The relationship of mothers and daughters in 'Beloved', 'The House of Mirth' and 'The Joy Luck Club'

This thesis analyzes the relationship between mothers and daughters in three works that portray different times, places, and social classes. Toni Morrison's Beloved (1987) describes slavery during mid-nineteenth-century America and the damaging effect it had on the mother-daughter relationship. The generational conflicts of contemporary Chinese-American women are examined in Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club (1989) as they attempt to blend two diverse cultures into one. Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth (1905) explores the social demands and attitudes towards women as objects of affluence in early twentieth-century America. This thesis examines the importance of cultural attitudes towards women and the self-worth and identity of mothers and daughters, who struggle with the influences and expectations of society.