C ultural Gaps and Conflicts B etween China and America from a Study of The Joy Luck Club 由《喜福会》看中美文化差异和冲突 By Feng Die (冯蝶) Supervised by Associate Prof. Guo Xihua (郭锡华) Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China June, 200 7 Contents Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………………… i Abstract &Key Word ……………………………………………………….. ……………………… ii 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………… 1 2. Analyzing the C ultural G aps and C onflic ts between China and America inD etail from aS tudy of The Joy Luck Club ……………………………………………………………………………….4 . Different values …………………………………………………………………………….5 Different concepts of family ………………………………………………………………..8 Different ways of speaking and behavior ………………………………………………….12 ooking forward to the future of cultural differences between China and America …………...18 References ………………………………………………………………………………………… 20 i A cknowledgements I am greatly indebted to my thesis supervisor Associate Prof. Guo Xihua. S he not only guides me to write this thesis in time, but also provide s me with useful reference materials. Without her patient assistance and friendly encouragement, it would not have been possible for me plete this thesis in such a short period of time without reducing its scholarly quality. My special thanks should go to my friend Lee who has generously shared his reference materials with me and exchanged ideas on this subject. I especially thank my family and my roommates who have supported me during my research on this topic. ii A bstract & Key Words Abstract: This paper mainly discusses different cultures. Asa rule, munication refers to munication between people from different cultures. U nder different cultural circumstances, there are tangible differences in people ’s both values and modes of thinking. C onsequently, cultural gaps and conflicts are apt e into being. F rom this point of view, this article intends to approach and analyze some concrete manifestations of differences in Chinese and American cultures by
