Literature Log: Joy Luck Club

Recently I have read the third chapter of the novel, "Joy Luck Club". This chapter was titled 'The Red Candle', which was about a young girl named Lindo Jong. I liked this chapter because it depicted an arranged marriage in old Tawian. Jong was arranged a marriage at the age of 3 and learn how to become an obidient house wife. Her husband acted like a spoiled child most of the time and was one year younger than her. When she lost her home in a flood she moved in with her future husband and married at the age of 16. Her husband refused to sleep with her because he was too shy and the mother in law blamed her and scolded her for not producing a grandchild for her. Using her wit, Jong escaped that life and moved to America. This story was told by Jong to her child.

I enjoyed the quote, "They say this is what happens when you lack metal. You begin to think as an independent person". I like this quote because I like how the Chinese use elements the descride a persons personality. They said that metal constricted her thoughts and weighed her down. She had all the rest of the elements balanced, which was a good sign. This is interesting to me and I want to know what kind of elements I have myself. It would be very interesting to know.

I also enjoyed the quote, "How nice it is to be a girl again, to take off my scarf, to see what is underneath and feel the lightness come back into my body!". I like this quote because that is a great feeling to have. Sometimes the worries and troubles of a person can weigh them down and cause the to feel tired and bad tempered. She is feeling the feelign of freedom and enjoying the feeling of being a girl. Not being confined to being a house wife with no options on how you want to live your own life and always following your husband. What a great feeling!

I hope to read more into this book because it gives inpirational stories like this one. The title of the chapter is "The Red Candle" because that was the candle of marriage, which would forever bind her from freedom and options in life. This story makes me feel I should live my life being grateful for the freedom I have.