¶ … Old Chinese Culture
Amy Tan's story, "The Bonesetter's Daughter" is a poignant tale about three generations of daughters. Although Tan writes of females from a female perspective, this novel is more about more than mother-daughter relationships, it is about human relationships. When the past is hidden, it ripples through a family and the next generation like a stone in a stream, and guilt begins to haunts like a ghost.
Tan's novel is about three generations of Chinese women, Precious Auntie, LuLing, and Ruth, all of whom, although related, led very different lives. Ruth is the daughter of LuLing, who came to the United States when her first husband was killed in the war. After Ruth's birth, her second husband was also killed in an accident, all of which caused LuLing to feel cursed,...
Not only did Ruth have to cope with her mother's mental instability, she also served as an interpreter for her mother who never completely assimilated to life in America, thus Ruth acted much as a secretary, making appointments and such. And being the first generation born in the United States, Ruth wanted to be perceived as American, yet her mother's accent was a constant reminder and source of embarrassment.
Tan connects the past of LuLing and Precious Auntie to Ruth through the translation, interpretation, and sharing of information, of the truth. Chinese culture was a world away from life in San Francisco, thus it is no wonder that LuLing had such difficulties. Tan relates the matchmaking…
