Gender Roles In Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

Patriarchal programming is viewed by many as a negative stigma because it is often associated with the one-sided, societal goal to derail and undermine women. As a result of patriarchal programming, feminism is created by the women who suffer from it. Hence, the question as to whether male dominancy is a societal trait developed through male prejudice or an evolutionary trait developed by the natural pecking order of a family is moot. It is evident that The Joy Luck Club insinuates that Chinese women are behaviorally repressed. While many view this as a negative stigma, the inferiority of women is justified and considered a norm in Chinese culture. Feminism primarily exists in The Joy Luck Club in the cultural influence that the mothers

These standards are idea that patriarchal forces define a ‘good girl' as "modest, unassuming, self-sacrificing, and nurturing" (Tyson 90), all of which are seen in the characters. Rose Jordan's husband, Ted, states "I love it when you're so naïve" (Tan 158). This trait has a bad connotation because it calls a woman unassuming, as if any action done to her is simply neglected, regardless of her feelings. Because this makes a woman seem stupid, it is denoted as negative in both American and Chinese culture. However, when Ying Ying’s mother says, "A boy can run and chase dragon flies, because it is his nature...But a girl should stand still" (Tan 72), it compliments women for their solitary nature. From this, it is implied that solitary behavior is a virtue in the book and Chinese culture. This is because the idea of solitude is an honorable trait, in contrast to bashfulness, which is considered a sin. By the standards of patriarchal societies, bashfulness resembles the attributes of a ‘bad girl’ because it can lead a girl to rebel against her elders, especially when An-Mei Hsu says, "A girl is like a young tree...if you bend to listen to other people, you will grow crooked and weak" (Tan 191), explaining the severity of rebellion. By this belief, it is rewarding not to rebel, or, to listen "stand tall and listen to your mother standing next to you" (Tan 191) because a woman can mature this way. In a way, it can be argued that certain standards for women are actually positive, in that their purpose is to help a woman