Through her novel, The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan evokes emotion from the reader as she uncovers the relationship between mothers and daughters. Four Chinese immigrant mothers and their four Chinese-American daughters tell their remarkable life stories about strength, love, and courage.
The four Chinese mothers, after immigrating to San Francisco’s Chinatown, befriend each other. They all come from different backgrounds, yet they are all immigrants from China. They form a group, the Joy Luck Club, and meet regularly to eat Chinese cuisine and play mahjong. Over time, as they marry and have children, the Joy Luck Club includes the husbands and children of the four mothers. Each mother has one daughter. While trying to maintain their Chinese identities, the mothers attempt to raise their American-born children following their Chinese beliefs. However, the daughters begin to lose pride in their heritage. They do not understand the hardships that their mothers encountered in China. When they listen to their mothers, they only hear their broken English. Amy Tan explores the difficulties and hardships faced by Chinese immigrants, as well as their children.
Each of the eight characters brings a unique aspect to the novel as a whole. While maintaining a cohesive story, the author is able to tell each life story in an inspirational way that captivates the reader’s interest from beginning to end. Although it is difficult at times to distinguish which daughter belongs to which mother and differentiate between the various stories, this novel is very uplifting. The mothers exhibit tremendous strength and courage, and encounter difficulties that most Americans do not face, such as arranged marriages. Chinese culture and traditions are integrated throughout The Joy Luck Club. The reader is able to learn about many customs and beliefs of the Chinese people, and broaden their knowledge about Chinese culture.
Overall, this motivational novel is compelling to anyone wishing to learn more about Chinese culture, and those who wish to reflect on the relationships between mothers and daughters. The lessons learned in this story remain with the reader long after the last page is read.
Reviewed by BHS student M. Boskovich
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