Characters
Who gave up her twin daughters in China?
Suyuan Woo, Jing-mei's mother.
Why does Lindo call Waverly “American-made”?
“American-made” can literally mean that Waverly was born in America and has spent no time in China. It also represents Lindo’s own disappointment in failing to teach Waverly more about Chinese heritage.
What is the main focus of The Joy Luck Club?
To show the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, and the bond that they have despite generational and cultural conflicts.
How did Waverly’s mother treat her when she returned home after running away?
She treated her as though she didn’t exist.
Why did Rose’s mother throw her blue sapphire ring into the water?
DOUBLE POINTS
because she thought it would divert the Coiling Dragon so that he would release her son from the water
Why did Waverly stop playing chess?
Because Waverly's mother took credit for her talents.
When Suyuan gives Jing-mei the piano, she sees that as her mother reaching out to mend the relationship.
What are five themes in The Joy Luck Club? (there are many)
mother-daughter relationships, miscommunication / mistranslation, cultural identities / traditions, immigration, storytelling, fate and autonomy, sacrifice, sexism and power, trauma, discrimination
What was Lena’s great hope when the family moved out of Oakland?
She hoped that she might be able to leave all the old fears behind.
What does Lena’s precariously-placed vase in the story “Rice Husband” symbolize?
Her unbalanced (fragile) marriage.
Which character is frustrated by a language barrier with her husband, who never learned to speak fluent Chinese?
DOUBLE POINTS
Ying-Ying St. Clair
Why does Waverly worry about Lindo’s criticism of Rich? How is this similar to Lena’s situation?
Waverly is afraid that Lindo will find a real flaw that will affect Waverly’s feelings for Rich. This is similar to Lena’s situation because Lena sees the worst in her husband due to her mothers ‘premonition” when she was younger that she would marry a bad man.
How is identity portrayed in The Joy Luck Club?
The daughters struggle to have a different identity in contrast to their mother. The mothers struggle to combine their Chinese identity with their American identity.
What does it mean to be without wood?
Not having a backbone
What was the significance of the ice cream in "Rice Husband"?
Harold and Lena "split" their expenses for "shared" items/interests. Lena has a strong aversion to ice cream due to her history of anorexia and fear of her mother's prophecy. The ice cream symbolizes the fact that her husband does not actually pay attention to her. or treat her as an equal.
Why did Suyuan Woo begin the Joy Luck Club?
To be a distraction from the atrocities of the war. The club allowed the women to congregate and create a joyful experience through conversation, food, and mahjong. It was the only respite they had in the midst of fear and uncertainty.
Why did An-mei's mother actually become a third concubine/ fourth wife?
She was raped by Wu Tsing as a result of the Second Wife's trickery thus she was forced to marry him in order to protect her children and remaining family members.
Which theme is illustrated by the anecdote about An-mei’s mother putting her own flesh into her mother’s soup AKA “shou so deep it is in your bones”?
Sacrifice (for love)
What does the ghost symbolize in The Joy Luck Club?
People who cannot speak freely or who cannot be talked about.
What was the importance of An-mei's mother committing suicide just prior to the Lunar New Year?
TRIPLE POINTS
She had planned her death to be a weapon that could afford her daughter a better life. One the third day of someone's death, "the soul comes back to settle scores" and on the Lunar New Year, all promises made MUST be kept.
Why does Suyuan actually leave her twin daughters?
TRIPLE POINTS
Per Canning Woo, the exhausted Suyuan was unable to find a ride as she fled from the Japanese. She laid down on the side of the road with her babies and pleaded with people to take them. When nobody did, she finally left them with money, jewelry, and photos, including a family address in Shanghai where they could be delivered for a reward. She went on. She didn't look back at them, hoping someone would find and care for them, blocking out any other possible scenario from her mind. Suyuan felt she had no alternative but to leave her babies.
What is the importance of Ying-ying St Clair’s statement in the end of the chapter, “I wished to be found”? What does the Moon Lady represent for Ying-ying before and after her wish?
Ying-ying struggles between wanting independence and a sense of belonging, feeling akin to the Moon Lady, who also feels lost. Her quest for the Moon Lady represents her childhood innocence and hope for connection. However, she learns that the Moon Lady is a man in disguise, symbolizing her lost hope and the end of her innocence.
How does the parable "The Queen Mother of the Western Skies" parable represents An-mei's story in "Magpies"?
DOUBLE POINTS
The grandmother in the parable regrets teaching her daughter to see the evil in people for fear it has cost her innocence. Similarly, An-mei is worried that her trauma and 'lack of wood' is the direct cause of her daughter's 'lack of wood'. Both women doubt their motherhood due to their trauma affecting their daughters.
Why did “the aunties” give Jing-mei $1200 in an envelope?
The aunties gave Jing-Mei $1200 so she could go to meet her sisters in China and inform them of their mother's death.
How does Tan's use of the "five elements" mentioned in The Joy Luck Club help establish personality traits of some of the major characters in The Joy Luck Club?
The five elements—fire, wood, water, earth, and metal: Jing-mei's mother believed she had too much water, indicating restlessness and indecision. Lindo's balanced state, affected by her mother-in-law's gold bracelets, illustrates her struggle for independence. An-mei's confusion stems from being "without wood," reflecting her tendency to seek external validation rather than trust herself.