English 12A
Mr. Laird
Parable
Old woman and swan traveled to U.S.
Dream for daughter
officials take swan
Grew up “Americanized” not
understanding mother
Joy Luck Club
Group of four mothers from China
Suyuan Woo died, asked Jing-Mie to
take place
Started in 1949 in San Francisco (hid
Chinese culture)
Suyuan Woo’s (dead) Kweilin story
City in China
Husband officer (left to fight)- 2 babies
Japanese winning- hard times
Created Joy Luck
Four woman
Act “well”
Played Mah Jong
Played for $= worthless
They hoped to be lucky- hope was only
joy in the world
Japanese came to Kweilin-Suyuan Woo left
to Chungking- wheelbarrow broke, left
food, bags, finally arrived with only herself
(3 dresses she had on)
Joy Luck Club
At Hsus’ house
Jing-Mei (June) Woo new to group
Club has $24,825 on account
(Business as usual, no mention of
mother)
Ladies played Mah Jong
Competition between mothers
June getting degree (too much
water)
Waverly chess
Mothers wanted to send June to China to
see sisters- tell them about Suyuan
June not sure she knows about what to
say- mothers scared.
Scar
1923 China
An-mei young girl living w/ Popo
(grandma)
Mother left @ age 4 to be 3rd concubine
after husband died.
Popo hates mother/ puts An-mei through
hard times.
Scar (continued)
Popo dying- mother came backcared for Popo
An-mei remembers how mother
came for her and how she got the
scar.
The Red Candle- Lindo Jong
Lindo young girl in China
Village matchmaker & Huang Taitaipicked her for
Tyan-yu
Future husband
At 12, flood destroyed home  moved to
Taitai’s home
Well off
Show
Real mom gave her chang, necklace of red
jade
Tyan-yu
Rude, spoiled
Lindo
Servant
Did not want to ruin family name
Huang wanted grandson-will be married
Wedding
Rained, thunder- guests thought that it
was Japanese bombs- few came
Wind- power of wind- saw who she was –
under scarf knew who she was
Tyan-yu- made her sleep on the couch
Candle went out- Lindo blew it out
Story
Taitai- mad because no baby
Ordered to stay in bed
Made up dream
Ancestors said Lindo must
leave marriage
Mole on back of Tyan-yu will
grow and eat flesh
Lost tooth
Servant imperial blood carry baby
The Moon Lady
Ying-ying St. Clair
She’s quiet/ daughter doesn’t hear her
China-Young
4 years old
Moon Lady Festival- make wish
Going to lake with family
2 half sisters: #2 & #3
Ying-ying
Discovered shadow
Ying-ying St. Clair
Father had concubines = $
On boat for Moon Lady Festival
Fishing with bird  cleaned fish & dirtied
dress
Fell into water
fishing boat found her/ went to wrong
boat = left on shore
Ying-ying St. Clair (continued)
Moon Lady Performance  she “saw”
Moon Lady- but it was a man
Lost herself- lost innocence, trust = fear,
loneliness
Amah and parents didn’t find her right
away
Moon lady = man
Parable
Mom told daughter to not ride bike- she’ll fall
doesn’t believe mom & rides bike
She falls
Mom knew it (because of 26 Malignant Gates
book)
Rules of the game
Waverly Jong
Waverly was six lived in modest apt
Can be brat
Christmas from missionary ladiesolder brother Vincent got chess set
Waverly observed then played brothers-won
Played Lau Po- lost then won- learned
Played tournament
Lindo gave Waverly her chang
Showed Waverly off
mad- ran away
“We are not concerning this girl”
Ying-Ying telling Lena stories
Grandfather sentenced beggar to death
Basement & bad man
Ying Ying
Lost name & D.O.B change b/c husband
Husband spoke for her
Uneasy in new house- NOT balanced
Didn’t protect Lena when crazy man came
Pregnant- kept bumping into things
The Voice from the Wall
Lena heard something shouting in other
apt.
Imagination run wild about what was
happening
Baby brother was dead when born
Ying-Ying never the same- always
resting
“No thought to killing my other son”
Neighbor girl, Teresa, came over to sneak
back in her own room
Her (Teresa) mom not bad- made up
Gave her (Lena) hope
Didn’t always see
terrible things
Half and Half
Rose Hsu Jordan
An-mei Hsu Mom
Bible under table leg (lost faith)
Rose
Wants to get divorced from husband Tedmom doesn’t let her
An-mei
Believed in fate and God
Family went to beach- Rose “in charge” of 4
brothers
Bing, 4 years old, fell in water
Everyone blamed themselves
An-mei
Believed if she did what was right
(prayed- ask God, offered tea)- Angry didn’t
work
Two kinds
Jing-Mei Woo (Mom Suyuan Woo)
Suyuan Woo
Thought you could be anything you wanted in
America
Thought Jing-mei could be prodigy
Shirley Temple
Knows all capitals
Stand on head
without hands
CTC
Jing-Mei
Kept seeing mom’s disappointed facesomething began to die
Took piano lessons- never tried
Talent show failed
Refused to play
Suyuan never pushed
Many disappointments as
Jing- Mei got older
Offer piano to Jing-Mei
Parable
Shows how mother silly superstitions
beliefs- but- shows the wisdom hidden in
them
Crazy Chinese mom- but- she’s right
Rice Husband
Lena- voices from wall
Ying ying: mom, moon lady,
lost baby
Ying Ying coming to stay for one week
Said she would marry bad man
Always saw things before happened
Lena stopped eating to kill boy she
thought she would marry- he did die
Lena marries Harold
Lena helped Harold start firm- she
never got a raise- 7x less $
Split everything 50/50
Marriage is struggling
Ying-Ying knows and asks “why
didn’t you stop it” about vase falling
Four directions
Waverly Jong chess
Lindo Jong: Red Candle
Lunch
Waverly and Lindo “fight”
Going to marry Rich
Takes Lindo to her apt. to show Rich lives there
Criticizes mink coat
Chess
How Waverly quit to get back @ Lindo
when she tried to play, she wasn’t as good
Marvin
First husband of Waverly/ Lindo
“poisoned” marriage
Father of Shoshona (almost aborted)
Rich
“top”
Went to dinner @ Suyuan so Lindo had to
Took too much/ drank too much/ put soy
sauce
Waverly started to be annoyed of him
Lindo
Knows about marriage
Explained who she was
Understanding
Without Wood
Rose Hsu Jordan: Bing died
An-mei Hsu: mom- Scar
Dreams with old Mr. Chou- listens to
mother
Divorce
Ted gives her divorce papers and $10,000
check
Trick?
Divorce (continued)
An-mei want to know “monkey business”
Rose doesn’t know what to think or what
to do- takes sleeping pills
Bad dream
Ted wants to marry someone else
Decides she wants the house/ gets lawyer
 Stands up to Ted/ for herself
Best Quality
Jing-Mei Woo: Piano
Suyuan Woo: Died, started JLC
Chinese New Year
Buy crabs
“Friends” coming over (11)
Jing-Mei tries to take bad crab
Waverly- criticizes hair cut/ then
announces her firm didn’t like
Jing-mei’s work
Embarrassed
Chinese New Year (continued)
Suyuan gave Jing-Mei her jade-don’t
always follow
Cooking dinner for dad- she is apart of her
mom- she is okay with who she is
Magpies
An-mei: scar with Popo
Same as daughter (Rose marriage falling
apart)
An-mei’s mother
3rd concubine
Took An-mei with her- shame
Very nice home- 1st wife not there or
Wu Tsing
Husband
An-mei’s mother (continued)
Yan Chang- servant
Wu Tsing home with 4th Concubine
An-mei- nine at the time
Magpies (continued)
An mei- had to leave room (Wu Tsing came)
2nd wife gave An-mei fake glass pearls
Mother broke it
Fake suicides  scare Wu Tsing
Gave An-mei’s mom opium (?)
Tricked An-mei’s mom to sleep with
Wu Tsing
Raped her
Brother Syaudi
An-mei’s mother
Suicide
Wu Tsing scared- honor her by raising
An-mei and Syaudi as his honored
children and revere as first wife
An-mei learned to shout- Rose needs to
learn to shout
Waiting Between the Trees Ying-Ying St. Clair
Staying at Lena’s house for 2 weeks
Must save daughter to show her who she
is
Ying Ying
From $$
Married bad man- loved him- pregnant
Left her for opera singer
Late term abortion
Ying Ying (continued)
Lived for 10 years on poor farm
After went to work- met Clifford St. Clair
Courted for 4
years
Married after
husband died
Never “true” love/ gave up chi (spirit)
Lena has no chi
Give up- let things happen
Double Face
Lindo Jong: Red Candle
Waverly: Daughter, chess
Waverly takes Lindo to get hair done for
2nd wedding
Putting Lindo down by talking to Mr. Rory
Lindo
Going to America- gets “help” from girl
Finds a job at a fortune cookie factory
Meets An-mei
Lindo (continued)
Met her husband- married
Winston
Vincent
Waverly
Waverly and Lindo have the same looks