Differentiating between appearance and reality has always been an underappreciated struggle when it comes to the human experience . Our understanding of many mental, social, and physical phenomena rests on the very basis of the appearances presented to us. Unfortunately, situations presenting deceptive appearances are common, fostering uncertainty and confusion when it comes to distinguishing appearances from reality. In fact, more often than not, we conform to the reality of our presumptions rather than the realities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Due to the universality of this struggle, its implications provide an interesting thematic focus in various literary works. An example of this is what many consider to be William Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, King Lear, which depicts a ruler's gradual submission to madness, brought on by the deception and betrayal of his children. Another work that uses this theme is Amy Tan's contemporary novel The Joy Luck Club, which tells the story of four Chinese-American girls who struggle to accept aspects of their Chinese heritage, much to the dismay of their immigrant mothers . Taken together, these literary pieces have notable commonalities in the development of appearance versus reality as a theme, as they both feature conflict born from character misperceptions, contain complementary subplots to the main plot which, in turn, emphasizes the theme, and successfully illustrates the importance and impact of the distinction between reality and appearance. Reading both plays with attention to thematic conflict, it is interesting that Shakespeare and Tan choose to present misjudgment of reality as a source of character conflict, while remaining distinct in addressing the causes. of realities biased in different ways. In the case of King Lear, as the trigger for his downfall, the first scene consists of an immediate conflict derived from Lear's inaccurate perception of reality. Deceived by the praise and adoration of his daughters Regan and Goneril, Lear is immediately blinded by anger and humiliation, following Cordelia's unwitting defiance of his inflated pride. In addition to disowning Cordelia, Lear distorts his own reality by clinging to the proclaimed love of his remaining daughters. In the third act, Lear states: “The tempest in my mind / Doth of my senses all other feeling / Save what beats there – filial ingratitude” (III.iv.13-15). This quote demonstrates Lear's awareness of the damning error of his presumptions and how his confusion between appearance and reality furthers both the internal conflict with which he struggles throughout the play, as well as the conflicts external causes caused by his daughters. Likewise, The Joy Luck Club poses a conflict born of misinterpretation, but for reasons that have nothing to do with those of King Lear. An obvious communication gap is created by the generational and cultural differences between each daughter and her mother. Thus, inaccurate perceptions of the parent and child are formed by both parties; maternal love combined with traditional values ​​results mainly in slightly oppressive constraint and closed-mindedness. An example of this is evident in the passage "Rules of the Game", in which Waverly Jong recounts her childhood and reveals the clash of heads between her and her mother Lindo. While Lindo is extremely proud of her daughter's talent as a chess prodigy, she is developing an influencetyrannical as she constantly gloats and helicopters her daughter, hindering Waverly's enjoyment of the sport. At the end of the chapter, Waverly reveals: “In my mind, I saw a chessboard with sixty-four black and white squares. In front of me was my opponent, two angry black slits. She wore a triumphant smile. 'The strongest wind cannot be seen,' she said” (Tan__). Describing her mother, this suggestion of Lindo's role as antagonist through Waverly's eyes shows how pride and Lindo's attention results in negative traits, further distancing himself from his daughter and leading to conflict between the two Overall, King Lear and The Joy Luck Club illustrates the ability of presumptions to cause conflict. of character, whether internal or external. Conversely, the causes of these erroneous interpretations of reality are specific to each literary work; in King Lear, Lear's rashness and pride are responsible for this; can be interpreted as unintentional self-sabotage, while cultural and generational divisions are the main culprits in The Joy Luck Club Another unique parallel between Shakespeare and Tan's works is their effective use of subplots throughout. each piece, with the aim of complementing the main plot and emphasizing the theme of appearance versus reality. King Lear depicts Gloucester's tragedy alongside Lear's, while both adventure the same basic plot. Gloucester is equally gullible and a victim of hypocrisy, and his blind trust in Edmund becomes ironic once he loses his sight and learns the reality of things. Gloucester's revelations, summed up by the lines: “I stumbled when I saw. It is often seen, / Our means guarantee us as well as our mere faults / Prove our wares” (IV.i.22-23), describes how he “stumbled” in not recognizing the truth and, as such, had to pay disastrous consequences for his ignorance. Likewise, Lear's refusal to accept a truth that contradicted his pride allowed his mind to be driven to the brink of madness. Both characters give in to their confirmation bias; Gloucester's recognition of his madness underscores Lear's, providing thematic development, while establishing the symbol of blindness and foreshadowing Lear's impending turn in the play. A different implementation of the subplot is illustrated in The Joy Luck Club, particularly its unconventional use of intertwined subplots to relay the recurring theme of appearance versus reality. Jumping between the setting and character of each chapter, as the stories describe the distinct lives of each narrator, they contribute to the underlying conflicts and themes of the novel as a whole. This is first demonstrated early in the book, when June establishes the central connection between mother-daughter pairs, recognizing the widespread fear of mothers. She says: “And then it occurs to me. They are afraid. In me, they see their own daughters, just as ignorant” (Tan __). This understanding marks June's inclusion of the 15 successive stories that the Joy Luck Club unites and lays the foundation for June's "connected voice," capable of transcending the various conflicts that emerge from the presumptuous beliefs of mothers and daughters. June's revelation presents her as a bridge between the two groups, unlike the other characters at the beginning of the novel, who are unable to discern the contrasting realities of their counterparts. It is important to recognize that the point of convergence of these literary works is their use of the subplot to reinforce the theme of appearance versus appearance.reality. However, unlike King Lear, the relationship between each of The Joy Luck Club's subplots is intended to deepen the reader's understanding of each character, as well as to draw comparisons between their realities and perceptions. Its use of 16 stories is distinct from that of King Lear, whose main purpose in the subplot is to emphasize the main plot, hence their strong intertwining. At the same time, the subplot of King Lear plays a major role in accentuating other literary devices throughout the play, such as symbolism and foreshadowing. As with most literary plots, the characters in King Lear and the Joy Luck Club reach conclusive resolutions to conflicts at the end of the play. their travels. In particular, both stories evoke the role and impact of recognizing reality rather than appearances. King Lear communicates this twice, when Lear and Gloucester accept reality and are immediately overcome with regret. Gloucester, who eventually died from the happiness of having been with Edgar before his death, was tormented only by his supposed inability to receive forgiveness. Likewise, Lear's first words upon recognizing Cordelia in act four reveal his own remorse. He says, “If you have poison for me, I will drink it.” / I know you don't love me, because your sisters / If I remember correctly, hurt me. / You have a cause; they did not” (IV.vii.71-74). By insisting that his death would be justified, Lear shows the extreme of his shame at having made Cordelia suffer, and recognizes his right to wish her harm. His forgiveness ultimately pulls Lear back from the brink of madness, and the final act gives readers a glimpse of the wisdom that Lear is capable of exercising, when he submits to imprisonment with Cordelia rather than continuing to fight . Likewise, Tan's greatest writing achievement The Joy Luck Club shows readers not the capacity of mothers and daughters to harm each other, but rather their capacity to forgive. As girls' lives progress, the importance of understanding others to see reality becomes more and more important. June, who was previously seen as the bridge between the conflicting mothers and daughters in the novel, remembers an argument between her nine-year-old self and her mother Suyuan. Provoked by her mother's crushing iron fist in her pursuit of June's greatness, June refused to continue playing the piano and cried out that she wished she were dead, like the children Suyuan had lost in China. This "unspeakable betrayal" (Tan __) was never brought up again, and as June grew older, she looked back on her failures with shame, understanding that her mother was not her enemy, but rather her greatest supporter. At the age of 30, June received a piano from her mother as a gift and said, “I saw the offer as a sign of forgiveness, a huge burden lifted” (Tan __). The piano is interpreted as a symbol of understanding between June and Suyuan; with hindsight, they are able to understand each other better, see the reality of each other's actions, and overcome the struggles and barriers that separate them. While King Lear deals with a father's heartbreaking realization of reality through spoken truth, The Joy Luck Club uses the power of actions to show clarity to its characters. Although the recognition of reality marks the end of the tragedy of King Lear, Tan's novel connects it to the beginning of a new beginning. Despite these differences, both works rely on parent-child bonds to highlight the impact of the distinction between appearances and reality. The message that parent-child relationships are defined by more than just blood is linked to.”