The Joy Luck Club vs. The Color Purple
...n their heritage, the mothers are there to answer any questions that they may have. They also assist in helping the daughters to find themselves. Walker utilizes thr friendship among women to fight oppression. Friendships among females also help to build one's character. Sofia turned to her sisters which, according to her, provided her with the ability to fight. The Olinka women also form strong bonds with their husband's wives which allows them to deal with the polygamy that is present in their tribe. Celie's friendship with Shug allows her to grow and attain more of herself. Stories plat a very significant role in "The Joy Luck Club". Whenever one of the women had a problem they would reminisce and a story of some event from their past would be revealed. The "recap" would always provide the women with some kind of lesson that they would happen to need at that time in order to escape their present situations. THe lesson, which was usuallt passed on from mother to daughter, wold always contain a moralistic value that the women would internalize. In "The Color purple", Celie's letters to God and her talks with Shug allow her to tell her story. in doing so she finds herself and gains enough confidence to stand up to Mister. The telling of Celie's story of her abuse throughout her life also serves as her revelation and gives her a voice when she did not have one. Her story even makes Mister want to make a change in his life. The passive natures of the two characters, Ying-Ying and Celie, make it difficult for anyone to see who they truly are inside. Through the power of stories they are able to reveal their inner selves. Ying-Ying's decision to tell her daughter, lena, about her past and Celie's discovery of Nttie's letters, along with her cursing out Mister, prove just how powerful stories are. Stories, in both novels, give the storyteller a sense of independence and the power of voice which allows them to communicate their love. In a way, a person could create an identity with a story. Waverly, for example, possesses a "crooked nose" which her mother takes to mean that she is "ill-fated". However, Waverly takes the story of her crooked nose and changes it, in turn changing her identity. The mothers reveal, through captivating stories, the love that they hold for their daughters. Celie's belief that Nettie has not written her leads to the notion that she is not loved. The discovery of Nettie's letters contradicts Celie's previous notion and she is able to grow. Tan tackles the universal problem of communication. She approaches it from both a cultural and generational aspect. The mothers are only able to speak a few words in English, as are the daughters in Chinese, which creates a barrier and leads the daughters to question their mothers' intellect. Also, the difference in generations leads to many misunderstandings and a widening of the already existent barrier. Walker approaches the problem of communication in another way. Her approach can be understood as more of an American problem. she deals more with the positve negative views on a typical encounter with racism. Miss Millie asks Sofia, kindly, if she would be her maid. Sofia responds with an enraged outburst and in turn losses twelve years of her life. To Miss Millie, Sofia should have been honored but she did not understand how great an insult it was to Sofia being that she was not a black woman. Walker also emphasizes the characters' lives and the growth that takes place by isolating them in a small, rural town. She incorporates the importance of letters as a powerful form of communication. The letters allow self-expression and serve as a sort of confesson. Many of the characters in "The Joy Luck Club" make selfless sacrifices for their loved ones. Suyaun cleans the neighbor's house so that Jing-mei may have access to a piano. An-mei's mother sacrifices a part of her flesh in an attempt to save her mother's life and she ends up sacrificing her own life so that her daughter may live a good one. An-mei sacrifices the only momento that she has of her mother, a sapphire ring, in hopes of getting her son, Bing, back. The characters in "The Color Purple" do indeed make sacrifices but they are often selfish or misguided. Celie, in her misguided attempts, sacrifices her wants and needs fot those of Mister. Sofia ends up sacrificing twelve years of her life all for the sake of pride. Tan also approaches the day old question of whether or not peoplehave control of their oen destinies. Ying-Ying believes that she is...