Abstract:Amy Tan has been viewed as one of the most important contemporary female writers in Chinese American literature. Written from her distinctive point of view and based on her ethnic experience, her novels mainly focus on the emotional disputes between mothers and daughters. Tan’s The Bonesetter’s Daughter, the fourth work of her, is a great novel after the The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God’s Wife. This novel still bridges the gap under two different contexts between mothers and daughters, China and America, past and present.

The Bonesetter’s Daughter talks about story of the hatred and love among three generations with different cultural background, ethnic identities and beliefs. By analyzing the complicated mother-daughter relationship, this thesis tries to find out the direct and indirect causes of the conflicts and finally points out that understanding is the key to real communication between mother and daughter. Understanding is also an important way to respect the diversity and uniqueness of the different racial culture and a way to pursue the harmonious, equal relation with the multi-cultures. 

Keywords: Amy Tan  The Bonesetter’s Daughter  conflict  reconciliation  mother-daughter relationship

Contents

Abstract

摘要

Chapter One Introduction-1

1.1 Amy Tan and The Bonesetter’s Daughter-1

1.2 Recent Studies of The Bonesetter’s Daughter-2

1.3 The Composition of the Thesis-2

Chapter Two Mother and Daughter’s Conflict-4

2.1 Language Barrier-4

2.2 Different Ways of Thinking-4

2.3 Different Cultures-6

2.3.1 Cultural Backgrounds-6

2.3.2 Family Values-6

2.4 Individual Experience of the Mothers-7

2.4.1 Precious Auntie-7

2.4.2 LuLing-8

Chapter Three From Conflict to Reconciliation-9

3.1 Reconciliation between Mother and Daughter-9

3.1.1 Understanding the Mother’s Past: The Key to Reconciliation-9

3.1.2 Cultural Integration and Tolerance-9

3.2 Origin of Mother-Daughter Conflict: Identity-10

3.2.1 Identitiy of Chinese-American Women-11

3.2.2 The Establishment of Identity-12

Chapter Four Conclusion-14

References-15