Theme in the Kitchen God's Wif

The theme of the gap between the first generation and second generation of immigrants appear frequently in Tan’s other novels The Joy Luck Club, The Hundred Secret Senses, and The Bonesetter’s Daughter because it reflects her own life of misunderstandings between her and her mother. The reason for Tan’s talent on writing about the difficulties and hardships growing up in a bicultural environment derives from own life experiences. Similar to Pearl, Tan was part of the second generation of immigrants growing up in California and in a household where misunderstandings and lack of communication existed. However, very similar to the happy ending of The Kitchen God’s Wife, Tan, like Pearl, learned to accept the cultural mixture and how the beauty of living in two cultures allowed them to acquire the benefits of understanding. Hence, through her novels, Amy Tan offers the reader to understand her life experience as an Asian-American growing up in a bicultural environment.

influences permeated and in a household with a mother who Winnie characterized as “a modern girl” (Tan 119). Western thought and influence surrounded Winnie’s environment as a young girl especially from her mother who “liked English biscuits, of course, and also their soft furniture, Italian automobiles and French gloves and shoes, White Russian soup and sad love songs, American ragtime music and Hamilton watches” (Tan 106), so the cultural mixture that exists in Pearl’s life does not seem unfamiliar to Winnie who lived in a China filled with Western influences like Pearl who lives in an America filled with Chinese influences. When Winnie’s mother passes away, she moves in with her uncle whose house reflects the influences placed in Winnie’s life. Her new home had two identities: Old East, built as one-storied structure with important rooms facing east in the Chinese style, and New West, a two-storied building with a chimney, added when the family became wealthy by trading with foreigners. As Winnie explains her life story to her daughter, she constantly emphasizes and points out the difference between the East (China) and the West (America), fixing dates between the Chinese and Western calendars when speaking of an important event and pointing out clearly the distinction between Chinese New Year celebrations and American festivities. Unlike her American-born daughter, Winnie has two clear points of reference and until Pearl understands Winnie’s story “she will continue to misinterpret Winnie’s words and actions as simply the peculiarities of an elderly Chinese woman” (Huntley 100). Ironically, Winnie has kept the secret of her past from her daughter just like how Pearl kept the secret of

Some topics in this essay:
Pearl Winnie, Winnie Pearl, White Russian, Jimmy Louie, Additionally Yoo, Pearl Tan, American-born Pearl, Year” Tan, Ironically Winnie, Hope” Tan, kitchen god’s, kitchen god’s wife, lack communication, american-born daughter, pearl winnie, god’s wife, winnie pearl, mother winnie, luck club, daughter pearl, life story, joy luck club, mother winnie louie, winnie lived china, winnie’s friend helen,