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In the Elizabethan period it was assumed that a play ending in death was a tragedy, but in recent years we have come to understand that to live on is sometimes far more tragic than death. Tragedy is phenomenon that has been repeatedly reported throughout the media. Whether it is infidelity, abduction, or a loss of something significant, tragedy is there. It affects peoples lives but especially those who experience or were close to the victims of tragedy. To simplify, a tragic life can be understood as a life full of misfortune, bad experiences or sadness. In the novels The Bonesetters Daughter and The Hundred Secret Senses, by Amy Tan, tragedy is portrayed through the lives of the characters Lu Ling and Kwan respectively.
These characters lead a tragic life as they were neglected, manipulated and experienced the loss of their loved ones. Within both novels, Lu Ling and Kwan were neglected. This neglect contributes to their tragic life, because they were under appreciated and taken for granted. In the novel The Bonesetters Daughter, Amy Tan starts off by describing the character Lu Ling as a caring, but misunderstood mother. She was constantly neglected by her daughter Ruth, even though her intentions were sincere. This treatment of neglect contributed to her tragic life, because it depicted her as insignificant in the eyes of her daughter.
This was evident at a dinner party hosted by her daughter Ruth where Tan writes So busy, so success, her mother had said when Ruth told her she didnt have any free time to see her. Not free, Lu Ling added, because every minute must charge money, what I should pay you, five dollar, ten dollar, then you come see me? (Tan, 44) The degree of neglect illustrated by this passage is seen as being quite severe and sums up their mother-daughter relationship. Lu Ling acknowledges that she is being neglected and even goes as far as offering to buy her daughters attention. Lu Lings life is neither perfect nor mediocre, but a tragic one.
She had loved Ruth, but this love is not reciprocated when her daughter becomes a woman. This neglect in the relationship can be dated back to when Ruth was a child, which is demonstrated in this passage: No! Lu, stop! What are you doing? You want to break your body in half? Ruth stood at the top of the slide, frozen with shame.
Some of the other first graders were laughing down below. Shes not my mother! Ruth shouted. You cant stop me, Ruth though fiercely. (Tan, 44) Here, Ruth neglects her mothers affection for her well being and even denies her relation with her mother. This portrays Lu Lings life as sad and eventually tragic, because her daughter does not appreciate or acknowledge her. Furthermore, Lu Lings past experience of neglect contributes to her tragic life.
Although her childhood was a life full of deceit, she still strives for the attention of her adopted mother, Big Aunt, rather than her nanny, who was her true biological mother. Lu Lings desire to please is illustrated by the statement But in mothers eyes, I had no charm. To her ears, my words had no music. It did not matter how obedient I was, how humble or clean. Nothing I did satisfied her. (Tan, 209).
Lu Ling tries to please her assigned mother but due to the fact that she was not her biological mother, Big Aunt did not care. This contributes to the tragic life of Lu Ling as it made her feel as though she was worthless to her mother. Even when Big Aunt did acknowledge her, it was only to demean her. This is emphasized by her statement In times of family misfortune personal sadness is selfish. Still I am sad to tell you we are sending you to an orphanage What is this?
Are you trying to shame me? (Tan, 257) This shows Big Aunts neglect of Lu Lings welling being and emotions through her ability to cast Lu Ling off to an orphanage without any signs of emotion. By doing so, it further contributes to her lack of worth and her tragic life. Similarly, Kwan from The Hundred Secret Senses also lives a tragic life through the neglect of the one she loves. When Kwan moved to America from China, all she ever wanted was a sister to love.
This can be seen in the quotation Before I left for America, I raised three birds, not just one, so I could make three wishes at the top of the peak. I told myself, if these three wishes come true, my life is complete, I can die happy. My first Wish: to have a sister I could love with all my heart (Tan, 195). However, when her wish was fulfilled, her life became tragic because her sister, Olivia, always neglected her.
This is illustrated by Olivia's statement Kwan would latch on to me and tag along wherever I went. By first grade, I became an expert on public humiliation and shame (tan, 11). Here Kwan is neglected because her sister is unappreciative of her good intentions. Instead she became ashamed and embarrassed by Kwan's affection. Olivia's display of neglect can also be seen when she acknowledges her neglect towards Kwan, which is depicted by the passage: Shes like an orphan cat, kneading on my heart. Shes been this way all my life, peeling me oranges, buying me candy, admiring my report cards and telling me how smart I was, smarter than she could ever be.
Yet Ive done nothing to endear myself to her. As a child, I often refused to play with her. Over the years, Ive yelled at her, told her she embarrassed me. I cant remember how many times Ive lied to get out of seeing her (Tan, 100). Despite the fact that Olivia acknowledges her neglect of Kwan, she stands by her actions, since she does not mention any regret. Her lack of remorse illustrates how she neglects Kwan, even though Kwan's intentions were sincere.
In addition to being neglected, both Lu Ling and Kwan are also manipulated. Their manipulation further strengthens the theory that their lives are tragedies because it portrays their life as meaningless since they are always exploited for the benefit of other people. While Lu Ling was constantly neglected throughout her life, she was also taken advantage of by multiple people. Her first experience with being exploited was when her mother, Precious Auntie, commits suicide. She knew that it was her fault and was manipulated by a fortune teller, who she sought for advice. This is shown in the quotation, Precious Auntie has already been reincarnated.
Go three blocks easy, then three blocks north. A beggar girl will cry out to you (tan, 250) and Lu Ling pays the beggar girl money to see if Precious Auntie had anything to say (Tan, 251). The fortune tellers exploitation and manipulation of Lu Lings guilt depicts Lu Lings life as one of tragedy. However, even in adulthood, Lu Lings daughter exploits her too. An example is seen when Ruth injures herself on a playground. Ruth realizes that she liked her mother a lot better when she was injured so she kept pretending to be hurt in order to exploit her mothers kindness.
This is shown in the quotation, Ruth was tempted to speak, but she was afraid to break the spell. One word and all the good things in her life would vanish (Tan, 82). When she did eventually get better, Lu Lings believes that Precious Auntie had healed Ruth. This perpetuates Ruths advantage over her mother because she can now exploit her superstitions. This is evident when she wanted to watch the Wizard of OZ but L...
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