Essay on American Literature: Critical Analysis of Amy Tan's Works

Literature is an ocean in which the greatest thoughts have been cultured like the most profound wisdom of the ages. The source of all literary thought is life with all its manifold complexities and dimensions. The literary landscape has been continually growing and flourishing through the interaction of various schools of thought and disciplines. The frontiers of learning have widened to such an extent that learners are pulled into exciting new arenas of thoughts that enrich the reading experience. Literature acts as a medium for interaction that offers different types of contemporary literature. Literature usually refers to the works of creative imagination in different forms.

American Literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and its preceding colonies (written products which have been produced in the United States). American Literature inspects the cultures and literature of the Americans from the colonial period through the early national period of the United States. Mark Twain was considered the father of American Literature. The history of American literature can be divided into five major periods such as the colonial early national period (17th century to 1830), The Romantic Period (1830 to 1870), Realism and Naturalism (1870 to 1910), The Modernist Period (1910 to 1945) The Contemporary Period (1945 to present). American literature is very significant for the education of people as it discloses the culture and history of the United States. Moreover, American literature prevailed in various countries gives outsiders the chance to get to know about American culture, history and literary works of the great authors better.

Major themes prevailed in American literature like the dreams of American, loss of innocence/coming age, alienation and isolation. American writers produced their work in unique ways to express their experience. American literature possesses basic characteristics like other literature such as plots, settings, images, and themes. It incorporates the notion of Americans and makes certain places known. The history of American literature prolonged more than 400 years. The most prominent writers are Willa Cather, James Fenimore Cooper, Emily Faulker, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Frost, Nathaniel Hawthrone, Ernest Hemingway, Washington Irving, Harper Lee, Jack London, Herman Melville, Margaret Mitchell, Edgar Allan Poe, Henry David Thoreau, and Walt Whitman.

A novel is an extended, fabricated narrative that narrates the confidential human experiences. The novel in the present days usually makes use of literary prose style. It has been considered as a main type of genre. There are many types of novels such as the historical novel, picaresque, sentimental, gothic, psychological, the novel of manner, epistolary, apprenticeship, etc., Novel consists of particular, theme, plotline and same purpose behind it. (female writers)

Amy Tan belongs to the twentieth-century American writer. Ernest Hemingway and F.scott Fitzgerald are the contemporaries of Amy Tan. This period has been considered of Amy Tan. This has been considered as an eventful which would follow the imprint of world wars. Twentieth-century has seen many new literary theories with critic such as Edgar Allan Poe is known for Dark Romanticism, short-story theory, T.S.Eliot named for modernism, Stephen Greenblatt known for New Historicism. Stanley Fish-pragmatism, Harlod Bloom – Aestheticism, John Updike – literary realism/ modernism and aesthetic critic, F.O. Matthiessen originated the concept “American Renaissance”, Perry Hiller – puritan studies, Henry Nash Smith is the founder of the “Myth and symbol school” of American criticism. Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick – Queer theory, Gloria.Anzaldua – Latin literary theory.

At the beginning of the 20th century, American novelists were extending fiction to enclose both high and low life and sometimes connected to the naturalist realism school. Political writings began to existence which described the social issues and the power of corporations. The race was a general issue as well as seen in Pauline Hopkins’s works. The action-packed period that followed the war left its mark upon books of all kinds. Similarly, female writers gained frames through their novels that register their own experience.

The 1920s got sharp changes to American literature. Many writers had a straight experience of the First World War and they utilized it to produce their writings which create an impact on those days. Experimentation in style and form soon connected the bloomed freedom in the subject matter. T.S.Eliot wrote spare, cerebral poetry, carried by a dense structure of symbols. This century would be considered as a modern century and the major themes in this era are alienation, conversion, depletion and the connection of truth. These themes reflect the well-defined sensibilities of both modernist and postmodern aesthetic movements. The 20th century gave support to marginalized people in earlier they got little recognition for their literary participations. The Harlem Renaissance is an example, lead African-American livelihood in New York to form a strong literary movement.

Amy Tan was born on February 19, 1952. She is an American writer. Her works expressed the mother-daughter relationships and the Chinese- American experience. Amy Tan has a Chinese background because her forefathers were born and brought up in China. Tan's first novel, The Joy Luck Club, consists of sixteen related stories about the experiences of four Chinese American mother-daughter pairs. Tan's second novel, The Kitchen God's Wife also center on the connection between an immigrant Chinese mother and her American – born daughter. Tan's next novel, The Hundred Secret Senses, was a deviation from the previous two novels; this novel centered the sister’s relationships. Tan's next novel, The Bonesetter's Daughter backs the theme of an immigrant Chinese woman and her American – born daughter.

Phenomenology criticism is the consciousness of consciousness. In this theory, the reader culls out the meaning of the text. Consciousness is a requisite for any experience. Phenomenology is studying literature as a product of consciousness. Phenomenological theory in literature is concerning the literary product as an arbitrator between the consciousness of the author and reader. The modern originator of phenomenology is the German philosopher Edmund Husserl (1859-1938) who tries to make philosophy 'a rigorous science' by back its observation. “To the things themselves”. In literature, Phenomenology is the study of forms of consciousness as experienced from the first-person point of view.

Phenomenology, as its word suggests, is concerned to narrate the fundamental human experience. The word phenomena are derived from the Greek for ‘appearance’. Phenomenology aims to describe how the world must occur to the artless observer, the loot of all presumption and culturally imposed expectations. Husserl is not proclaimed, the real world does not exist, then involving individual attention to the assumptions. To make human beings experience the real world at all. He stated that all consciousness is intentional. This means that everyone is aware of doing things.

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This is clarified by acknowledging the centrality of Husserl’s claims. He proclaims that all consciousness has intention. This means that people are always conscious of something (and never just conscious). (add phenomenology)

Amy Tan’s novel The Valley of Amazement is about fate, affection, recognition, and owning. These aspects are described through the experience of three generations of women. The difficulties they faced and separation, but also give them the drive to get back into their lives. Only then can they start to heal from the challenges they’ve encountered. Through that healing, they begin to view their lives and difficulties in a new vision because they’re able to realize their lives through each one’s eyes. The main relationship featured in The Valley of Amazement is a mother and her daughter.

The novel opens with violet’s introduction about herself. She was very proud to recognize herself as an American girl. Lulu Minturn, mother of violet, a white woman owned a first-class courtesan house in Shanghai in China. Her mother named her daughter, violet after a tiny flower she loved as the girl was growing up in San Francisco. Lulu Mimi’s English translation is Hidden Jade Path. Violet narrated the incident where she was insulted because of her Chinese race. Violet knew to speak in Chinese. She was isolated by all the other students in Jewel’s Academy for girls where Violet studied. She attacked them and fought with them. Here Amy Tan introduces Violet as a strong girl who fought against injustice. She was proud to be an American rather than Chinese.

Violet unknowingly spoke a hodgepodge of English, Chinese, and the Shanghainese dialect. Lulu Mimi also spoke Chinese to her clients. Violet was perplexed about her race because Lulu Mimi spoke Chinese but she was an American girl. What race did Violet belong to? She started searching for the answer. Amy Tan expressed her view through the character Violet who says that Chinese girls learned only how to behave, whereas American girls learned all the subjects. Violet was a free little girl who wandered all over Hade Hidden Path. Lulu insisted on the ghost were the superstitious beliefs of Chinese fear. Amy Tan expelled Chinese behavior and the attitude they followed. Violet had a golden fox cat with which she spent her time and it was the best friend to her. Amy got away from the context and described a hundred years old ghost in that place, Poet Ghost. Still, some believed that the poet Ghost wandered over there. The courtesans in the house were known as Cloud Beauties. Each had the word cloud in her name and that identified the house to which she belonged. When they left the house, the word cloud evaporated from their name. The cloud beauties were Rosy Cloud, Billowy Cloud, Snowy Cloud, and Magic Cloud. Mimi set rules on how they should conduct business with the guests and what share of their earnings and expenses they should pay to the house. Golden Dove managed the courtesans' behavior and appearance and ensured that they upheld the standard and the reputation of a first-class house. Violet described her mother's beauty and how she approached her client. This made Violet irritated about her mother's attitude because she did not know about her father and did not know the reason why her mother was doing this business. Though it was legal in China, it seemed to be a vulgar business to her while watching these things like a little one.

Violet described the courtesan house which was divided as a high-class courtesan with more privacy and low-class courtesan with less privacy. Lulu Mimi and Golden Dove always busy in their work but still as a mother Mimi took care of her daughter’s studies, often questioned Violet. Violet stood behind the room ad overheard all the beauties romantic talk with their patrons and she tried to peep into the room. While watching the courtesan’s life inside the house Violet was afraid of her future. She thought about herself if she would become a courtesan. She never watched her mother with her lovers. She was not happy with her mother’s business. Then she stopped to spy on the Cloud Beauties after that. Ned Peaver delivered a letter to Lulu. He was a soldier during the Boxer Rebellion. It took place in 1900 when violet was two years old. When the Chinese starved to death.

It was violet’s fourteenth birthday. There was a grand celebration with more firecrackers. It was a day when Yuan-Shikai would soon set up as president of the new Republic of China. It was February 12, 1912, and the emperor dowager Longue had just signed the abdication on behalf of her six years old nephew, emperor Puyi, on the condition that she could remain in the palace and retain his possessions. Manchu rule was over. They had been expecting this day since October when the new army staged a mutiny in Wuchang. Amy Tan gave a historical note about the ching dynasty which was against the people and it was an imperial rule. Meanwhile, the guests at Lulu's parties did not meet in the middle for several days. The western men remained on their side of the social clubs and the Chinese men remained in the courtesan house.

There was a revolution against the Ching dynasty. Li Shing, the biological father of Violet arrived to call Lulu to see her son in San Francisco. Violet stood behind the curtain and overheard all the chattings. At first, Lulu was against him when he spoke about the son. She calmed herself and planned to go to san Francisco. While Violet came to know this. She was happy about her father who was alive but worried about her brother because of whom she would leave for another place. She thought that she may love him more than her. Violet imagined that Lulu sacrificed a country(Shanghai) where they survived for so long time and the friends to see her son. This important might lead her to love him more than her. Like this, she was occupied more with it. Fairweather, a client who was hatred by violet was loved by Lulu Minturn. He spoke sweetly and helped to get the certificate for violet with the father's name as Fairweather. He asked Lulu that he would pick up Violet because his name was mentioned as her father in the certificate. Lulu Minturn also accepted all these formalities to see her son. Violet refused to go with him but Lulu convinced her to go along with him.

Fairweather cheated them and left Violet in another courtesan house. She was very stubborn and refused to stay there. She screamed and shouted but no one was ready to listen to that voice. Mother Li was the head of the Courtesan house. She gave pills to Violet which made her sleep for most of the day. Though she was grown up in courtesan house and her mother was a courtesan, she never accepted herself as a courtesan. When she woke up, she met Magic Ground. Once she was very close with her in the Hidden Jade Path. Amy Tan expelled the fate that a woman can't overcome it. The Hall of Tranquility was full of protection and so she could not go out. Even Magic Ground said that they had to accept the fate. Violet was always proud to be recognized as an American girl that made her accept the situation. The innocence was caught up by fate. For a long time, they left her to adopt the situation. Mother Li otherwise beat her and made her sick. No one can change the woman's fate unless and until she does it for her. Though the courtesan house was legal in those days in China, she was not ready to accept it. Magic Ground narrated her story because she suffered at many hands at the age of eleven. Violet waited so long to change herself and tried to get rid of it. As she could not resist finally she surrendered to mother Li, which means to fate.

Magic Gourd advised the young Violet on how to become popular while avoiding cheapskates, false love and suicide. She spoke about the reputation to maintain the first position in the house. To enlighten the patron, courtesans must know to sing, recite poems and physical beauty played a major role. This narration details about courtesan life. So it shows that violet accepted the situation and ready to become a courtesan. Only two things one can do to solve a problem one is to accept it and another is to refuse. Her angry voice could no longer stand and it did not make a change. So she accepted the situation. She was little and she did not know how to survive in the outside world. Magic Gourd spoke about patrons and cheapskates who asked her to work toward the Four Necessities: jewelry, furniture, a seasonal contract with a stipend and a comfortable retirement. Amy Tan shows that they are not supposed to forget love. Magic Gourd insists on illusions to attack the patrons. This chapter was full of narrations of advice to get ready for the defloration.

It was party time. Loyalty Fang was going to choose his courtesan. Magic Gourd and Violet dressed up well and were waiting. Amy Tan introduces Loyalty Fang’s richness and love for him. Violet saw him as an ordinary man. Violet seemed to be an innocent girl who was unaware of the situation. Magic Gourd did many things to divert loyalty fang’s attention to violet. She pinched violet to serve the patrons in the party. Finally, loyalty fang looked at her and asked her to entertain him to recite or sing. Unprepared Magic Grourd asked her to sing a song. Violet hesitated to do it and struggle to sing a song. This scene shows violet’s childish behavior, sometimes she forgot lines and managed to sing. Loyalty Fang knew that she was not well prepared but he requested her to sit beside him. Violet started to admire him. He then narrated his childhood event to violet. He said that they had already met in hidden Jade Path seven years before. Violet felt that he became a known person to her. She was proud and excited herself among all the courtesans. She won his heart and made her stand unique. When he was busy with his friends, suddenly he turned and asked about his investment to violet. She shared her knowledge and he also accepted it. He was amazed and praised him. This meeting created a strong desire for her future with Loyalty Fang. Violet would like to marry him but he married another girl his family compulsion. Her dream remained a dream. This innocent girl's hope for the future was destroyed. She had to accept the fate. He left her and she was betrayed by her foolishness.

After many years, she became a popular courtesan and unpopular, sometimes. Many patrons she had taken and done her duty. She happened to meet Edward Ivory who was suggested by Loyalty Fang. He came to the house and attended the party before violet. Edward Ivory mocked violet as the first-class courtesans which mean number one whore in the house, this irritated violet so she hatred Edward Ivory. Then he asked pardon for many times to convince violet. This made a good relationship between them. Edward Ivory and violet spent separate time by walking in public road and going to temples. Fortunately violet got the true love; so long she had been waiting for Edward Ivory also was true to her. He revealed his first marriage to violet and said that he disliked her. His first wife, Minerva cheated him saying that he was the cause for her pregnancy and married him. So he hated her and loving violet. When he came to know Violet is pregnant he paid money to courtesan house and got violet out as his own. They stayed in a separate house. Violet was very happy because she got what she wanted so far. The new true life for violet began.