Characters
This character is the founder of the Joy Luck Club and Jing-mei's mother.
Who is Suyuan Woo?
This central theme explores the relationship between Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters.
What is cultural identity?
This event brings the characters together at the beginning of the novel.
What is Suyuan Woo's death?
This game symbolizes the complex relationships and strategies in the characters' lives.
What is mah jong?
The novel is structured as a collection of these, rather than a single continuous narrative.
What are short stories?
This character escaped an arranged marriage in China and values cunning and strategy.
Who is Lindo Jong?
This concept represents the ideal that every US citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success through hard work.
What is the American Dream?
Jing-mei's journey to China is prompted by this discovery in the beginning of the novel about her mother.
What is learning that she was previously married with kids.
This object symbolizes Suyuan's unfulfilled hopes and dreams, which Jing-mei must fulfill.
What is the jade necklace?
This literary device is used extensively to show the mothers' past experiences in China.
What are flashbacks?
This character was traumatized by past experiences and seeks to reclaim her spirit.
Who is Ying-ying St. Clair?
This theme is represented by the mothers' efforts to balance Chinese values with American opportunities.
What is cultural assimilation or adaptation?
This character's story involves escaping an abusive marriage to a wealthy man in China.
Who is Lindo Jong?
This bird represents the immigrant mothers' hopes for their daughters in America.
What is the swan?
This symbol represents hope and transformation in the novel.
What is the swan feather?
This character learned strength from her mother's sacrifice and was taught to "eat her own bitterness."
Who is An-Mei Hsu?
This theme is explored through the lasting impact of the mothers' experiences in China on their present lives.
What is the impact of past trauma?
This character's plot involves reconciling with her estranged daughter Rose after Rose's divorce.
Who is An-Mei Hsu?
This mythical figure symbolizes unfulfilled desires and the search for identity in Ying-ying's childhood story.
Who is the Moon Lady?
This literary technique is used by the mothers to preserve their cultural identity and pass on wisdom to their daughters.
What is storytelling?
This character is Ying-ying's daughter and narrates "The Voice from the Wall" chapter.
Who is Lena St. Clair?
This theme is symbolized by the mah jong game and represents the mothers' strategy for survival and success.
What is fate vs. self-determination?
This character's storyline involves overcoming her passive nature and confronting her husband about their failing business and marriage.
Who is Lena St. Clair?
This object symbolizes An-Mei's mother's sacrifice and the power of self-determination.
What is the red candle?
This character's scar symbolizes emotional wounds and resilience.
Who is An-Mei Hsu?