QUEEN MOTHER OF THE WESTERN SKIES A Pair of Tickets: Jing-Mei Woo

"The gray-green surface changes to the bright colors of our three images, sharpening and deepening all at once. And although we don't speak, I know we all see it: Together we look like our mother. Her same eyes, her same mouth, open in surprise to see, at last, her long-cherished wish."

Thank goodness everyone got to meet each other. I am happy everyone got to see one another finally and fulfill their mother's wishes. The scene described is so vivid you feel like you're actually there watching this all happen. I love it and hope to feel that joy sometime in my life. 

The literary term I chose for this final chapter is MOTIF (a standard theme, element, or dramatic situation that recurs in various works). The motif of this chapter is to sum everything up and end the story. It tied up any loose ends and added great details to the theme of the story. Everyone got together in the end and wishes came true.

QUEEN MOTHER OF THE WESTERN SKIES Double Face: Lindo Jong

'"It means we're looking one way, while following another. We're for one side and also the other. We mean what we say, but our intentions are different."'

Parts of this chapter are so cute! The part about how they fell in love and all the cute things they did are just so adorable and I think everyone should fall in love that way. It's mushy, but oh well.  When I read the chapter title I knew it was going to be about someone being two-faced or have something to do along those lines. 

The literary term I used for this chapter was APHORISM (a concise statement that expresses succinctly a general truth or idea, often using rhyme or balance). Any teen in high school will tell you they know at least three people who they can describe as being two-faced. A lot of people act this way to get what they want and make everyone happy. I hate it and can't stand people who are two-faced. People will always try to hide it or get away with it, but someone can always tell.

QUEEN MOTHER OF THE WESTERN SKIES Waiting Between the Trees: Ying-Ying St. Clair

"I stayed in this country home for ten years. If you ask me what I did during these long years, I can only say I waited between the trees. I had one eye asleep, the other open and watching."

The literary term I chose for this chapter is EPIGRAPH (a saying or statement on the title page of a work, or used as a heading for a chapter or other section of work). The title of this chapter, Waiting Between the Trees, is very clever, I think. It is continually repeated throughout the chapter. Ying-Ying keeps referring to herself as a tiger too. It is all a little confusing to me, but I think I figured out what she is talking about. I think it is about her being a watchful tiger and wanting her traits to be passed on to her daughter. And also she is always there between the two trees, watching. 

QUEEN MOTHER OF THE WESTERN SKIES Magpies: An-Mei Hsu

"And on that day, I showed Second Wife the fake pearl necklace she had given me and crushed it under my foot.

And on that day, Second Wife's hair began to turn white.

And on that day, I learned to shout."

I feel bad for An-Mei and her mother. I feel bad for everyone in China at this time. No one has any opinion, especially the women. They have no way of voicing what they want and the only way these concubines can ever get anything to go their way is to fake their death by taking too much opium. 

I was also confused a little on the whole opium situation that all the concubines deal with, so I found this drug overdose page. Hopefully it helps http://www.drug-overdose.com/opium.htm

The literary term I chose for this chapter is PATHOS (the quality in a work that prompts the reader to feel pity). I feel pity for all these women. But I am glad about how it all worked out in the end. I am admirable of the love An-Mei's mother has for her. She actually killed herself for her daughter and son's sake. I don't know if anyone can relate to this kind of love in this way, though.

AMERICAN TRANSLATION Best Quality: Jing-Mei Woo

"Five months ago, after a crab dinner celebrating Chinese New Year, my mother gave me my "life's importance," a jade pendant on a gold chain."

I feel like this chapter helped Jing-Mei get over her fears of not thinking she's important or special. She's always been behind Waverly's shadow and I feel like she is intimidated by Waverly. But in this chapter, she has a talk with her mother and it really helps her discover that she is important and special. 

The literary term I chose for this chapter is SYMBOL (an object that is used to represent something else). The symbol in this chapter is the jade necklace that is given to Jing-Mei by her mother after the Chinese New Year dinner. I think everyone has had a feeling before that they are unimportant or not as special as they could be. These feelings are natural, but I think it just takes time for people to figure out who they should be and how they are significant in their own way.

AMERICAN TRANSLATION Without Wood: Rose Hsu Jordan

"And then for the first time in months, after being in limbo all that time, everything stopped. All the questions: gone. There were no choices. I had an empty feeling--and I felt free, wild."

Rose is scared to sleep. She is afraid of Old Mr. Chou. When she was younger, Rose would never go to sleep because she was scared of her dreams. I think everyone can relate to being afraid to sleep. Almost every child is afraid of the dark and something about going to sleep by yourself is not appealing. The only time she could sleep is when she took sleeping pills. Until the day she found out her husband wanted a divorce because he wanted to marry someone else. This day, Rose slept soundly.

A poem came to mind when I read the part about Rose's mother saying she did not have enough wood. I read the poem last year in English class. She was explaining that she needs to stand up and speak up to her husband about her marriage. Towards the end of the chapter, I believe Rose spoke up. The title of the Poem is The Oak and the Reed by Jean de La Fontaine. http://www.aestheticrealism.net/poetry/Oak-Reed-LaFontaine.htm

The literary term I chose for this chapter is TURNING POINT (the point in a work in which a very significant change occurs). Rose was in limbo until her soon-to-be ex husband called her, urging her to sign the papers soon. Rose had a feeling of relief when she found out her husband wanted to marry someone else. I feel like every girl has felt this feeling before. When they have a bad relationship and then finally feel relief after it is over. 

AMERICAN TRANSLATION Four Directions: Waverly Jong

“And looking at the coat in the mirror, I couldn’t fend off the strength of her will anymore, her ability to make me see black where there was once white, white where there was once black. The coat looked shabby, an imitation of romance.”

Waverly’s mother reminds me of a few people I know. Always looking for something to scrutinize in the people they meet. They are always searching for something to point out negatively in another person. I don’t like people like this. 

The literary term I chose for this chapter is AD HOMINEN ARGUMENT (an argument attacking and individual’s character rather than his or her position on an issue). I thought this went well with this chapter because Waverly’s mother always attacks people on a personal level. She doesn’t look for the good in people. Also, she doesn’t see their point of something and if someone has an issue they want to talk about, she changes the subject. 

AMERICAN TRANSLATION Rice Husband: Lena St. Clair

"She has a Chinese saying for what she knows. Chunwang chihan: If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Which means, I suppose, one thing is always the result of another."

Lena’s mother has this saying because she believes her daughter will marry a bad man if she doesn’t finish all her rice. “One thing will lead to another” is the theme of this chapter. Lena and her husband, Harold, based their relationship on fairness and what is even. This is not the best way to begin a relationship. 

The literary term I chose for this chapter is ALLEGORY (a literary work in which characters, objects, or actions represent abstractions). The table Harold built while he was still a student was not very stable and wobbled a lot. I believe this is representative of their marriage together. Also, Lena knew the table was not secure, but still she allowed it to be in use. Like her marriage, she knew it was unstable and not built with the proper foundation, but she didn’t do anything about it. It is the chances in life that we don’t take that we regret the most.

THE TWENTY-SIX MALIGNANT GATES Two Kinds: Jing-Mei Woo

"The girl staring back at me was angry, powerful. This girl and I were the same. I had new thoughts, willful thoughts, or rather thoughts filled with lots of won'ts. I won't let her change me, I promised myself. I won't be what I'm not."

Jing-Mei is realizing she can do what she wants. She doesn't need to listen to her mother who is pushing her to do things. If Jing-Mei doesn't want to be a child prodigy, she doesn't have to. I think she's grown and feels more freedom with this feeling. 

The literary term I chose is ROUND CHARACTER (a character who demonstrates some complexity and who develops or changes in the course of a work). Jing-Mei starts out obeying her mother and trying to please her and do what she says. She tries everything her mother asks in order to become a child prodigy. By the end of the chapter Jing-Mei is an adult. She finds the old music she played at her first recital. She finds that "Pleading Child" is followed with "Perfectly Contented". She demonstrates some complexity and develops and changes into the girl she is now over the course the chapter. Just like you and I, Jing-Mei grows and develops and becomes a new person.

THE TWENTY-SIX MALIGNANT GATES Half and Half: Rose Hsu Jordan

"When something that violent hits you, you can't help but lose your balance and fall. And after you pick yourself up, you realize you can't trust anybody to save you--not your husband, not your mother, not God. So what can you do to stop yourself from tilting and falling all over again?"

Rose's marriage was falling apart. She was getting a divorce. Her husband and her fell in love because she was the victim to his hero. They were ying and yang. They were two halves coming together as a whole. The emotional effect of one always needing saving and the other saving them fueled their love. This is how they survived. But when their marriage was falling apart, Rose had no one to save her. 

The literary term I chose for this chapter is EPIPHANY (a moment of sudden revelation or insight). Rose's mom had an epiphany at an early age that she can't rely on anyone to save her. Rose learned this same information when her husband asked her for a divorce and she realized she would soon have no one left to save her. I think everyone has these epiphanies. Even if we believe we don't think we need to lean on anyone for help, we do. Everyone needs help whether they want it or not. Even if we go into a situation saying we can do it on our own, chances are you're going to need help. We just need to know we cannot rely on help all the time.

THE TWENTY-SIX MALIGNANT GATES The Voice from the Wall: Lena St. Clair

"And in my memory I can still feel the hope that beat in me that night. I clung to this hope, day after day, night after night, year after year. I would watch my mother lying in her bed, babbling to herself as she sat on the sofa. And yet I knew this, the worst possible thing, would one day stop. I still saw bad things in my mind, but now I found ways to change them. "

This chapter was difficult for me to understand. I felt like it went a lot of different places and confused the heck out of me. In the beginning, Lena was trying to figure out what the worst possible thing was and I guess she found out. She found out that the worst possible thing was having a mother who is going insane and she cannot do anything about it. She still has hope, though, that all of it will come to an end at some point. 

The literary term I choose for this chapter is MOOD (the emotional atmosphere of a work). The mood of this chapter is very creepy and kind of scary, to me. Amy Tan uses a style of writing in this chapter that seems different. It's like she made this chapter eerie on purpose. The whole time Lena is trying to figure out what the worst possible thing is. I can't imagine the worst possible thing. There are things that make us scared, though. Like the way something is written, for instance, or the way something is said or delivered. Tricks like these make situations seem much, much worse than they are. 

THE TWENTY-SIX MALIGNANT GATES Rules of the Game: Waverly Yong

"I was six when my mother taught me the art of invisible strength. It was a strategy for winning arguments, respect from others, and eventually , though neither of us knew it at the time, chess games."

The purpose of this quote, to me, is to point out the main point of the entire chapter. It gives a beginning point to think about the chapter as a whole. Waverly uses her invisible strength, the whispering wind, to help her win numerous chess games. The invisible wind talks to her and tells her what to do. 

The literary term I chose for this chapter was MOTIVATION (a character's incentive or reason for behaving in a certain manner; that which impels a character to act.) Different characters had different motivation in this chapter. Waverly was motivated to learn more about chess and get better at chess so she could beat her brother. Then, it grew to her wishing she could go to tournaments and compete. Her motivation was personal. Waverly's mother helped motivate Waverly for personal reasons also. She had great pride in her daughter's winnings. Waverly's mother pushed Waverly away. Waverly didn't like being looked at as a prize and she didn't like her mother taking her places just to show her off. Waverly was motivated to question her mother and then leave her. Everyone is motivated for some reason. People don't just do things to do them. More than likely, there is some sort of motive behind the acts people perform. Whether it be self-improvement, self-gain, the betterment of others, or to help society, there is always motivation.

FEATHERS FROM A THOUSAND LI AWAY The Moon Lady: Ying-Ying St. Clair

"The same innocence, trust, and restlessness, the wonder, fear, and loneliness. How I lost myself. I remembered all these things. And tonight, on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon, I also remember what I asked the Moon Lady so long ago. I wished to be found."

Everyone gets lost sometime in their life. Figuratively and physically speaking. Ying-Ying lost herself physically when she fell off the boat and figuratively when she found out the Moon Lady was a man. This happens over and over during the course of our lives. We just always have to remind ourselves to find the person we once were. 

The literary term I chose for this chapter is FLASHBACK (the insertion of an earlier event into the normal chronological order of a narrative).  This whole chapter is basically a flashback. Ying-Ying is telling the story of the first time she lost and found herself. She could only remember when she was older and nearer to the end, although closer to the beginning at the same time. 

FEATHERS FROM A THOUSAND LI AWAY The Red Candle: Lindo Jong

"I had on a beautiful red dress, but what I saw was even more valuable. I was strong. I was pure. I had genuine thoughts inside that no one could see, that no one could ever take away from me. I was like the wind."

At this point, Lindo has never been able to make her own decisions. Everything in her life was organized from the age of two. When she looks in the mirror and sees herself in her wedding dress before the ceremony, Lindo makes the first decision to live her life and keep her promise to her parents, but to never forget herself. She promises to always remember what is inside of her. 

The literary term I chose for this chapter was DILEMMA (a situation that requires a person to decide between two equally attractive or equally unattractive alternatives). We make decisions everyday. Things like what to wear that day, what to respond to someone, or whether or not to succumb to peer pressure are all decided. Lindo made a decision to blow out the candle. She chose to think about her fate and make a decision on what to do about it. Lindo was faced with a dilemma and she found her way out of it so she wouldn't break any promises.