The influence of cultural backgrounds on mother and daughter relationship in amy tan`s the kitchen god`s wife - USD Repository
THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS
ON MOTHER AND DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP
IN AMY TAN’S THE KITCHEN GOD’S WIFE
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education
By
Name: Moniqa Friesta de Wanna
Student Number: 03 1214 051
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS
ON MOTHER AND DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP
IN AMY TAN’S THE KITCHEN GOD’S WIFE
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education
By
Name: Moniqa Friesta de Wanna
Student Number: 03 1214 051
ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
YOGYAKARTA
2008
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN
PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma : Nama : Moniqa Friesta de Wanna Nomor Mahasiswa : 03 1214 051
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul :
THE INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS ON MOTHER AND
DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP IN AMY TAN’S THE KITCHEN GOD’S
WIFEbeserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupaun memberikan roya lty kepada saya selamA tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyatan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta Pada tanggal : 19 Maret 2008 Yang menyatakan (Moniqa Friesta de Wanna)
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY
I honestly declare that this thesis which I wrote does not contain the works or part of the works of other people, except those cited in the quotations and bibliography, as a scientific paper should.
Yogyakarta, March 3, 2008 The writer,
Moniqa Friesta de Wanna 03 1214 051
I h a ve ta u gh t yo u th e w ay o f W i sdom I h a ve le d yo u in th e p a th o f Virtue W h e n yo u w alk, yo u r s te p s w ill n o t falte r, An d w h e n yo u ru n , yo u r fe e t w ill n o t s tu m ble , Ke e p h o ld o f W i s d o m An d gu a rd h e r, fo r s h e is Life ( Ad ap te d fro m Pro ve rbs 4 :11-13 ) I dedicate this thesis to those who make my life worth living:
My Savior Jesus Christ
&
Mam i My Loving Papi My Caring Sisters and Brothers My Dear Cipit My Beloved Friends
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to thank my savior Jesus Christ for His blessing and love, especially during the hardest time. I have to thank Him for guiding me through every moment in my life and showering me with so much blessing and happiness.
I would like to express my greatest gratitude to my major sponsor, Henny
Herawati, S.Pd., M.Hum., for her suggestions, guidance, and kindness during
my thesis writing process. I could never finish my thesis without her. I would also like to thank my co-sponsor, Made Frida Yulia, S.Pd., M.Pd. for spending her time to read my thesis carefully and give significant suggestions and corrections to my writing. Another appreciation goes to A. Hardi Prasetyo, S.Pd., M.A. for all his friendly supports during my thesis writing. I also have to thank all PBI lecturers for their teachings, support, and help during my study in Sanata Dharma.
I also thank PBI’s secretariat staff, especially Mbak Danik and Mbak Tari for always being very nice and patient to me.
My deepest love and greatest gratitude go to my beloved father, papi,
Frans de Wanna , who is always there to give his endless love, attention and
kindness to me. His prayers and support make me strong in facing problems.Another appreciation goes to my dearly mother, mami, Henrietta Andries, who always pours her love, motivation and prayers for my success. Her compassion makes me survive all this time. My life would never be fulfilled with happiness
My sincere love and appreciation also go to my dear sisters and brothers,
Vera, Mevia, Chris, Lonna, Tony, Marcia, and Daniel, for their never-ending
affection and encouragement all this time, financially and spiritually. Their thoughtfulness reminds me to be optimistic all the time. I am really grateful to have siblings like them.
I give special thanks to my dearest honey, Cipit, Hendra Ang, for his pure love, patience, and understanding. I really appreciate his help and encouragement, as well as the joy and laughter that he brings into my life. I am very blessed to have him in my life.
I’d also like to express my deepest appreciation for my caring best friends,
Christine, Jane, Seevi, Fermin, Riri, and Maisye, who always make me smile
and feel happy. They also always provide me a place to laugh and release my burdens. I thank them for their loyal and compassionate friendship. Along with all my friends in PBI, I’d like to give special thanks to Dudi, Tia, Meiske, Happy, Niken, Prast, Iphat and Monci, who make my life in PBI so pleasant and alive.
Lastly, for those I cannot mention one by one, I thank them for being there for me and sharing moments with me. God bless us all, amen.
Moniqa Friesta de Wanna
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PageTITLE PAGE ................................................................................................... i APPROVAL PAGE ......................................................................................... ii STATEMENTS OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY ............................................. iv DEDICATION ................................................................................................ v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................ vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................ viii ABSTRACT..................................................................................................... xi
ABSTRAK
......................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .................................................................
1 A. Background of the Study ...........................................................................
1 B. Problem Formulation .................................................................................
3 C. Objectives of the Study .............................................................................
4 D. Benefits of the Study .................................................................................
4 E. Definition of Terms ...................................................................................
5 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ........................
6 A. Review of Related Theories ......................................................................
6 1. Theory of Critical Approaches ...............................................................
6 2. Theory of Culture ..................................................................................
8
Page 3. Theory of Mother-Children Relationship ...............................................
11 a. The Meaning of Mother-Children Relationship ..............................
11 b. The Importance of Mother-Children Relationship ...........................
12 B. Review on Cultural Backgrounds................................................................
13 1. Review on Chinese Culture....................................................................
13 2. Review on American Culture ................................................................
18 C. Theoretical Framework ................................................................................
20 CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ............................................................
22 A. Subject Matter ........................................................................................... 22 B. Approach of the Study ............................................................................... 24 C.
Method of the Study................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ..........................................................................
26 A. Winnie’s and Pearl’s Cultures Described in Amy Tan’s The Kitchen God’s Wife ...............................................................................................
26
1. Winnie’s Culture .................................................................................... 26 2. Pearl’s Culture .......................................................................................
37 B. Winnie and Pearl’s Relationship and the Differences between Their Cultural Backgrounds ……………………………………………………………. 42
Page CHAPTER V: CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ...........................
54 A. Conclusions ............................................................................................... 54 B.
Suggestions ................................................................................................ 57
1. Suggestions for Further Study on The Kitchen God’s Wife .................... 57 2. Suggestions for Teaching English through Literature ...........................
57 Teaching Extensive Reading I Using The Kitchen God’s Wife .............
58 ..............................................................................................
60 REFERENCES APPENDICES ................................................................................................
63 Appendix 1: The Author’s Biography.............................................................. 63 Appendix 2: Amy Tan and Her Works.............................................................
67 Appendix 3: Lesson Plan Extensive Reading I ................................................
68 Appendix 4: Material for Teaching Extensive Reading I ……………………. 69
ABSTRACT
de Wanna, F Moniqa. 2008. The Influence of Cultural Backgrounds on Mother “The Kitchen God’s Wife”. Yogyakarta:
and Daughter Relationship in Amy Tan’s
English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.
This thesis analyzes Amy Tan’s novel, The Kitchen God’s Wife. The novel talks about the influence of distinctive cultural backgrounds between a mother and daughter which affect their relationship.
There are two problems related to the topic of the thesis. (1) How are Winnie’s and Pearl’s cultural backgrounds described in the novel? (2) How do the cultural backgrounds of Winnie and Pearl affect their mother-daughter relationship?
In order to answer the problems, library research is done. There are two sources; the primary source is the deep analysis of the novel itself, while the secondary sources are books, criticisms, and references related to the subject of the study. Moreover, the approach in analyzing the novel is the socio-cultural approach. The socio-cultural approach is used to analyze the influence of the society especially the culture toward the problems of this study. The uses of theory of cultur e and mother-children relationship are necessary. Theory of culture is used to understand culture’s influence toward someone’s social behaviour. While theory of mother-children relationship is used in order to help the writer to understand the importance of mother-daughter relationship. The writer also reviewed Chinese and American cultures to describe the people’s behaviours based on those two cultures.
There are two things that can be concluded from this study. The first one is the description of Winnie’s and Pearl’s cultural backgrounds. Winnie’s Chinese culture views a family as the center of its culture. There are many rituals in China which go off from birth until funeral. In China, women are regarded less important than men. Chinese people are considered very superstitious. On the other hand, Pearl’s American culture views an individualism freedom as the core of its culture. The equality of the position of a husband and a wife in a marriage can be seen in this country. American children may speak with confidence in front of adults. Chinese-American like Pearl is not accustomed to Chinese rituals and usually has modern thoughts. The second one is the analysis of the mother- daughter relationship. Winnie and Pearl’s relationship can be considered as an unharmonious one. Even though both of them love each other very much, the way they think and view problems differ from one another which are affected from each of their cultural backgrounds. The exposure of their secrets makes their relationship become closer and finally brings them to a reconciliation at the end of the story.
Some suggestions for further researchers are given in the last part of the
ABSTRAK
de Wanna, F Moniqa. 2008. The Influence of Cultural Backgrounds on Mother Yogyakarta: and Daughter Relationship in Amy Tan’s “The Kitchen God’s Wife”. Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skripsi ini membahas novel karya Amy Tan, The Kitchen God’s Wife. Novel ini bercerita tentang pengaruh perbedaan latar belakang budaya antara ibu dan anak perempuannya yang mempengaruhi hubungan mereka.
Ada dua masalah yang berhubungan dengan topik skripsi ini: 1) Bagaimana latar belakang budaya Winnie dan Pearl digambarkan dalam novel? 2) Bagaimana latar belakang budaya Winnie dan Pearl mempengaruhi hubungan ibu dan anak perempuan mereka?
Dalam menjawab kedua masalah tersebut, metode studi pustaka diterapkan dalam pencarian data-data. Ada dua sumber yang digunakan: sumber utama dan sumber pelengkap. Sumber utama adalah novel itu sendiri dan sumber pelengkap dikumpulkan dari membaca buku-buku, kritik dan referensi yang berhubungan dengan objek studi. Selain itu pendekatan yang digunakan dalam menganalisa novel ini adalah pendekatan sosial budaya. Pendekatan sosial budaya digunakan untuk menganalisa pengaruh lingkungan terutama budaya terhadap permasalahan studi ini. Penggunaan teori budaya dan hubungan ibu dan anak adalah penting. Teori budaya digunakan untuk memahami pengaruh budaya terhadap perilaku social seseorang. Sementara teori hubungan ibu dan anak digunakan untuk memahami pentingnya hubungan tersebut. Penulis juga meninjau budaya Cina dan Amerika untuk menjabarkan perilaku orang-orang berdasarkan kedua budaya tersebut.
Setelah menganalisa novel ini, ada dua hal yang dapat disimpulkan. Hal pertama adalah deskripsi latar belakang budaya Winnie dan Pearl. Winnie yang berbudaya Cina memandang keluarga sebagai pusat budayanya. Terdapat banyak ritual di Cina dimulai dari kelahiran hingga kematian. Di Cina, wanita dipandang kurang penting dibanding pria. Orang Cina dianggap sangat mempercayai takhayul. Sebaliknya, Pearl yang berbudaya Amerika memandang kebebasan individu sebagai inti budayanya. Kesetaraan posisi seorang suami dan istri dapat dilihat di Amerika. Anak-anak berbicara dengan penuh percaya diri di depan orang dewasa. Orang Cina-Amerika seperti Pearl tidak terbiasa pada ritual-ritual Cina dan mempunyai pemikiran yang modern. Hal kedua adalah analisa tentang hubungan ibu dan anak perempuannya. Hubungan Winnie dan Pearl dapat dikatakan kurang harmonis. Meskipun keduanya saling menyayangi namun cara berpikir dan memandang suatu permasalahan di antara mereka berbeda satu dengan yang lainnya terpengaruh oleh latar belakang budaya mereka. Pengungkapan rahasia mereka membuat hubungan keduanya menjadi lebih dekat dan pada akhir cerita mereka berdua rukun kembali.
Beberapa saran diberikan kepada penulis di masa mendatang pada bagian dapat digunakan sebagai bahan mengajar Bahasa Inggris, terutama dalam mengajar Extensive Reading I.
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION This chapter presents five parts. The first one is the background of the
study which gives an explanation about the reasons behind the writer’s decision to choose the novel, while the second one is the problem formulation which notes down the problems that lead to the analysis of the novel. The third part deals with the objectives of the study which mentions the aims of conducting this study, whereas the fourth copes with the benefits of the study which include the theoretical benefits for the sake of the development of the theories. The last sectio n lists the definition of terms which consists of a brief explanation of key words in the title.
A. Background of the Study
Lindgren (1969: 205) states that a culture consists of the overriding systems of values, beliefs, norms, artifacts, and symbols that have been developed by a society and are shared by its members. By understanding what culture is, we will be able to know the relationship patterns among a society and understand its socia l relation with others.
Basically, each society has its own culture. A society tends to have its own beliefs, customs, laws, and knowledge, which are only present in that society. The culture will be their guidance to think, behave, communicate and make connection by themselves. They need other people to share their thoughts, feelings, beliefs, values, and customs. The necessity of living with other individuals demands people to understand their partner(s).
As the smallest form in the society, family has an important role as the first institution which will influence people’s behavior in deve loping relationships.
People will associate with the culture of their family then expand to their society. People’s way of understanding something as the value of life or love can be learned mostly through their behavior or attitude. The society and its culture take an important role in contributing the way of how people understand, develop, and behave in their relationship.
While reading the novel, the readers may possibly find some aspects which can be found in real life such as believing in superstitio ns and practicing various traditional rituals. The aspect of real life of certain cultures will enrich people’s knowledge about the culture. Essentially, human beings are designed to live in a society; similar to characters in the novel. The characters in the novel belong to a particular society and they will be influenced directly or indirectly by their environment.
Welleck and Warren (1962: 96) propose, “literature is an expression of society and is actually determined by or dependent on its social setting, on social change and development”. This statement brings us to the understanding that society and its culture are significant in literary works because one’s behavior, characteristics, beliefs, and thoughts can be formed by one’s cultural background.
Related to the idea above, the writer is interested in exploring Winnie’s and Pearl’s cultural backgrounds as they are the major characters in The Kitchen
God’s Wife by Amy Tan. Their cultural backgrounds bring a major influence on
their mother-daughter relationship. They also prove that some relationships cannot be separated from their surroundings. Later, their differences can teach the readers to accept and respect other cultures. The other reason is that the writer has a deep interest in both Chinese and American cultures presented in the novel. The novel is also expected to enhance the readers’ knowledge about Chinese and American cultures. was first published in 1991 and reprinted in 1992.
The Kitchen God’s Wife The story is about Pearl and her mother Winnie who have never got along well.
An argument breaks out between Pearl and Winnie at the wedding of their relatives where they finally reveal each other's secret. The story that Pearl hears from her mother is a story that she has never heard before. It is a secret that Winnie has kept from Pearl for decades because of the fear of hurting Pearl. Pearl herself has a secret, yet it becomes secondary as Winnie's story unfolds.
B. Problem Formulation
Considering the backgrounds of the study above, this study is intended to answer some problems as follows:
1. How are Winnie’s and Pearl’s cultural backgrounds described in the novel? 2.
How do the cultural backgrounds of Winnie and Pearl affect their mother and
C. Objectives of the Study
This study aims to answer the questions listed in the problem formulation above. Therefore, it attempts:
1. To reveal Winnie’s and Pearl’s cultural backgrounds in Amy Tan’s The .
Kitchen God’s Wife 2.
To explain both Winnie’s and Pearl’s cultural backgrounds in influencing their mother and daughter relationship.
D. Benefits of the Study
It is expected that the writer as a researcher may get a better understanding of culture as one of the important parts of literature and how someone’s cultural backgrounds may affect his or her relationship with others from this study. The analysis on the characters’ cultural backgrounds in this study may contribute some significant information for further studies on the novel The Kitchen God’s Wife so that in the future they can make some additions or corrections in order to get a better and relevant understanding and interpretation.
This study is hoped to help the readers understand the story of The Kitchen
God’s Wife. They can take examples from the characters who can probably be the
role- models in respecting every culture and valuing their mother and daughter or son relationship. They can also use their understanding of the novel to build a better relationship with others.
E. Definition of Terms
In order to obtain a better understanding and to avoid misinterpretation, the writer defines some important terms that are used in the study.
1. Influence The word ‘influence’ according to Oxford advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2007: 825) is “the power to affect somebody’s actions, character or beliefs especially by providing an example for them to follow, winning their admiration or making them afraid to disagree”. In this study, it is the power of the cultural backgrounds that can give several effects to one’s relationship with others.
2. Culture Pikunas (1969: 72) states that the word ‘culture’ refers to “the total patterns of people’s way of life seen in terms of artifacts and achievements distinguishing large but similar societies.” Briefly, culture is someone’s way of living in a society.
3. Relationship According to Webster New World Dictionary (1975: 630), the word ‘relationship’ has two meanings: “the state or an instance of being related” and “the connection by blood or marriage; kinship”. In this study, the relationship between mother and daughter is focused then it means their connection as a mother and a daughter whom are connected by blood.
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter consists of four parts. The first part is a review of literary
theories that consists of the theory of critical approaches, while the second one is the review of related principles such as the theories of culture and the theories of mother-children relationship. The theories of culture are divided into two parts, namely the definition of culture and the culture’s influence on someone’s behavior, while the theories of mother-children relationship are divided into two sections, namely the definition and the importance of mother-children relationship. The third part is the review on cultural background which consists of the separate reviews on Chinese and American cultures, whereas the last part is the theoretical framework which explains the contribution of the theories above in solving the problems of this study.
A. Review of Related Theories
Theory of Critical Approaches 1.
Rohrberger and Woods (1971: 6-15) affirm that there are five approaches which can be used to analyze a novel. They are:
a. The Formalist Approach
The work is an abstraction. This approach focuses on the techniques and structure that the author uses in his work. This approach concentrates almost entirely on its esthetic value. It concerns with demonstrating the harmonious derived from structure and how matters of technique determine structure. This approach is the literary piece without any reference to the facts of the author’s life, the genre or in literary history, and its social milieu.
b. The Biographical Approach
This approach asserts the necessity for an appreciation to the author’s ideas and personality to an understanding of the literary object. The proponents attempt to learn as much as they can about the life and development of the author and then apply this knowledge in their attempt to understand the author’s writings.
Biographical material provides useful facts that could put the reader in a better position to understand and appreciate the literary object. It is better to try to figure out what the author did say than to find out what the author’s intended to say.
c. The Sociocultural-Historical Approach
This approach insists that the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilization that produced it. It is necessary to investigate the social milieu in which a work was created and which it necessarily reflects on. Literature embodies ideas significant to the culture that produced it. The traditional historical approach to literature usually takes as its basis some aspects of the socio cultural frame of reference, combining it with an interest in the biographical as well as knowledge of and interest in literary history. Behind every art form there is also a philosophy of life which can be expressed and viewed in moral terms.
d. The Mythopoeic Approach thought that they have meaning for all men. The cyclic patterns of withdrawal turn and of death and rebirth, patterns involving guilt and expiation and sacrificial suffering, propitiation rites, fertility rites, initiation rites are common to all people, and that themes concerning them find their way into all significant literature, whether the author makes conscious or unconscious use of them.
e. The Psychological Approach
This approach involves the effort to locate and demonstrate certain recurrent patterns. Literature works is derived from the psychological point of view drawn from psychological theories. This approach intends to comprehend the patterns of human personality and behavior.
2. Theory of Culture
It is necessary to understand the meaning of culture since the study emphasized the culture’s influence. Therefore, this part contains the definition of culture and its influence towards someone’s social behavior.
a. The Definition of Culture
Light, Keller, and Calhoun (1989: 71) state that culture includes all the learned customs, beliefs, values, knowledge, and symbols that are communicated constantly among a set of people who share a common way of life. While according to Lindgren (1969: 205), culture consists of the overriding systems of values, beliefs, norms, artifacts, and symbols that have been developed by a society and are shared by its members. that lay behind people’s behavior, and which are reflected in their behavior. In this theory, culture has a lot of dimension such as abstract values, beliefs, and perceptions, which will be reflected upon the person who lives under that culture. As a result, it can be inferred that culture is a wide dimension which has a close relationship not only with the society but also with the individual who lives in it.
The members of the society will reflect the culture of their society through their behavior.
b. The Culture’s Influence toward Someone’s Social Behavior
The elements of culture are developed by the society. Dealing with the cultural backgrounds of the main characters in this novel which are related to the society, the writer will present some theories about the influence of culture toward one’s social behavior.
Light, Keller, and Calhoun (1989: 71-72) state that the relationship between culture and behavior has two sides. On one hand, culture provides traditions and rules that guide how people think, feel, and behave, and how people evaluate others’ thoughts, feelings, and actions. On the other hand, people use, develop, and usually change their culture. They also state that society refers to the network of social relationships among those who share a culture and that culture is used to give meaning to social interactions as well as the result of social interaction.
Baron and Byrne (1997: 9-13) propose that social behavior is shaped by a
The first one is the behavior and characteristics of other persons. The importance of one’s position in the society can strongly affect his behavior. For example, an employer will easily influence his servant because his/her position is considered higher than the servant’s.
The second factor is the social cognition (one’s thoughts, attitudes and inferences about other people around him). It is the aspect that affects one’s thoughts, ideas and judgments on other people. If someone has a good judgment on other people, then he/she may follow or imitate their behavior.
The third one is an ecological variable. The term ‘ecological variable’ refers to the social ecological circumstances around an individual such as the condition of the environment, the house, the city, etc. For example, if a person lives in the place where he/she feels comfortable, he/she will likely have an unchanged behavior. On the other hand, if a person lives in the place where he/she feels hard to live, then he/she may have certain behavior that leads him/her to change the condition to be better.
The fourth aspect is the socio cultural context in which a social behavior occurs. Such factors as cultural norms and regulations will affect one’s behavior.
Societal standards or values shifting can influence one’s behavior. In this novel, the main characters are mostly influenced by cultural norms that they have which later will affect their relationship.
The fifth one is the aspect of one’s biological nature relevant to social behavior. The last factor is the physical condition of the person him/herself.
Each society has certain cultural life. Culture represents one’s way of thinking and behaving in a society. People differ from society to society because they have learned different cultures. Therefore, it can be inferred that the influence of culture toward one’s social behavior is tremendous.
3. Theory of Mother-Children Relationship
Mother-children relationship is the main issue in the novel The Kitchen
God’s Wife. In order to comprehend the relationship described in the novel, this
part defines the meaning and the importance of mother-children relationship.a. The Meaning of Mother-Children Relationship
Allers (1953: 245) affirms that the relationship between mother and child is possibly the most intimate of all forms of association between two people, for its closeness cannot be compared even with the greatest love between man and woman. He also implies that the unique nature of mother-child relationship is reflected in the fact that the term “mother- love” is commonly known better than “father- love” which sounds unusual and strange.
Deutsch (1973: 322) explains that a daughter’s identification with her mother is important for her emotional and moral development. A mother will play a role as the source of identification of her daughter, who later will likely develop her mental and moral according to her perceptive toward her mother.
Mother-children relationship is not always in harmony. Sometimes there may be some misunderstandings and conflicts which may affect the relationship to forget their own rebellions completely. The gap between mother and children becomes wider with the fact that the mother is an immigrant. Children of the immigrants are like the first generation born in a new country. They cannot understand when their parents’ talk about the past because those children have no access to their parents’ past. Therefore, sometimes there are misunderstandings or conflicts between them.
b. The Importance of Mother-Children Relationship
Interactions between mother and child set the stage s for the development of the attachment bond. This bond seems to be crucial in the development of healthy and happy relationships at all stages of the life cycle. In fact, according to Sirjamaki (1953: 6), parents attend not only to the physical needs of their children, but also to the society and culture in which they have their being. In addition, Anshen (1949: 204) states that mother is the first teacher of a child. The child learns to respond to other persons from his/her mother who is the first person to set the child’s cultural patterns.
Noller and Fitzpatrick (1993: 199) say that the attachment bond between mother and child is formed to maintain proximity between mother and infant. The maintenance of proximity is a mutual endeavor of both the mother and the child and is sometimes initiated by one and sometimes by the other.
Children’s relationship with others is affected by their understanding of their relationship with their mother. The mother-children relationship can also
B. Review on Cultural Backgrounds
It is important to review the cultural background s of The Kitchen God’s
Wife in order to comprehend the story and its cultural context better. This part
review Chinese and American culture.1. Review on Chinese Cultures
Chinese people are famous for their beliefs in superstitions. They believe that everything which happens in their life is affected by supernatural factors.
Meyer (1978: 42) says that the Chinese are considered as superstitious people, for supernatural things influence their daily lives. The Chinese has never made the separation between myth and reality as the Westerners do. They believe that everything that happens is the result of their obedience to their ancestors or gods in the past.
Chinese people believe in astrology. It is the most well-known element in Chinese traditional culture. According to the Chinese astrological system, a person’s character is determined by the year of his or her birth. Personality traits are categorized according to the 12 year calendar cycle in accordance with the Chinese zodiacs. Each year of the cycle is associated with different animals, as a story when Buddha invited all the animals in creation to come to him, but only twelve showed up: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, cock, dog and pig. Buddha rewarded each animal with a year bearing its personality traits (Giles, 2001: 10-19).
Fortune telling is also popular among the Chinese. They have developed to any event or venture that may involve an element of risk – from selecting an auspicious date for a wedding to sitting a new building. From the client’s point of view, the interpreters’ primary task is to guard against any disaster.
Hsu (1948: 30) writes that the life in Chinese community is full of rituals starting from their birth until their death. Chinese people have to obey the rituals and traditions in their religion properly. According to Smith (1994: 112), birth for Chinese is important, especially when the baby is male. Sons are very important in carrying on the family line and in maintaining the honors to ancestors. That is why it is considered sinful for a man not to have any son. Latourette (1956: 679) states that girls have been generally considered much less valuable than boys and sayings in common circulation appraise sons as infinitely preferable to daughters. Chinese man was viewed higher than Chinese woman in the past, yet the discrimination may still happen in today’s Chinese culture.
The most important element in the Chinese cosmological system is the yin- dichotomy. Yin represents all forces in the universe that emanate from
yang
darkness, while yang is the representation of light. The yin-yang dichotomy is derived from human’s experience, which often conceptualized as the following opposites; good-evil, life-death, and male- female. According to yin-yang dichotomy, it is obvious that women inferior to men. Yin represents women, which are believed as dark, destructive and in characteristics believed as weak, emotional untrustworthy being, whereas yang represents men, which in nature and characteristically believed as the opposite side of women. (Loewe, 1990: 105)
1994: 154). It is called an ideal marriage if both families know each other well. If a marriage happens between two families which are not familiar to one another, they need a go-between (matchmaker) to arrange the matters. The matchmaker is usually a woman who knows both families. She must carry the proposal to the girl’s family and ask both the girl and the boy about all the things needed, such as the year, month, and date of their birth. Based on the conclusion taken, she will decide whether the boy and the girl are a perfect match (Hsu, 1948: 32). Succeeded in matching the couple, the matchmaker intercedes in the negotiation of exchanging gifts between both families. The family of the bride has to decide on the proper dowry and trousseau to send along for the exhibition at the groom’s home. After they get married, the couple will live in the groom’s residence.
The mother- in-law has tremendous power towards the daughter- in- law, since the son has a duty to fulfill his mother’s wishes, even when his mother asks him to divorce his wife. The fact that a husband cannot be divorced by his wife often makes many women find marriage life is intolerable and then may decide either to run away or commit suicide . The worse thing is that, alas, many families are not willing to receive their daughters who return to them after their broken marriage. There is rarely found a single old spinster or bachelor in Chinese community. A widower is suggested to remarry, but a woman, in her second marriage, is a dishonored object. It has been considered a virtue for a widow not to do so. The society demands women to remain faithful with their deceased husband and his family. Some societies even highly regard the action of a wife
Nanquin and Rawski (1987: 81), affirm that the ritual of a funeral is very important for the Chinese. The children have to manage a burial ritual. After death, the spirits of deceased relatives (represented by wooden tablets) are cared by their descendants on a daily basis supplemented by offering at the grave at regular intervals, and given special attention on the anniversaries of the death.
Bloomfield (1989: 30-36) asserts that the Chinese provide the gods their place on an altar. They try to keep the spirits of the ancestors happy. The living has a responsibility of sustaining the spirit of the ancestors and protecting their graves, as long as the reciprocal relationship is maintained both the living and the dead are benefited. Abandoned ancestors will become ‘hungry ghosts’, a general term for the spirits of dead people who do not have any reciprocal relationship with the living. Another great fear, apart from keeping the ancestors happy, is the fear of ghosts and spirits. These are not necessarily the spirits of dead people; they also could be the spirits of a place, trees, rocks, even the earth spirit of a village.
As said by Latourette (1956: 665-666), one of the outstanding characteristics of Chinese civilization has been its emphasis upon social relations.
The basic characteristic of a Chinese institution is the family. The family, of course, constitutes an outstanding feature of the life of every nation. Among the Chinese, however, it has been emphasized more than among most people. It has a leading part in economic life, in social control, in moral education, and in government. According to Smith (1994: 250), children have a duty to keep the good name and reputation of the families and are expected to dedicate themselves
Chinese people have a much stronger tendency to identify their home and place than any other ethnics in the world, for they are highly rooted to their culture and their place of birth (Smith, 1994: 56). It is known best as the Chinatown which usually exists in every big city or country all around the world. The Chinese live together with the other Chinese in a community in which they maintain their customs, beliefs, and culture.
There are several basic features observed in Chinese families’ houses. Firstly, the old parents usually live in one of the wings, commonly the west one, the same part of the main house occupied by the eldest son. Secondly, in the normal cause of events, some rooms are found overcrowded, while larger sections of the house are intentionally left unoccupied. Thirdly, except for children and married couples, the two sexes are generally separated. Fourthly, the members of each individual family within the household usually occupy some rooms in the same wing or in two wings adjacent to each other. The characteristic of the dwellings shows that the division of rooms for each family is determined by the rules of social appropriateness, not by personal preference, comfort, or hygiene (Hsu, 1948: 56-57).
Asian people are polite, courteous, and aware of each other’s presence and needs according to To Thi Anh (1994: 33-34). They want to maintain a good relationship with their families, relatives, and neighbors. They sometimes are willing to give up their rights in order to preserve the harmony among people.
However, the price fo r such a noble idea is very high and they live in an excessive anger, contempt, and hatred. They rather suffer in silence than resolve the situation by an active and overt approach.
2. Review on American Culture
Individualism in America seems to be the core of American culture. Glazer (1988: 227) writes that the positive image of individualism has emphasized the American as a pioneer, moving out into wilderness among savages and making his way alone with riffle and axe. In relation to that, Webster’s New Collegiate defines individualism as a doctrine that the interest of the individual
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are or ought to be ethically paramount; and refers to a conception that all values, rights, and duties originate in individuals. It gives freedom to people to make their own decision, based on their thoughts even though it has to oppose those of the society where they live. According to Kearny (1984: 20), individual freedom is believed as the most important values of all American beliefs. American history notes that America is the land to which people escaped from their old country to seek freedom and get away from the control of governments, churches, noblemen, and aristocrats. They came to America to establish the new colonies with freedom as the basis of their living values.