“A Pair of Tickets” is based on the true-life story of Amy Tan, but the characters are fictional. It is a story of identity and family relationships. The character Jing-Mei, a representation of Amy Tan, an American born Chinese origin, lives a life of denial that she has Chinese blood running through her veins until the day she travels to China, meets her half-sisters, and sees her mother’s image. With the pictorials and her father’s stories regarding her mother, she begins to retrace and appreciate her Chinese origin and customs. The story derives a family reunion set, reconciling the past and the present. Jing-Mei also compares her life in the states with her now Chinese life varying in great dimensions. This discussion will reveal the symbolic significance of this story’s “doubleness, “twinness”, or “pairness”.
The first symbolic significance of doubleness is Jing-Mei’s denial of her origin. At the age of 15, Jing-Mei kept denying that she was Chinese to the point that they kept conflicting with her mother. Jing-Mei records that her white friends also deceived her into believing that she was not Chinese at all costs. With time, the Chinese genetic formula, mannerisms, and charisma started cropping out of her from the embarrassment of the Chinese culture. Jing-Mei’s mother even told her that no matter how much she denies herself one day, the Chinese reality will ultimately show, and she will have nothing to do about it (admin, p. 166). Another symbolic significance of doubleness is her mother’s last days, which were a twist of two events. One minute she was bubbly and logical, complaining about tenants and how she would scheme the moving-in of her relatives to kick them out, and the next minute, she would be quiet, touching her head and collapsing on the floor with her hands flitting (admin’p. 167). Identity and health crises demonstrated “doubleness” in this story.
“Doubleness’ is also significantly symbolic of the conflicting meaning of Jing-Mei’s and her mother’s names. The father expresses her name as double-meaning depending on which side it is spelled. The first version is that of a long-cherished wish, while the other one is a long-held grudge. Jing-Mei’s name also means pure essence but younger sister (admin, 2016, p.176). As much as she is the core of her sisters, she is a younger sister than them. This word also symbolizes the cultural conflict between an American-raised Chinese child and the Chinese self. Jing-Mei starts to doubt if she will be accepted in her American dress and adornments such as makeup, fake eyelashes, eyeshadow, and liner. Her height also dictated her not Chinese. The American version of a kid is independent of their parent’s decision, while the Chinese have no autonomy over decision-making. The other doubleness is shown as a disparity between socio-status. Jing-Mei had ordered a cheaper flight ticket, but things changed on the traveling day. The dissatisfaction with the requests not met yet, and the excitement of reuniting with her sisters got Jing-Mei in a state of mixed emotions.
On the other hand, the symbolic significance of Twinness is like-mindedness and family unity. This symbolism is found in Jing-Mei’s half-sisters. The twins stood together with the long-cherished wish that they would see their mother one on one someday. Their experiences at the infant stages seemed to be a unifying factor other than a division factor. Jing-Mei anticipates the twins’ reactions before the reunion, signifying the unity of purpose, thoughts, and desires. Their names also seemed to have a twinning effect. Both were born in spring, giving them the shared seasons of life that warranted their names. The resemblance of the twins and their mother signified blood relations. In (p.180) the ending of the short story brings to the fullness of Jing-Mei-s mother’s wish of unifying her children and the acceptance of identity.
Doubleness has a symbolic significance of identity denial in Jing-Mei and a health crisis in her mother. The conflict arising within her and also with her mother brings closure at the end of the story when she meets her half-sisters and hears her father’s story. Another symbolism is in the double meaning of her name, that of mother and sisters, signifying desires, contrast and seasons, respectively. The other symbolism of “doubleness” is the cultural aspect of an American-born Chinese child and that of a Chinese-born and nurtured. The lifestyle varies in all dimensions, including perspectives and freedom, making Jing-Mei fear acceptance. “Twinness” also symbolizes unity, similar desires, love and family. The story ends with a long-cherished desire of “Souyan” coming to fulfillment through the assembling of her children and Jing-Mei’s acceptance of being Chinese. This was the practical life of Amy Tan and the conflicts she faced in trying to retrace her identity, reunite with her siblings and blend with the Chinese culture. At long last, these truths, “doubleness” and “twinness,” give her an identity and pride in blending in with the Chinese culture.
Works Cited
admin, Author. “Short Story Literary Analysis Essay.” Premium Assignment Help, Web.
“Amy Tan’s “Best Quality” and “A Pair of Tickets”.” StudyCorgi, Web.
Tan, Amy. “The Joy Luck Club.” CliffsNotes, Web.