The Joy Luck Club Sacrifice Analysis

Pigeon Feathers by John Updike is a good example of accidental sacrifice. In the story,

For instances, in the book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Mariam gives up her life and surrenders to the Taliban, so Laila and her children can live a better life, one without fear of the Taliban hunting them down for the death of Rasheed. Insert quote. Mariam could have run away with Lalia, but she knew that they would always have to look over their shoulder, to worry if today is the day that the Taliban come. She wanted Laila and her children to live a long happy life, especially after all the hardship they have already suffered. Mariam only had Laila and her children’s happiness in mind when she made her decision. She made the most noble gesture anyone can do; she gave up her life for others. Sacrifices don’t always need to be made with someone’s life though. Another example is ‘sacrificing’ or donating money. Thousands upon thousands of people donate money to charities, whose only goal is to change the lives of others for the better. When most people donate money, their purpose isn’t to make themselves feel better or to bring them more happiness, their true purpose is to give to those who need it, to help establish a better life for others. Sometimes we get so caught up in the grandeur of things, that we don’t always remember that sometimes the little acts can also make a big

Sacrifice is “an act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else.” -Anonymous. The Outsiders, by H.E Hinton is a book where Ponyboy and friends live life in a gang. You can see sacrifices being made in order for them to better the lives of each other. One theme evident in the novel is people make sacrifices for the things they care about.

Even though some sacrafices are not neccesary, they hardest ones are made for those who you love. Sacrifice plays a major role as one of the main themes in the Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Sacrifices were made for the mothers and daughters which were fueled by love and honor, such as when An-Mei sacrificed her own flesh and blood for her dying mother, Suyuan giving up her children so they could live a happy life, and An-Mei risking her life and sacrificing a sapphire ring from her mother. These were all made for the sake of somebody else's good and for love of somebody else.

Waverly was going to tell Lindo of her and Rich’s engagement, but whenever she mentioned him, Lindo cut her off and began to talk about something else. Waverly was convinced that her mother did not have any good intentions, and that she never saw good in people. Due to this, she was afraid of what her mother will say when she would meet Rich. According to Waverly, she and Rich shared a “pure love”, which she was afraid her mother would poison. Waverly planned to go to Auntie Suyuan’s house with Rich for dinner, knowing that her mother would then invite the two over for dinner to her house, and this would give her mother a chance to get to know and warm up to Rich. However, when they went for dinner, Rich did everything incorrectly- he didn’t understand Chinese customs and made several mistakes that were seen as

The epic drama that really seems to focus on the origins of human sacrifice would be “A Raisin in the Sun.” One of the main characters was named Mrs. Younger. Mrs. Younger was a woman in her late 20’s that lived within the Southside of Chicago with her in-laws. She had a son named Willy and a husband named Walter. Mrs. Younger lived her life like most mothers do. She tried her best to provide and nurture her family members. Mothers usually have to give up a lot for their families, and in “The Raisin in the Sun”, this was no different.

Have you ever played a game of mahjong? Mahjong is a solitaire matching game which used mahjong tiles. This game brings people together to create and reminisce memories while feasting on Chinese delicacies. In The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan reinforces the mothers’ bonds through meeting up to play mahjong in their club. They try to influence their daughters to take part in this Chinese tradition, but the girls have different views. They try to become part of an American society, and look back at their Chinese descent with distaste. While the mothers of The Joy Luck Club are determined to keep their Chinese heritage, their daughters are open and willing to experience a new American lifestyle, which causes conflicts between the mothers and daughters.

Self-sacrifice is an act done by many, specifically Roselily. “Roselily” by Alice Walker is a story about Roselily, a woman getting married for her children to have a better life. Because of this marriage, Roselily sacrifices numerous aspects of life for her children. Alice Walker shows that self-sacrifice is a life-changing decision through various aspects of Roselily’s marriage, such as religion, cultural norms, and having to leave everything she’s known, all for the sake of her children’s well being.

To Sacrifice, Almost everyday one decides to sacrifice an aspect of their life, but is limited to only so many on their behalf of their morals. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch sacrifices his and his family's identity, well being, and time for his beliefs. The book takes place over the course of the great depression where racism is a normal day to day behavior. Atticus, a highly skilled lawyer who has been assigned to take possession of a case defending an African American man by the name of Tom Robinson. While knowing that the usual act of a lawyer being appointed to defend an African American, during the great depression, is to not try to defend the defendant, Atticus believes that he should give the same

Another example of sacrifice in literature can be seen in the novel Macbeth by William Shakespeare. There are great examples of sacrifice from the two main characters. In the case of Macbeth, we see the theme of sacrifice in the form of sacrificing for power, as opposed to Brave New World Where sacrifices were made for peace. Discussing this topic in his book, On the Design of Shakespeare, H. S. Wilson States:

Particular situations that assess an individual’s identity often mirrors the beliefs and morals they prominently value. Due to the overwhelming significance that sacrifice plays in life, writers and artists have often displayed this theme through various forms of artwork, such as novels, plays, and paintings. Adding it as a theme within pieces of literature and art encourages individuals to reflect on their own sacrifices and how it affects their values. As a result, writers such as Arthur Miller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and William Shakespeare utilized the concept of sacrifice to emphasize the important values of reputation, unconditional love, and loyalty.

In the melodramatic novel, A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, the author uses the theme sacrifice. He shows that sacrifice is important in his story because some of his characters must give up their lives for another. Miss Pross dedicates herself to Lucie because she wants Lucie to have a brighter future than she did. Then, out of his love and devotion for Lucie Manette, Sydney Carton sacrifices his life to save a life she loves. The sacrifices Miss Pross and Sydney Carton make express that mankind will give everything for what they love and believe in.

From the film The Joy Luck Club, Chinese girls were supposed to act obedient and respectful to their parents and elders. This included the girls having to abide by each and every Chinese tradition that their parents instilled in them. Girls were also expected to be quiet and considerate to their parents and elders. They were only supposed to speak when spoken to at all times. Acting out against anything their parents enforced upon them was completely unacceptable.

the benefits of this sacrifice are not confined to those who respond to it with an explicit act of faith” (Nash, 1994, p. 103). Nash breaks down the definitions and uses Scripture to back up his points very well.

The concepts of love and sacrifice are closely related and feature consistently throughout literature. To study the relationship between these ideas in more depth I have selected a range of texts over an extensive time period, these include Romeo and Juliet by Sir William Shakespeare, Titanic by James Cameron, Saint Joan by Bernard Shaw and Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. The different eras that these texts explore will be instrumental in establishing the type of connection the two concepts hold in literature. The type of love and sacrifice varies however the underlying message is the same right through the texts, that humans in the right context will make sacrifices for love. How this is portrayed in the texts also differs yet