The Joy Luck Club Notes
Woo Family
“The Joy Luck Club”
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Mom’s Death
Mom’s US History
Kweilin Story
“…we had no heart or eyes for pain…” pg. 24
Abandons her children pg. 26
June’s adult life
Hsu’s trip to China
Mom’s lies pg. 37
The plan for June
Why the East?
“Two Kinds”
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Opening line
Need for June to be a prodigy
June’s promise – pg. 134
Genius or Personal Best? – pg. 136
Mom’s bragging – pg. 138
A change in piano lessons
The concert
Two Kinds – pg. 142
Closing Paragraph
“Best Quality”
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Jade Pendant
Guest List – pg. 201
Mom’s crab – pg. 202
Waverly – pg. 204
June’s sophistication – pg. 206
June & mom’s discussion – pg. 208
“A Pair of Tickets”
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What is June becoming?
What does June imagine about the twins?
The Letter – pg. 269
Imagines telling them – pg. 271
June’s arrival
Unanswered questions – pg. 278
Their names – pg. 280
New Kweilin Story – pg. 281
Goodbyes – pg. 286
The meeting – pg. 288
HSU Family
“Scar”
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An-Mei’s mother
Wu Tsing, wife and concubines
An-Mei’s “understanding” of her mother – pg. 44
An-Mei’s mother arrival
Soup accident – pg. 46
How do Popo keep An-Mei from dying? – pg. 47
“…That is the way it is with a wound…” True? – pg. 47
An-Mei’s true understanding of her mother? – pg. 48
How did she come to love her mother? – pg. 48
Closing paragraph – pg. 48
“Magpies”
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What is the catalyst for the “Magpies” chapter? What choice?
Turtle and Magpies’ story. What’s the moral?
An-Mei leaves with her mother  the change in her mother – pg. 220
Wu-Tsing and his home – pg. 223
Describe Wu-Tsing’s wives (1, 2, 3, 4 & 5)
4th wife/Superstition of death – pg. 229
Big Mother’s gift of the pearl necklace – pg. 230-1
Big Mother/Second wife’s story  How does she get what she wants? – pg.234
Taitai’s story – pg. 236
Does Taitai have a choice? – pg. 238
Taitai’s suicide – pg. 239
Why the lunar new year? – pg. 240
Present day warnings – pg. 240
The Magpies in the paper  moral? – pg. 241
“Half & Half”
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An-Mei’s faith  what is ironic about it? – pg. 116
Rose & Ted’s story – pg. 117
Ted’s racist mother  what is ironic about her statements? – pg. 118
Rose & Ted’s roles as husband & wife ...”I was victim to his hero…”– pg. 118119
Ted’s lawsuit  how does it change the gender roles? – 119-120
Fight and divorce – pg. 120
Fate vs. Faith …“And later, I discovered that maybe it was fate all along, that
faith was just an illusion that somehow you’re in control.” – pg. 121
The beach day (Rose is 14 years old, Bing is 4 years old) – 122-3
Rose’s thoughts before Bing falls into the ocean – pg. 125
Why does Rose react to Bing’s fall this way? – pg. 126
Rose’s punishment? – pg. 127
Mom’s prayer and ring ceremony – pg. 129
During Rose and An-Mei’s trip to the beach, how does An-Mei believe in a false
hope?
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Bing’s name in the Bible written in erasable pencil. Ultimate faith or foolish
hope?
“Without Wood”
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What types of thoughts go through our head during a break up?
Is the first line true?
Old Mr. Chou = Dream Gate Keeper
Talks to everyone, but Ted, about Ted…different versions
The note…why was it so hurtful?
Without Wood
Chinese options vs. American options. What are the flaws?
Fortune cookie advice: “When a husband stops paying attention to the garden,
he’s thinking of pulling up roots.” – pg. 192
Real reason for the divorce? – pg.194
Rose’s response – pg. 196
Dream  why weeds? – pg. 196
Jong Family
“The Red Candle”
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The idea of promises – pg. 49
Arrange marriage @ 2 years old – pg. 50
Tyan-yu
How does Lindo’s mother treat her after the arrangement? – pg. 51
Age 12
The Huangs’ house  Lindo’s place – pg. 55
Learns to be an obedient wife – pg. 56
Wedding Day
Thoughts of suicide  Strong like the wind – pg. 58
The red candle – pg. 59
What really happened to the red candle? - pg. 60
No child – pg. 61-3
Lindo’s “dream” – pg. 64
The signs
“Double Face”
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The two cultures  American circumstances and Chinese character
How does Waverly treat her mother at the hair salon? – pg. 255
Lindo’s mom’s statements about her face – pg. 256-7
Advice upon arriving in the US – pg. 258
Waverly’s lies about her mother. Why? – pg. 259
The fortune cookie factory – pg. 262
“A house is not home when a spouse is not at home” “Lindo, can you spouse
me?”
Lindo’s children’s names. Why? – pg. 265
“If you show one, you must always sacrifice the other”  Is this true? – pg. 266
“Rules of the Game”
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Invisible Strength  “Strongest wind cannot be seen”
Christmas = chess set
“American Rules”
Lou-Po
Different view on winning  life advice?
National chess champion
Benefits of winning
“I wish you wouldn’t be that, telling everybody I’m your daughter”
Run away
The fight  who will win? Is there ever a “winner” in a fight with a loved one?
“Four Directions”
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Lindo = horse, Waverly = Rabbit – pg. 167
Rich – pg. 167
Shoshana – four years old – pg. 167
Rich’s gift/ Mink jacket – pg. 169
Moms know how to hit a nerve – pg. 170
Waverly at 10 years old (chess) – pg. 170-3
Waverly’s first marriage – pg. 174
Trick to get Lindo to meet Rich – pg. 176
Rich’s appearance – pg. 177
Everything Rich does wrong (8 things) – pg. 178
“I wanted to tell you…Rich & I are getting married” – pg. 181
Waverly’s two halves – pg. 182
That they really are  “I saw what I had been fighting for…” –pg. 183
Closing paragraphs
St. Clair Family
“The Moon Lady”
 “I want to tell her this…” – pg. 67
 The Moon Festival/age?
 Secret wish vs. selfish desire – pg. 70
 Ying-ying as a child – pg. 73
 Dyes clothes – pg. 76
 Falls into the water – pg. 78
 The Moon Lady – pg. 80
 “woman is yin…man is yang..” – pg. 81
 The real Moon “Lady” – pg. 82
 “I never believed my family found the same girl” – pg.82
 Closing paragraphs…”I wanted to be found” – pg. 83
“Waiting Between the Tress”
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“And now I must tell her everything about my past…” –pg. 242
The marble table – pg. 243
Ying-ying’s name – pg. 243
Ying-ying at age sixteen – pg. 244
The marriage…”I became a stranger to myself” – pg. 246-7
Husband’s affairs – pg. 267
The abortion – pg. 248
The year of the tiger – pg. 248
Life after the marriage – pg. 249
Clifford St. Clair…”saved” her– pg. 250
The sign to marry Clifford – pg. 251
Life after the second marriage – pg. 251
Empty love/Life as a ghost – pg. 251-2
“The Voice from the Wall”
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Losing yourself to secrets – pg. 103
Lena’s childhood….scary warnings –pg. 103-6
“…things not being balanced…” – pg. 108
Ying-ying is pregnant – pg. 109
Neighbor girl – pg. 110
Baby’s birth  Born without a brain? – pg. 111-2
Madness begins – pg. 112
Lena vs. Teresa  Which side is worst? – pg. 113
Neighbor shows up and goes home  Why is this scene important? -114-5
“Then you must die the death of a thousand cuts” – pg. 115
o Why is pain a good thing for Ying-ying?
“Rice Husband”
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Theme: “We have to pretend nothing is the matter.” – pg. 151
Mom’s prediction – pg. 151
Arnold – pg. 152
Ice Cream as a child– pg. 154
What does Lena think about herself? – pg. 155
The beginning of Lena and Harold’s relationship – pg. 155
Again, Lena’s lack of self worth – pg. 156
“As long as we keep the money thing separate, we’ll always be sure of our love
for each other.” – pg. 157
Theme restaurants – pg. 158
Lack of equality – pg. 159
“I love you” (car scene) – pg. 160
The list – pg. 160
The martial agreement – pg. 161
Ice cream as an adult – pg. 162
The fight – pg. 164
The questions  the uncertainty – pg. 164
The closing paragraphs  “I knew it would happen.”…”Then why didn’t you
stop it.” – pg.165