Abstract: Chinese American literature has been drawing increasing attention from critics and the general readership in recent years. The Bonesetter’s Daughter is Chinese American novelist Amy Tan’s fourth novel, in which the mother-daughter relationship is again the theme as in her previous three novels. This paper concentrates on an analysis of the protagonists in The Bonesetter’s Daughter, Bao Bomu, Luling and Ruth, exposing the intricate relationships between mothers and daughters as well as the course from conflict to reconciliation.This paper reveals how the cultural differences influence people’s philosophy of life, and family values. This paper is divided into five parts: The first part gives an introduction to both the author and the novel. The second part summarizes the protagonist and the development of the relationship between her and her daughter. The third part analyzes the protagonist Luling and the changes of the relationship between her and her daughter. The fourth part focuses on the protagonist Ruth and her marriage. And the fifth part sums up the whole paper.

Key words: identity recognition; cultural differences; forgiveness; the mother-daughter relationship

Contents

中文摘要

Abstract

1. Introduction ......1

1.1. An introduction to the author 

1.2. An introduction to the novel 

2. An Analysis of the protagonist: Bao Bomu...2

2.1 The miserable fate of Bao Bomu

2.2 Bao Bomu’s loss of voice 

3. An Analysis of the protagonist: Luling.3

3.1 The life experiences of Luling

3.2 The conflict between Luling and her daughter

4. An Analysis of the protagonist: Ruth6

4.1 The troubled marriage of Ruth

4.2 Ruth’s final understanding of her mother

5. Conclusion ...8

Bibliography ....9

Acknowledgements.....10