Who is the Antagonist in Amy Tan's "A Pair of Tickets"? I know the Protagonist is June May but I couldn't figure out who the antagonist was. Yes, I have read the short story
Here are two different interpretations.
http://jclee-jeffreyleeenglish1b.blogspot.com/2010/09/pair-of-tickets-pg-119.html
http://www.ask.com/question/amy-tan-short-stories
In Amy Tan's "A Pair of Tickets," the story does not have a clear-cut antagonist in the traditional sense of a person or character who directly opposes the protagonist. Instead, the conflict in the story is primarily internal and revolves around the protagonist's struggle to reconcile her Chinese heritage with her American identity.
The story follows the journey of June May, a Chinese-American woman who travels to China to meet her long-lost half-sisters. Throughout the story, June May is faced with various obstacles and conflicting emotions, as she grapples with her mixed cultural identity and the realization of her family's history.
While there may not be a specific antagonist, the challenges June May faces, such as cultural alienation, internal conflicts, and the search for identity, serve as the main sources of tension and conflict in the story.
In Amy Tan's "A Pair of Tickets," the primary conflict revolves around the main character, June May, discovering her Chinese heritage and reconnecting with her long-lost family in China. It is important to note that not all stories have a clear antagonist in the traditional sense of a villain or a single person that opposes the protagonist. However, there can still be various antagonistic forces or elements that create conflict and challenge the protagonist's journey.
In the case of "A Pair of Tickets," the perceived antagonist could be seen as the internal and external struggles June May faces while confronting her cultural identity and past. Some of these antagonistic forces may include:
1. Internal Conflicts: June May's internal struggle with her own identity and sense of belonging, as she grapples with being both Chinese and American. Her internal conflicts and doubts act as obstacles and create tension throughout the story.
2. Cultural Disconnect: Another source of antagonism lies in the clash between June May's American upbringing and her Chinese heritage. This disconnection and the resulting cultural clashes represent a significant challenge for her as she tries to reconcile these two aspects of her identity.
3. Family Secrets: June May's pursuit of her family history reveals long-held secrets that act as antagonistic forces. These secrets challenge her understanding of her family and require her to confront uncomfortable and painful truths.
It is worth noting that the concept of an antagonist in a literary context can be subjective and may differ based on interpretation. In "A Pair of Tickets," the antagonistic elements primarily revolve around June May's personal journey of self-discovery and the conflicts she encounters along the way.