从象棋探究《喜福会》中的韦弗利学士学位论文.docx

从象棋探究《喜福会》中的韦弗利学士学位论文.docx

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从象棋探究《喜福会》中的韦弗利学士学位论文

学士学位论文

题目从象棋探究《喜福会》中的韦弗利

学生

指导教师

年级

专业

系别

学院

HARBINNORMALUNIVERSITY

ChessandWaverlyinTheJoyLuckClub

Abstract:

TheJoyLuckClubisthemasterpieceofAmyTan，afamousChineseAmericanwriter.ThisarticleistounderstandthecharacterofWaverlyfromaspecialvisualangleinTheJoyLuckClub.Throughanalyzingtheexplicitfeaturesofchess,wefindtheimplicitmeaningofWaverly.Fromthisaspect,wecanunderstandtheworksandthecharacterbetter.ThestoriesofchessandWaverlybetraythedevelopingoftheplotinTheJoyLuckClubandthechangeofWaverly.Waverlyconsidershermotherasheradversaryatbeginning.ButWaverlyunderstandshermotheratlast.Sherealizesthatthepowerisfromhermotherandhermother’slove.Conspicuously,chesshasinfluencedthecharacterofWaverlyasamatteroffact.

KeyWords:

Chess,Ruleoflaw,Fairness,Independence,Competition

1.Introduction

AmyTan’sTheJoyLuckClubisamasterpieceinChinese-Americanliterature.TheJoyLuckClubmothersandtheirdaughtershavebeenthefocusofresearcheversincethepublicationofthisbook.SomeresearchersputtheemphasisontherelationshipbetweenthemothersanddaughterswhilesomeothersbelievethatitisthewritingstylethatmakesAmyTan’sTheJoyLuckClubasuccess.Forthereareconflictsthathavebeenvividlydescribedinthisbook,someresearchersmakingtheconflictsinTheJoyLuckClubthethemeoftheirthesis.However,inthisthesis,chesswillbethetheme,anditwillbeinterpretedfromaculturalpointofviewInTheJoyLuckClub,fundamentaldifferencesbetweenChineseandAmericansocietiesarepresentedinbothexplicitandimplicitways.Foryears,scholarshavebeenconductingconsiderableresearchonthenovel’sexplicitportraitsoftheclashes,largelybasedonthemajorplots,conflictsandcharacters.YetinadequateresearchhasbeendoneonAmyTan’simplicitdepictionhiddeninherfrequentmentioningofthesymbolicgames,Westernchess.Frommypointofview,thecontrastiveimageofchessiscreatedbytheauthoroutofdesign.Bymakinganalysisofthegames,AmyTanhassuggestedfourmajorfuturesintheAmericansocieties:

RuleofLaw,interdependence,fairness,competition.

2.FeaturesofChess

2.1RuleofLaw

    InTheJoyLuckClub,AmyTanhasdepictedtheattitudetowardthegameofchess.Chessplayersweresupposedtofollowthegamerulesstrictly,chessundertheruleoflaw.Chessinthewesternhastoobeyahostofrules.Inthebeginningoflearningorplayingthegameofchess,thetwochessplayershavetolearnthesomebasicknowledgeaboutit.Inthosebasicknowledge,rulesisthemostimportant.Intheprocessofthegame,thetwopersonshavetousetheserulesofthechesstoscoreasuccess.Thetwopeopleareindependence.Inhence,therulesofaresignificantinthegameofchessforthechessplayers.Conspicuously,wecandrawtheconclusionthatchessisagamethatfocusesonruleoflaw.

2.2IndependenceandSelf-reliance

InTheJoyLuckClub,chessisagamethatseenasacombatofindividualintelligence.ThedifferentrelationsoftheplayersinthetwogamesreflectthedifferentrolesofinterpersonalrelationshipinAmericansociety. Chessisagameofpersonalabilities.Thetwoadversariesareindependentfromeachotherandonecanonlyrelyonhim/herselftodefeattheother.Whenplayingchess,“itisimportanttocontrolthecenterearlyon…haveaclearplaninthemiddle…andhaveamathematicalunderstandingofallpossiblemovesintheendgame”.Unlikeinmahjong,chessplayerspaynoattentiontotheadversaries,alltheyhavetodoisfocusonthegame.“AsIbegantoplay（chess）,theboy（theadversary）disappeared,andIsawonlymywhitepiecesandhisblackoneswaitingontheotherside”.IntheAmericansociety,individualcompetenceplaysamuchfarmoreimportantroleinone’spursuitofsuccessthaninterpersonalrelationship.Bythestrategiestowinthegame,AmyTansuggeststhewayofachievingsuccessinUS.Thatisrelyingontheirtalentsanddiligence.Sothegameofchesshasthefeatureofindependenceorself-reliance.

2.3Fairness

     InTheJoyLuckClub,AmyTanhasimpliedaviewonlifeinAmerican.Americanpeoplepromotefairandequalopportunitiesforeveryonetostriveforhis/herdreams,theydonotbelievetheyareborndifferent,andone’sfutureistoalargeextentdestinedthemomenthe/sheisborn.InTheJoyLuckClub,chessisagameplayedwithfairness.Tostartthegame,thetwoplayersmusthavethesamepiecesatmirroringpositions.“YouhavesixteenpiecesandsodoI.Oneking,andqueen,twobishops,twoknights,twocastles,andeightpawns.”ThisstartisareflectionoftheAmericancreedthatallmenarebornequalandallgamesareplayedfair. Theyputmorestressonfairness,andtheyaremorereadilytoacceptthefactthatlifeisafairplayinAmerica.Sofairnessisafeatureofthegameofchess.

2.4IndividualConfrontation

       Wherethereisagame,thereiscompetition.Chessshowsafeaturethatisindividualconfrontation.Fromanalysisthecharactersaboutthegameofwesternchess,competitionisthekeywordtodescribechess.InTheJoyLuckClub,playerofchesshasanattitudeofcompetition.WhileWaverly,thechessplayer,expressesopenlyherdesiretoconfrontandcrushheradversaries,theJoyLuckauntiesseemtobelessamiablewitheachotheratchessgame.Bygivingthedescriptions,AmyTansuggeststhatAmericaisacountrythatpromotesindividualconfrontation.Socompetitionisamaincharacterofthegameofchess.

3.ChessandWaverlyintheJoyLuckClub

Tan'sfirstshortstorywas"Endgame."ItdescribesaprecociousyoungchesschampionwhohasastormyrelationshipwithheroverprotectiveChinesemother.In1985,TanusedthestorytogainadmissiontotheSquawValleyCommunityofWriters,afictionwriter'sworkshoprunbythenovelistOakleyHall.Guidedbyanothernovelistandshortstorywriter,MollyGiles,Tanrewrote"Endgame"attheworkshop.ItwasthenpublishedinFMmagazineandreprintedinSeventeenmagazines.GilessentthestorytoSandraDijkstra,aliteraryagentinSanFrancisco,whothoughtthatitwasverywellwritten.WhenTanlearnedthatanItalianmagazinehadreprinted"Endgame"withoutherpermission,sheaskedDijkstratobeheragent.Dijkstraagreed.SheurgedTantosubmitothershortstoriesandtoturntheseriesintoabook.ThatbookbecameTheJoyLuckClub.Inthisworks,chessandWaverlyhavesomerelationsbetweenthem.Inthissection,trytofindthecommoncharactersfromfourpartstodiscussthechessandWaverlyinTheJoyLuckClub.

3.1TheUnderstandingofWaverlyandChess’sRules

  Chessplayersaresupposedtofollowthegamerulesstrictly,chessundertheruleoflaw.Thechessplayershavetoobeytherulesverystrictly.Fromthisfeature,Waverlyhasbeeninfluencedalot. InTheJoyLuckClub,Waverlylearnstherulesofchessmostlyfromthe“dog-earedinstructionbook”.Shedoesnotknowwhytherulesarelikethis,herbrothersays:

“Thisisagame.Thesearerules.Ididn’tmakethemup.See.Here.Inthebook.”Hermotheralsoexplainedtoher,“ThisAmericanrules,everypeoplecomeoutfromforeigncountrymustknowrules…Theynottellingyouwhy.”Lateron,whenWaverly’sbrotherscouldnotwinherunderthegamerules,theysteppedawayfromthegame,ratherthanconsiderachangeintherules.“SoonInolongerlostanygame,but…WinstonandVincentdecidedtheyweremoreinterestedinroamingthestreetafterschool.” Americansocietyputsthelawaboveeverythinganditcannotbechallengedorquestioned,letalonechanged.

WaverlyJong,thenarratorofRulesoftheGameinTheJoyLuckClub,explainsthatshewassixyearsoldwhenhermothertaughther"theartofinvisiblestrength,"astrategyforwinningargumentsandgainingrespectfromothersingames.WaverlyandhertwobrothersliveonWaverlyPlaceinSanFrancisco'sChinatown.Thechildrendelightinthesights,sounds,andsmellsofChinatown,thesweetnessofthepastyredbeans,thepungentsmelloftheherbsdoledoutbyoldLi,andthesightoftheblood-slipperyfishthatthebutchergutswithonedeftslice.Waverly'sbrotherVincentreceivedachesssetattheBaptistChurchChristmasparty.Waverlytooktothegameimmediately,delightinginitsstrategy.Afterherbrothersloseinterestinthegame,WaverlylearnscomplexplaysfromLauPo,anoldmaninthepark:

Shebeginstowinlocaltournaments.Byherninthbirthday,Waverlyisanationalchesschampion.Herfamespreads;evenLifemagazinerunsanarticleonhermeteoricrise.Waverlyisexcusedfromherchores,butthereisonetaskshecannotescape:

accompanyinghermothertomarketonSaturdays.Mrs.Jongdelightsinwalkingdownthebusystreet,boastingthatWaverlyisherdaughter.Oneday,mortifiedbywhatsheperceivesasexploitation,Waverlyargueswithhermotheranddashesoff.Fortwohours,shehuddlesonanupturnedplasticpailinanalley.Finally,sheslowlywalkshome.Look,however,atthetitlefromanotherperspective.Inadditiontothegameofchess,thetitlealludestothe"game"oflife—knowingthe"rules"inordertogetwhatyouwant.Mrs.Jongcallstheserules"theartofinvisiblestrength."Unliketheclear-cutrulesofchess,however,therulesofthegameoflifeareever-changingandbrutallydifficulttolearn.

Onthechessboard,Chessplayershavetofollowthegamerulesstrictly,chessundertheruleoflaw.Waverlyisinfluencedbythiskindofthought.Waverlydoesnotwanttochangetherulesofchess,onlytoobeytherulesofit.SowefindthatWaverly