce
slump”, to her dream about Mr. Chuo.
6. One of the most symbolic and important quotes you’ll find in the book, I believe, is the following quote: “A mother is best. A mother knows what is inside you,”. Tan is trying to say that though we don't believe our mothers are making the best choices when they're raising us, as adults we'll see just why they made those decisions and that when we need them they always have the answer.
Focusing on: Without Wood
Wild
The meaning behind the term "without wood" really got to me, in that I was just like Rose, who sometimes didn't have a "spine," and was a pushover. In this chapter, Rose is doubtful and lost about what to do about her divorce with Ted. She goes from person to person asking for advice, and comes to the conclusion that there are just "too many options" to choose from. When I read about Rose I felt frustrated, but was also able to totally connect with her shortcomings. As in the words of Ted, " '[ Rose] can never make up [her] mind about anything. "Apart from negativities, I also got kind of a warmth from this chapter. When An-mei, Rose's mom, said, " ' you only have to listen to me,' " I felt assurance from her words of wisdom. Though some may question, what is so lovely about a mother ordering her child to follow her commands, I believe that since a mother knows what's best for their child, they will try their best to nurture and help
them grow "strong and straight."
One adjective to describe the relationship between Rose and An-mei is " support ". I chose this adjective because An-mei told Rose to "stand tall and listen to [her]..."giving her wise advice. One scene that showed this was when An-mei was calling Rose and checking up on her. She knew that her daughter was having a difficult time, and so she told her to "stand up for herself." An-mei's fufillment of her words, continuous concern and advice for her, showed that she was a dependable support, mentor to Rose.
One writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter was symbolism. Tan applied symbolism when she described Rose as a garden, more specifically, as the weeds in the wild garden.Instead of simply saying something like, "my relationship with Ted caused me to become a disaster," she wrote, " ...the daisies had been crushed down by their own weight...the whole thing had grown wild from months of neglect," to express the seriousness of Rose's condition. Though she had been neglected for a long time, she was able to finally become free of a life of tending another person's needs, and thus was able to become "wild." This comparison was further shown when Rose said, " 'you can't just pull me out of your life and throw me away.' " By using words like "pull" and "throw away" Tan was able to emphasize Ted's cruelness, and make me pity Rose more, knowing that she was like a useless, ugly "weed" to him. This comparison was also directly stated when An-mei said, " 'And then you will be like a weed, growing wild in any direction, running along the ground until someone pulls you out and throws you away."
I believe that the theme of this chapter is "don't listen to what other people tell you, find out for yourself, and be free." In the beginning of this vignette, and way before this chapter, Rose was always being pushed around by Ted's loud, overwhelming thoughts, and was unable to really listen to her own thoughts and opinions. It was only after years of neglect, once her relationship was coming to an end, that she realized that she could make a choice, even if it were to be the last choice she would ever make concerning him. After her mother's painful questioning of " 'why don't you speak up for youself,' " and a time of reflection, Rose was able to boldly tell Ted, " ' you can't just pull me out of your life and throw me away,' "releasing all the anger that she had been storing up during her marriage.
Without Wood “Don't Dream It's Over”
1. This chapter was sad to read but I thought that the nightmares that Rose has been experiencing when she was asleep a sign about what is going on in her life. It was really great to see Rose having finally the courage to stand up to Ted, her jerk, arrogant, and inconsiderate of a husband. I'm sure that Rose didn't feel tied down anymore and was free now to do whatever she wants to do. I was also very proud of her when she stood up to him at the end of the chapter, demanding to keep the house for herself.
2. Rose and Ted never had a real, fruitful relationship together in my opinion. Ted has always treated Rose with not much respect and made her feel inferior to him so that he can boss her around. When Rose realizes how much she loves the house and is unwilling to not let him push her around anymore, she finds the courage to stand up to him and tell him off. She is extremely proud of herself considering all the things that Ted is trying to do to her. Basically, he thinks that he has the audacity of trying to get rid of her and replace her with another woman just like that but Rose won't have any more of it and is tired of his old ways. Once she tells him this once and for all, she feels stronger and therefore is able to resist Ted.
3. I liked how Amy Tan used imagery and lots of descriptive words like “...stomping on plants with veins of blood, running through fields of snapdragons that changed colors like stoplights, until I came to a giant playground filled with row after row of square sandboxes” (208). When I read the nightmare scene that Rose had with Mr. Chou, I could visualize the images in my mind and could therefore easily understand what was happening and how Rose must have felt.
4. The major theme or life lesson that I found in this chapter here is to not let others push you around and you should just march to your own drums. Rose has always listened to what other people had to say and didn't think about what she wanted for herself. It's only when she realizes how horrible a person her ex-husband, Ted really is that she stood up against him and spoke her mind for the first time and I was really proud of her.
My Crazy Mother
Four Directions
1)I thought that Lindo was annoying during lunch. She does not want any germs on her at all. I thought it was funny how Amy Tan explains Lindo, a sixty-nine year old, having the blood pressure of a sixteen-year-old and the strength of a horse. It was funny how Waverly quits chess just to get her mother’s attention, yet Lindo ignores her. Then she tries to get her attention by trying to play again, but she fails until she becomes sick then gets her mother’s attention. This was just a funny chapter.
2)Lindo and Waverly’s relationship is unbalanced. There is something wrong with something in their relationship because they do not talk very much and when they do, Lindo always brings up things that are either a complaint or something she doesn’t like. Like how Lindo complains at the restaurant when Waverly was trying to get them both together because it has been awhile. Sometimes she becomes annoying, but Waverly puts up with this some how. Lindo is always talking about things she does not like and is so careful about what she comes exposed to because she hates germs. She brings tissue papers to public bathrooms because she could not trust the toilet papers there.
3)I think this would be Man vs. Man conflict because Waverly has to go against her mother. In chess they would get into arguments and thing like that. So they always have disagreements.
The Divorce
Without Wood
1)I thought this chapter was interesting because when you find out what really happens, it is unexpected. I thought of it disrespectful that Rose’s mother was talking about Ted during a funeral. She was ignoring the fact that they were supposed to be mourning and filled with compassion rather then talking about other things. I also thought that Ted was a bad husband. They could have worked it through, yet he was so desperate to get the divorce papers sign and get out of the marriage. The more appropriate thing to do is to sit down and have a talk about it rather then moving quickly to results.
2)Jing-Mei’s mother is very strict and she is always telling Jing-Mei’s what’s best. I guess a mother just wants her daughters best, but it becomes too much after a while. When you become older you would not need much of this anymore. Everything becomes too serious.
3)There was a lot of local color in this chapter. Amy Tan showed us that crabs are a popular meal for the Chinese New Year. She explained how a dead crab could be bad luck or how a broken crab leg can also be bad luck.
"Running wild in every direction."
Without Wood
This chapter was short compared to the other two before it and I found it to be a little bit boring and less interesting. But what I liked about it was that Rose finally stood up to Ted and she's trying to fight for her house. I really liked the scene where she showed him the garden with all the weeds and flowers growing wild. And when she handed him the divorce documents, which I already kind of knew were unsigned. That part was awesome! It was funny when Rose told Ted, "You mean you were doing monkey business with someone else?" (217). I think Ted's such a butt-faced miscrient! It's good that Rose finally put some hulihudu into him with her powerful words. I thought it was weird and a little crazy that Rose meets with a psychiatrist or psyche-atricks. If it was me, I think it would take a long time to get me to see a head shrink. I think Rose's mom helped her with her problems with Ted more than the psychiatrist when her mom told her to just speak up.
Rose and Ted's relationship was passive and submissive. Rose was basically nothing to Ted and he manipulated her and hurt her in every possible way. She let him control her emotions and let herself think that she actually needed him. I'm glad that "after the initial shock, [she] realized [she] didn't miss him at all. [She] just missed the way [she] felt when [she] was with him" (211).
I think Amy Tan's best friend is symbolism because she's always able to put it in every single one of her chapters. In this one, she used the garden to represent Rose. When Rose saw the garden, she noticed that "the whole thing had grown wild from months of neglect. And seeing the garden in this forgotten condition reminded [her] of something [she] once read in a fortune cookie: When a husband stops paying attention to the garden, he's thinking of pulling up roots" (215). Ted is divocing Rose and he wants her to move out of the house for his future new family. He will pull her out like the roots growing wild in the garden. But the problem is that, like the weeds, Rose is already growing all around deep in the house and it's going to be impossible to pull her out without breaking the house.
The theme of the chapter is to trust yourself, listen to yourself and nobody else. Only you know what's best for you. I think everyone should be able to stand up straight and tall by themselves and learn to become independent. It's like the tagline from the movie Some kind of Wonderful, "Before they could
stand together, they had to stand alone." Just like what Rose's mom told her: "A girl is like a young tree. [She] must stand tall and listen to [her] mother standing next to [her]. That is the only way to grow strong and straight. But if [she bends] to listen to other people, [she] will grow crooked and weak. And then [she] will be like a weed, growing wild in any direction, running along the ground until someone pulls [her] out and throws [her] away" (213).
I Don’t Know
Without Wood
1. This chapter was confusing…literally. Rose was confused about everything, so I guess her confusions kind of rubbed off on me. In the flashback, Rose was afraid of “Old Mr. Chou,” the guy who helped her and her sisters fall asleep. She always had nightmares about him and her mom would have to save her. Then she has marital problems and wants a divorce, and she wants her mom to save her again. Then at the end of the chapter, when she finally realizes she can save herself, she has a dream about Old Mr. Chou and her mom. I guess it was good closure for Rose though; the last chapter we read about her was her husband leaving because she couldn't make up her mind. Most of the chapter she’s still really indecisive, but at the end she tells Ted exactly what she wants for the first time in their marriage, and he is totally taken by surprise.
2. Ted and Rose didn't have much of a relationship from the start. Rose was always overshadowed by Ted, but when she decides to stand up for herself in her divorce wishes, he is totally lost. She finally has the upper-hand in their (somewhat) relationship.
3. Amy Tan used a lot of imagery to describe both the dream Rose had about Mr. Chou and how she saw the overrun garden full of weeds and dead things. This helped the story because I could visualize the scenes better, and so I knew how Rose felt when she saw these sights.
4. I think the theme in this chapter is you should voice your opinions. Rose was tormented with her divorce, which was set in place because she wouldn’t make up her mind. She felt relieved and freed when she told Ted that she was taking the house in their settlement, she finally made up her mind and she was happy with it.
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Jane Wong
Period 6
1. Just Listen to Me
2. Without Wood
3. In this chapter, Rose starts out with saying how she used to believe everything her mother said. She started from talking about Old Mr. Chou, some guardian of a door, to how he always waits for Rose in her dreams. When she receives the check from Ted, and her mother An-mei asks, An-mei questions her to why she doesn't speak up for herself for something like this. It was clear to the reader that Rose was feeling uncertain and confused about what she should do about the divorce between her husband Ted and herself. "I stayed in bed for three days, getting up only to go to the bathroom or to heat up another can of chicken noodle soup. But mostly I slept. And for the first time I can recall, I had no dreams" ( 215). So Rose was feeling miserable at first not knowing what to do because of Ted. Truly, she did value their marriage before, but now it seemed as though it was nothing compared to what it was from the beginning. I thought it was brave of how Rose just laughed it off in the end to tell Ted that she was staying in the house afterall and nothing can keep her away.
4. The character relationship would be between Ted and Rose. Their relationship would be described as useless because it didn't seem like a good relationship to embrace through if there was no love meant to be in it. Ted seemed like an irresponsible husband that didn't care for Rose at all. If he cared, he wouldn't have been so harsh even when they were about to divorce with the papers and such. He was too anxious to remarry, and that really showed no respect to Rose at all, refering back to how they were going to divorce just then. "You haven't cashed the check or returned the papers. I wanted to be nice about this, Rose. I can get someone to officially serve the papers, you know (217). He was like a two-timing and backstabbing person who had no moralities in him at all because he seemed rushed when he said those lines to Rose.
5. Amy Tan used a lot of imagery in between this chapter. Her dreams betewen her and Old Mr. Chou really helped the reader picture what her dreams were like, from being in his garden to changing colors, to being chased after. Also, there were a few similes. Her mother said things like, " ' A girl is like a young tree, you must stand tall and listen to your mother standing next to you. That is the only way to grow strong and straight. But if you bend to listen to other people, you iwll grow crooked and weak' " (213). Here, she compares how a tree is like a young girl who has to grow up and nourish into a girl that will become obedient eventually.
6.The theme of this chapter is to believe in yourself for once and follow what your heart tells you and not anybody else's words. A mother knows her child best, but it's better to have a voice in yourself and do what you want to do to pursue the dreams and goals that you desire inside.
Brian Tat
Period 7
The Power of Words
Without Wood
When first reading the chapter, I wondered if Rose’s mother only wanted her daughter to be strong and to be able to stand her ground. I agreed with her mother saying that words never had no lasting meaning and that maybe other people’s words would only want her for their desires: to be used. I viewed it as a place where she wasn’t supposed to belong. I thought it was ironic that while An-mei wanted Rose’s ear to not bend too easily to other people, but to An-mei’s words instead. Wouldn’t that defy the purpose of letting Rose become independent? Did it mean, however, that An-mei saw herself as the only person who loved Rose as much that she bestowed this responsibility to herself? I think Rose had too much fear about Old Mr. Chou, because it was only in her dreams, where reality does not exist. It was pretty sad to see that Rose felt hurt from looking at the ink that her husband had used to sign their divorce papers. I wondered if Ted only signed ten thousands dollars as a check to tell Rose that she only met ten thousand: useful for a while until it’s all spent. I don’t understand the weed and the wood being a symbol. It is mentioned frequently throughout the vignettes. However, I knew there was a connection between the weeds and Rose, making me confused. I felt sympathetic towards Rose for Ted had been sleeping with another woman like her mother predicted. I also believed that by hearing this, Rose was set loose from her chains of being with Ted in the relationship. Although Ted had already asked for a divorce between Rose and Ted, she never really decided to do anything due to the lack of “wood” she had. It was as if hearing Ted say that he wanted to marry someone else again, and then it made Rose obtains her “wood.” It was a marvelous to see Rose, as a woman of no independence where she allowed Ted to make all the decisions, grow to obtain it and take control of her life.
I see that Rose and An-mei have a caring normal mother to daughter relationship. As her mother, An-mei tries to protect Rose from listening to others. She doesn’t want anyone to take advantage of Rose. When Rose was a child, An-mei wanted her to know that An-mei knew her qualities better than any other person. Like any normal parent, An-mei tries to defend her child and nourish her to someday grow “wood” or otherwise, become independent.
Tan uses symbolism and a number of similes and metaphors in the story. The story is more interesting to discover because its enjoyable to look for the symbol and its meaning. By comparing two different objects, we can see how they are similar in different aspects. The similes and metaphors help the reader imagine how events, characters, and objects are. It also brings the reader to vividly think that are actually in the story.
For some time, I had difficulties locating the theme of the story. I believe, however, that the theme is “Do not underestimate the power of words.” Rose, in the story, is influenced by her mother words to become more independent. However, she defies her mother’s words and allowed them “to pass through her.” As a result, she allowed other people to control things for her such as Ted deciding everything in the relationship.
1. “Alakazam! You’re SUPPOSED to Disappear!”
2. Without Wood
3. This chapter made me really think about the things I was in denial from. Rose Jordan is facing the downfall of her marriage, and is getting a divorce with Ted. Before the divorce is final, Ted sends over a check and the divorce papers signed with the special pen she bought him. I thought that was a little dramatic. What MAN really does that stuff? It seems stupid, he’s acting like a girl. Especially because he told her before that he would only use the pen for important things. Anyway, I think Rose really loved Ted, so she kept staying in denial, and still had hope that Ted still loved her. She went to see a psychiatrist so she could hide her pain away, and push out her feelings. I don’t think it helped though, her psychiatrist was so lazy. He wasn’t even doing his job. Her mom didn’t really help her with her situation. She was more of just a guideline with past situations that had happened. I felt so sorry for Rose though. She kept insisting that Ted wasn’t cheating on her even though it was the truth. She thought of the chances that Ted still cared about her, but everything ended up being a lie. It was like Rose was so needy, and she depended on Ted to keep her happy. The love she had for Ted turned into hate after she found out the truth. I understood what she was feeling because it’s happened so many times before. She has mean thoughts of getting even and making him suffer. At the end, Ted comes to see her and the garden. She just laughs and finally stands her ground. I think Rose was smart to keep the house, and become an independent woman. I think this was her breakthrough, she was learning that she doesn’t need a man. Instead of disappearing, she doesn’t let Ted be content, and this is her form of revenge. The one thing that confused me was the stuff about Mr. Chou. Who was that!? And what did he have anything to do with the story? Also why did he affect the girls so much?
4. The relationship between Rose and Ted could be described as a quiet battle. Rose is not over Ted, but she’s raging inside to get revenge on Ted. While she’s in her pain, Ted is off with some other woman, trying to fight off Rose and thinks of her as a nuisance. He tries to get rid of her as quickly as possible, and sends her money to make her leave. Too bad Rose learned to stand up for herself, and stood her ground. She didn’t let Ted win that easily! They didn’t physically fight, or yell at each other or anything. Just the little actions she did were enough to defeat Ted.
5. Amy Tan uses symbolism in this chapter with the way that she points out the forgotten garden in the back of the house. The garden was a mess! No flowers were taken car of, and weeds were growing wildly everywhere! Rose saw this and it gave her an epiphany. The weeds symbolized strength in a way, there was no way she could be plucked out all the way. She knew she had to act like the weeds and make Ted suffer by acting like these weeds, forever implanting her in his mind.
6. I think the theme of this chapter is to always stand up for yourself. The title “Without Wood” can be interpreted as not having a structure, or not having enough will to be independent. Throughout this chapter, Rose is a weak individual in need of love and attention from Ted. She already lost it, and she’s yearning to get it back. After realizing she’s stronger than that, she is able to stand up for herself, and speak her mind.
Kimmy Tran
Period 6
1. A Spine Made of Wood
2. Without Wood
3. I liked this chapter. I thought that An-Mei was wery wise in this chapter. I liked her simile about how a girl is like a young tree. It is actually very true. I don’t really see a barrier between An-Mei and Rose like the other mothers and daughters. They seem to have a good relationship and love each other dearly without any problems. I think it is very sweet and it is amusing to read about them.
It was funny how An-Mei and Rose were referencing to sex as “monkey business.” Another thing that was funny was An-Mei trying to pronounce psychiatrist correctly. It reminded me of my parents and how I do that with them. I liked the concept of nature in this chapter. They were referencing to wood and gardens and trees. I didn’t figure it out at first, but Rose’s name fit in with the concept also.
Ted was such a jerk! He was so rude to Rose and thought he could pay her off with ten thousand dollars. I was amazed at how he just served her with divorce papers without even talking to her about it. I thought that it was very mean. I was disappointed with Rose at one point in the chapter because she still wanted him. But I was proud of her when she finally got a spine and told him that she was going to fight for the house. I thought it was very good for her that she was going to step out of his shadow and not be afraid to move anymore.
4. The relationship between Rose and her mother is respectful. Rose often takes her mother’s words very seriously. One example is Mr. Chou. Although I think he is meant to be a good thing for Rose’s dream, he ends up being too real for Rose, which shows how hard she take’s her mother’s words to heart. Another example is the phrase “monkey business.” After her mother uses it, Rose uses it also in a few instances. Another scene is when her mother gives her advice about having wood and standing proud and tall for herself. Although, Rose doesn’t have much wood throughout the chapter, eventually she takes her mother’s advice at the end and stands up to Ted.
5. This chapter uses similes throughout the scenes. One of the similes is when Rose describes her sister Janice who’s “allergy made one nostril sing like a bird at night” (207). It means that the allergy made Janice’s nose make a high pitched sound. Another simile is when An-Mei is giving advice to her daughter, saying “a girl is like a young tree” (213). She even explains the simile and says it means that a girl must be strong and straight but if she listens to other people too easily she will grow up to be crooked. These similes help the reader understand a concept more and how it can relate to a person or theme. It is also more amusing to read than simply an explanation.
6. (d. How is this chapter connected to the allegory at the start of the section?)
In the allegory, the daughter didn’t really mind her mother’s advice just like Rose didn’t listen to her mother’s wise advice about her marriage and about “having wood.” Later the daughter in the allegory realizes that her mother’s advice was actually wise and that she was right just like Rose realizes her mother was right about her being weak.
Spineless
Without Wood
1) I think that this chapter is the most abstract of this set. There is all this talk of Old Mr. Chou and hulihudu and heimongong really confuses me at points. Hopefully I’ll know what I’m talking about by the end of this blog. Okay, first of all Ted is a manipulative scumbag who is throwing Rose away after he is done with her. He totally deserves to have the house and half his money taken away from him. This chapter also gives some problems with asking to many people. Almost everyone Rose talks to has a different strategy and opinion on what Rose should do. Though, strangely, her mother doesn’t give advice, she just says to talk to Ted and fix her own problem. Though, I guess that’s what this chapter is about, standing up for yourself and not leaning on someone else. Hm, maybe that was her problem with Ted, she was leaning on him and now he is going away so she is falling. The end of the chapter is pretty weird also. I think it means that there is value in going many directions? Otherwise her dream mother would not be showing them off to Rose, it would be a tree. So, that means that running all directions is good, maybe it lets you go everywhere and go under the fog in life. Perhaps Old Mr. Chou is Rose’s true self, the part that is not shown until the very end when she stands up to Ted. He wants Rose to listen to her mother and he is the one that wants to lock her out of the dream world and face reality, maybe. He is weird, so I’m just spouting out semi random ideas about him.
2) Rose and her Mother. Obviously Rose’s mother is just trying to find the best route for her. Rose just stopped listening to her mother and started listening to other people. Though, I guess her mother really doesn’t want Rose to listen to her all the time, she just wants her to listen until she can make her own choices. That is why when her mother calls her and asks to visit, her mother asks why can’t she stand up for herself, instead of giving her advice. She wants Rose to realize that she can make her own choices and does not have to rely on other people.
3) In this chapter, Amy Tam uses imagery to give us a pretty clear picture of what is going on. For example, she describes the house in detail, giving us a reason to know why Rose loves the house. Then she describes the disarray of the garden, how “the calla lilies had fallen and turned brown, the daisies had been crushed down by their own weight, and the lettuce had gone to seed.” Amy also describes the dream Rose had to show us the strange world Rose keeps finding herself in and how it affects the story.
4) I think this chapter has the theme of stand up for yourself. That’s the problem that Rose has and she fixes it in the end. It is shown when Rose stands up to Ted and says “You can’t just pull me out of your life and throw me away.” When she does that, I think she stood up and became her own person instead of leaning on different people.
1. You can’t weed me out
2. Without Wood
3. This chapter to me was kind of boring, maybe because I didn’t care for Rose’s situation at this point, since it’s quite evident her marriage is going to end one way or another. I think this would have been better if the resolution of her marriage was finished on the chapter, Half and Half. While reading, I was sort of just anticipating the end. I found portions of the story being “filler”, and didn’t see much substance to them. The beginning introduction with the guardian of dreams, Mr. Chou, was strange. I find it odd how Rose was able to believe in such a ludicrous story. She must have had a vivid imagination or maybe just bad nightmares.
4. Rose’s relationship with Ted is polite yet indifferent. Although through their succumbing divorce they do not contact one another, what communication they have left is very courteous. The letter for divorce was very formal with no feelings. They are indifferent towards one another now, although Rose is still confused of how she feels of Ted. The pity check was trying to get Rose out of the house, not out of any remorse or care. Ted’s feelings for Rose have absolved, and in the end, Rose’s do as well.
5. A technique Amy Tan uses in Without Wood is symbolism. The herb and flower garden that Ted tended in their house represents his love and care for their marriage. Once articulately cared for now is a victim of neglect. This symbolism conveys the idea of love in their relationship, clearing Rose’s confusing thoughts towards Ted. This technique enhances the plot and pushes the story towards the resolution.
6. The main conflict of Without Wood is an internal conflict of Rose’s marriage. She is faced with several opinions as to how she should go about things, but she fails to recognize her own. This human vs. self conflict is explained when Rose has inner thoughts of how she should approach situations, with other’s opinions, with Chinese or American. In the end, Rose’s mother tells her to speak up, and she finally tells Ted she can’t be weeded out so easily.
1) Pleasant and Not-So-Pleasant Visits to Old Mr. Chou
2) American Translation “Rose Hsu Jordan: Without Wood”
3) The details in this chapter made it sound really authentic, such as the fantasy world that Rose lived in and how she believed every silly thing that her mother said to get her to behave. It showed the innocence of childhood and it struck me how true those things were and how often they happen in today’s world.
I thought that what An-mei said was true. An-mei said that if Rose decided to not listen to her own mother, “[her] ear would bend too easily to other people, all saying words that had no lasting meaning, because they came from the bottom of their hearts, where their own desires lived, a place where [Rose] could not belong,” (206). That seemed to happen because in the scene that showed her talking to her friends, she told too many different stories and to each person, her story was a result of listening to the previous friend. It was like Rose, didn’t know what she really wanted, she just repeated what someone else suggest that she do and assume that she felt that way too. For example, she told Waverly that she loved Ted and that she was hurt when he was gone. Waverly told Rose that she was “better off without Ted,” (211) and then when Rose talked to Lena, that was exactly how she told Lena that she felt. Then Lena suggested that Rose “get even,” (211), she told her psychiatrist that she was “obsessed with revenge,” (211). Really, Rose bent too easily to what other’s said and that she was manipulated in to thinking that she felt that way too.
One thing that I realized was that within the circle of friends, Jing-mei Woo wasn’t included. Jing-mei was the same age as Waverly, so age shouldn’t have been a problem, but out of the four girls in the novel, why was Jing-mei the only one that Rose didn’t talk about? Was there a thing to leave Jing-mei out that wasn’t expressed in the past vignettes?
I thought that Ted was a jerk. He only left Rose for a short amount of time and he already wanted to get married to someone else. Why so quick? And when he called Rose back up, all he really wanted to say was that he “wanted the papers returned, signed” and that he “wanted the house,” (217). Gosh…Rude, much?
4) Although there was clearly a conflictive relationship between Rose and Ted. I think that the relationship between Rose and her mother An-mei was more important. I would describe it was something such as…supportive? Well, it shows that Rose’s mother wants what’s best for her, which is why An-mei encourages Rose to “speak up for [herself],”(216). An-mei told Rose that “a girl is like a young tree,” (213). One who listens too much to what other’s say and doesn’t listen to her own mother will fall with the “first strong wind” (213). Rose crashed with what happened between her and Ted, she went a little crazy, but when Rose stood up for herself in the end like her mother told her to, things turned out a lot better. She told Ted off and as a result, she was able to visit Old Mr. Chou and have him smile at her. I guess she just needed a little motivation. Rose realized how much she loved the house that she was living in.
5) I thought that symbolism was a significant writing technique that Amy Tan used in this chapter. The symbols had everything to do with most of the plants stated. I thought that Rose’s name could have also been a hint. The first time that something related to plants were mentioned in the chapter was when Rose was in a “nighttime garden” (207) in her dream. So the first sign was trying to tell us that the garden, or rather that garden, wasn’t the best place to be. Later, Rose described how the garden, where Ted “obsessively [inspected] every leaf as if he were manicuring fingernails” (214) once was so perfect and then when Ted was gone, “the calla lilies had fallen and turned brown, the daises had been crushed down by their own weight…” (215). In other words, that garden symbolized Rose, herself. She was happy when Ted was with her, but with him gone, she felt weighted and even a little crazy. She even said that “the whole thing had grown wild from months of neglect” (215). Another time in which a plant referred to Rose was when her mother described a girl to be a young tree that when listening to others, it would easily fall with the first strong wind. That was like Rose, for she disregarded what her mother said and listened to others.
6) (b. What is the main conflict in the chapter? Is it internal or external, human vs. self, vs. society, vs. nature, vs. human and how do you know?)
I think that the main conflict in this chapter was an internal conflict about human vs. self because most of the time, Rose was dealing with how to handle her own problems. She had trouble figuring things out for herself and so she asked her friends, but it wasn’t until the very end that she figured that the best way would be to stand up for herself.
1. “Weed Garden”
2. “Without Wood”
3. I feel sorry for Rose Hsu Jordan. If people get hurt after being together for a few short months, I can’t imagine getting a divorce after fifteen years. “I felt such pain, literally a physical pain, as if someone had torn of both of my arms without anesthesia, without sewing me back up” (211). If something happened to me like things happened to Rose, I would just want to die. I have always and will always hate psychiatrists. “But [her] psychiatrist just looked bored, his hand still propped under his chin” (211). They don’t care what happens to you, or how you feel, as long as they get money for talking to you. They pretend to care, but most of them really don’t and are bored of hearing you rant about your problems.
4. The relationship between Rose and Ted can be described as vengeful new-found loathing. They once loved each other, but now the feeling is gone. Ted wanted a divorce “because he wanted to get married again, to someone else” (217). “…He wrote, ‘Ten thousand only and no cents’” on a check to Rose; making it look as if he was unwilling to give it to her (213). “‘Ted, you’re such an impotent bastard and I’m going to make sure you stay that way’” Rose talked to her psychiatrist about wanting revenge (211).
5. In this chapter, Amy Tan used flashbacks. She began writing about Rose as a child dreaming about mean Old Mr. Chou, and believing everything her mother said. For the rest of the chapter after that, it spoke of Rose refusing to sign the divorce papers that Ted requested.
6. a. The life lesson in this chapter is to not listen to what everyone says. Rose’s mother told her that “…if [she] [bent] and listen[ed] to other people, [she] [would] grow crooked and weak” (213). Later, when Ted wanted the divorce papers signed, she listened to her mother’s advice for once and the “…x’s were still there, the blanks were still blank” (219).
1. Time to Wake Up
2. Without Wood
3. I thought this chapter was really sad because of her divorce. She was deciding back and forth whether she should sign the divorce papers but she finally listens to her mother, not giving in like she used to. It was weird when she started laughing uncontrollably while on the phone with Ted. The divorce is driving her crazy and she is trying to not feel the pain of knowing her husband was cheating on her. You can tell that she is a little strange and scary because she needs to see a psychiatrist.
4. The relationship between Rose Hsu Jordan and Ted is like a quiet battle. For Ted, he is eager to remarry and wants the divorce papers as soon as possible. He thinks that Rose can’t take care of herself and expects to throw her out easily with some money that means nothing to him. For Rose, she is dying inside because she once loved Ted, and even refuses to believe that he was cheating on her. Rose didn’t know how to stick up for herself but something snapped inside of her and she hands Ted the blank divorce papers. She is fighting back and won’t let Ted win that easily.
5. Amy Tan uses imagery is this chapter. When she is describing the dreams Waverly has, you can picture a man trying to defeat her. She describes the garden, changing colors, and being chased. It adds suspense to the chapter. Her sister was called “Ugly Foot” because her toes spread to look like a witch’s claw. You can also picture the garden in her dream. It is eerie with all the mist and her mother and Mr. Chou in the distance planting weeds all around for Rose.
6. The theme of this chapter is to stand up for yourself. At the beginning of this chapter, Rose was vulnerable and weak because she thought she needed Ted. She couldn’t speak her mind and even denied that Ted was cheating on her. By the end of the chapter, she realizes that Ted never cared for her at all. That made her stand up for herself finally, she became a stronger person because of it.
1. Let's Get Some Weed-killers!
2. Without Wood
3. I really enjoyed this chapter even though it was so short. I loved the fact that Rose Hsu finally stood up to the pompous Ted and the way she asserted her feelings (when it came to the divorce papers). I felt sad as I was reading about how Ted always abused her and too advantage of his wife. While I was reading the chapter, I kept thinking, "Why do you allow him to do that?!". It felt good to read that she was not going to sign the divorce papers. If she signed the papers, it would've seemed like she gave into his demands once again. I was also surprised that she went to a psychiatrist. It would've taken me a lot of guts to try and see a shrink. However, I felt sad because her psychiatrist didn't really help her at all. Throughout her sessions, he was always bored or he didn't pay attention to her. I thought that was sad. I think that her mother helped her with her problems more....
4. I would describe Rose and Ted's relationship as a blank slate. There really isn't anymore love in their relationship. The key word is "anymore". I believe that they used to love each other but as time grew on, Ted because frustrated with Rose. Rose became nothing to Ted and he tried to hurt and manipulate her in any way he could. It was sad because she allowed him to hurt her. Rose thought that she really needed him in her life and she believed that she loved him.
5. In this chapter, Amy Tan uses symbolism. The symbol in this chapter was the garden which was used to represent Rose. When Rose finally looked at the garden, she saw that "the whole thing had grown wild from months of neglect. And seeing the garden in this forgotten condition reminded [her] of something [she] once read in a fortune cookie: When a husband stops paying attention to the garden, he's thinking of pulling up roots" (215). This perfectly describes Rose's relationship with Ted. Ted wants a divorce and he wants to "pull" her out of the house like the weeds, firmly rooted to the ground of the house. When Rose refused to leave the house, she was the like the weeds that burrowed deep into the soil. They were impossible to uproot and get rid of.
6. The theme to this chapter is to stand up for yourself and others opinions don't matter. Rose was constantly abiding to Ted's wishes and she was taken advantage of. By the end of the chapter, she recognizes her own faults of listening to everyone and she stood up for herself and the planned divorce.
1. I’m gonna stand tall
2. Without Wood
3. I thought this chapter was going to be boring and it was, but it did have some interesting parts. I liked how Rose stood up to Ted and fought for her right to stay in the house. I, also, liked the scene when Rose showed Ted the garden with all those weeds growing beside his dead flowers. It gave Ted a lesson; he loved the garden so much and now when he came back it was dead. He was probably disappointed and he should’ve been. Ted cheated and manipulated Rose’s feelings and decided to replace his wife for another woman. Gosh…he was such a jerk! How could someone be so heartless? Anyways, I loved the way Rose handed Ted the unsigned divorce documents! That was a nice way of teaching him a lesson. Also, I liked how she used her powerful words to hulihuda him! I thought Rose was kind of weird to go see a psychiatrist. I mean she had a psyche-atrick right at home! Rose’s mother helped her solve her problem with Ted and advised her to “stand tall” and speak up.
4. I would describe Ted and Rose’s relationship as submissive. Their relationship is based on incomprehension and gaps. Ted always found ways to manipulate and hurt Rose’s feelings because he didn’t care for her. He basically treated her as if she was nothing to him. In addition, Rose allowed Ted to overshadow her life with misery and depression. She let herself think that she actually needed him. When Rose realized that she could not let Ted replace her with another woman, she decided to stand tall and inform Ted that “[he couldn’t] just pull [her] out of [his] life and throw [her] away” (219). Once Rose resisted against Ted, she was able to free herself from his dark, gloomy shadow and break through the unhappiness that surrounded her.
5. The thrilling imagery and the sensory details pulled me into this chapter. Amy Tan used imagery to paint the scene into the reader’s mind so they could imagine what she was trying to show. I especially liked the scene where Rose describes her dream. She was “stomping on plants with veins of blood, running through fields of snapdragons that changed colors like stoplights, until [she] came to a giant playground filled with row after row of square sandboxes” (208). I, also, loved the way Tan used descriptive words and sensory imagery to describe the nightmare scene with Rose and Mr. Chou. I felt as if I was walking in Rose’s shoes and experiencing her horrifying dream. I could feel her emotions and understand what she was going through as she saw those dreadful sights.
6. I think the theme of this chapter is to stand up for oneself. Rose always had this problem because she could never rise up and face her problems. When Rose had nightmares, she expected her mother to come and save her. Then, Rose wanted her mother’s help to find a resolution for her marital problems. However at the end, Rose finally stands up for herself and tells Ted “[that he] can’t just pull [her] out of [his] life and throw [her] away” (219). After what she did, Rose became a more powerful and independent person because she “[stood] tall” (213).
1. I’m here to Stay
2. Without Wood
3. I thought it was funny how Rose and her sisters gave each other really weird names, such as “Whistling Nose,” “Ugly Foot,” and “Scaredy Eyes” (207). In my opinion, all three names are equally creepy. I though the whole dream legend was a little weird, and I didn’t understand why picking a different doll would make things scary. I was annoyed at Rose’s mom because she kept on talking during the funeral at the church. The way Rose kept on telling different people different things about Ted was confusing. It was also kind of creepy when she talked about taking revenge on Ted. Even so, I felt sorry for Rose because her marriage was falling apart and Ted was sleeping around behind her back. When Rose finally told Ted she was going to keep the house, I felt really proud of her because I wasn’t sure she was able to put her foot down on the matter.
4. I would describe the relationship between Rose and Ted as a battle. Ted was eager to have a divorce so he can remarry with another woman he had been seeing. Rose was unsure about the divorce. Rose told Waverly that Ted could hurt her like someone tearing her arms off without anesthesia. Then she told Lena she couldn’t care less about Ted. Both Rose and Ted wanted to keep the house after the divorce, so they must battle for it in divorce court.
5. In this chapter, Tan uses imagery to help the reader picture the scenes in her story. For example, Rose’s sister Ruth was called “Ugly Foot” because she could spread her toes out in the shape of a witch’s claw. Tan also described the withered garden behind her home. When she looked out of the window, she saw “the calla lilies hand fallen and turned brown, the daisies had been crushed down by their own weight, and the lettuce had gone to seed.
6. The message in this chapter is that you have to stand up for yourself and not let anyone push you over. At first, Rose wasn’t able to speak her mind and voice her opinion about the house after the divorce. In the end, she was able to stand up for her own rights and not let Ted push her around.
Hulihudu
Without Wood
1. I didn’t really understand what Rose was talking about Old Mr. Chou. I also think it didn’t make sense that Rose was the only one who could remember her dreams, that both of her sisters could not. Rose’s mother controlled her when she was a kid, and she is still trying to control her now, when she is an adult. I really liked how Rose stood up to Ted though. Throughout her whole marriage, she had been overshadowed by Ted, but now, she finally realizes that she has things to stand up for, that she has rights and Ted shouldn’t be able to just take it all away.
2. Rose and Ted’s relationship is something like a battle. Ted wants Rose out of his life and, thinking that she can’t stand up for what she wants or take care of herself, gives her some money that doesn’t mean anything to him. Rose, however, realized that she can do something about her divorce, that she should stand up for what she wants. She won’t let Ted just take her and throw her out of his life
3. Amy Tan uses symbolism and foreshadow in this chapter. She uses plants as symbols. Rose, her namesake a flower, has no wood, and according to her mother, because she has no wood, she will grow crooked and weak like weed, growing in wild directions, until someone pulls her out and throws her away. This foreshadows Ted trying to pull Rose out of his life and throwing her away. At the end of the chapter, Rose dreams of Old Mr. Chou and her mother, planting weed that flows in every direction. This weed is her, running in every direction.
4. The main conflict in this chapter is between human and self. Rose is trying to overcome her weakness of listening to others. At first, she asks her friends and a psychiatrist. She tells them all different stories, which are all true, so she doesn’t know what to do. In the end, she finds her own strength and does what she really wants to do.
Raymond Yeh
Period 6
1. Deep Roots
2. Without Wood
3. Like the chapter before, this chapter also ends with a happy ending. Rose is finally able to stand up to her beliefs and defeat the weak Ted, who pretends to be strong. One part I didn’t really understand was Mr. Chou, the Chinese guardian of sleep. I did not really know what role Mr. Chou has to play in the chapter. Did it symbolize her bad relationship with Ted?
4. In the beginning of the chapter, Ted is the one that seems to have more control. He is the one who cheated on Rose and the one that wanted the divorce. Once Rose’s mother tells her to stand up for herself, she becomes stronger. She invites Ted over to the house and shows him the garden. Then she tells him that she is staying in the house and not moving out. Ted is angry and tries to protest but Rose insists and stays strong. At the end of the chapter, Rose has become the one who has more control over Ted.
5. The garden in Rose’s house seems to symbolize her relationship with Ted. When they first moved into the house, both of them were happy. As a hobby, Ted spent a lot of his taking care of the garden. Once Ted wanted a divorce, he moved out of the house for some time. The garden became messy and full of weeds, symbolizing their failed marriage.
6. The overall theme of this chapter is strength. When Rose decided to stand up to Ted, she did not do any preparations. She just let her words flow out of her mouth. It instills fear in Ted a lets him know that he cannot just “pull her out of his life and throw her away” (219). Rose’s strength had turned Ted into the weak one and Rose into the strong one. Her strong words had made Ted confused, puzzled, and even afraid.
1. “Knock Knock”
2. Without Wood
3. I liked this chapter. It made me think about myself and all my friends and what elements we might be missing. Even though I like Rose’s character, I can relate to Ted for being upset. It would be annoying to have someone who never voiced their opinions, who relied on your thoughts and choices so much.
4. I would describe the relationship between An-Mei and Rose as ultimately supportive. In the beginning of the chapter, it seems that An-Mei is critical of her daughter. But as the chapter progresses, it becomes apparent that An-Mei is simply being protective and truly cares about her daughter. She is trying to teach her to do the right thing.
5. In this chapter, Amy Tan uses symbolism to further her insights and points. The garden that is in front of their Woodside home is a symbol for Rose and Ted’s marriage. Ted had always taken care of it very nicely, but eventually stopped tending to the garden. There is also a lot of imagery to describe this garden. This is the same time that he gave up on their marriage, and stopped “tending” it.
6. This chapter is connected to the allegory at the beginning of the section. They both have to do with Chinese mothers who intervene in their daughters’ marriages. Rose eventually must realize that her mother has more insight into her happiness than she might think.
Monkey Business
“Without Wood”
1.Ugh, I hate Ted. I hate him and I hate what he did to Rose. I don’t know if it’s a bad thing but I watched the movie and I really hoped that Ted would change. I kept wishing that Ted would call her and they would make up but once she described Ted as “hairless” (209) I knew that he was different from the Ted in the movie. I was angry and disappointed that Ted was doing “monkey business” with someone else. And it killed me that he gave the pen that Rose gave him to sign the divorce papers. That’s thoughtful. He’s so blind; how could he do that to Rose when she basically gave herself up for him and their relationship. I guess Ted isn’t the only one to blame for Rose’s downward spiral because Rose allowed some of herself to get lost in their relationship. I was really happy that Rose found her voice again. When she told Ted that she was staying in the house, I thought to myself, “Oh shoot!” and then snapped my fingers two times. Who they heck does Ted think he is telling her that she can have 15,000 bucks and nothing else after what he did to her? I’m glad that she finally stood up for herself and just in time.
2.An-Mei seems like an advisor to Rose. She’s always there is offer a guiding hand and dish out words of obscure wisdom to Rose. Honestly, why does she need a therapist when she has her mom? An-Mei’s so reliable and I think her relationship with Rose grew even more during Rose’s divorce. Before, Rose would sort of brush off An-Mei’s advice but in this chapter she really took it to heart. She realized that she had the strength to take a stand and speak out. I think their relationship grew stronger because Rose finally understood that her mother was the one that was really helping her.
3.At first, I thought the garden represented Ted and Rose’s relationship. But when I think about it, it makes more sense if it represented Rose. The garden was a wild, mess; plants dying and weeds abound. It was severely neglected because of the conflict between Ted and Rose. I thought that because the garden was neglected that it was their marriage. But it wasn’t the marriage that was neglected it was Rose. Throughout their marriage, Rose always put Ted first. She was searching desperately for ways to please him and in the process she lost herself.
4.I think the theme of the story is that you should stand up and speak up for yourself. A person’s words are their best weapons. For a while, Rose lost her “words” and her spine. She lost herself by chasing after Ted’s love that was long gone and making Ted her priority. But when she visited the garden, she realized that she had been neglecting herself for Ted and regained the ability to stand up again.
1. “You’re the one who is Hulihudu”
2. AMERICAN TRANSLATION: “ROSE HSU JORDAN: Without Wood”
3. I wasn’t as enthusiastic on reading this chapter as I was reading the previous one, but this chapter allowed me to understand Rose and her situation more. This chapter started out somewhat scary because Rose’s mother talked about ghosts wanting to come inside their house and doors unlocking themselves and that made me a bit scared. It was frightening to know that Rose didn’t like to sleep at night and start dreaming because “Old Mr. Chou takes [her] to bad places” (207). It was funny when Rose described the voodoo doll she got from Lena and what she would do to it. I think that Rose became confused and didn’t know what to do. A lot of people were giving her advice about what she should do about her divorce. The fact that Ted used the pen Rose gave him for Christmas to write on their divorce papers made me angry and think he was a jerk because he told her that he would only use that pen for important things. I felt relieved that Rose stood her ground and told Ted that she would not sell the house and she would continue living there. It shows that she can now make her own decisions unlike before where she had difficulty deciding on simple things.
4. Rose and Ted’s roles switched through the course of this chapter. Their relationship can now be described as reversed. Back when Rose and Ted were married, Ted always took control and made decisions for both of them. When Ted asked Rose to decide on things when he became busy, Rose wasn’t ready and therefore, their marriage fell. Ted also had more authority over now that he wants Rose to sign their divorce papers. Rose was about to give in and do what Ted asked of her but a change of heart happened. She spoke up to Ted and instead of allowing him to sell the house that she loves so much, she stood her ground and made a very important decision. Rose became a person who allowed Ted to have more power over her to being a person who took Ted’s role and telling him what to do.
5. Amy Tan uses imagery in this chapter. Rose described her dream where she was standing on Mr. Chou’s backyard. The vivid colors of “plants with veins of blood, (207) and snapdragons that “changed colors like stoplights” (208) were very alive and I got sucked into this imaginary world. Also, she described the garden that Ted grew which became a mess. The different flowers such as calla lilies turned brown, the daises were smushed to the ground, and the weeds that climbed the house walls. The imagery in this chapter really helped me picture simple scenes that Rose saw.
6. I think that the main conflict in this chapter is human vs. self. Rose is having trouble deciding on what to do about her divorce with Ted. She tells Waverly that it dealing with her divorce is causing her pain and it is as if “someone had torn off both [her] arms without anesthesia, without sewing [her] back up” (211). She told Lena that she was better off without Ted and to her psychiatrist, she told about how much she wanted revenge. Rose became stressed out to the point that she stayed in bed for three days straight, her head numb and having no dreams. It is obvious that Rose is having a hard time coping with her divorce and can’t think straight. She needed to make her own decision without anyone’s input and in the end, she stood up and told Ted her feelings and that she would not take no for an answer.
1. Where’s your backbone?
2. “Without Wood”
3. Only a few pages in and the chapter is already giving me the creeps. Tales of lost ghosts and doors unlocking themselves at night are definitely eerie and I’m not surprised that Rose would have nightmares. While reading, I was surprised to see Waverly’s and Lena’s brief opinions while reading this chapter. I wonder if the two of the characters with stronger personalities were inserted in the chapter to act as some sort of irony to the weaker Rose since she did, in fact, do the opposite of their advice. Although this was supposed to be a dramatic scene, it was pretty funny reading the line where Rose asked Ted if he was “doing monkey business with someone else”. It threw me off for a second. On another note, I really enjoyed seeing Rose begin to stand up for herself by the end of the chapter.
4. Ted and Rose share a loveless relationship. Ted, harboring no more desire for Rose, cheats on her and wants to marry another woman. Rose, on the other hand, also feels no more love for Ted after realizing that she only missed the way she felt when she was with him. In addition, she also feels no remorse or devastation when she finds out the Ted had been betraying her while they were married.
5. Amy Tan uses powerful word choice in this chapter. When describing some of the dreams with Old Mr. Chou, Amy Tan uses words like “slam”, “squash”, and “chased” to create a sense of danger. Great word choice creates all different kinds of moods which can draw the readers in.
6. The main conflict is human vs. self. Rose is surrounded with numerous choices about her divorce with Ted and she internally struggles to make one. However, she doesn’t know what she wants exactly. Rose, without a clear head and a backbone, is overwhelmed and conflicted by the weight of her situation.
Tiffany Vuong
6th period
1. “The Step Up”
2. “Without Wood”
3. I felt that Rose handled herself well after receiving the divorce papers from Ted. Especially finding out that he was doing “monkey business” like what her mom had said to her. She tried to get several different opinions from different people, but in the end she didn’t need them because she just went with what she felt was the right thing to do. Near the end of the chapter she called Ted over for some reason she didn’t know at the time, then she shows him the garden with the weeds growing out of control, and then decides to stay living in the house. For a person seeing a psychiatrist, who can't seem to figure out what to do on her own, to argue to stay living in the house to someone she had been scared to talk to is pretty unbelievable.
4. Rose and Ted’s relationship could be described as questionable. For a relationship to not work out either both people had to have done something wrong. When Ted and Rose were talking in the garden you can notice Ted knows Rose isn’t going to answer back, argue, or disagree. She would just listen to what he had to say. He was surprised when Rose had said she found a place to stay, but was furious when she disagreed when he said to move out. He's not used to Rose not following the things he wants her to do. Rose was always a push over, which is why she had a problem to talk to him when her mother wanted her to.
5. In this chapter Amy Tan used imagery giving me a sense of being there right next to Rose. It was really helpful when Tan explains the garden of weeds wrapping around the house, anchoring here and there, making its way to the roof, etc. When using imagery to describe how the garden looks also makes finding the symbolism of the garden easier.
6. The theme of this chapter is stand up for what you believe in. In the beginning of the chapter, Rose only wanted to listen to what others had to say about the relationship between her and Ted. Those opinions were the only ones that mattered and that helped her feel better. Later, she starts to piece everything together on her own and comes to a conclusion that Ted never really cared for her, giving her the courage to disagree with Ted when he tells her to move out after one month.
The Garden
Without Wood
1. I felt really bad for Rose in this chapter because it seems that after Ted left her she has no self confidence left. She just kind of hid herself from the world be sleeping a lot and not going out. I thought Ted was a really big jerk. He acted as though Rose was little more than a hindrance to his new life. I’m glad that finally at the end of the chapter Rose stands up for herself and fights for the house.
2. The relationship between Rose and her mother in my opinion grows a little bit stronger in this chapter. During Rose’s difficult time of divorce, her mom helps her and lets her know that she is there for Rose no matter what. Rose’s mother told Rose at the funeral that “a mother is best. A mother knows what is inside you” (210). Her mom was telling Rose this so that Rose would know that she can come to her mom for help because her mom truly knows her daughter and knows what she needs.
3. I liked Amy Tan’s use of symbolism in this chapter. I think that the garden symbolizes Rose’s life. The garden was not maintained and cared for for a while, and that is why it is messy and weeds are growing every where. However, Rose all of a sudden gets a sudden impulse to go take care of it. Likewise, Rose’s life was spinning out of control after her split with Ted. However, all of a sudden, one night, she decides that she can no longer be pushed around and she stands up for herself and fights to live in her home.
4. I think the problem in this chapter is human vs. self. The main problem in this chapter is Rose feeling bad about herself. She feels as though she cannot live without Ted and she feels like she is not worth anything. The only thing holding her back before was her self confidence. That is what was truly hindering her. That is why she let Ted run her life. But, by the end of the story she decides to stick up for herself because she realizes that she is worth something and that she should not let people push her around
-Laurie Jeng
1.You’ll Need More Than Twigs
2.“Without Wood”
3.These chapters are just getting better and better. The ending to this chapter was, finally, a release! At first, I thought that Rose would not be able to make any decisions, and that she would continue down her indecisive path of life. When Rose began laughing at the hilarity of the situation and the use of the word “monkey business” toward Ted, I found myself wanting to laugh with her. In the end, I wanted to applaud her for her sudden burst of confidence. What I didn’t like, however, was Ted’s demanding tone toward Rose. It seemed like he was holier-than-thou and just accusatory when he gave her ten thousand dollars and was impatient for her to give the divorce papers back.
4.An-Mei and Rose’s relationship, I think, grew. Even though at the end of the chapter, the scene of An-Mei and Old Mr. Chou was not real, it seemed to sum up their relationship as positive again. Listening to her mother did help. Although most of the chapter is about Rose’s ongoing situation with the divorce, I think that her mother’s relentless question of why she doesn’t stand up or speak up for herself finally comes through to Rose, which helps them build a stronger relationship.
5.Again, I found that the symbolism really broke through in this chapter. The withering garden represents how Ted has always tended to her, and their relationship. When he stopped, they began to separate. But looking past all the withering beauty, she sees the weeds “spilling out over the edges, running wild in every direction” (220), resembling herself at present. She is free of her indecisiveness and her dependency on Ted.
6.In this chapter, I learned about the concept of being “without wood.” At first, I thought of the Vietnamese phrase, loosely translated into, “You’re like a piece of wood” – meaning one cannot listen or obey correctly, acting like something inanimate, like a piece of wood. But I read on, and found that I was not very close. In the Chinese sense, it means that one has to be like a tree, and “stand tall”; it “is the only way to grow strong and straight” (213). To have wood is to have a backbone; to be able to stand up for yourself and not be swayed by others.
Johnny Chu
Period 7
1. Unbalanced
2. Without Wood
3. Rose and Ted were getting divorced, but Rose didn’t want to. Rose became mentally hurt and need therapy. In the end Rose didn’t want to leave Ted’s house. She became very crazy and loved Ted too much. Rose’s mother always said that Rose never listened to her enough and that she was only to listen to her only. Her mother would always say that she didn’t have enough of the element wood making her listen to other people easily.
4. Rose and her mother’s relationship are not that good since rose doesn’t listen to her mother a lot when she was little. Even though she did she listened to other people more. Rose and Ted’s relationship is not good. They got to the point of divorce which was bad. However, Rose still wanted to stay with him, bur meanwhile Ted was going to remarry. So Rose decides to stay in his house and never leave.
5. Amy Tan uses a lot of symbolism. One example is the griping blackberry vines of the house. It means that Rose is trying to grab onto Ted and not let him leave her.
6c. Again Chinese people are very superstitious because Rose’s mother thinks that she didn’t have enough wood in her.
1. Speak Up
2. “Without Wood”
3. The beginning of “Without Wood” confused me. I don’t understand that Old Mr. Chou guy. I’m not sure who he is, or what he does, or why he’s so significant. I didn’t quite get when Roses mother told her only to listen to her and she replied, “But old Mr. Chou listens to you too.” That threw me off just a little bit. In this chapter, Rose seems to be very indecisive. She is going through a divorce with Ted, and she doesn’t know what to do because she had been so dependent on him for so long. Because Rose was “born without wood,” she listened to too many other people’s opinions, which only made it harder for her to choose what she wanted to do. I thought it was interesting the way An-Mei compared girls to young trees. I thought it was extremely true, too. I think she was trying to say a girl should stand up for herself, speak up and listen to her mother to become strong, but never mind what others say because if she does, she’d grow weak. I feel sad for Rose and the situation she is going through. She must have felt sad and heartbroken. I was surprised that Ted had the nerve to call Rose the day she laid in bed. I got pretty irritated when I read that he wanted not only the signed divorce papers, but the house, and their marriage to be over as soon as possible just so he could get married to another woman. What a jerk! I was shocked towards the end of the phone call; Rose began to laugh and told him to come over. I was glad and happy for her when she finally stood up for herself to Ted.
4. The relationship between Rose and Ted is barely even a relationship. I mean, whatever they had, or thought they had, was an acquaintance. Rose had always been hiding under Ted’s shadow. He didn’t treat her well, anyways. Luckily, Rose found the courage to stand up for herself, which is what she should have done in the first place.
5. A technique Amy Tan uses in “Without Wood” is imagery. She successfully used this in describing the dreams Rose had with Mr. Chou and allowed me to picture the dreams and how Rose felt when she was dreaming.
6. The theme for this chapter would be to stand up for yourself. You should have your own opinion and stand tall and strong. You should have your own voice and not “bend to listen to other people,” which basically means you shouldn’t listen to someone else who has the dominant position and follow them because you don’t know where you stand. Rose, for example, didn’t know what she wanted with Ted, listening to other people’s opinions until she finally stood up for herself and decided not to live in his shadow anymore, refusing to sign the divorce papers.
Decisions
“Without Wood”
1. This chapter gave me closure from the previous chapter with Rose. I was surprise to read that she had finally made a decision because in the other vignette, she didn’t make any choices and just watched her marriage fall apart. It was also unexpected that she didn’t sign anything and said something that left Ted in fear and confusion. On another note, the beginning of this chapter made me laugh on the nicknames of the three sisters.
2. The relationship between Rose and her mom is common. Rose’s mom, An-Mei, tells her daughter many things about life and how she should speak out about her divorce. Rose ignores this advice until she finally understands her mom’s advice and takes it.
3. Amy Tan uses Mr. Chou to symbolize Rose’s relationship with her mom. She feared Mr. Chou because she believed that he took her to bad places. When An-Mei told Rose to just listen to her, she said that Mr. Chou listens to An-Mei as well. Thirty years later, Rose still does not listen to her mom until the very end. When she spoke about her divorce, finally taking her mom’s advice, Rose said that that night, she had a dream about Mr. Chou and her mother welcoming her into the garden. It shows that if Rose listened to her mother all the time, Mr. Chou would not be so mean and instead invite her into his garden.
4. I think the theme is to always stand straight, like a tree and it is shown through the title. Without wood, a tree has no strength to stand tall as it grows. For people, without having a backbone, they will eventually slump down into a depressed state, leaving them to watch their lives go by without doing anything about it, just like Rose.
“Mr. Chou’s restaurant special: twigs and weeds”
CH. Without Wood
1. This chapter is pretty disturbing and I can see why Rose had all of those nightmares. Since she was small, Rose would always listen and believe whatever her mother told her, and after she grew up, the childhood memories still followed her. I think that unlike Lena and Waverly, Rose and her mother share a more understanding and invisible bond.
Another thing is that, why is Rose staying mainly because of the withered garden? Is the garden supposed to mean or symbolize something? Could it mean that before, Rose and Ted’s marriage was like the flowering and abundant garden, and when Ted started doing “monkey business” with some one else, the garden started to slowly shrivel up and die?
2. I would say that the relationship between Rose and Ted is changing as to who is in control. Ted always just used to make the decisions and boss Rose around, intimidating her with his “expression [that terrified her] into stammers” (219). However, at the end of “Without Wood,” Rose finally realizes that Ted can’t “…just pull [her] out of [his] life and throw [her] away,” so she puts her foot down and draws the line.
3. A technique that Amy Tan uses is parallel structure. In the beginning of the chapter, whenever An-mei said something that was superstitious, Rose would believe it because “The power of her [mother’s] words [were] that strong” (206). Then, towards the end of the chapter, Rose tells Ted that she’s keeping, and when he becomes confused, Rose says, “The power of my words were that strong” (219). This parallel structure helps the reader understand how Rose and her mother are closer now and how Rose is learning from and taking after her mom.
4. The main conflict in this chapter is character vs. self. Then Ted sent the divorce papers, Rose was shocked and confused. Rotating between Chinese thinking and American thinking, she could not make up her mind. When she was about to call her lawyer she thought, “What could I say? What did I want from divorce?—When I never knew what I had wanted from marriage?” (215). Even though she just wanted to sign the divorce papers and put an end to it, at the same time, she did not want to make it seem as if she just gave in and let Ted win once again.
1. Be the Change; Pick your own destiny
2. The Rice Husband
3. I thought this chapter was particularly distressing. I didn’t like the marriage between Lena and Harold. It wasn’t what I’d call a marriage; it was more like a business agreement than a loving relationship. In this chapter, there was not a lot of description about the feelings they had between each other; it was mostly talking about Lena’s frustration and what she had to go through while being married to Harold. The scene where Lena said that Harold made about seven times as more than her really annoyed me. If they’re married and they both thought of the idea of making a business together, they should be business partners and not a wife working for her husband. If they are partners together in life, then they should be business partners as well. I also did not like how Harold didn’t give Lena the credit she deserved when she came up with all these brilliant ideas while he just plagiarized them. He also seemed to take advantage of Lena a lot, although she dismissed it, and said she didn’t mind. The fact that she was the one paying for meals was very ungentlemanly of him and it bugged me to no end. Lena’s mother, Ying-Ying, was very right to ask her all these questions about why she was allowing herself to be treated this way. No mother should allow their daughter to be treated so badly by someone who hardly deserved to be married to her.
4. The relationship between Lena and her mother, Ying-Ying is an interesting and peculiar one between a parent and a child. Normally, parents would be furious that their daughter was being mistreated in her marriage and try their best to convince them to leave their ungrateful spouses and find someone more suitable; but Ying-Ying did nothing like that. While visiting Lena, she noticed all the things troubling Lena, but she didn’t nag at Lena or force her to admit that she was unhappy with her marriage. All she did was ask her a few questions about the strange things that her and Harold do. Even if Ying-Ying didn’t interrogate her daughter, she still had good intentions. Her questions affected Lena strongly and made her realize how unhappy she was, which was, in my opinion, much more effective than nagging.
5. I noticed that Tan used the useless and unstable table as a metaphor. The metaphor is that the table is useless, ugly, and unworthy of space, similar to Lena’s marriage with Harold. When the table breaks, Lena new that it would happen, but she does nothing to prevent it. Exactly like her marriage with Harold. The table probably once seemed beautiful to Harold, but now that it was many years later, the table was awkward and ugly. Lena’s marriage also once seemed beautiful and amazing, but now it was falling apart. One day, the marriage will break, and Lena would have done nothing to prevent it, because she dismisses her feelings and ignores her thoughts to make Harold happy.
6. The theme of this chapter is if you see something useless and falling apart, do something about it, and prevent it. During the entire chapter, Lena was miserable about her marriage and she wanted things to change. She did not change anything and she pays the price by getting into a fight with Harold and questioning her once-happy marriage. In the beginning, Lena wanted to change her fate and marry someone decent, so she left food on her plate to do a sort of voo-doo technique on Arnold and killed him. Because she decided to change her fate, she didn’t marry a pock-faced man; she married someone else that she liked much better than Arnold.
1. grow a backbone
2. Without wood
3.In this chapter, I thought it was very typical for a mother to force her daughter to listen to her, and for the mother to always think that she is right. I can understand Rose’s struggle to listen to her mother when so many opinions and thoughts were being told to her. I liked the metaphor that An-Mei used; about how a young girl is like a tree, and will bend if the girl bends to listen to other people besides her mother. Once again, Rose is indecisive about signing the divorce papers and ignores it by sleeping for 3 days. This sort of frustrated me, because procrastinating her troubles isn’t a good way to handle things. But in the end, it was a good idea that she pondered her thoughts and was indecisive instead of signing the divorce papers right away. I liked how she stood up for herself against Ted, and I was very annoyed at Ted for wanting to get rid of Rose all along. If he wanted to do that, what’s the point of marrying Rose in the first place? I was a little confused by the ending. I wasn’t sure if she was going to try and save her marriage, or get as much of out the divorce as possible and leave Ted miserable.
4. The relationship between Ted and Rose is one that a bully and a victim might have. Ted treats Rose badly during their marriage and decides to divorce her without a good reason. Rose, being too scared and meek to do anything about, accepts all the troubles and hardships that Ted gives her and does not fight back. Ted, wanting to get rid of her all along, bullies her one more time for the house. Rose has had several days to think about what she wanted, and she fought back against Ted. He was shocked and surprised when someone that he had been bullying for so long fought back against him and he became afraid of her. In the end, Rose learns to stand up for herself and challenges Ted for all the abuse he’s put her through for so many years.
5. Tan uses a metaphor when An-Mei is talking to Rose during China Mary’s funeral. She says “A girl is like a young tree. You must stand tall and listen to your mother standing next to you. That is the only way to grow strong and straight. But if you bend to listen to other people, you will grow crooked and weak. You will fall to the ground with the first strong wind.” She explains to Rose that if she does not listen to her mother, she will crumble. In the beginning, Rose defies her mother’s words and does not think of them to be important, this causes her to grow weak and allow Ted to do whatever he wanted to her. Later in this story, An-Mei calls Rose and tells her to stand up for herself. Rose listens to her mother and fights back against Ted. This forces her to grow strong, and she is no longer afraid of Ted.
6.The life lesson in this chapter is that mother might be right after all. This is shown throughout the story, starting with the metaphor I explained in question 5. If Rose continues to not listen to her mother, then Ted would have bullied her even more, and she wouldn’t have found hidden strength inside herself.
1. I found you, Old Mr. Chou!
2. “Without Wood”
3. This chapter was a breaking point for Rose. She overcame her biggest problem, her love for Ted. Rose’s marriage with Ted ended with a divorce. Ted sent her divorce papers, signed with the “special pen”, the one used for important documents only. Ted quickly pressured Rose to sign the papers. At first, Rose was hesitant to sign nor look at the papers. She was in denial about the divorce, about Ted leaving her, about Ted cheating on her. Rose always had the sense that Ted would come running back and the two of them would live happily ever after. Rose tried seeking help in her physiatrist, but it was no help. Her physiatrist was lazy and never really did his job. Her mother was no help either, due to the fact that all her mother said really was “Fix it.” Rose was alone in this. She was, I think, in a depression. Her friends couldn’t help her more than the encouragement they had already given her. Rose went on sleeping pills for days. She’d wake up and resort to more sleeping pills. Rose finally decided to invite Ted over to have a talk. Ted was blunt about it, telling her the fast they get it over with the happier he is. Ted crushes Rose’s wounded heart even more by announcing his marriage plans soon after the divorce. Soon as those words entered Rose’s mind, she quickly gained full control and finally stood her ground. She wasn’t going to let Ted take advantage of her anymore. She was going to man up and demand for what she wanted, the house.
4. Rose and Ted’s relationship was an ongoing war. Rose’s war with Ted began after the divorce, when she didn’t know what to do or what was going on. Ted fought hard, fighting of Rose with money. He offers her 10,000 dollars after the divorce, but Rose refused the money and demanded the house.
5. In this chapter, Amy Tan used symbolism. The garden behind the house represents Rose. When Rose was happily living with Ted, the garden bloomed and reigned in its glory. However, when Ted left Rose, the garden wilted. Flowers died, and weeds began growing wildly. Like the garden, Rose loses control of herself and becomes somewhat confused and crazy.
6. I think the theme or message in this chapter is to man up and speak what you want. Rose had lost Ted already and now she is being taken advantage of by him. She then soon realizes that she is better than that and stands her ground, demanding for her house.
1. My turn to choose
2. Without Wood
3. In this chapter, I thought it was quite boring but exciting in a small way. I liked how she conspired what she was finally going to do at the end and the expression that I could imagine in Ted’s face and especially Rose’s face; smiling with satisfaction. Unlike Waverly and Lena, it seems to be Rose had a weak will and realizes it when she was in a difficult situation. Rose becomes confused when Ted gives her all these paper and a check. After a few days, she recovers from it and takes action. I thought it was brave of her to finally step up.
4. The relationship between Rose and Ted was more one sided. At the end, Ted just wanted the divorce paper signed but Rose actually gave thought and had hesitation which shows Rose cared but Ted did not. At the end she realizes everything and takes action against Ted and does what she should’ve done.
5. In this chapter, one of Amy Tan writing technique that is used imagery. She uses imagery to help us visualize the dreams Rose had and the garden that she had live. This helped us get a better understand of the dream and situation Rose was in.
6. I think they theme of this chapter is that the only person that can stand up for you is yourself. Her mother would tell her to not bend the wood to listen to others but rather have wood and stand strong. Her friends and psychiatrist would give her suggestions when she didn’t know what to do with Ted but she was confused. She then finally stood up for the better of herself and refused to give the house to him.
Eileen Ly from 7th period
Scaredy Eyes
Without Wood
This chapter really caught my attention with its title. To me, it hit me with the message of self-doubt. If you were to doubt yourself, how would you even begin to grow straight? The dreams with Mr. Chou could be symbolic, standing for her courage and confidence and how she looks for herself-her qualities. More or less, the dreams are weird and confusing. Also, I don’t know why I found Rose’s memory of Mrs. Berry so funny. But I laughed anyway. It gave me this picture of Rose as a weed on her teacher’s lawn and Mrs. Berry standing right over her and smacking her with a ruler, going “Hulihudu!” over and over again, kind of like a strange ritual. Oh, and I kept picturing Ted as a monkey itching its behind, too which didn’t help curb my laughter at all. Putting the awkward humor aside, I’m glad that Rose got everything together in the end and told Ted off. The power of her words which were that strong proved to me the strength and influence of a single sentence and how much impact it can have on the human soul.
Ted and Rose’s relationship could best be described as running wild. 15 years…”fifteen years of living in Ted’s shadow” (215) really puts in a lot of symbolism. Perhaps the weeds represent Rose and who she is. First of all, weeds are unwanted, yet they grow everywhere. They’re not obligated to grow in one small patch of un-cemented dirt, they grow in between the cracks, in the shadows. They grow everywhere and people hate weeds; therefore, weed killers are invented. But more will grow anyway. Why do they keep on growing? Why does Rose say to Ted, “I’m staying” (219)? It should be noted that weeds are stubborn and refuse to leave. Rose is like a weed, running wild, not knowing how to stand up for herself and growing uncontrollably crooked and everywhere, but like a weed, she has hidden strong roots. Beneath all the heimongmong, she finally understands this. Her roots are her strength. Even when battered down and stepped on, Rose gets up and refuses to leave. She stands up for herself. Her relationship with Ted runs wild with Ted trying to pry her out of his life but in the end, she looks at him and even baffles his resolution with hers.
Tan uses a lot of imagery and symbolism within this chapter through Rose’s dreams of Old Mr. Chou and the garden. It seems chaotic with plants whose veins are filled with blood and sandboxes filled with dolls (I hate dolls.). For me, it made no sense, but Tan made it seem as if I was looking down into the heimongmong.
Going further into themes and symbols, the obvious theme would be “Stand up for yourself” or something like that. Personally, I feel as if I should be looking for something more, since the same old same old always gets to me. What Tan is trying to get through to her readers is based on a sense of identity and belonging. Believe me, a fear is not to belong. To be unwanted. Perhaps Tan is trying to reach deep into the hearts of her readers with the message of identity. If a person didn’t know who he or she was, how would they belong? How would they speak for themselves? Would they be puppets, controlled by others to speak? Because if you didn’t realize your goals, your dreams, yourself, what would be left to be found by others? Unable to stand up for yourself, letting others walk all over you, where’s your sense of identity? Despite all these weird questions that have come up from nowhere, I believe that Rose is lost. She’s in a conflict with herself. She’s so busy listening to others and speaking their thoughts, that she’s forgotten who she really is, and what makes her so important, that it matters is she belongs or not. With this I can go back in a circle to state that her state of being an unwanted weed, could portray her unconscious fear of not belonging. (Or I could just be blabbing right now.)
“Running Wild in Every Direction”
Without Wood
1. I liked this chapter. I was delighted that Rose finally took her life in hand and started making decisions for herself. I could understand how Rose could tell different versions of her story with Ted. Relationships are complicated. I once liked and hated a close friend at the same time and I would speak of her in different ways, depending on who I was talking to. I thought Rose was smart not to do anything with the check she received from ted until she had thought it over. It would not have been a good thing if she was rash and had not thought things through. I thought it was sad that Rose did not listen to her mother’s opinions that much, but I can see the similarities with myself. I admit that I think that the American opinions are better most of the time. Reading this chapter was opened my eyes a little to my own culture and made me see the value of Indian opinions. I loved the scene where Rose shows Ted up by refusing to leave the house. She finally found her inner strength and stood up to him.
2. Rose and Ted’s relationship seems to be like that of a brain and it’s body. Ted is like the brain, making all of the decisions for the household. Rose is the body, blindly following the orders that Ted gives. When Ted is gone, Rose feels helpless, like a body would without its brain. Only after Rose learns to be self sufficient, she grows a “brain” and becomes whole.
3. In this chapter, Amy Tan uses a lit of symbolism. The garden symbolizes Ted and Rose’s relationship. The weeds are the problems that have developed in their marriage. Pulling out the weeds brings the whole building down, just as the only way to heal their relationship is to end it. The use of symbolism improves this chapter because it allows the reader to understand key ideas in a different way.
4. I think that the theme of this chapter is to stand up for yourself and make your own decisions without being influenced by others. Rose was influenced by her husband, and she listened to everything he said. When she finally stood up to him, her life got better, and she got all she really wanted.
Dan Truong
Period 06
No Woods, No Fire.
(on "Without Wood")
3) My initial reaction when I read "Without Wood" was incredulity. Rose was too timid and spineless; she needed to grow a backbone. Ted was also wrong for suddenly forcing Rose to make all these decisions when he had been happy to make all the decisions in the past. I was kind of amused with An-mei's funny way of pronouncing english words and the way she seemed to know everything even though Rose didn't think so. But the part about old Mr. Chou was really weird. I didn't really understand the significance of his part in the story.
4)I think the relationship between Rose and An-mei isn't that great. An-mei is always full of Chinese sayings that she uses to get Rose to listen. However, Rose's opinion is that the American version of things is always better, so she always tunes out what her mother says. Unfortunately because of that, Rose develops her timid personality, one who will bend to other people's wills. And in the end, her personality leads to her divorce with Ted.
5) Amy Tan employs the use of symbolism in the "Without Wood" chapter. The "young tree" An-mei talks about symbolizes rigidness, the unyielding personality a person should have. To stand straight and tall like a tree is to be proud and determined in what they do. To bend too easily is to become a weed, something that is unwanted and is pulled out of the ground and gotten rid of. However, Rose learns that being a weed isn't always a bad thing. A weed may be unwanted and all, but it is still able to survive in harsh conditions and stay rooted to the ground.
6c) Chinese people are very different compared to Americans in many ways. Their words, their words, etc. Words such as hulihudu and heimongmong can't actually be translated into an American definition. Instead, it just refers to a certain sensations you feel when you are confused and scared. Also, the Chinese have strange superstitions. For example, An-mei toldRose that doors would unlock themselves in the middle of the night unless they were checked twice.
“The Power of Words”
2. ROSE HSU JORDAN: “Without Wood”
3. First, when I began reading this chapter, Mr. Chou reminded me of the Boogieman, as they were both related to sleep. But then, I felt sorry for Rose Hsu Jordan because of the way she always had nightmares from Mr. Chou – especially because she was scared of what would happen if she didn’t listen to her mother. At the same time, I felt this traumatic experience also helped Jordan because later on, when she “listened” to her mother about speaking up, she became a braver person, more capable.
I felt sorry for Jordan because even with Mr. Chou, she didn’t listen to her mother about her breakup with Ted. Instead, Jordan listened to her friends, her psychiatrist, and various others, when all along she should have just listened to her mother. Instead of wasting her time doing all of this, she could have just spoke up for herself. I was also sad for Jordan’s mother, because her daughter didn’t listen to her. It made me feel sorry for myself too, because every time I make my mom sad from not listening to her, I get sad too.
Later on, when Jordan finally speaks up for herself, I felt so proud of her. She had found her wood, her “backbone” and gained strength to listen to her mother and herself – she found what she wanted, and decided to fight for it. I loved that the way she spoke scared Ted, the strength of her words.
And on a lighter, less serious note, I think it’s hilarious that Ted was doing “monkey business” with someone else, especially from Jordan’s somewhat sad description of him.
4. The relationship between Rose Hsu Jordan and her mother can be described as filled with ignorance. Though Jordan’s mother is not ignorance, constantly caring for her daughter, Jordan does not listen to her mother despite the nightmares she grew up with, courtesy of Mr. Chou. Jordan listened to everyone but her mother (until later), and got nowhere with her problems with Ted and their divorce. Her mother had told her she didn’t need to listen to “Mr. Chou” and only her mother, but Jordan listened to everyone, making her “without wood” (213). Though she had listened to her mother saying this, she didn’t fully listen, making herself ignorant to her mother’s words. And when she finally realized them, she found what she really wanted, she understood herself; she finally knew what to do about Ted.
5. In this chapter, I noticed Amy Tan using symbolism. An example of this symbolism is weeds, which stands for confusion inside a person. It represents this as her mother says, “if you bend to listen to other people, you will grow corked and weak. You will fall to the ground with the first strong wind. And then you will be like a weed, growing wild in any direction, running along the ground until someone pulls you out and throws you away” (213). The weed represents confusion because at the end, Jordan had noticed that in her dream, weeds were already growing wild in every direction. Jordan had listened to everyone, causing her to be confused. This improves the story because it helps readers identify a meaningful theme through the symbolism, which represents greater ideas.
6. What is the main conflict in the chapter? Is it internal or external, human vs. self, vs. society, vs. nature, vs. human and how do you know?
The main conflict of this chapter seems to be mostly internal. Though there are many people effecting Rose Hsu Jordan – Ted, her friends, her mother, “Mr. Chou” – Jordan mainly needed to understand what she wanted, she needed to learn how to listen to her mother and herself. She needed to cope with her broken marriage, and stand up for herself. These things cannot be fixed by others; only she herself could fix it within herself. People can tell her things to help her, but whether or not she listens is her choice. It is the main conflict because for the majority of the chapter, she thinks about the conflicts within her mind, like what she wanted from Ted, and how she couldn’t stand for what she wanted and listen to her heart.
1. “Sprouting a Backbone”
2. “Without Wood”
3. The first thing I thought about when I read this chapter was how Old Mr. Chou reminded me of Mr. Chou’s, the restaurant. I also found it funny how Rose told her psychiatrist about her wanting revenge on Ted. Her dreaming of stabbing his voodoo doll with her fork right in front of him really made me laugh, because it showed me how much she disliked him. When Ted called Rose to tell her that he wants the papers back signed, it made me sad to see how bad their relationship went so quickly. What made me really mad was when Ted asks Rose where she’s going to move and she tells him she’s staying at the house. He acted as if she was nothing to him anymore, showing he didn’t love her. But it made me really happy at the end that Rose finally stood up for herself.
4. I think the relationship between Rose and An-Mei grew really strong in this chapter. Throughout the chapter, An-Mei keeps badgering Rose to stand up for herself, and to listen to her mother. She says “A mother is best. A mother knows what is inside you,” (210) which show that she just wants Rose to let her help. At the end of the chapter, when Old Mr. Chou and her mother are smiling at her, it expresses how their relationship became stronger. Her mother’s countless questions of her standing up for herself finally came through, showing that she does listen to her mother.
5. In this chapter, Amy Tan uses symbolism of the garden. Physically, it was just a garden that Ted took care of. But symbolically, it stood for Rose and Ted’s relationship. Before, Ted always took care of the garden, making sure it was perfect. But afterward, he didn’t seem to care anymore, letting the weeds grow wild. The garden symbolizes how Ted doesn’t care for their marriage anymore, and doesn’t put out the effort to tend to it.
6. I think the theme in this chapter was to stand up for yourself and what you believe. Throughout the chapter, Rose was losing who she really was, because she didn’t have the strength to speak her mind. But when Rose goes to visit the garden, she realizes that she’s been letting her life go, growing wild and not tending to what she really needs.
Trung Tran
Grow a Spine
“Without Wood”
1. This chapter, like every other chapter with Rose in it, is annoying. It needs to “grow a spine” and make a choice. It may sound harsh, but she is so pathetic. I think the reason her husband was doing “monkey business” with another person was because she is so indecisive. A total pushover. But the ending, it made me so happy. She finally stood up to herself. I was practically skimming through the first half of the chapter because I could not put up with her anymore. Then the second half of the chapter, she tells Ted to come over and she takes control. It was like another person took over her. She showed Ted she was not a coward anymore and took back what she deserved. Excellent ending.
2. The relationship between Rose and An-Mei, her mom, could be described as cherishing. An-Mei is always there for Rose. She gives Rose advices to try and lead her in the right path, to help her grow “straight”. Just before Ted calls, An-Mei calls Rose just to tell her to “speak up for herself” and stop being such a pushover. Because Rose listened her to mother, she became a better person and showed Ted how strong she really was. She showed Ted she could survive without him. Most importantly, this proves that the mother’s nurture and advice is always better then listening to a psychiatrist.
3. Amy Tang used the “young tree” to symbolize Rose. It is said that if the tree keeps bending over to listen to people, it will grow crooked and get knocked over by a strong wind. Just like Rose, if she keeps being indecisive, she will collapse like the tree. She needs to stand for herself, make her own choices and she will grow strong and straight.
4. Obviously, the theme of this story is to stand up for yourself and be decisive. Don’t let other people push you around and make all you decisions for you. They do not know what is best for you. Because Rose finally stood up for herself, she got to keep her house.
1. Old Mr. Chou, get out of my dreams
2. Without Wood
3. Amy Tan is doing it again. Ted is a horrible person. Here we go with the feminism again. He had an affair with someone while he was married! How could he do such a thing to someone who loves him for who he is? He doesn’t deserve someone like Rose. But I guess that’s why she is such a good writer, she can make you hate or an immense dislike toward whoever she wants you to just by writing it. This chapter felt like a typical story you would read though. The conflicts were very common and I felt like it has been written about already.
4. Rose believes in her mother, as in the things she says. Ever since a child, Rose believed everything that her mother told her. A timid child, she resisted to sleep, afraid of nightmares. Her mother told her that Old Mr. Chou guarded the door to dreams. One night, she dreamed that she was in Old Mr. Chou’s nighttime garden, where he chased her through shouting “See what happens when you don’t listen to your mother!” And thirty years later, her mother is still trying to make her daughter listen. They go a funeral for China Mary. Rose’s mother criticize her for being too thin and for confiding in her psychiatrist rather than in her own mother. Later, Rose considers what her mother says and she realizes she has been feeling confused.
5. That dream at the end of the chapter symbolized her triumph and that her mother really cared about her and that Old Mr. Chou is actually a good old friend.
6. The internal conflict is of Rose trying to find her voice, her identity, and the ability to trust herself. She was a timid child, who grew into a timid woman, who was uncertain of herself and unwilling to make decisions. Eventually, her indecision frustrated her husband and the couple fell apart. Without wood meant she had to strength, substance, or back bone. Finally at the end she does.
1.Fog
2.Without Wood
3.This chapter I thought was really typical and boring because it all revolved around Rose’s marriage. She didn’t know how to speak up and was confused about all her decisions. To me, her decisions were so simple, yet she didn’t do it. Her mother was right. She should have talked to her husband, rather then the need to go see a psychiatrist. She should have talked to her mother, judging by the story her mother seems very wise and I think she could have helped her more. It was interesting how at the end of the story she was finally able to speak up and fight for what she wants.
4.I would describe Rose and Ted’s relationship as enemies. Ted underestimates her and expects her to give in, but she doesn’t. She started to fight for what she wanted at the end. She fought for the house, and most likely is going to win it. She finally was able to make a decision for herself rather then listen to everyone else and be submissive. Ted also in a way tries to get her to sign the papers, but she won’t give up the house. They are constantly battling each other.
5.Amy Tan uses symbolism in this chapter to represent the fight between Ted and Rose. Ted kept a beautiful garden but at the end it was over run by Rose. Rose can be the weeds that were sprouting up everywhere, because she finally was able to speak up.
6.This chapter also relates to the allegory because it shows a mother trying to help her daughter’s marriage. Rose’s mother tells her that she needs to speak up and tries to help her. Not until Rose listens was she able to make the right decision.
-Brendan
“Entirely Different”
Without Wood
1. The chapter was confusing to me in some ways. I do not understand whom the character, Old Mr. Chou, is. It seems he plays a big role and what puzzles me is how he is scary and then friendly. It was amazing to me how Rose finally stood up for herself and had an opinion at the end of the chapter. I couldn’t believe that Ted was fooling around with another woman during their marriage though. That is messed up. I wonder if Ted and Rose are going to try to fix the marriage or if Ted is just going to let Rose have the house.
2. The relationship between Rose and her mom can be described as caring and thoughful. An-Mei knows that her daughter is going through some rough patches in her life right now and offers to bring food over for her and encourages her to eat more since she is growing thin. Instead of consulting her problems with her mom, Rose goes to a psychiatrist probably because she does not want to bother her mom with such problems of her’s and be a burden.
3. A writing technique Amy Tan uses to improve her writing is symbolism. She uses the symbol of weeds to symbolize perseverance. It improves the chapter by tying it together to form a nice closing and to emphasize how Rose has changed.
4. The conflict in this chapter concerns Rose with her internal self versus self. She constantly questions herself about the divorce as to whether she should cash the money Ted had given her or sign the divorce documents. She also kept on taking sleeping pills so that she would continue “falling smoothly into a dark space with no feeling of dimension or direction”(215-216) to avoid facing herself to make a decision.
1) Psyche-atricks
2) Without Wood
3) Oh my gosh! I was laughing so hard when the scene that Rose had in her head about revenge Ted came up. Voodoo dolls and such aside, I thought that the piece of advice An-mei gave her daughter, about how she was a small tree growing up in need of her mother, was very true. Without my mother, I’m sure I, as a tree, would grow horribly crooked! I still can’t believe though, that Rose is really going to get that divorce...after all they’ve been through, I guess Ted must have pushed Rose over the edge. I love how she stood up to Ted about where she would stay. I wanted nothing more than for her to realize that she deserved better than how he treated her.
4) I’d say the relationship between Ted and Rose is “sinking” because their marriage is falling apart. Rose finally realizes that Ted had been controlling and not the person she thought he was. When she thinks of how the look in his eyes was not kindness and protection like she had always thought, I think she truly gave up on him and their relationship even though the divorce papers had been in process for a while.
5) Tan uses a great metaphor in this chapter which is comparing a girl to a tree. As they both grow, they need the nurturing and guidance of someone else, namely their mothers. As the tree grows with the help of its mother, or as Rose listens to her mother, everything is set straight and she is free of Ted.
6) The theme in this chapter is the cliche “Mother knows best” because mothers do know best. An-mei has unconditional love for her daughter and throughout the hardship; their bond flourishes because Rose decided to finally listen to her mom. I’m sure she’s much happier with Ted off her back and at peace of mind because he doesn’t control her anymore.
Spilling Out Over the Edges
“Without Wood”
1. In the beginning of “Without Wood,” I found it strange that Rose would be scared of Old Mr. Chou and thought that he would take her to bad places. It surprised me that she would have dreams where she didn’t listen to her mother and imagined the consequences. I found it slightly amusing that Rose would refuse to listen to her mother because in her dreams, Old Mr. Chou had listened to her mother as well. I truly felt pity when Ted announced to her that he wanted to get married to someone else, and Rose realizes that her husband had been “doing monkey business with someone else” (194). I also felt some humor and triumph when Rose chooses to not divorce him, deciding to make her own decision for once, without Ted’s consent. When I read that Ted’s expression “used to terrify [her] into stammers” I knew that he had scared her before, that he was the one who made all the decisions, the one with the most power in their relationship. Now, their places were switched and I felt as if I were in Rose’s place, experiencing the victory.
2. I would describe Ted and Rose’s relationship as a war. The two are on two completely different terms, unable to come to an agreement. At one point, one side was completely overpowered, almost to the point that you would think they would give in. Rose was definitely almost pressured into giving in, agreeing to the divorce, overpowered by her unfaithful husband. She even says that she spent “fifteen years of living in Ted’s shadow” (193). However, in a change of events, that same side that was being overpowered suddenly leads a series of triumphant wins. Rose, who had originally been shadowed by her husband, gains the courage to make her own decision, and gains the upper hand in the divorce argument. Like a war, the two are on edge, waiting to see the end of this suspenseful conflict, waiting to see who the winner will be.
3. Amy Tan uses the garden as a symbol of Rose’s marriage in this chapter. Like how Ted had taken care of the garden before to make it look beautiful, he also took care of their marriage, making the decisions so that they were both happy. Every weekend he would “obsessively inspect every leaf as if he were manicuring fingernails” (192). This suggests that he was very dedicated to their marriage and would take every step to make sure it was perfect. However, the garden now had “grown wild from months of neglect” (192). Like the garden, Rose and Ted’s marriage had gone crazy, far from the perfection that they had worked so hard to build. Rose tries to find some weed killer to tend to the garden but decides not to. This shows that Rose had the idea to save her marriage but found that it was a hopeless cause, knowing that someone would laugh at her perseverance.
4. I feel that Amy Tan’s theme in “Without Wood” is not to listen to others, but to listen to oneself. We see that throughout most of the story, Rose always followed the decisions that Ted and others made for her. When she told her friends and her psychiatrist the story of her marriage, she told them each a different story, hinting that perhaps, she cared about what their opinion was, but did not consider her own opinion. In the end, she followed her own decision and succeeded in taking control.
Pat Benetar – Invincible
Without Wood
3) During this chapter, I grew with the character. I learnt what it meant to stand up, to become strong, and to become adamant. Although a rose doesn’t have wood, it doesn’t mean it has to wilt under pressure. I really despised Ted. How he seemed so cruel to Rose, demanding everything, willing to leave her on the street. However, I think that idea that a mother wrecks all of the happiness around her child did not translate into this chapter. In fact it was the opposite. In this chapter I saw the mother grab hold of the child. Even though I am no Christian, I remember I a line. A man died, and he saw he was along a beach, with footprints there. Jesus was next to him, saying that he had walked with the man his whole life. The man grew angry, for he saw that at the hard times of his life, there were only one set of foot prints. Jesus once said that it was because Jesus had carried the man in his arms.
4) The relationship between the mothers and the daughters are very similar to one another, but maybe that is because of the families close proximities together as they were growing up. I do however; sympathize with both mother and daughter. For the daughter, I can feel her anger, her depression, and her exasperation that is pointed toward her mother, for Waverly believes that her mother will try to obliterate the happiness she is trying to build up, and that whatever she does, she cannot stop the inevitable, that she cannot stop the destruction. I can also sympathize with the mother. Maybe her mother wasn’t actually trying to wreck everything. I believe that her mother was just trying to help. It is a mother’s instincts to watch out for a child. It is only natural, however, sometimes I think it can become to overbearing for the child.
5) The descriptive words of Amy Tan helped describe and helped the evolution of Rose in my point of view very well.
6) I think this was an internal conflict. I think that Rose had been locked away for so long, that she no longer had the will to stand up by herself. And when she did, she became something new, and something powerful.
1.Without Confidence
2.Without Wood
3.I found the way An-Mei Hsu described the wind as being ghosts making woo-woo noises before it rains funny because it seemed really childish and didn’t have any meaning to it. I didn’t understand why Rose was so afraid of Old Mr. Chou, because he just gave her dreams, and she probably didn’t have bad dreams every day. It was ironic how she was afraid of Mr. Chou, afraid of dreams and didn’t think Mr. Chou let her have dreams by shutting the door on her when Mr. Chou was her dream. Surprisingly, Luke went to jail for selling stolen car stereos, which I didn’t expect, but at least now I know what happened to him later on in his life. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with Ted giving Rose a check like An-Mei did, but then I realized later that it was because they were getting divorced, and it changed this chapter of the book tragic. Then I started to think Rose was turning psycho because of her revenge ideas and what she told Waverly. I read with interest when Amy Tan referred to the other daughters for the first time in a chapter that weren’t about them. The tree explanation employed by An-Mei was ingenious, perfect for what she wanted to express. Her feeling of someone watching her and laughing also gave me the idea that she is about to go insane. As she was laughing through the phone at Ted, I thought that yeah, she’s seriously insane. Then she was able to resist his power and fight back, now making him give her the house so they can get divorced, like she’s not a weed he could just pull out and get rid of in his life. Then in the end I realized that the weeds that uprooted Ted’s precious gardens symbolized An-Mei’s revenge towards Ted.
4.The relationship between Rose and Old Mr. Chou is misinterpretation. The way Rose views him, he’s evil because “Old Mr. Chou takes (her) to bad places”(207). It seems like he gives her nightmares, but in the end of the vignette, he is waving to her, a sign of friendship. Maybe he was just trying to be her friend, and that she always saw him as an enemy, and in her dreams she would try to antagonize him. He was seen working with her mother, and she would only want the best for her daughter Rose.
5.Amy Tan uses symbolism in this vignette. The symbolism was basically the garden and the weeds. When Ted was still in a good relationship with Rose, the weeds were kept back and their togetherness, represented by the garden, was intact. Then, when Ted had a change of heart and decided to divorce Rose, his togetherness with Rose, the garden, was destroyed by weeds, which represented her mother’s influence on her being restored. Her mother took the place of Ted’s influence, and now Rose believes in her mother more than Ted, so the garden was destroyed by the weeds.
6.The main conflict in this chapter is Rose vs. herself. She was always being influenced by Ted and didn’t seem to be able to fight his influence. When she wasn’t influenced, though, she was in the process of divorcing him. She then quarreled with herself over the divorce and how she didn’t know what to do or what to get from the divorce. Finally, she prevailed over her soft heart and demanded what she wanted from the divorce. It looks like she was successful, with the scared look in his eyes.
1. “Finding Strength”
2. Without Wood
3. In this chapter, “Without Wood”, I think that Ted is really irritating. He always gets what he wants, cheats on Rose, wants a divorce out of the blue and wants the house all to himself with his to soon – to – be wife. Also, it was creepy how the phone had been ringing for an hour at least before Rose finally answered it at night. Next, I wasn’t sure if the garden was supposed to symbolize something or not. Lastly, I believe that Rose was a real terrified person for most of her life until the end of the chapter of course.
4. In this chapter, the character I focused on was Ted. This guy really pissed me off. First, he always gets what he wants one way or another, even by whining. Second, he cheats on Rose and that makes me furious. Third, he tells Rose on the phone that he wants a divorce and he was probably already cheating on her by this time. If Rose wasn’t afraid to do anything, then she might have been able to do something to solve these problems, but unluckily she was a person that happened to be afraid to make any decisions whatsoever. Also, Ted calls her on the phone at night and tells her that he is getting married and wants the house meaning that Rose will have to leave. Plus, he doesn’t even care. Overall, since I cannot use bad words, this guy is a real jerk and angers me so very much.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is pretty small compared to others, but helps Rose out a lot in her lifetime. The main conflict is internal and is human vs. self. The conflict is Rose’s confidence to do absolutely anything. She always let the decisions fall upon someone else and said that she didn’t care. She couldn’t make any decisions of her own and this might have been a reason that Ted couldn’t be with her anymore and wanted someone new. Or, Ted was just a big fat jerk and decided to cheat on innocent, kind Rose because he wasn’t getting what he wanted from her instead of really trying to solve the problems he had with her. Finally, near the end of the chapter, Rose gains all the confidence she needs to defeat Ted in the game of who is scarier. Rose frightens Ted so much that he backs off from trying to gain the house he wanted to live in with his new wife.
6. The theme in this chapter is to always have confidence and to make your own decisions. The place that this theme was found was in the end of the chapter where Rose terrified Ted enough to make him agree to let Rose stay in their old house for as long as she wanted. From having confidence, Rose was able to reach her goals and if someone has confidence to do anything, they can make anything they want happen.
1. “Speaking up”
2. “Without Wood”
3. This was yet another great chapter, but there were some confusing parts in it. I understood most of the chapter but I didn’t get the message hidden behind some of the text, like some of the deep sayings. I enjoyed reading and following the story of Rose, and Ted’s life together and then the process of their separation. It was just interesting to be able to follow along how both of them reacted to the separation. My favorite character was Rose, because you could really see how she grew throughout the chapter. Although the chapter wasn’t that long, comparing to the beginning of it, Rose changed a lot for the better. She had more confidence and she was able to speak up for herself without hesitation.
4. A conflict of the chapter was that Rose did not stand up for herself to Ted. In the beginning, Rose just went along with the divorce, letting Ted take over her life, slowly destroying it. Rose felt that she couldn’t live with Ted and couldn’t live without him. Rose’s mother, An-mei, continuously told Rose to talk to Ted. She didn’t expect Rose to try to fix their marriage, she just wanted her daughter to have the power to face a conflict and overcome it. At the end of the chapter, Rose realized what kind of a person Ted was and that she could live without him perfectly fine. The realization caused Rose to finally speak up and talk to Ted. When Rose finally talked to Ted, she didn’t feel sorry or regret anything. She stood up for herself once and for all, treating herself the way that she deserved.
5. I think that the theme in the chapter is that a mother knows best and when you’re given advice, you should strongly take it into consideration. When you ignore the right advice of a mother, sometimes you can wilt and start to grow in the wrong path, growing wildly unable to go back and grow tall and strong. Luckily for An-mei, she realized that she had to take a stand and have a mind of her own. In the end, by Rose standing up for herself and speaking up, she listened to the words of her mother and it made all the difference for the better.
See You in your Dreams
By Fiona Cheung
Without Wood
I get confused between Rose and Lena because while Rose was really getting a divorce, Lena had an argument with her husband in the previous chapters. I can’t believe Ted really found another woman while signing the divorce papers! I thought her mother was just being paranoid but it turned out she was right and he was indeed, doing monkey business. I even got angry at him for yelling at her to sign the divorce papers, as if she had no feelings. However, I mentally high-fived Rose when she turned strong and told him that she wasn’t going to move, though I was also a bit annoyed that she sounded a little attached by saying “You can’t just pull me out of your life and throw me away” (196).
Ted had appealed to me as first as a nice man who still wanted to keep a nice relationship with his divorced wife because of the phone calls he gave Rose…until I read the next line. From this chapter, I could infer he was just so used to getting everything he wanted done fast and quick because “when he wants something, he gets impatient and irrational about people who make him wait” (194). He always used anger to threaten Rose to solve his problems instead of peacefully sitting down and talking it over. He never gave her a chance to speak up and once she did, he gives her a look to scare her away. At least he seemed a little considerate for letting her have a month to look for someplace to live. In general, I still didn’t like him and I take back the pity I had for him the first time he popped up in the other chapter!
The conflict in this chapter was an internal one within Rose and her fear of speaking up. It took her a while to finally absorb the divorce and accept it. She constantly tortured herself with thoughts of why’s and what if’s and even though she didn’t want to, she “thought about putting an end to this torture and signing the divorce papers” (192). Even her friends say she went through a lot of pain with him, and as readers, we can infer that she even grew used to this pain and let him belittle her and stomp on her. In the end, this conflict is solved as she decided to not solve the divorce papers and even turned a lawyer against him.
The garden and weeds in this chapter was a symbol of their marriage. Ted used to care for it and work on it every weekend. Eventually, he started cheating on Rose and forgot about the garden and stopped tending it all at once. Weeds started pouring out everywhere, just as in the dream Rose had at the end of the chapter. These weeds were a symbol of Rose’s thoughts. When they were married, Ted took great care of the garden so that weeds never grew out, just as how he guarded their marriage so that Rose’s thoughts were never able to creep out. However, once Ted decided to have a divorce, weeds grew everywhere, just like how Rose was able to go all over the place and speak up for herself.
Arun Jandaur
Period 3
Blog #8: Without Wood
1. Need A Weed Whacker?
2. “Without Wood”
3. After reading this semi-interesting chapter, I realized that Rose finally changed from the chapter “Half and Half”. I felt sorry for her that she was undergoing depression. As a matter of fact, she stayed in bed for three days! It must be tough for her that she is going through a divorce and I can tell that she is still attached to her ex-husband. On one side she wants revenge, and on the other, she misses him and still thinks that he loves her. I, however, had a premonition that Ted was probably cheating on her. What gave it away was when Rose’s mom said that “he is doing monkey business with someone else” (188). It turn’s out that An-mei Hsu was right. It made me feel angry that Ted could do such a thing. Also, I didn’t think it was fair that Ted could just kick her out of the house and push her around at his disposal. Luckily, Rose finally got a grip on herself and decided that she was going to stay in their house.
4. The character that I think is the most interesting is Rose Hsu Jordan. I think this because of how she changed and stood up for herself, showing us that she is a round character. We get to see both sides of her: The cowardly side that watches everything happen and then the courageous side that fights for what she wants. This also makes her a dynamic character because of how she finally listened to her mother after so many years and decided to speak up. It really shocked me, however, that before she changed she could let Ted push her around the way he did. I was surprised that, in the end, she changed.
5. The conflict here is mainly Human vs. Society. Though it might be mainly focused on Rose trying to overcome her lack of confidence, if you look deeper, it is actually Rose always being pushed around by society and how she is trying not to be overcome by everyone. Some people who give her problems are: Old Mr. Chou, An-mei, and Ted. Old Mr. Chou, is not an actual person but Rose’s vision of a nightmare. Old Mr. Chou always torments Rose in her dreams and she is never able to wipe him from her head. This conflict never gets resolved. The next person is An-Mei Hsu, Rose’s mother. An-mei doesn’t exactly give Rose problems, but she is always trying to steer Rose straight and Rose can never resist her mom’s words. Rose even said herself that she “used to believe everything [her] mother said, even when [she] didn’t know what [her mother] meant” (185). An-mei was right when she said that Rose was without wood. The third person is Ted. He always treats Rose badly and takes advantage of her. He doesn’t care about Rose very much and treats her like trash. This conflict does get resolved, however, because Rose finally demands that she will also stay in their house and that she won’t leave.
6. Amy Tan sneaks a symbol into this chapter. The weeds and the messed up garden represent Rose and her life. Ever since Ted left, her life has been a mess and there are ‘irremovable weeds’ that she can’t pull out. When she “quickly walked down to the garden shed, looking for pesticides and weed killer” (192), it meant that she made an effort to try to save her life or ‘garden’ that Ted used to take care of but now is left in her own hands.
1. Garden weeds are Yummy :3 Mmmmmm
2. Without Wood
3. This chapter was okay. That Old Mr. Chou guy kind of creeped me out. Compared to Half and Half, I really think that Rose has changed and matured. She finally stood up for what she wanted and spoke up. For someone who is usually passive and soft-natured, Rose took a big step, and I applaud her for her actions. I didn't really get the part with that China Mary person. What was the point of her and her death and all that... Overall, I thought the chapter was alright, not too exciting, but strange in some areas (the parts with the ghost stuff kind of reminded me of "The Voice from the Wall").
4. Rose Tsu-Jordan is by nature, a passive and easily swayed character. She is a round character, and dynamic because she changes throughout the chapter. At the beginning of the chapter (and portrayed in "Half and Half"), Rose doesn't like to make decisions. She does not like "too many choices" because "it was easy to get confused and pick the wrong thing" (191). Throughout her marriage, Rose's husband made most of the decisions. When her marriage starts to fail, Rose does nothing, and even when she knows her marriage cannot be saved, she is still confused about what to do. However, by the end of the chapter, she makes a stand. When Ted comes to get the divorce papers, Rose courageously declares that she will not move out. Her words at the end are strong and firm, loud with confidence and resolution. She will not let Ted do whatever he wants with her.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is internal: man vs. himself, Rose vs. herself. She is constantly battling her indecisiveness and inability to speak up and voice her decisions. Rose is easily swayed by others and has unclear desires. She is never quite sure what to do. She is agonized by the divorce papers and Ted, and throughout the chapter, she is unsure whether or not he still cares for her. When her mother suggests that Ted is doing "monkey business", Rose rejects the idea and laughs it off, but quickly avoids the subject. She tries to fight her depression by taking sleeping pills. Her conflict is finally resolved when she decides to stay in the house. She eliminates her wavering thoughts when she realizes that Ted was really doing monkey business. Rose stands up to Ted, and puts her foot down for the first time, conquering her fears. In the end, Ted is the one who is left confused and scared.
6. I think that a symbol in this chapter is the weed. Rose's mom describes Rose as a weed, "growing wild in any direction, running along the ground until someone pulls you out and throws you away." (191) This describes Rose's personality, weak, wild, and swayed in many directions. When Ted was still around and took care of the garden and the weeds, Rose was okay, but when he stopped caring for the garden, the weeds and Rose began to grow wild. In the end, the weeds, and Rose become impossible to remove. Just like the irremovable weeds, Rose will not allow herself to be easily removed from Ted's life.
1. “Monkey Business”
2. Jing-Mei Woo - Best Quality
3. I believe this chapter continues the theme that is prevalent in almost every chapter. Once again, the narrator, this time Jing-Mei Woo, finds herself in a difficult situation, but doesn’t heed her mother’s advice. The mother proves to be a persistent and caring figure, telling the Jing-Mei what’s wrong and what’s right to do. I felt relieved when she finally stood up for herself, after being “in limbo all that time” (194). She decides to come out of her husband’s shadow and take a stand against his unreasonable demands and fight back for herself. I also feel heart -warmed by a mother’s love, showing that no matter what, your family will always be there for you. I can relate a lot of this story to my own life, especially how a mother always wants the best for their kids, even if it’s detrimental to themselves. I thought that Ted was extremely disrespectful to Rose. She didn’t do anything wrong to him, and for him to play around with other girls before they were even divorced was extremely cruel. Overall, I thought this was actually a pretty interesting chapter to read, leading us through Rose’s insecure nature to when she finally crawls out of her turtle shell and takes a stand against injustice.
4. At the end of the vignette, Rose Hsu Jordan, the protagonist of this vignette, finds out that her husband toyed with her while they were still married. During the phone call, he didn’t try to cushion her before he broke the news to her; he just went straight to the point. “He wanted the house. He wanted the whole thing to be over as soon as possible. Because he wanted to get married again, to someone else.” (194). Instead of her usual crying and submission, Rose starts to laugh and doesn’t give in. She decides to invite him over to her house and tell him that she won’t listen to his selfish wants. This scene clearly displays her growing of confidence and “wood”. She changes from being submissive to being a person that would stand up to unfairness.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is human vs. human, external. The conflict between Rose and Ted spans the whole chapter, resulting in Rose rejecting Ted’s check and proposal to sign the divorce papers. She decides to keep the house, even against Ted’s fury. Ted pushes Rose around for much of her life, and she finally takes a stand at the end, showing Ted what she’s really made of. Throughout the story, her mom aids her in the conflict between Ted and Rose, providing her with advice and moral support.
6. I believe a symbol in this chapter displays itself through the weeds. The weeds, which grew out of the cracks in the patio and the house, manifesting the entire garden, symbolize Rose’s tie to the house, her growing will to keep the property. It symbolizes the planting of her heart, steadying her, giving her confidence.
~SCOTTLEEPERIOD3
Nancy Le, period 3
Dark Fog
Without Wood
1. Why are there so many jerks in this book? It seems like almost all of the daughters and mothers were at some point in a relationship with a bad man. Perhaps it's to heighten the drama. Rose seems a bit young to have insomnia, but then I suppose it's not an age-linked thing, especially since she is afraid of the darkness. Maybe if she had listened to her mother, she would never have gotten involved with the likes of Ted. Her internal monologuing seems to fit with this theory, or at least, she thinks so. In the end, she accepts all the dark fog that is confusing her, which is surprising considering how early it is in the book.
2. Rose is a weak-willed character. To Waverly, she says she loves Ted so much that it's almost physically painful for her to let go, but to Lena, she says she's better off without Ted. Then she goes and tells her psychiatrist that she's obsessed with revenge. She seems to be a bit mopey over the impending divorce as well, as the whole chapter is more or less about her divorce and her conflicting feelings over it.
3. The main conflict appears to be between Rose and her soon-to-be-ex-husband Ted, as they are divorcing, but the real conflict centers on Rose vs. her own feelings of doubt and guilt over the divorce, as shown when she goes to three different people with three different feelings about the situation, and Rose eventually resolves the issue by refusing to give in to Ted's desire that she move out of the house.
4. The weeds symbolize willpower, as clearly Anmei has plenty of this (scolding and nudging Rose to grow up properly 'straight and tall'.) Rose comes to own some weeds of her own as well, after the garden scene when she refuses to be removed from Ted's life without a fight. In the end, Amy Tan mentions this with Mr. Chou and Anmei planting weeds, some for Anmei and some for Rose.
1. “Sweet Dreams or a Beautiful Nightmare?”
2. “Without Wood”
3. It sounds terrible, but I have to wonder why every single American marriage depicted in Joy Luck Club has to end up in ruins. Lena and Harold have problems, Waverly already got a divorce, and now Rose is in the midst of one. Admittedly, the Americanized daughters seem weaker than their mothers – they have faced less hardships and as a result, aren’t as strong or as likely to stand up for themselves. Amy Tan using marriage and the consequent relationships to compare Chinese and American culture? That being said, I liked this chapter. The sections that talk about Mr. Chou were a bit weird, but by the chapter’s end, I felt extremely proud of Rose for finally standing up to Ted.
4. On the outside, Ted appears to be cool and collected – he is a man who must always be in control. In actuality, however, Ted is nothing but a coward. He does not even have the courtesy to bring Rose the divorce papers in person and he presumptuously assumes that she will accept all of his terms. The papers are accompanied by nothing but a hastily scrawled note and an impersonal check. He only calls Rose to tell her that he wants to get remarried and that he wants her to hurry it up and sign the papers faster! Selfish. Previously, Ted fell apart after making a mistake on an operation and getting sued by the patient. He falls apart again when Rose finally stands up to Ted and informs him that she will fight for the house and for her rightful share of property. His eyes became “confused, then scared”, reflecting once again just how cowardly he was once his power is taken away.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is internal. The conflict of man vs. self is between Rose and her inability to decide what to do in regards to her divorce. For the majority of the chapter, she shifts from resignation, to pain and rage, to despair, and back again. She questions everything about the divorce – the intentions behind the check, whether or not Ted had engaged in “monkey business”, even what color pen Ted used – and she doubts everything that she did. Because of her indecisiveness, Rose spends two full weeks at a standstill, unable to decide for fear of making the wrong move. By the end of the vignette, however, Rose’s conflict is finally resolved as she makes the decision to stand up to finally stand up to Ted.
6. Amy Tan’s use of imagery and word choice help to create a distinct mood within the garden. The descriptions of the garden are forlorn, much like how Rose feels in the aftermath of her separation with Ted. Words like anchored, cracks, refuge, buried, pulling, tossing, overgrown, wild, neglect, crushed, and brown help to portray this mood.
- Michelle Chan =]
"Woo-Woo"
(a.k.a. Without Wood)
3. Again with the "mothers know best" idea. I don't think Rose's psychiatrist was a good one; he seemed boring and unhelpful. Did Ted want a divorce because of the other woman? Rose is right; with the many American choices, one is bound to choose the incorrect one. I think Rose is over-thinking her divorce with Ted. How can one stay in bed for three days? I'd be bored to death. Rose scared me a little when she started to laugh in the middle of her argument with Ted, but it served him right! That loser, he's not going to kick Rose out of the house now that she's speaking up; that's what he gets for doing "monkey business"! By the way, the house sounded really nice; I imagine high ceilings and windows from the ceiling to the floor. I loved Tan's descriptions and her choices of flower names. What was the whole story about China Mary about?
4. I nearly clapped out of joy when Rose finally stood up to Ted. This scene reveals that Rose was once a fragile, weak, and manipulated girl, but she has found her backbone to grow into a strong and self-determined woman. This is her breakthrough in life.
5. I believe the main conflict of this chapter is Rose vs. herself (internal: man vs. self). She struggles within herself to figure out what she wants and what's wrong in her life: why she still loves a man who wants a divorce with her, why she should despise him, why she lets other people use her and throw her away, why she won't listen to her mother, but other people... Yes, this conflict gets resolved in the end when Rose finally stands up to Ted, refusing to give up the house, finally knowing what she wants. She realizes that she doesn't have to rely on Ted anymore; he has another woman, whatever. He cheated on her and he just can't get away with the upper hand, not when the one that was hurt the most was Rose. Her ignorance has driven her to take control of herself.
6. I think one of the most important themes is: the solution to your problems lies within yourself, not outside. One has to believe that one can overcome his or her problems to be able to do so. One has to stand up for oneself, be proud of who he or she is, and take control of his or her life. This is revealed when Rose refuses to share her feelings with her mother over the phone and her mother insists that she "should speak up for [herself]."
Emily Huynh, Period 4
1.] Watch Out for Mr. Chou!!!
2.] Without Wood
3.] First of all this vignette was far worst than the other ones because it began with a flashback of her mother telling her about Mr. Chou and that he is a dream. Then there was the confusing part about the weeds symbolizing something at the end. Everything was just confusing. I understand the issue between Rose Hsu Jordan and her husband, but I am still a tad puzzled about the without wood matter and how that ties in with the story.
4.] The antagonist in this vignette is Rose’s ex-husband, Ted, who does not really change a whole lot. He is the person in Rose’s life who wants to take the house away, but is soon fooled when he discovers that she never signed the papers. Even though Ted is a pathetic loser he still was able to find himself a bride or what Rose’s mother calls, “monkey business.”
5.] The conflict of the story is human versus self because Rose feels stuck from the weight of her ex-husband to the idea of revenge. She cannot decide whether the check given to her might symbolize that her marriage was already at stake or from the color and type of pen use for each document. The psychiatrist is not helping to work out her issues and her mother demanding if Ted is fooling around with someone else have to do with her mood. Rose is definitely stuck.
6.] I am not sure if the weeds could possibly foreshadow the outcome of her marriage. How the weeds invading the vegetables and flowers could portray that her marriage is going to result in a huge fight. At the end it revealed Rose wants to stay at the house and she will not move without a fight. “When a husband stops paying attention to the garden, he’s thinking of pulling up roots” (page 194): where Rose read the fortune cookie. This could support that once the garden was messy that was the time when Ted thought about getting a divorce. Probably proving why Rose went looking for any hint to when Ted stopped tending the garden.
Hulihudu and Heimongong
Rose Hsu’s “Without Wood”
I didn’t like this vignette as much as the other two vignettes in the “American Translation” set. I felt a bit confused in some areas. I did not feel the mother’s presence much in this vignette either. I felt that Rose must have been very hurt through the break up. She was very confused. However, I am glad though at the end, she was able to speak up for herself against her husband. I found Rose dreams about Mr. Chou a bit scary. I don’t have much of a reaction to this vignette. One question I have is why are Rose and Ted getting a divorce?
Rose is a confused character. To me, it seems like her thoughts and feelings are not connected together. Rose thinks about too many things and making decisions for her is hard. She talks about the options she had with the divorce and check. She thinks a bit too much, unable to go anywhere. Sometimes, nothing good comes from thinking too much. In addition, her mother is influential to her. Rose is an obedient child who takes her mother’s words in consideration. At the same time, she also ignores her mother’s Chinese words. Her character is a bit too confusing for me to describe.
The main conflict in this vignette is external human vs. human. Rose and her husband Ted are going to get divorced. I don’t know how their marriage is but it makes Rose feel confused. This conflict does not get resolved in the end because Rose decides to stand up against him and takes charge of the divorce with her say. She tells him she is going to stay in the house and will fight him for it. She tells him, “You can’t just pull me out of your life and throw me away.” To me, this indicates a new phase in their battle against each other as Rose engages in a bolder manner of handling things. I also think that there is an internal human vs. self between Rose and her mind. Rose lacks wood and does not know what to do with herself. She is confused and scared with the divorce. This conflict does get resolved as she stands up against her to be ex-husband.
The fortune cookie said, “When a husband stops paying attention to the garden, he’s thinking of pulling up roots.” Later, readers learn that Ted wants to get out of the relationship faster because there is someone else he wants to be with. This fortune cookie foreshadows this event. The neglected garden, symbolizes the relationship between Ted and Rose. Ted used to care for the garden and gradually, he stopped. The garden grew into a disaster. This symbolizes Ted wanting to get out of the relationship or “to pull up the roots.”
Growing Free
"Without Wood"
This chapter was overwhelming with analogies, from Old Mr. Chou to China Mary, to "bending like a tree" to the weeds growing out of Ted's garden. I thought that it was funny how Rose called her sisters names like "Ugly Foot" and "Whistling Nose" because it reminded me of Native American names. I think Rose's name, Scaredy Eyes, kind of matched her personality because she seemed like the kind of person who was always scared of life, hiding behind other people's thoughts and opinions, and not speaking up with her own voice.
Throughout the chapter, Rose was always bending to other people's will, listening to them instead following her own intuitions. She doesn't know what she wants because she is influenced by everything and everyone in her life -- her friends, American society, and her ex-husband. But luckily I think the person who has the biggest impact on her is her mother, who demands for her to speak up for herself. This is demonstrated when Rose finally tells Ted off, because she won't allow herself to be controlled by him anymore.
As always, the internal conflict in this chapter is about man. vs. self; Rose is struggling with her tendencies to just listen to others and not be able to think for herself. There is also the conflict of her and Ted's divorce, where he tries to "pull [her] out of [his] life" (196) like a weed because he's been cheating on her with another woman. That's demonstrated by the fortune cookie that read, "When a husband stops paying attention to the garden, he is thinking of pulling up the roots." (192) Even though he no longer loves or cares for Rose, she refuses to be pulled out like a weed. "You can't just pull me out of your life and throw me away," (196) she states, because there was "no way to pull [the weeds] out once they've buried themselves...you'd end up pulling the whole building down." (195) Rose is finally speaking up for herself and not letting Ted get away with his 'monkey business'.
The theme of this chapter, as told by Rose's mother An-Mei, would be to speak up for yourself. You can't let people use their words to walk all over you, because they just say things that have "no lasting meaning, because they came from the bottom of their hearts, where their own desires lived." (185) What this means is that sometimes it's okay to fulfill your own needs, to be your own person. If you just do what other people tell you, you'll become "crooked and weak," not able to stand on your own two feet.
1.) The Power of Words
2.) Without Wood
3.) I found the beginning of this vignette kind of weird with Mr. Chou, who seems like the Chinese version of the bogeyman. I didn’t really enjoy reading this one because it was boring compared to the others. But Rose did surprise me in this vignette. Instead of being indecisive and relying on others, this time, she put her feet on the ground and spoke her mind, even confusing Ted. I guess those three depressing days for Rose really did clear her mind and see the picture more clearly because she wouldn’t let Ted just kick her out of the house and out of his life. I have to say though is that the vignette ended very nicely with everything changed to the better. Rose no longer has nightmares of Mr. Chou and she stood up to Ted, absolutely shocking him.
4.) From a frightened and low willpower person, Rose changed completely to a more assertive and strong willed person. Rose finds out that Ted has been cheating on her and soon, sends her the divorce letters with the mindset that it will be so easy to get rid of Rose because she is a person who is unable to make up her mind. Being infuriated at Ted, Rose finally proved Ted wrong and showed how strong she can be and that she can stand up by herself. And just like that, she tells him that she won’t move out because it still belongs to her. Rose’s character is developed as being different now. She has more boldness.
5.) The main conflict in this vignette is internal. It is man vs. self because she struggles within herself with the fact that Ted might still love her. Rose depended a lot on Ted and so now she is struggling to sign the paper or not. She is also indecisive of whether or not she should cash the check or not. She keeps all her feelings all bottled up and she overcomes her uncertainty and stands up for herself, not allowing Ted to defeat her. She signs the divorce papers and clearly states that she won’t allow Ted to have the entire house because it is still hers.
6.) I think that the theme is to stand up for what you believe is right. Rose was just going to sign all the divorce papers, allowing Ted to own the house and overall, defeating Rose. After a long time thinking about this, Rose came to her senses and won’t allow Ted to crush her. Rose knew that he was cheating on her and to her, that is just wrong so it doesn’t just allow Ted to give her the divorce papers and get rid of her like an object. Rose stood up for what she believed, and she thought that Ted shouldn’t have the house because it belongs to her just as much as it belongs to him.
Michelle Méndez
4th Period
YOU GO GIRL!
Without Wood
3) Before I start on the deep thoughts and critical thinking, I'd like to give props to miss Rose for standing up to her husband. Wow, that is all I have to say. I think that scene was very suspenseful due to the fact that Tan was able to pull you into the vignette, making you think what could Rose possibly do next after dreaming about Old Mr. Chou. Her mother's words came to her rescue like Spiderman coming to save Mary Jane from the big bad Ted and his divorce papers. But it now seems that the small victim has grown into a big hero who could save herself.
4) Unlike the previous chapter that featured Rose, Half and Half, Rose grew from a victim who needed Ted's rescuing to a woman to could stand up for herself. When I first read this chapter, I thought of Rose as a caterpillar, weak and vulnerable. As she went into her slumber, she began to change inside by recalling her dreams of the past. To help her finalize her transformation, her mother gave her one final advice which helped her turn into a beautiful butterfly that could support itself.
5)The conflict in this chapter was an internal one, between Rose and herself, as she tried to decide what to do with her life.
6)Finding symbols in this chapter wasn't as easy as it was in the others, but I was able to barely find it. The weeds and garden represented Rose's hectic life.
1. The power of words
2. Without Wood
3. This chapter was very uneventful however towards the end it kept me entertained. Throughout the chapter, Tan mainly focuses on the way that Rose is confused rather than helping her to solve the confusion or put some kind of action in. I would give Rose a pat on the back for not signing the divorce papers and fighting for the house! It is interesting to me that An-Mei tries to make Rose listen to her, and listen to her words but Rose does not. The ending of the chapter made me optimistic for Rose and somewhat happy.
4. Rose started out as a weak and confused character. She mopes around the house, confused about what she should do with her divorce and who she should listen to. Rose talks about how the “American way” is different than the “Chinese way.” This is also confusing to me because we do not know what either or these “ways” mean but what we do find out is that the American way has more choices and overall is more confusing yet it is better. Finally, Rose knows what she must do and she stands up to Ted, fighting for a happy life which she deserves!
5. The main conflict in the chapter is man vs. self. I think that Rose is internally struggling with what she should do and her situation with Ted. She does not know if she should sign the papers, take the money, or listen to her mother. All of the difficult decisions that Rose faces confuse her and gives her an internal struggle which she fights to resolve. The result? Rose finally decides she will not sign the papers and fight for what she wants. Good job Rose!
6. The theme in this chapter is to never sell yourself short. I think that Rose was weak and she knew she was. She did not know what she was going to do with her divorce with Ted but when she finally set all of her confusion aside, she found that there was a person inside of her who was willing to fight and stand up for herself.
-Allison Olkie period 3
"You Go Girl!"
Without Wood
1) Reaction: This vignette started in the past first, where Rose believed in everything her mother said dream about old Mr. Chou. As Rose grew up, she still listens to her mother but begins to sway in the opinions of others. Continuing from her previous story of her relationship with Ted and the loss of her brother Bing, this story tells of her decision about her marriage. From last chapter we can tell that Rose was already an indecisive person, and in this chapter her mother says she was born "without wood," which seems to be an explanation to her nature. Throughout the story, Rose is somewhat in a constant depression, and it was not until the end that she gets out of it, speaking up for herself. I liked how in the end that she stood up for herself.
2) Rose. Rose is as indecisive as ever and in this chapter, it says that she has always listened to her mother ever since she was a kid. It was easier when she was a kid as she only had her mother to listen to, and only old Mr. Chou to see in her dreams. As she grew up, she began to change because of the people and things around her, such as her psychiatrist, her friends Waverly, Lena, and June, cramming so much different opinions into her mind that she could not perceive an idea of her own. She felt deranged and confused by all these comments and ideas that other people are offering her about her marriage that she completely broke down and laid on her bed, eating sleeping pills to try and clear her mind. After getting a nightmare from old Mr. Chou, Rose wakes up to her mother's phone call and realizes that nobody but her mother's advice is the right one. After confronting her mother and getting Ted's phone call, she felt free, as if she was released from a heavy burden and found a way out of the murky waters. She was able to make a strong, wise decision by herself, sealing the deal.
3) I think the main conflict in this story is a internal conflict between Rose and herself. She didn't know what she really wanted and got lost in the wide variety of ideas that other people gave her. Rose begins to fight within herself about what she really wants as the outcome of her marriage, and even though she seeks guidance from her psychiatrist and her friends, they only confused her even more. She fought in herself whether to take the Chinese advice or the American advice. Each had a set of opinions of their own and the number of opinions overwhelmed her. The Chinese opinions were more straight-forward and less complicated while the American ones tend to have a large variety. In this, she fought that mixed culture inside her, choosing whether to be American or Chinese.
4) The most important symbol in this vignette is probably the "wood" mentioned by her mother. When her mother said that Rose was born without "wood," which symbolized her instability of her self confidence and the nature of her indecisive personality. Wood usually symbolizes sturdiness, unmovable, and strong in will. Rose does not have the element wood, which means that she doesn't possess the strong will and sturdiness a person with "wood" would have. In the end however, I think her mother planted the "wood" in her when they had that talk on the phone. Her mother seeded confidence and Rose was able to finally speak up for herself against Ted. She was also able to stand strong, not wavering.
Alvin Lee 4th period
1. Pulling Out the Roots
2. “Without Wood”
3. The first thing that I found in this chapter was that the title probably relates to the part where Rose is compared to a young tree and how it has to listen to its mother beside it. In this chapter, I especially like how Rose’s feelings change as she begins to stand up to her husband and eventually demand the house as hers to keep after the divorce. I believe the mother’s intention was to make sure that Rose speaks up and stands up to Ted. I really like the ending to this chapter because all Rose’s troubles spill out and over the edge just like the weeds in her dream.
4. Rose realizes the reason Ted is so hurried to divorce and stops feeling insecure. Because of this, she has to courage to stand up to Ted and demand their house with the backup of her lawyer. Rose realizes that she is better off without a man like Ted and so she accepts the fact that they are divorcing. This shows that Rose no longer feels grief, hurt, and anger towards the matter. Rose at first was very influential and weak but she reviewed her past with Ted and with the help of her mother, she stands strong and straight like a growing young tree.
5. In my opinion there are two conflicts. The first between Rose and Ted which is external and man vs. man because Rose feels conflicted towards the divorce and is continuously feeling hurt because of Ted. The second is between Rose and herself which is internal and man vs. self because she fights within herself to stand up and stop the fear and anger within her.
6b. The symbol in this chapter would be the weeds of the garden with in her dreams and in reality. The weeds represent the troubles and conflicts in Rose’s life and because Ted does not care, they grow. But because Rose learns to stand up for herself, she rids the garden of the troubling weeds.
1. Weeds
2. “Without Wood”
3. I thought this chapter really emphasized how Chinese mothers couldn’t communicate with their Chinese-American daughters. At the church, Rose’s mother wanted Rose to tell her about their marriage, and that it would be better than going to a psychiatrist. I think at the end, the story showed how one’s mother really knows what’s best and is correct in a lot of things they say. Rose’s mother was correct when Rose found out that Ted was actually “doing monkey business” with another woman. Also in Rose’s dream, her mother was proudly showing Rose the weeds that she’d planted, which symbolizes Rose’s confidence in making decisions.
4. Rose continued to have trouble making decisions in this chapter except at the very end. Her mother says it was because she was born without wood, which is a Chinese belief or superstition. Rose knew that their marriage was doomed but she still wanted to save it. I think she still loved Ted even though she told some of her friends that she’d be better off without him. Rose’s indecisiveness caused her to ponder the divorce for two weeks. She also seemed to be in depression because she slept for three days with sleeping pills. I think that Rose made her decision after seeing the overgrown garden. When she saw that the weeds’ strength could uproot a whole building, she realized what her decision would be. She would fight for herself and not let Ted “throw her away” because weeds are strong and once they attached to something, they can’t be easily pulled out.
5. The main conflict of this chapter is the internal conflict of human vs. self. Rose was battling herself in trying to make decisions. Her mother kept telling her that she should always listen to her mother no matter what. Rose didn’t know which opinion she should follow – the Chinese or the American. Even though she found the American kind better, she also realized later that there were too many choices, which was bad for an indecisive person like herself. The conflict was resolved in the end when Rose saw the weeds growing all over the place in the garden and she decided that she would stand up for herself.
6b. I think the weeds and plants in the garden symbolize opinion. Before, Ted had always tended to his garden very well and kept it organized. I think that symbolizes how Ted always used to make decisions for Rose and himself. Then, later, Ted no longer worked in the garden, symbolizing that he did not make the decisions anymore, allowing the weeds to run wild, which was what happened when he lost a lawsuit that was filed against him. Rose also said that she liked the garden better with all the overgrown weeds, and later on, in her dream, she sees that her mother had planted weeds for her. I think it symbolizes how Rose finally found her own opinions and is strong like the weeds “already spilling out over the edges, running wild in every direction” (196).
Alice La, Period 4
1. Sweet Sorrow
2. Without Wood
3. I thought this chapter was an eye opener. First, Ted files divorce papers with Rose which causes her to go through some depression stage. She tries to accept the fact that her marriage with Ted is over, but then she struggles to do so. She asks for advice from her friends, but from her mother’s point of view she should only ask advice from her mother. Her mother compares a girl to a young tree, “You must stand tall and listen to your mother standing next to you. That is the only way to grow strong and straight. But if you bend to listen to other people, you will grow crooked and weak…” (191) implying that her friend’s advice isn’t going to help her, it’s just going to make things worse. In the end, Rose begins to gain strength and she decides to act upon Ted’s decision leaving the chapter with an unsettled ending.
4. The main character focus in this chapter is on Rose. It starts off with her feeling like nothing, incomplete, and worthless due to her husband’s filed divorce with her. She said that she didn’t know how much she truly loved Ted until he hurt her for the first time. She was depressed and didn’t know what to do. She asked everyone around her for advice but in the end she just follows her instincts. Rose, at the end of the chapter, ends up seeking revenge at Ted, but refusing to sign the divorce papers and by staying in the house while he wants her out. She does this action with her head held high, and she no longer feels worthless but strong and powerful.
5. I think the main conflict in this chapter is Man vs. Self. Rose is fighting with herself throughout the chapter, trying to pick herself back up, and to pull herself back together. She fell apart due to realizing that her husband that she once loved is now throwing her away. This reality smack in the face led to her to feeling depressed and worthless. Once having some time to think everything out, and to find the courage to talk to Ted over the phone, she starts to get back on track. She ends up building strength and courage and soon realizes that Ted can’t make her do anything. By this, she refuses to sign the papers and moves out of the house, and she says this straight up to Ted without feeling worthless or weak.
6. The theme of this chapter is to always believe in your self. Rose was hurt and she didn’t know what to do with her life at one point, but after having some time to herself she picks up the broken pieces one by one. Sometimes advice from fellow friends or family members might not help you at all, but you just have to trust in your self and believe that you can do something. Rose gets passed the stage of depression and fights back once she realizes that Ted is nothing to be afraid of.
Defend Yourself
"Without Wood"
3)I thought this chapter was alright. To me it wasn't completely amazing but it didn't have me falling asleep either. The chapter did send across a good message and used good wording to get points across. Most of the time while reading I felt sad for Rose because she seemed to be by herself, almost like she was on her own island and no one could rescue her. One question that did come to mind while reading was how did Rose's mom suspect that Rose's husband was cheating on her? Even when Rose never though it was possible. Overall I thought the chapter was average but still contained some of the marvelous writing that Amy Tan produces.
4)Rose is character who this chapter revolves around. She is getting divorced from her husband but only because he seems to have found someone else. I think Rose is still in love with her soon to be ex-husband. I mean it's hard not to love someone after spending fifteen years of your life with them. Rose comes across as very hurt and weak. She can't answer simple questions about the divorce, nor can she even find the strength to sign the papers. Rose is not only weak but she only really listens to what her mother has to say about certain things including her divorce. Rose feels that her mother wants Rose to fight to keep her marriage together, even though it is long over. But her mother is really trying to tell her to stop being to weak and stand up for yourself. To use the voice she was given. By the end of the chapter Rose has become a more independent women.
5)The main conflict taking place is internal and not to mention human vs. self. The whole conflict is taking place between Rose. She is battling herself to try and decide what she wants in life and what she actually needs to have in her life. At first Rose thinks that Ted is the guy she must love even though it seems like he has controlled her for the past fifteen years. Rose has been living in her husbands shadow and now that she has the chance to be free from him she doesn't know if she truely wants to be. It isn't till almost the end of the chapter that a light bulb clicks on in Rose's head and she stand up to Ted while at the same time standing up for what she wants.
6)The allegory in the beginning of the chapter and end connect because in the beginning Rose talked about how she use to be afraid to sleep because Old Mr.Chou always opened the door to nightmares. But now after the chapter has unfolded and Rose has crawled out of her scared and timid shell, and has now grown into a beautiful independent flower, the allegory has changed. Instead of being afraid to fall asleep and drift into this horrible terrifying land, she now has no problem sleeping. Her dreams now are wonderful and magical. "That night I dreamed I was wondering through the garden." (96) The allegory shows how Rose as grown.
1. Mr. CHOU’s: Chinese Fast Food.
2. “Without Wood”
3. I liked this chapter because I didn’t get confused much. I didn’t fathom a few of the hidden meanings like the sayings. It was entertaining to watch how Rose and Ted could grow together and then apart. I liked how I could see how both Rose and Ted reacted from the separation, but Rose was more entertaining because I could understand her more. In this chapter I was happy for Rose because she learned to speak up.
4. The conflict in this chapter is between Rose and Ted because Ted took over Rose’s life and Rose didn’t do anything to stop it. An-Mei told Rose to talk to Ted numerous times but Rose was stuck because she believed she couldn’t live with or without Ted. In the end of the chapter, Rose realizes that she can live without Ted and talks to him. Rose had no regrets in the end because she learned to treat herself better and not be abused by others.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is internal because it’s between Rose and herself. She struggles with her inability to speak up for herself and make her own decisions. Rose doesn’t talk about her problems, but instead quickly changes the subject when something she doesn’t want to talk about comes up. Rose doesn’t believe her mother when she suggests that Ted is cheating on her, but later on she realizes he is. Rose stands up for herself in the end and the conflict is resolved. She feels better about herself and doesn’t regret a thing.
6. The garden in this chapter represents Rose and Ted’s marriage. When their relationship was healthier, Ted would work in the garden and take care of the weeds every day. When Ted started cheating on Rose, he stopped working in the garden which means he stopped caring about Rose. The weeds represent Rose’s thoughts and voice because Ted would suppress the weeds just like he would suppress Rose’s voice. When Ted stopped caring for the garden, weeds grew everywhere and Rose was able to speak up for herself.
1. Independent
2. Without Wood
3.I thought this chapter was great. Rose initially was shocked and saddened by her husbands sudden desire to divorce, but she eventually recovers and makes Ted come to the house to pick up the divorce papers. I thought this was funny because she made him come to her and Ted still didn't receive signed papers for divorce.
4. Rose is told by her husband to sign divorce papers and questioned by her mother about standing up against Ted. This demonstrates that Rose is dependent on others and mainly listens to what others tell her to do. She is more of a follower then a leader.
5.The main conflict in this chapter is human vs human. Rose has marriage problems with Ted and ted tries to kick her out of the house. She stands up for herself and tells Ted that she won't leave. This conflict isn't resolved because they are still discussing their marriage and Ted still wants to marry some other woman.
6. The life lesson of this chapter is to stand up for yourself and not listen to what others tell you to do.
1. “Psyche-atricks”
2. Without Wood
3. Rose’s psychiatrist seemed so boring. I guess revenge is sweet, but voodoo doll? Overreacting much? Ted is so messed up. Did he really want the divorce because of another girl? I can’t believe that Rose stayed in bed for that long, I mean could someone really sleep that much? It is so surprising that Rose finally stands up for herself. Gosh, what’s with Ted wanting to kick Rose out of her house? He is such a bad person. I like the ending of this vignette. Rose finally stands up for herself and everything worked out fine, even in her dream.
4. Rose changed a lot throughout the vignette. She was indecisive and weak, but she finally grew a back bone and stood up for herself. She knew that decisions were hard to make, but she finally realize that she has to choose for herself, do what was right to her. When she faced Ted and told him off, she found out that “the power of [her] words was that strong.”
5. The main conflict of this vignette was man vs. self. Rose was unsure with her life. She didn’t know what she wanted. She was still in love with a man that wanted to divorce her. This conflict was resolved when she was determined to keep the house and stood up for herself. She finally realized that she didn’t need Ted to control her life for her; she was able to do it for herself.
6. I think the theme of this vignette is believe in yourself and do what you think is right. Rose was so unsure of herself that she didn’t know whether to sign the paper or not. Rose finally listened to herself and by doing so, she found herself. She thought that keeping the house was right, and by sticking to that, she found out that she was powerful.
Jessica Hartono, Period 4
The weeds will whisper.
“Without Wood”
3. “Without Wood” is definitely one of my favorite vignettes in The Joy Luck Club. It was powerful because Rose finally spoke up for herself. Ted was such a jerk and a loser. I liked how Rose wasn’t defiant of her mother like some of girls, but really listened to her, until she gets the hulihudu from listening to many opinions from other people and not from herself. What a horrible psychiatrist. Why does Rose even go to this guy for help? He seems bored with her whole ordeal.
I seriously wish I could sleep for three days straight. That would be so sweet.
4. Rose is so amazing. She seemed like such a quite girl who stood in the shadows of others, but when she spoke up for herself she stepped out of Ted’s shadow making her a dynamic character. I think Rose is right about the whole American choices things. “There were too many choices, so it was easy to get confused and pick the wrong thing” (191) which is the way I feel sometimes too. There seem to be very little boundaries and no limits to hold you back.
5. The conflict is internal (man vs. self). Rose is completely confused about her divorce with Ted. Does Ted still love her or is he doing “monkey business”? Rose turns to everyone for advice, except her mother who tells her to speak up and talk to her husband, which was definitely the best advice. I guess a mother does know best. It is resolved when Rose doesn’t sign the divorce papers and confronts Ted face to face to tell him that she is keeping the house and that “you can’t just pull me out of your life and throw me away” (196) which leaves Ted completely baffled.
6. The theme for this chapter is that words have power. If you have the courage to speak your mind then you can turn your whole world upside down, in the good way. Also using the right words can have a big effect on people.
Mr. Chou!
Without Wood
1. I thought this chapter was pretty good overall. I'm glad that Rose finally spoke up for herself at the end and got what she wants. It's ironic how when Ted went to fetch the divorce papers, he didn't receive any signed papers from Rose, instead, she said she was staying at the house. Even though Rose was really depressed and felt like she didn't know what to do, she got through it with the help of her mother.
2. Rose is the main character of this chapter. Even though Ted found someone else and doesn't want Rose anymore, Rose still feels the same love for him when they married. This shows that Rose is a woman of dedication. With the help of her mother, Rose stayed strong in the end and stood up for herself against Ted.
3. The main conflict is man vs self. It is Rose against herself and how she is trying to stay strong through the whole process of divorce. She gets depressed that Ted is throwing her away for someone else. With the encouragement of her mother, she built up enough courage to stand up to Ted and tell him that she is not going to sign the papers or move out of the house.
4. I think the main theme of this chapter is to stand up for yourself in unjust situations. Ted was being very unjust and making Rose do whatever he wanted, but in the end, Rose stood up to him and told him what she wanted and that he can't make her do whatever he wanted her to do.
-Eric Tam
Period 3
1) “Without the Morning—Nah, too inappropriate”
2) “Without Wood”
3) The beginning was pretty bizarre with Mr. Chou. Is he a Chinese myth or something from An-Mei Hsu’s imagination? Either way, he’s pretty weird. Also that pastor, Wing, has one of the best names ever. He has the name of one of my idols. Beside the point, Rose is a stronger character by the end of this vignette. She has gotten over her hysteria and is ready to duke it out with Ted. She has obviously developed into someone who can handle her emotions more efficiently and probably won’t need that psychiatrist anymore. I didn’t really like Ted especially when he was waiting up on Rose and called the phone company to check her line, all because of his impatience and irrationality.
4) Rose shares the same weakness as a few other characters in the novel. She is unable to speak out for herself and let people know what is the matter. She lacks the strength to stand up for herself. In her first vignette, Rose was very indecisive, but when she learns that Ted is getting married again, she realizes that “there [are] no choices” (pg 194). She no longer had to make a decision because now Ted was officially no longer an important person in her life. He has moved on and so has Rose.
5) I think that the conflict in this story is man vs. society. As the chapter says, and as her mother says, if you are a tree without wood, you will bend in every which way. She says that Rose was born without wood because she listened to too many people, further adding to her difficulty in making choices and her understanding of what’s right and what’s wrong.
6) I think that the theme of this vignette is that advice from others may be good, but sometimes you must listen to yourself instead. There is a chance you can have sudden realizations that may “set you free” compared to the various opinions or advice from your friends or family.
Bryan Bui
1. Blank Papers
2. Rose Hsu Jordan: Without Wood
3. Like every chapter, I thought this one had some kind of bizarre Chinese essence, but I liked it. I thought Mr. Chou was peculiar and inventive at the same time. I mean, do you want your dreams to be in the hands of him? I guess so, as long as they’re not nightmares, right? Other than Mr. Dreamer, I thought this chapter had a fun plot. Rose describes her house descriptively, especially their garden, and the reader really dives into her head. You could really feel her pain and her contemplations about the divorce papers, the pen, and her everlastingly memories between she and Ted. In addition, I really liked how she stood up to Ted; who does the man think he is? He already assumed he would keep the house? Rose is a strong woman, and I’m glad she didn’t let him walk over her! Serves him right.
4. The character I would like to focus on is Rose. Poor, poor Rose. I truly do feel sorry for her, but in the end, she becomes headstrong. In the beginning though, she was very weak, or she seemed to be. Unless she just needed to clear her head? She refused to talk to her mother, nor let anyone come into her life, slept through her days, and she is seeing a psychiatrist to help her through it all (the divorce that is). During her time of “mourning,” she learns that she really has nothing to mourn over. Instead, she stands up to Ted, stands her ground and as far as I know, remains the sole-owner of her beautiful home.
5. I think the conflict in this chapter is man vs. self internal. Rose needs to clear her head. Does she love Ted? Does she want to prevent the divorce? Or does she think the divorce is best for her? The woman is lost with racing questions searching to find a solution. That solution is the answer to whether she truly loves Ted enough to argue against him or let him go. Like in a life-situation, a divorce requires thinking and it shouldn’t be rushed. Luckily, it only took ten or so pages for Rose to find her answer.
6. I think the theme in this situation is to fight for what you believe in. At first, Rose didn’t know what she wanted, but in the end, it is clearly shown that she isn’t going to give up her home for a check of $10,000. No, she is going to stand up to Ted because she has the right to argue against him. I think this is an important aspect of life because if you don’t speak up for what you believe in, you’ll never gain the courage to fight for anything. So what’re you waiting for?
Linh Vuong
3rd Period
1. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
2. “Without Wood”
3. After reading this chapter, my brain was left lost and confused. I didn’t like this vignette as much as “Rice Husband” and “Four Directions” because it was really confusing. I didn’t understand why Rose still wanted to live in the house. Weren’t she and Ted getting a divorce? Why would you still want to live with your ex-husband?! However, considering all the events taken place in her life, I felt bad for Rose. Dealing with a divorce and going through a stage of depression is plenty to juggle! And to top it all off, having Ted remarry another woman just after their divorce must be heartbreaking! Poor Rose! :(
4. Just like a lot of the men in this book, I think Ted is another one of those “jerks.” If you think about it, Rose received the divorce papers and a check for $10,000 to cover the cost of the whole settlement through mail. Plus, he only called her to see if she had finished signing the paper. As you can see, Ted is a coward who cannot seem to do all of these things in person. In the end, he hurts Rose even more by admitting the fact that he was re-marrying another woman. What a selfish jerk!
5. I think the main conflict in this chapter is man vs. self; in this case, Rose vs. herself. Throughout the chapter, Rose is a quiet, reserved girl who doesn’t know how or when to speak up for herself. She doesn’t have the strength to fight alone and turns her friends for advice. She is struggling to fight her own battle. Her mood alters from contentment to pain and resentment. In the end, however, Rose faces her fears as she stands up to Ted, finally allowing her powerful words to escape.
6. The theme of this chapter is to speak up and follow what you believe it. Rose is seen a weak character who allows Ted and everyone else to step over her. She listens to her friends and bases her feelings on their advice. She attends a psychiatrist and believes that revenge is the key. When will she ever learn that their thought and opinions don’t matter?! Nevertheless, Rose finally finds the strength to stand up to Ted and speak for herself in the end. Horray!
1. I don’t think so.
2. Without Wood
3. The chapter was not too bad, but got me saying “OO this fool got told” at the end. I was amazed by Rose’s ability to stand up to her husband Ted and tell him that she won’t let him toss her away. Despite sounding weak at the beginning of the chapter because she’s been laying in bed depressed, Rose came back stronger than ever and told Ted off.
4. In the beginning of the chapter, Rose sounded very indecisive because of the shock she received from Ted. I initially thought she’d be like the girls in the typical movies that just give up and agree to the husband’s demands, but she proved me wrong and instead of growing weaker and fading away, she came back even stronger than ever. Her powerful words left Ted speechless and “hulihudu”
5. The main conflict in this chapter is a Man Vs Self internal conflict. Throughout the chapter, it just reveals Rose in a weak state because Ted wants to divorce. Ever since she received the divorce paper, she’s been fighting against herself the whole time. In the end, the conflict is resolved when Rose proved strong and stood up to Ted, telling him she does not want a divorce.
6. I believe the theme of the chapter is “One should always stand up for themselves” If Rose did not stand up for herself and agreed to the marriage, I believe that she probably wouldn’t be able to recover. One should always stand up for themselves and let their personal opinions be hear or else nothing will go the way you want.
JamesYu
3rdperiod
Hulihudu Heimongmongs
Without Wood
1) I thought this was a very depressing chapter, with Ted leaving Rose and her being stuck with choices to make about her future. It was always really hard for her to make decisions, and her mother's comment about a tree growing strong and straight really stood out for me. A pattern I noticed from all these girls is that they all married Caucasian men, and most of the marriages eventually ended badly.
2) Rose is a dynamic character because she goes through a dramatic change from being passive to strong and bold. At first, Rose was unable to make up her mind and it was hard for her to make important decisions- a key factor that led to her divorce. She realized this, but not until she understood her mother's advice and conquered her own fears did she speak up. Rose was also portrayed as over-analytical when she receives the divorce papers and check. In my opinion, she has an unstable personality, proved by her irrational fears of Old Mr. Chau and her need for a psychiatrist.
3) The main conflict in this chapter is man vs. self. Rose has constant struggles in her mind over what to do--to resist or not to resist the inevitable. She even planned Ted's demise in her mind once. The ten-thousand dollar check made her even more confused, because she wondered if she had ever meant anything to him. In the end, she conquers her own emotions and fiercely opposes Ted, and finally gets what she wants.
4) I think the theme of this chapter is to lead your own life, and not let others run all over you. Rose's mom reinforces this belief by saying one must have deep roots in order to grow up straight and strong, instead of being tied down and pulled in the wrong direction by others. Everyone must learn to make their own decisions or else they will never be satisfied.
Take control of tomorrow
“Without wood”
Reaction: I thought this chapter was not in my realm of interest because the whole “Old Mr. Chou” situation gave me a weird feeling. The way Rose described him in her dreams made him seem like a creepy guy. However, in the end of the chapter, he wasn’t like the way Rose pictured him but he was a caring man. I think that insecurities inside Rose made her to behave and think of Mr. Chou in that way. Mothers try to protect their kids by making up lies to prevent them from bad things. Rose believed everything her mother told her. However, her mother couldn’t protect her from the Ted, who had not only left Rose but fell in love with someone else and she was treated like nothing. I was glad that she
finally stood up for herself.
Character: Rose Tsu-Jordan is a weak-willed, confused and easily swayed character. Throughout the chapter, she changes a lot therefore she’s round and dynamic. She thinks about everything too much so making decisions are difficult for her. To me, she doesn’t know about to stand up for herself throughout her marriage, she never made any real decisions because she let her husband do everything just in case she picked the wrong thing. However, this was one of the cause for their failed marriage but she finally made a stand by the end of the chapter. She stood strong and firm with confidence against her ex-husband tell him he refused to move out and not allow Ted to control her.
Conflict: The main conflict in this story was an internal human vs. self between Rose and herself. She was a pushover so Ted influenced her in every aspect of her life and she was at first not strong enough to fight against it. Throughout the chapter, she is unable to decide on anything and shifts back and forth on every decision, especially the divorce. She didn’t know what to do about the divorce and questioned everything around her. This inability to decide left her in a standstill because she was afraid of making the wrong move. In the end, she resolved the conflict by finally standing up for herself against Ted and making her own decisions.
Symbolism: In this vignette, Amy Tan used the garden and weeds as a symbol for Rose’s relationship and inattentiveness. When their relationship was good and going well, the garden and weeds were kept nicely and intact. The moment Ted had a change of heart and their marriage started falling apart, the garden was destroyed by weeds. The weeds could represent her mother’s influence on their marriage. The overgrowing weeds could also represent Rose’s confusion like the wildly grown weeds in her dream.
How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?...Touché.
Without Wood - Joy Luck Club
1) Nothing comes to mind, instantly, really when thinking about this chapter. Don't really have much of a reaction... the chapter was, good, I guess? This chapter struck me as a little depressing, just a little, and some what "uplifting." I encourage Roses' defiance towards Ted when he comes to the house to get the unsigned divorce papers. It is easy to see how Rose is becoming less timid with her life and is now speaking up more.
2) I can see a relationship improvement between Rose and An-Mei, in Roses' previous story, "Half and Half," the amount of bonding between the two did not seem as strong as the connection in "Without Wood." More over the bind between An-Mei and Rose is Roses' attitude improvements (slash) changes.
3) Two things reach out to me as I think about this chapter: symbolism/allegory and a theme. The symbolism ties in with the allegory of the story, the title of the chapter is "without wood," and in the story, Rose is said to have a spine without wood, meaning that she is weak and unstable. The theme, is related to the allegory/symbolism thingy, (whatever you wanna classify it as), the theme of the story is: you should stick up for yourself and not be afraid of obstacles.
Alex R.
Jessica Lee
Period 4
1. Wild Weeds
2. Without Wood
3. I really liked reading this chapter, watching Rose become so independent and taking a stand. At first, Rose seemed crushed by her divorce and she wasn't exactly sure of what to do. She looked toward her friends and a psychiatrist for advice. In the end she listened to her mom instead of anyone else. "You must stand tall and listen to your mother... But if you bend to listen to other people, you will grow crooked and weak." (pg.191) I thought the part about Mr. Chou was strange. An-mei made Mr. Chou up yet Rose dreamt that he was real. I think that Mr. Chou was a twist on the Sandman.
4. I think Rose didn't really make her own decisions before, she just listened to other people. After she got the divorce papers from Ted, I think that Rose was a bit hysterical. The voodoo doll plan and she drove herself insane just thinking about which pen Ted used to sign the check. By tucking the papers and the check away showed that Rose was running away from her fears rather than facing them.
5. The conflict in this chapter was man vs. self, Rose vs. herself, so internal. Rose's conflict is trying to be independent, make her own decisions. "...trying to listen to my heart, to make the right decision... then I realizedd I didnt know what the choices were." (pg.191)
6. I think the symbol of this chapter was weeds. An-mei told Rose that if she listened to other people she'd become a weed. Weeds symbolize Rose, in the end Rose comes to like the weeds in her yard, that shows that she didn't listen to other people or to her mom, that she was truly independent. Amy Tan writes that the weeds "had ancored on the side of the house" (pg. 195) that's like Rose setting her foot down and wanting to keep the house for herself.
1) A tree without its "bark"
2) Without wood
3) This chapter seemed confusing to me at first and I didn't really enjoy it as much as the other chapters. For one, there seemed to be too many weird symbols and details in the "wood" story for my taste. But, I was happy to read that Rose finally grew some backbone and stood up to Ted.
4) Rose is a very indecisive person at the beginning of the chapter. To me, she always seemed lost in thought and never able to make important decisions for herself. But, as I read on, I found out that Rose is a dynamic character when she finally tells Ted off after gaining some advice from her mother's story about Wood.
5) I think the theme of this chapter is to stick up for yourself and don't let others push you around. As I read, I found out that being indecisive ruined Rose's marriage because her husband was a controlling jerk. But, when she finally stands up for herself, things seem to finally go her way because she gets to keep the house from Ted.
1) Don’t Stop Believin’! (In your mother)
2) “Without Wood”
3) My, my, my. What a chapter. I was amazed by Rose’s power in speech at the end of the chapter. She started as a quiet, scared woman unsure about her divorce. But later, using the power of speech, Rose overpowered Ted the man who intimidates her. I also was very interested in An-Mei and her words of encouragement. I broke out in laughter for no reason whatsoever when Rose started laughing at Ted over the phone [I guess her laughing is contagious]. Unlike the other 3 girls, I see Rose as a very obedient and kind-hearted woman. She follows her mother’s orders and she is able to stand up for herself. I do wonder why she needed the psychiatrist when all he did was make everything worse. Someone needs to sue that psychiatrist.
4) Rose is a powerful character within this chapter. She is obviously a dynamic character within this chapter. She starts in the chapter as an insecure, quiet woman and near the end of the chapter turns into a speech powerhouse and knocks Ted off his feet with the power of her words. There’s something interesting that happens in this chapter though. Her personality is like a rose, or more importantly her garden. When Ted asked her why she kept it so messy, she says she liked it that way. The garden relates to her personality due to the fact it grew rapidly in many directions. Rose, herself, was growing slowly and when she grew to her full potential, she gave Ted the full extent of her power of speech.
5) First of all, the clear external (man vs. man) conflict would be Rose’s conflict of divorce with Ted. The second conflict is internal (man vs. self) due to the fact of all the questions Rose asks herself about her marriage. She kept hearing a ton of opinions that only caused more conflict for her. For example, she kept questioning herself if she loved Ted or not? She kept wondering whether to cash the check or not or to sign the divorce papers or not. In the end, Rose uses her power of speech to repel all of her conflicts and solve all her problems.
6) The theme in this chapter is most likely the power of speech can make a person feel potentate and your decision is what counts. Back in the day, Rose let many different opinions fill her mind and she couldn’t decide what to follow. At the end of the chapter, she uses her power of speech to overthrow Ted and makes her powerful last decision to keep the house.
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1. “The End… or New Beginnings?”
2. “Without Wood”
3. This chapter is somewhat disheartening. I don’t think I’ve ever read so much about twisted childhoods and this whole book shows that well. I’d hate to be afraid to sleep – to meet Mr. Chou, like Rose is afraid of nightmares. As she ages, she doesn’t have much luck either. Her marriage (yet another one) fails and she goes through a mad depression phase so bad she has to see a psychiatrist or “psyche-atric.” I can’t believe that Ted would do “monkey business” before they’re even legally separated. In my opinion, marriage is a huge deal, a big step for commitment and life. This book, however, doesn’t seem to express it as something truly significant. Fortunately, after being so weak from the divorce, Rose becomes independent and takes control of her wants. It’s a good thing to keep in mind: be strong.
4. Rose is a character going through developments in her life. In the beginning of this chapter, she’s weak, confused and a complete mess. Depressed from her divorce, she still feels attached to Ted and tries to avoid her responsibilities. After the call from Ted, however, Rose becomes strong, letting go of what she felt before and determined to achieve what she wants. With a clear mind, Rose is independent and even nightmares become nonexistent.
5. The main conflict in this story is man vs. self. In the beginning of the vignette, Rose is depressed and all over the place, confused about her feelings and unsure about her wants after the end of her marriage. She goes along with what her mother tells her and doesn’t want to face decisions. Fortunately, she stands up to Ted, finds herself and becomes sure of what she wants to do, growing independent and in control of her life after letting herself go for so long.
6. I think the theme of this chapter is to be independent, strong and in control of your life. You have all the abilities to decide your own future and do what you desire, so don’t let others manipulate or mislead you.
1. "Raise Your Voice"
2. "Without Wood"
3. This chapter was pretty short, which is usually good, since it's less confusing that way. There wasn't much of a story in this chapter, but it was more of a description of Rose's internal thoughts. I thought it was very relatable since Rose thoughts that there were American values and Chinese values, since everyone deals with the ideas of their own family and those of their society.
4. The main character, Rose, is an indecisive person. She doesn't know how to speak up for herself, and she doesn't know how to say what's on her mind. However, in the end, she realizes that she has the power in her to do so.
5. The conflict is human vs self, as Rose goes on a journey of self-discovery. She doesn't know what to do about her divorce, and she doesn't exactly know what she wants out of it.
6. One symbol in this story is the garden. I think that it represents life, and when it has all the things it needs, it's healthy and happy. When abandoned and neglected, it becomes something ugly. The weeds somewhat represent bad things in life. However, bad things can lead way for better things to come. This is shown at the end of the chapter when it Rose dreams that her mom had planted the weeds.
1) “Power of Words”
2) Without wood
3) The whole concept of the fictional character “Old Mr. Chou” was fascinating. I like the whole dream world leading up to her mother persuading Rose using Old Mr. Chou. I was disappointed when Tan basically controlled their whole marriage, Rose didn’t have a say in anything. Throughout her whole married life, Rose always let Tan do anything he wanted. But, when Tan decided to divorce and marry someone else, she took a stand for herself. I felt glad Rose decided to stand up for herself and speak what was in her mind.
4) Ted as a character is a very persistent, caring character. He always wants Rose to voice her opinion (hear her voice), he wants her to actually be with him instead of talking to someone who will always do what you wanted. Ted wants Rose to be happy, but as their marriage life progresses, Rose becomes very indecisive causing Ted to divorce since he no longer sees the women he loved.
5) The main conflict in the chapter is man vs. self. I think that Rose is internally struggling with what she should currently do with her relationship with Ted. At the beginning she feels indecisive about signing the divorce papers, taking the money, and listening to her mother. But, when Ted pulls out the divorce papers and stared at them. She finally said, “You can’t just pull me out of your life and throw me away.” The voice she had previously had finally came back.
6) The theme in this chapter is to keep believing in yourself and not someone else’s thoughts. Rose was internally hurt and she became indecisive at one point. She didn’t know what she was going to do with her divorce with Ted, but when she finally chose to let out everything important, she found that inside, she had a voice inside of her someone who was willing to disagree and stand.
1. Weeds
2. “Without Wood:”
3. I thought this was a good chapter. It was somewhat depressing when Rose’s husband, Ted, suddenly wanted a divorce. Crushed, Rose didn’t know what to do, so she looked to others for advice. I thought the part about Mr. Chou was quite odd.
4. Rose is a very dependent character throughout the novel. She can’t make her own decisions. Like when Ted asks for a divorce, she doesn’t know what to do. So she goes to a psychiatrist and her friends for help. She is dependent on others to make decisions for her. She ended up listening to her mother, which still showed her dependency towards others/
5. The main conflict is an internal conflict with Rose and herself. She was struggling to make her own decisions. Instead of listening to other opinions, she wanted to be independent. The conflict is resolved when she decides to stand up for herself.
6. I think the theme of this chapter is to stand up for what you believe in and assert your independence.
1. Chow down at Mr. Chou’s
2. “Without Wood”
3. This chapter definitely has its strange perks, but come to think of it, almost every chapter so far does. Mr. Chou was pretty bizarre yet creative. I hated how Ted automatically thought that he would own the house after the divorce. That really bugged me. But I’m super glad that Rose stood up for herself and didn’t take his nonsense. I liked that a lot. This chapter’s plot was pretty interesting and there was a lot of description to add to it.
4. Rose is a very strong woman. She seems like a quiet person, but in reality she is full of determination and aggressiveness. She shows off these traits when she fights to keep the house after the divorce. You can tell she is completely over the grief of the fact that they are divorcing. She started out easy to convince and influence, but when she reminisces about all her memories with Ted, she loses all those anxieties and stands strong on her own.
5. The main conflict is internal man vs. self between Rose and herself. At first, she is easily influenced by other people’s opinions and there were many people giving her their input on her divorce. She also got stepped all over easily. She becomes confused as to what to believe, whether it’d be the Chinese or American opinions. It all becomes too much, and eventually she realizes that she needs to form her own opinions and go with her gut. She becomes an independent woman and stands up for herself in the end.
6. The fortune cookie that read “When a husband stops paying attention to the garden, he’s thinking of pulling up roots” foreshadows the divorce between Ted and Rose. Their garden is eventually abandoned by them, and soon after, Ted was interested in someone else and decides to get a divorce. The fortune cookie quote symbolizes their divorce because he “pulls up roots” in their marriage, or wreaks havoc and messes things up so it wouldn’t work out anymore.
Mothers know best
"Without Wood"
3. Personally, I didn't find this vignette interesting. Like other previous vignettes, I was confused in some parts of the story. I didn't really understand the whole Hulihudu and Heimongong thing.. and why wasn't the mother apart of the story? Well, she was, but there was very little presence of her. I was also confused about the Mr.Chou thing. It was kind of weird.. and different. However, I did feel sorry for Rose because of the harsh breakup.
4. In this vignette, Amy Tan shows us that Rose is a very confused person. I feel bad for her because she was having a very difficult time with her and Ted's breakup. To help cure her mourning, Rose goes to a psychiatrist who helps her through the difficult times. Whenever her mother tried to talk to her about Ted, she would tell her mother that she doesn't want to talk about him. I couldn't blame her though. He seems like a complete jerk. Anyway, back to Rose. Towards the end of the vignette, she finally stands up to Ted telling him she wants to be the owner of the house. This to me tells me that she does in the end, become a strong-willed woman. Go Rose!
5. I think the conflict in this vignette is internal and man vs. self. Rose seems like she doesn't really know what she wants for herself after the divorce. She is very lost and confused. She goes to everybody but her mother for advice. Matter of fact, her mother was the one who told her she needs to stand up for herself. Of course, she ignores this and continues to go to other people for their guidance. When Rose doesn't sign the divorce papers and tells Ted that she is going to keep the house, the conflict is resolved.
6. I think the symbol in this story was the weeds. The weeds represent Rose's hectic and troubled life. Whenever Ted didn't care for the garden, the weeds grew. However, when she told Ted about the divorce papers and living in the house, the weeds become crazy and go all over the place.
1. Are you chicken?
2. Without Wood
3. I thought this chapter was pretty boring. The whole story was about Rose not signing the divorce paper and telling her husband, Ted, that she won't move out of their house. Also, in the beginning, Mr. Chou tells her that she must listen to her mother's words. When Rose was struggling with the decision of the divorce, she remembers her mother's words and guides her to make her decision.
4. Rose Tsu-Jordan is a undecisive and stupid character. As you already know from the chapter "Half and Half", Rose doesn't like, or doesn't know how, to make decisions. Ever since their marriage, Rose's husband, Ted, made most of the decisions. When her marriage starts to fail, Rose does nothing, and even when she knows her marriage cannot be saved, she is still confused about what to do (how stupid). However, by the end of the chapter, with the wisdom of her mother's words, she learns to speak up. When Ted comes to get the divorce papers, Rose says that she will not move out. Her words at the end are strong and Ted couldn't do anything about it. In the end, she learns to speak for herself.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is internal, human vs self, between Rose and herself. She is always against her own thoughts, undecisive. She is shocked by the divorce papers and is scared, but doesn't know what to do. When her mother suggests that Ted is doing "monkey business", Rose rejects the idea and laughs it off, but quickly avoids the subject. She tries taking sleeping pills to help her overcome the conflict, but she still has to face it. Her conflict is finally resolved when she decides to stay in the house. She eliminates her wavering thoughts when she realizes that Ted was really doing monkey business. Rose stands up to Ted, and speaks up.
6. A symbol in this chapter is the weed how Rose's mom says that the weed represents Rose's personality that is weak and easily moved. When Ted was still around and took care of the garden and the weeds, Rose was doing fine. But when he left the garden unattended, the weeds began growing crazily, which is what happened to Rose. In the end, Rose, like the weeds, became unremoveable.
~~becca! (period 3)
1) Mr. Chou
2) “Without Wood”
3) My reaction to this chapter was that it was sad and pretty boring. It was also kind of short and clear. The story started off with talks about ghosts and nightmares. It was depressing because it was mostly about Rose and Ted’s failing marriage and divorce.
4) I think the main character, Rose, is a very indecisive woman. She is depressed and doesn’t really know what to do about her marriage and Ted. In the end, however, she is able to be strong for herself and confront Ted. She went from a weak and indecisive character in the beginning, to a strong and independent woman by the end of the chapter.
5) I think the chapter is man vs. man between Rose and Ted and their marriage. She is so indecisive and goes along with whatever Ted wants. Ted takes advantages of her and also cheated on her before they were even divorced. Ted wanted to divorce Rose and marry someone else. He also wanted to take the house, which Rose refused.
6) I think a symbol in this chapter would be the weeds. In the beginning, when Rose and Ted had a good marriage, the weeds were killed and held back, like Rose was. In the end, when Rose finally stands up to Ted and take back the house, the weeds are shown growing wildly and freely, showing Rose finally being a free woman.
1. Stuck With Her
2. Without Wood
3. This chapter was confusing to read. I didn’t really understand what caused Rose to change her mind about the marriage, and also I want to know why would she even bother to try and save her marriage when Ted had told her that he wanted to get the divorce over with so he could get married to another person.
4. In this chapter Rose is really lost over what to do about her marriage and asks everyone for their opinion and help on it and then not take it in. It shows that her character is really confused, but then something snaps in her brain at the end of the story, and she decides that she’s going to fight against the divorce and live in the house. This also shows that Rose’s character is also very unsure and indecisive.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is internal within Rose, which makes it man vs. self. Rose is confused about her divorce, and it seems like she isn’t sure about whether or not she even wants to divorce him. But at the end of the chapter Rose decides that she wants to remain in the house and try and save her marriage.
6. A. I think the theme of this chapter is that everyone needs someone to guide them, because in this chapter Rose’s mom talks about how she is able to see through her and how only a mother can understand and others only talk out of their own desires. And this theme is also supported since at the end of the chapter Rose has a dream about the flower bed which I think is a symbol, and her mom tells her in the dream that she was the one who planted the roots there. Does that mean that she guided Rose into fighting against her marriage? I’m not sure.
1. Missing One of the Five Elements
2. Without Wood
3. I thought the chapter was a bit fast. I thought Rose would be like her usual self, allowing everyone to choose for her. I was surprised when Rose finally made a decision herself and decided to face the problem. I thought the chapter in the end was pretty good because of the change. I also wondered how was Rose able to stand up against Ted in the end. Ted’s reaction was something Ted probably never experienced before.
4. Rose seems to be not very strong. She cannot seem to fight for herself especially when wants everything. She usually gives in. Rose changes in the end of the chapter after learning from her mother. She changes into a woman who stands up for herself and is able to fight back and make decisions.
5. The main conflict seems to be Rose trying to find the courage to stand up and make decisions on what she wants. The conflict seems to be Human vs self because Rose is trying to change into a person who is able to fight for what they want. It is also Internal because she is trying to change herself, the way the thinks, and the way she does things. The conflict is solved in the end because Rose surprised Ted when she says that she wants the house and is going to fight for it. This shows that Rose changed and does not allow someone else control everything in her world.
6. The theme of the chapter seems to be that you must fight for it or you will never have it. This is shown when Rose declares that she will fight for the house against Ted. If Rose did not fight for the house, she would have no chance to own it. This shows that you must fight for what you want.
Benjamin Ly
Gardening Time
Without Wood
1. This chapter seemed quite mysterious, especially the opening lines that described Rose’s childhood encounters with Mr. Chou. To me, Mr. Chou seems like a Chinese version of the “boogeyman,” a menacing figure created to disturb young children. This chapter seemed spiritually enigmatic because it deals a lot with psychology, the Chinese concept of chi and natural spirits, as well as modern interpretations of divorce. When Rose finally found her inner spirit and stood up for herself against her estranged husband Ted, I felt quite relieved and happy for her revival of identity.
2. The main character of this chapter is Rose Hsu, who is going through a very emotional divorce with her husband Ted. Rose feels that all along, she ahs met her fears of life with a blind eye, as she describes how she used to cower in fear at night, anticipating her departure into a “dream land” ruled by an evil Mr. Chou. This fear of life ultimately leads Rose to marry Ted, since she relies on him to make decisions for her. As the chapter progresses, Rose introspects upon her marriage and how she was dealing with the divorce. She eventually shows a change in character at the end of the chapter when she defiantly tells Ted that she will fight a legal battle against him for the possession of their house.
3. The main conflict of this chapter is man vs. man, Rose vs. her husband Ted. The two are engaged in a legal battle after Ted leaves Rose, claiming that their marriage had come to standstill. Rose passively accepts the divorce, except that she feels that once again, her opinion has been overruled by some other larger authority. Rose ultimately triumphs in this conflict when she realizes that she has nothing more to lose; in the past, Rose was afraid to make choices herself because she was scared of the consequences. Now that Rose has lost the security she felt in her marriage, she decides to go “all in,” and openly confront her longtime “oppressor,” Ted.
4. One of the symbols of this chapter is the garden behind Rose’s house. Rose describes this garden as one that was neatly kept by her husband Ted, but after he leaves, the garden falls into disarray. Weeds begin sprouting in nooks and crannies, and the delicately nurtured flowers turned brown and wilted. In a way, the garden represents Rose’s inhibitions towards life in general. After the garden falls apart, Rose’s barrier against decision-making also falls down.
Raymond Glassey
Period 3
1. Monkey Business?
2. “Without Wood”
3. I liked this chapter because the character, Rose, actually stood up for herself in face of divorce and is going to fight against her double crossing, cheating, unfaithful husband. The initial part of the story with Mr. Chou was kind of strange (though I can totally associate with the difficulty of falling to sleep part). In reality though, it seems like very little actually happens in the chapter. Basically, Rose talks to a bunch of people about the divorce and a psychiatrist and decides not to give Ted the house along with a small section about her childhood and Mr. Chou.
4. I actually like Rose as a character because she’s realistic in her thought process. Divorce is generally an extremely stressing event (obviously) and her initial indecisiveness and worry about what to do makes sense. Then, she decides to stand up for herself after talking with everyone and goes against her husband’s wish of simply booting her out of his life. Frankly, it seems surprising that she got married to a remarkable jerk in the first place, but oh well.
5. The conflict in this is an internal man vs. self. Rose has to question and ask herself what to do, whether to fight the divorce, or try to squeeze as much money as possible out of Ted before leaving him forever. Eventually she decides to fight for her house and her dignity, thus resolving her inner conflict.
6. The theme of this chapter is probably that one must stand up for their rights and him/herself in order to achieve anything. I think this is the theme because the whole chapter is basically about Rose deciding to fight against Ted for her home and effectively the decision to do this concludes the chapter. This might not be the only theme but it is definitely a major one.
1:Finally...
2:Without Wood
3:This was probably the most interesting chapter. Ted wants a divorce and is willing to pay Rose to get it, but Rose has other plans. Ted has a new girl and he wants his house back, but Rose isn't going to let Ted push her around,
4:Rose finally makes a decision unlike the previous chapters where her indecisiveness causes her brother's death. She refuses to let Ted throw her away and does not sign the divorce papers, probably the first and best decision she made in her life.
5:The main conflict of this chapter is man vs. self. Rose, being the indecisive, weak girl that she is, can't decide what to do when she receives the divorce papers from Ted. The conflict is resolved when Rose chooses not to sign the paper and takes control of her life.
6:The theme of this chapter is that you have to take control of your own life, or your whole life is going to get pushed around by other people.
Wai Chan
3rd period
1. wood age
2. Without Wood
3. This chapter took the toll of depression, Rose's divorce strikes as a sad event and submits the reader to feel the emotions in this chapter. Though that's not all, the other part of the chapter which is Rose and her mother bonding lifts the cloak of sorrow and gives a more joyful mood to the story, and this rollicoaster of emotions is what I really liked about this chapter.
4. Rose seems to be a reflection to this chapter, she starts off as a fragile little flower; confused about everything and a complete dependant person. After a chain of events it's shown that Rose is actually a person who's capable of taking care of herself, with a little bit of help of course.
5. I'd have to say the mood here is man vs self, Rose had to overcome her fragile self and sprout into a full grown, self potent person.
6. I normally don't catch too much symbolism, however in this chapter the weeds stood out like a sore thumb. As they flourished, so did the marriage of Rose and Ted. When the weeds welted and became decrypt, their marrage wasn't too far behind.
-khanh
This comment has been removed by the author.
1.Flimsy Wood
2.Without Wood
3.Rose is a very confused person. She does not have an opinion of her own and have to rely on others for answers, but the more she relies on them, the more confused she feels on what she is actually feeling and wants. Rose keeps searching for the answer to her divorce but she cannot find it because the answer lies within her heart, not with anyone else. I think that Rose has not completely accepted the divorce yet and does not know whether to feel sad, happy, indifferent, or angry about her divorce. Why does she keep putting off signing the divorce papers when she knows that their marriage cannot be saved?
4.Rose puts the divorce papers in a drawer where she keeps coupons that she never uses or throws away. She does not face her problems and thinks she can keep putting it off. Rose is an undecided person.
5.The main conflict is an internal conflict, human vs. self. She does not know how to feel about her divorce and so keeps putting off the signing of the divorce papers. She does not know what she wants for herself and what she should feel. She keeps changing her story: feeling broken-hearted, indifferent, or vengeful, taking these suggestions for feelings from her friends. In the end, she decides to stand up for herself and not let the marriage go to waste. She decides that she wants to fight for the house they bought and did not sign the divorce papers because she did not accept the terms of just getting ten thousand dollars. The conflict is resolved with Rose’s decision to stand up for herself.
6C. In both the allegory and Without Wood, the mother tells her daughter things to improve the daughter’s life. In the allegory, the mother puts up a mirror to counteract the bad luck from the other mirror. As a result, the mother helps the daughter out even though the daughter did not want help in the first place. In Without Wood, the mother wants to help Rose but she does not want the help. The mother gives her help anyways by telling Rose to stand up for herself. Rose ends up listening to her mother and resolves her conflict of the divorce she was going through. The mothers both help their daughters.
Jodie Chan
Period 3
Separation
2. Without Wood
3. I felt that this chapter was not as fulfilling and as satisfying as the others. In the beginning, Old Mr. Chou was more like a monster that was created to scare small children. I think that in the beginning, he was supposed to be sort of a sweet old man that would take you to a "dreamland", where you could fall into a deep sleep, dreaming of pleasant things. Rose, in her worlds and experiences, made it seem like a nightmare where she is trapped on Old Mr. Chou's property and is being chased by both her mom and Mr. Chou. Imagine your mother and this weird, creepy old guy chasing you. To me, that sounds like a nightmare. I was also really surprised to see that Rose finally stood up for herself regarding her and Ted's divorce.
4. Rose, the main character of this vignette, changes radically throughout this story and develops new sides to her personality that she didn't even know she had. Demonstrated by an earlier vignette, Rose usually let Ted, her husband, make all the decisions for her and just let people, in general, walk all over her. By the end of her chapter, she develops and matures enough to stand up to the person that has been "controlling" her for so long, Ted. Ted, accustomed to Rose's usual weak and indecisive demeanor, is surprised by her sudden change of heart and does not expect it. Encouraged by her mother, Rose speaks up and stands up to Ted, her lifelong authority.
5. The main conflict of this chapter is external and human vs. human. Ted and Rose are both caught up in this messy legal battle involving their divorce. At first, Ted tries to be nice and just give her the papers, but when he does not get them back soon, we see his mood turn dark and stormy. After a self-professed 15 years of living in Ted's shadow, Rose has finally learned how to speak up, to voice her opinion about certain things and not just let people decide her life for her. Really, is life worth living if one doesn't even live out their live to the fullest and by themselves? How much is life worth if that happens?
6. I think that main theme or message of this short chapter is to speak up. People can't read your mind, so they won't know what you want until you tell them. One has to voice their opinion, let themselves be heard and not back down if they believe they are right. Otherwise, you might end up like Rose, a spineless, indecisive, and, in general, timid person.
-Calvin Ho
Period 4
"Stand Up"
"Without Wood"
1)Reaction: I was so happy when I finished this chapter! Not because of its length, but because of how Rose, the "good guy", finally ended up with what she wanted since she was able to stand up for herself in her divorce. One thing that set this chapter apart from other chapters was the limited presence of a motherly figure. Usually, there is a strong influence by one of the mothers in the story, but that was not the case in this vignette. Lastly, Mr.Chou was certainly a peculiar character. I wouldn't ever want to dream about him! Lastly, I found Ted to truly be an antagonist in this vignette since he seemed like the bad guy in the divorce. He seemed so selfish and self-centered; especially since he wanted to keep the house to himself for him and his
girlfriend.
2)Rose was the main character in this vignette. She was also a dynamic character that went through a complete metamorphosis as well, since in the beginning of the chapter, Rose was always indecisive and passive in her divorce, but by the end, we see a whole new side to Rose Hsu-Jordan. Rose is now a strong character who knew what she wanted and would not settle for anything less. She essentially grew a back bone and spoke with great power in her words.
3)The main conflict is this story is an internal conflict between Rose and herself. As soon as she recieved the divorce papers from Ted, Rose's spirit took a dive for the worst, since she was not at war with herself. Her mind began to weaken itself and she consequently turned into a helpless, indecisive woman who could not fight the battle of her divorce. Luckily, by the end of the vignette, Rose was able to finally stand up to her husband in order to stand firm and not give up what she truly wanted.
4)Similar to the "Red Candle", I believe that the theme in this vignette is to always know what you're worth and never let anyone put you down. This was truly apparent in the chapter as Rose allowed her divorce to phase her and turn her into an indecisive woman who was too weak to fight her own battles. When Rose was able to finally break through and regain her mental strength, she was able to use her newfound mentality in fighting back against Ted to obtain what she truly deserved in the divorce.
1. Can you find me in the heimongmong?
2. Rose Hsu Jordan: Without Wood
3. I thought this vignette was very good overall and very easy to follow. I found it fascinating to read about Rose and An-Mei’s relationship. I also thought that the dreams about Old Mr. Chou scaring Rose into listening to her mother were quite amusing. I think that An-Mei is a very intelligent and good mother to Rose because she gave good advice to her when Rose was having troubles with her divorce. The conversations between Rose and An-Mei were enjoyable to read. I also loved Rose’s attitude at the end of the chapter when she listened to her mother about speaking up to Ted and stated that she is staying in her home. Even though I wasn’t able to relate to the situation, I liked reading this chapter.
4. Rose is the protagonist in this chapter and is a dynamic character who progresses greatly from being weak and vulnerable into an independent woman. At beginning of this vignette, she’s a complete mess because she still feels that she needs Ted and tries to avoid her responsibilities. However, after Ted calls her, Rose becomes strong, and finds the strength in her to stand up for what she wants
5. In this chapter, the conflict can be expressed as man vs. self; Rose faces a struggle with herself. She has trouble with the concept of not having any "wood," because she is not used to to making her own choices and forming her own opinions. It is obvious that Rose puzzles even herself. She tells a different story to each of her friends and to her psychiatrist about the divorce. Finally, at the end of the vignette, the problem is resolved when she realizes her vulnerability to Ted and learns to stand up for herself.
6. One symbol I want to focus on is the garden which symbolizes Ted's and Rose's relationship. Ted used to tend the garden obsessively in the same way he controlled Rose’s every move and decisions. Ever since their marriage took a turn for the worst because Ted was having an affair, the garden had grown wild and uncontrolled like how Rose became.
Melani Cabanayan; Period 3
1. Finder Her Voice
2. Without Wood
3. This chapter was very confusing to me. I still don’t understand exactly what Hulihudu and heimongmong mean. The dreams seemed so ridicoulous that they were humorous almost. Rose seems to be almost happy at the end, even though she is losing her marriage. I feel so bad for her because her husband already has found someone else. I always enjoy the chapters about Rose because she is a different kind of person. I think many can relate to her. Sometimes we just let things happen when we shouldn’t.
4. At the end of the chapter Rose seems to finally find her voice. She won’t just let her husband decide what she gets. She wants to fight for the house and her husband is really surprised that she wants to do this. He never expected her to fight back. I think after she fights back for the house she will become a changed person and will no longer let others make all her choices.
5. I think the conflict is human vs. self because Rose struggles to find her voice. When she is faced with the choice her husband has made to take the house she decides that she won’t let him make this choice. She wants the house and she will fight for it.
6. I think the theme of this chapter is to make your own choices. You can’t let people makes choices for you. If you do, then you will never be happy because only you know what you truly want and need.
-Taylor Gralak
4th period
Without Wood
1) Without Wood huh? Use Duraflame!
2) Without Wood.
3) This chapter was bittersweet for me because Rose’s marriage fell apart, but in the end she got to hold onto her house. In this chapter, I hated Ted the most. I felt that all he really felt for Rose was just lust, not really love (I think that it’s kind of amazing how they stayed married for fifteen years though). I don’t understand why Ted, why anybody, would ever cheat on their spouse just for sex. Maybe if his/her spouse is abusive or really bad, but in this case, Rose was a pretty good wife. I thought it amusing when Ted got duped, thinking that he would be able to keep the house and just give Rose ten thousand dollars, but in the end not being able to kick Rose out legally.
4) Rose in my mind resembles a complainer because she constantly talks about how her marriage is falling apart; however, she does nothing to help keep it together. For example, Rose tells Waverly that she didn’t know “how much [she] love Ted until [she] saw how much he could hurt [her].” Yet, all Rose does is just talk; she really doesn’t do anything. Rose thinks talking to a psychiatrist would help, but in reality, all she is doing is just complaining to her psychiatrist about the bad things of life (such as her marriage), but in the end, Rose doesn’t really do much.
5) The conflict of this vignette is mostly between Rose and herself, so it is human vs. self. Rose at this point, is sort of in an identity crisis. She feels “hulihudu” (confused) and “heimongmong” (lost in a dark fog) because Rose is sort of in an identity crisis (due to the fact that she had grown up listening to others more than her mother; she was born “without wood”), which could be part of the reason so as to why she can’t seem to be able to do anything about her marriage. In the end, Rose’s identity crisis does get solved, with her realizing that she and her mother are the same.
6) The theme of this chapter is not to listen to others too much, because then you will easily bend over to other’s will. A scene that substantiates this theme is when Lena wakes up to the ringing phone. When she picks it up, she hears her mother, and her mother tells her to speak up. When Rose is done talking to her mother (and the psychiatrist receptionist), she gets a call from Ted. They have a really short talk, but in the end, they decide to meet for one last time. By the end of the vignette, Rose speaks out to Ted, telling him that she wanted the house for herself. Ted checks the divorce papers to see if they were signed, but they weren’t. Rose said that she had a lawyer and that she would see to it that she would get the house for herself. Rose also solves her identity crisis by speaking out.
1. “Scaredy Eyes ”
2. “Without Wood”
3. I found this vignette to be more interesting than the others. I had no idea who Mr. Chou was, whether he was simply a figment of Rose’s imagination or a Chinese mythical character. It came as a surprise to me that Rose finally decided to take a stand. In the beginning, Rose is rather indecisive, but after being pushed to the edge by Ted, she stands up against him.
4. Like the chapter “Half and Half”, Rose remains as an indecisive individual at the start. Ted sends Rose divorce papers. She contemplates getting back at him for being such a lowly coward. Rose’s mom, An-Mei, tells Rose that a girl is like a tree, that “if you bend to listen to other people, you will grow crooked and weak.” (p.191) Rose also discovers that Ted had extramarital affairs with another woman while they were married. Rose sulks in bed for days, until she decided she’s had enough. Instead of not taking action like she had done in the past, Rose invites Ted over and refuses to sign the divorce papers. For most of their marriage, Ted controlled and manipulated Rose. Rose doesn’t allow Ted to push her around any longer, and confronts him for the first time.
5. The main conflict in this chapter is similar to that of the chapter, “Half and Half”. It’s an internal struggle with Rose’s indecisiveness. Rose doesn’t do anything and questions Ted’s actions. She dwells on the past, rather than facing the problem in front of her. Remembering what her mother said and tired of the way Ted’s treating her, Rose finally stands her ground and faces Ted.
6. The theme in this chapter is to stand up for yourself. Ted expects Rose to comply with all of his needs and Rose does so at first. After listening to her mother’s words, Rose stands up for herself by choosing not to sign the divorce and property papers, which leaved Ted speechless.
Brian Yang
Period 4
Don't stop believing
“Without wood- Joy Luck Club”
1-My Take-
The beginning of the chapter had a very eerie mood all around with because of the talks of ghosts and whatnot. Its not surprising Rose would have nightmares. Back on track here, Rose herself seems to be a frail, twig like character. In contrast to that, Wavery and Lena were put in I think as a backbone to support the weaker persona of Rose. Very, very happy to see that Rose, in the end, did stand up or herself, she gets +5 bonus points. Good job Rose.
2-My view-
Ted to me is the classic bad guy in a love movie, He cheats on Rose with no harbored feeling of remorse or regret and that sickens me. I think that reveals a lot about what’s he like; slimy, lying, two timing good for nothing. Maybe it’s just me being very critical of cheaters, but to me, Ted is one person the world would be better off throwing off a cliff.
3.-The conflict-
The conflict here Arises Between the cheater and the wife (no surprise there). Ted and Rose are both trapped inside of a loveless relationship. Both harbor no feelings for the other and I do mean NO FEELINGS; even those of hate. Ted cheats freely on Rose because of their loveless relationship but when Rose finds out, she doesn’t feel any anger or animosity towards Ted. Divorce I would say is only inevitable.
4-Theme-
A theme I really caught from this chapter was to stand up for yourself. To portray this, Rose is given a frail, weak character in the beginning. However, she becomes more animated, more confident, and more like a round character as the chapter progresses because of all the advice she receives from her friends. By utilizing all of her friend’s experiences she finally obtains the courage to stand up against Ted for what she feels is right. Way to go rose + another 5 bonus points to you.
1. Oh no you didn't
2. Without Wood
3. Wow.... Rose really stood up for herself. I'm glad that she took things into her own hands. Now Ted can't get the house, and regret ever messing with her. Rose should have listened to her mom though because she actually had good advice even though she told it while during a funeral. Rose would always question if she was doing anything right, and believe that entrusted her life to Ted the man she thought she truly loved.
4.Before, Rose would just let Ted walk right all over her, and make all the decisions in her life. She could never decide what she wanted at all and relied on her "loving" husband Ted. Now she finally stopped bending down listening to other people, and started to listen to her mom to just say what she wanted the most. She no longer was lost in thought of what she wanted, and could stick up for herself when she claimed that she was going to keep the house.
5.The problem in this chapter is human vs human. Rose is getting a divorce with Ted, and has no idea what she wants within the divorce. She stops to listen to her mom, and ignores what everyone else says to her. Rose's mom tells her that Ted was cheating on her, and that she shouldn't go to a psychiatrist, but just speak her mind out loud. When she listens to the advice, she fights for what she wants, and for once was able to shake Ted's confidence.
6. Any Tan's theme for this chapter is to only take advice from people who truly know you inside and out. Rose goes to a psychiatrist searching for an answer, but all he tells her is to come back next week. This guy doesn't even care about her problems! Rose's mom however is straight forward to her, and solves her problems in an instant. Her mom tells her that she should just speak her mind instead of telling strangers her problems. When she does, she's able to fight Ted for the house.
-Diana Li Period 3
Kathy Nguyen
Per 4
1) "Let Your Voice Be Heard"
2) "Without Wood"
3) Well, from the looks of it Rose and Ted's marriage still seem to be on hold for the divorce. I think Rose got a little crazy when she told her psychiatrist how "[she] was obsessed with revenge" (189). How she had a dream of inviting Ted to dinner only to bring out a voodoo doll and stab it with a fork. I can't believe she was married to Ted for fifteen years, and here they are in the process of getting divorced. I thought Old Mr. Chou was scary, who would want to see him in their dreams?
4) The character I've chosen is Rose Hsu-Jordan. She is a round character since she is going through her problem of her divorce with Ted, where they were once happy. She is also a dynamic character, because in the beginning of the chapter, she is the same Rose who would go to her therapist telling him how she felt. Though she finally realized her mother's words to her to "speak up" (193) finally got through to her.
5) The main conflict would be an internal conflict, man vs. himself, Rose and herself. She goes through this conflict where currently, telling the psychiatrist what she feels would make her feel better, and soon signing the divorce papers to get over with will end it all. Though, when her mother tells Rose she doesn't want her to save her marriage but to only "speak up" (193), Rose realizes what she must do. The conflict is resolved when instead of signing the divorce papers, she doesn't sign them at all and tells Ted that her and her lawyer will serve him the papers. The strength of her courage to finally speak up to Ted and decide something brings fear into his eyes.
6a) I think the theme of this chapter would be, Why do something someone tells you to do when you have a say in it? I achieved this theme when in the chapter, as Rose looked at the divorce papers and once they were signed the divorce will be done. Rose, as we know, doesn't know what to do, that being why the divorced happen in the first place. "[Her] mother once told [her] why [she] was so confused all the time. She said [she] was without wood. Born without wood so that [she] listened to too many people" (191). The scene where her mother announces she'd bring leftovers for Rose, Rose assumed her mother would try to convince her to continue her best to save the marriage. Her mother just wanted Rose to speak up, knowing her daughter only listened, and never spoke back her opinion. Once Rose was on the phone with Ted, an epiphany struck her and she finally spoke up.
1) " You lack wood! "
2) Without Wood
3) This is the chapter about the lady who had the brother that drowned right? It appears that her indecisiveness has carried on over to this chapter. At first, Rose is, again, a weak and indecisive character. But her character develops as the chapter progresses. I thought this chapter was dissapointingly boring, like her other chapter, Half and Half. When I saw how Rose turns from being a weak character to a strong, assertive one, I immediately thought of The New York Jets quarterback, Mark Sanchez. At first he was just a rookie that threw a bunch of interceptions and everyone looked down on him. But now that he is on his way to the AFC championship against the Colts, everyone respects him. Go Colts.
4) The person I am writing about it Rose. It appears that Rose at the beginning of the chapter appeared weak and fragile. But as the chapter goes on, she becomes a strong and assertive character that stands up for herself. Because of this, she was able to stand up to Ted's bossing around and was able to show that she too, had control over what was happening. Thanks to her mom, who claims that she lacks wood, she was able to really become an assertive character in the story.
5) The conflict in this story is clearly between Ted and Rose. The conflict is external. And is man vs. man. Ted is a total jerk of a husband and bosses around Rose throughout the STORY. But up until this chapter, Rose finally gets advice from her mother and sticks up to Ted. Because she lacks the WOOD.
6) This chapter really relates to the vignette in the beggining of "American Translation". The vignette is about how a mother is giving advice to her daughter about her mirror placement and how it is bad luck and all. Basically it's just a mother giving advice. In "Without Wood" Rose finally grows a pair and receives advice from her mother on how to be more assertive. Through this, Rose was able to stick up to Ted.
1. Mr. Chou knows best
2. Without Wood
3. This chapter was okay. I wasn't as into it as the others, but there were some scenes I did enjoy such as the weird story of Mr Chou in her sleep and how he would haunt her. I also liked how An-Mei compared these people to trees, kind of saying that these people needed to stand up for themselves.
4. In this chapter, Rose becomes a strong person, specifically in the end when Ted announces to her that he wants the house back. Surprisingly, Rose wont give it up. She invites him over and tells him quite frankly that she will not give the house up for him, displaying her new confident character with much backbone or wood.
5. I believe the conflict in this chapter is internal, human vs self. Rose battles herself because she can not decide what to do. She spends days just sleeping in bed, indecisive about how to handle her divorce. At the end, it is resolved when she decides to confront Ted and tell him she wont give up the house.
6. In this chapter, Amy Tam uses the garden to symbolize Ted and Rose's relationship. At firs the garden was beautiful nurtured and groomed to the finest. However, as time passed, weeds grew out of control and even onto the sidewalk.
1. Inflatable Tube Woman
2. Without Wood
3. I read through this chapter fairly quick as it was quite short, and on reflection I was left with a feeling of...adequacy. I mean that in a sense of this chapter being not entirely terrible, hence the quick read, but I didn't find anything noteworthy. As expected, An-Mei gives Rose her motherly advice that helps her along her way. I just didn't feel as though anything really happened in the chapter and it was mainly just expository. The ending exchange between Ted and Rose was probably the best bit as it was genuinely interesting, but nothing else really caught my attention.
4. Rose is somewhat of a pushover and a passive person. She's constantly indecisive, with her being unable to decide whether to cash Ted's check, and she doesn't do much about her situation. She lacks the "wood" that her mother talks about.
5. The conflict is both external and internal: man vs man and man vs self. First, Rose has to decide whether or not to sign the divorce papers. Rose also is in conflict with her passiveness. The latter conflict is settled with her finally finding her "wood" and the former is still in progress as she is going to fight for the house.
6.A. I think the theme is to just believe in yourself and fight for your beliefs. Rose is very passive and indecisive throughout most of the chapter until she finally decides to make a stand against Ted and in doing so, furthers the chance of her cause.
-Nolan Tran
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