ActBlog no. 1: The Valley of Amazement
At the age of eight, Lulu was already determined to be true to herself. When she was young, she was born with an extra finger in both...
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About The Author
About The Author
Writer. Born February 19, 1952 in Oakland, California. She is well known for writing the book “The Joy Luck Club” which received numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book
Award. It has been translated into 25 languages, including Chinese, and was made into a major motion picture for which Tan co-wrote the screenplay and was directed by director Wayne Wang. Her other two books, The Kitchen God's Wife (1991) and The Hundred Secret Senses (1995), have also appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Her latest novel, The Bonesetter's Daughter, was published in 2001. Tan has also written two children's books: The Moon Lady (1992) and The Chinese Siamese Cat (1994), the latter of which was adapted to television for PBS.
Guide Questions & Answers
# 1 What was Lulu's reaction when she found out about the operation? do you think her reaction is normal? Why or why not?
For us, Lulu was both disappointed and angry at the fact that her own parents didn’t want to keep her the way she “originally” is. Yes, we believe that her reaction is normal because she has lost a part of herself and no one even cared or dared to ask how she thought about it and how she had personally felt.
# 3 What is the narrator's fear?
The narrator’s fear was that “people could change parts” of her and not give her the knowledge of the situation or even ask for her permission.
# 5 What do you think is its effect on the narrator?
We both think that Lulu’s operation had affected her mentally, especially with regards on how she viewed herself. She wasn’t happy with how the events in her life had turned out; it was like she had lost a part of herself that she had valued and it had also affected the way she viewed other people-especially her own parents. They made her feel that something in her was considered “undesirable”.
# 7 Have you ever felt the same way? Why or why not?
Yes, we think that everyone goes through the same problems when dealing with their selves. We also think that it is important for people to realize that they need to be the ones to dig deeper and give themselves time to learn better about themselves because there won’t be anyone else who could understand you better than yourself.
# 9 Is the narrator expressing an inherently Asian or American values?
We think that the narrator is expressing herself in the American way because Asians tend to have this sense of authority and status. As we all may know, fixed-marriages, college courses taken, friends, leisure time, etc.- those are all monitored by most Asian parents. They always have a say in their child’s life, whereas, American values tells us that equality is present in everyone. Most Americans don’t value authority as much as most Asians do, especially with regards to how their own opinion should be heard. They have this sense of entitlement about equality that most Asians are not practicing that much, especially in household scenarios.
# 2 Do you think the parent's made a mistake on operating on Lulu's fingers?
We personally think that Lulu’s parents didn’t make a mistake on the decision that they thought was best for their daughter. However, they made a mistake on making that decision for her and not consulting her first with it. They were her parents, it was their job to protect their daughter but it was also their job to make sure that she is happy and comfortable with every situation that is going to have a big impact on her own life.
# 4 Why did the narrator dislike the way her mother described reproduction?
The narrator disliked the way her mother described reproduction because her mother made it seem like she was clueless and that it was a requirement for her to live up to the expectations of her parents and thus, that made her feel displeased that they could directly make decisions for her without her consent, assuming that it is what’s “best” for her.
# 6 What does it mean, that the narrator wanted to be true to herself?
She wanted to accept herself- flaws, uniqueness, likes and dislikes, etc. She wanted to do this so she could be able to protect her attributes and be able to stand up for her own opinion.
# 8 Do you think the narrator is selfish? Why or why not?
No, we don’t think that the narrator is selfish for wanting to protect herself from people who don’t give respect and do not understand her feelings and opinions. She is not selfish for giving importance to herself and wanting to focus on understanding herself and learning both of her positive and negative attributes.
# 10 Do childhood revelation have lasting impact on one's life?
Yes, we very much believe that what a child goes through in his or her early stages in life will have a long lasting impact on how they bring up themselves and place their selves in society. Childhood revelations are the building block of a child’s life and it is something that would greatly affect their preferences, perspectives, choices, and especially their future. However, it is up to the person if he or she will let the things that had happen to him or her be a hindrance to the future that's waiting.
Fhatimay:
In this book entitled "The valley of amazement" I've learned that
you need to imagine the great image of future and learn from your past. It also reminds me of my mother who always think of us especially for our own good. She only wants to protect us and take care of us even though sometimes we are too harsh on her. I've learned that you need to be brave to face all your problems and never be scared to be true to yourself. You need to accept all your flaws even though other people can't accept it because confidence in your own self is all we need to aim for our goals in life.
Personal Reflections
Daney:
This excerpt from the book entitled "The Valley of Amazement"was written
in a bitter-sweet manner. It had shown the respect that Lulu had for her parents but at the same time it had also shown the transition of respect to disappointment, then, to wonder and finally, to finding her own voice. Personally, I respect Lulu’s parents’ decision; I think that they were only looking out for her. However, they made a mistake when they didn’t listen to their child, it gave off the wrong impression and sadly, that had hurt Lulu. On the other hand, I find it inspiring that instead of falling into the feeling of hurt and betrayal from her own parents, she didn’t let that stop her from doing something and that in turn made a negative situation turn into something positive for her. She found strength at such a young age and made a connection with herself, and I think that’s bravery.
About The Author
About The Author
Writer. Born February 19, 1952 in Oakland, California. She is well known for writing the book “The Joy Luck Club” which received numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book
Award. It has been translated into 25 languages, including Chinese, and was made into a major motion picture for which Tan co-wrote the screenplay and was directed by director Wayne Wang. Her other two books, The Kitchen God's Wife (1991) and The Hundred Secret Senses (1995), have also appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Her latest novel, The Bonesetter's Daughter, was published in 2001. Tan has also written two children's books: The Moon Lady (1992) and The Chinese Siamese Cat (1994), the latter of which was adapted to television for PBS.
Guide Questions & Answers
# 1 What was Lulu's reaction when she found out about the operation? do you think her reaction is normal? Why or why not?
For us, Lulu was both disappointed and angry at the fact that her own parents didn’t want to keep her the way she “originally” is. Yes, we believe that her reaction is normal because she has lost a part of herself and no one even cared or dared to ask how she thought about it and how she had personally felt.
# 3 What is the narrator's fear?
The narrator’s fear was that “people could change parts” of her and not give her the knowledge of the situation or even ask for her permission.
# 5 What do you think is its effect on the narrator?
We both think that Lulu’s operation had affected her mentally, especially with regards on how she viewed herself. She wasn’t happy with how the events in her life had turned out; it was like she had lost a part of herself that she had valued and it had also affected the way she viewed other people-especially her own parents. They made her feel that something in her was considered “undesirable”.
# 7 Have you ever felt the same way? Why or why not?
Yes, we think that everyone goes through the same problems when dealing with their selves. We also think that it is important for people to realize that they need to be the ones to dig deeper and give themselves time to learn better about themselves because there won’t be anyone else who could understand you better than yourself.
# 9 Is the narrator expressing an inherently Asian or American values?
We think that the narrator is expressing herself in the American way because Asians tend to have this sense of authority and status. As we all may know, fixed-marriages, college courses taken, friends, leisure time, etc.- those are all monitored by most Asian parents. They always have a say in their child’s life, whereas, American values tells us that equality is present in everyone. Most Americans don’t value authority as much as most Asians do, especially with regards to how their own opinion should be heard. They have this sense of entitlement about equality that most Asians are not practicing that much, especially in household scenarios.
# 2 Do you think the parent's made a mistake on operating on Lulu's fingers?
We personally think that Lulu’s parents didn’t make a mistake on the decision that they thought was best for their daughter. However, they made a mistake on making that decision for her and not consulting her first with it. They were her parents, it was their job to protect their daughter but it was also their job to make sure that she is happy and comfortable with every situation that is going to have a big impact on her own life.
# 4 Why did the narrator dislike the way her mother described reproduction?
The narrator disliked the way her mother described reproduction because her mother made it seem like she was clueless and that it was a requirement for her to live up to the expectations of her parents and thus, that made her feel displeased that they could directly make decisions for her without her consent, assuming that it is what’s “best” for her.
# 6 What does it mean, that the narrator wanted to be true to herself?
She wanted to accept herself- flaws, uniqueness, likes and dislikes, etc. She wanted to do this so she could be able to protect her attributes and be able to stand up for her own opinion.
# 8 Do you think the narrator is selfish? Why or why not?
No, we don’t think that the narrator is selfish for wanting to protect herself from people who don’t give respect and do not understand her feelings and opinions. She is not selfish for giving importance to herself and wanting to focus on understanding herself and learning both of her positive and negative attributes.
# 10 Do childhood revelation have lasting impact on one's life?
Yes, we very much believe that what a child goes through in his or her early stages in life will have a long lasting impact on how they bring up themselves and place their selves in society. Childhood revelations are the building block of a child’s life and it is something that would greatly affect their preferences, perspectives, choices, and especially their future. However, it is up to the person if he or she will let the things that had happen to him or her be a hindrance to the future that's waiting.
Fhatimay:
In this book entitled "The valley of amazement" I've learned that
you need to imagine the great image of future and learn from your past. It also reminds me of my mother who always think of us especially for our own good. She only wants to protect us and take care of us even though sometimes we are too harsh on her. I've learned that you need to be brave to face all your problems and never be scared to be true to yourself. You need to accept all your flaws even though other people can't accept it because confidence in your own self is all we need to aim for our goals in life.
Personal Reflections
Daney:
This excerpt from the book entitled "The Valley of Amazement"was written
in a bitter-sweet manner. It had shown the respect that Lulu had for her parents but at the same time it had also shown the transition of respect to disappointment, then, to wonder and finally, to finding her own voice. Personally, I respect Lulu’s parents’ decision; I think that they were only looking out for her. However, they made a mistake when they didn’t listen to their child, it gave off the wrong impression and sadly, that had hurt Lulu. On the other hand, I find it inspiring that instead of falling into the feeling of hurt and betrayal from her own parents, she didn’t let that stop her from doing something and that in turn made a negative situation turn into something positive for her. She found strength at such a young age and made a connection with herself, and I think that’s bravery.
Sum IT UP
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