The Joy Luck Club
An Introduction
Amy Tan
Her Chinese name, An-mei, means
“blessing from America.
She was born in Oakland California,
in 1952.
She is the only daughter of John and
Daisy Tan.
She has two brothers, Peter (1950)
and John (1954).
Amy’s Family
Her parents moved to America, from China,
in the late 1940’s.
Her parents moved the family nearly every
year, while the kids were children.
Her parents were quite anti-social, but the
kids tried hard to fit-in with American
culture.
Amy’s parents objected. They wanted their kids
to grow-up in America (with many opportunities)
but keep their Chinese culture close and strong.
Amy’s Childhood
She was unhappy with her Chinese
appearance and heritage.
She felt like it was impossible to fit-in,
being the only Chinese girl in class from 3rd
grade-graduation.
She believed that if she ate more
“American” foods, she would end up
looking more American.
She slept with a clothespin on her nose,
hoping to decrease its Asian shape.
Growing Up
Her parents decided that she would
be a full-time neurosurgeon and a
part-time concert pianist.
Amy’s dream was to become a
novelist.
When Amy was 15, her father and
brother (Peter) both died of brain
tumors within the same year.
Growing Up…Continued
Amy was very rebellious.
She dated an older German man who
had ties with drug dealers and organized
crime.
Her mother had this man arrested, and
Amy severed all ties to him.
Amy attended a few colleges, and
earned her B.A. in English and an
M.A. in linguistics.
Her Writing Career
In the early 1980’s, Amy became a business writer.
She was successful, but she did not find happiness in
this freelance career (a 90-hour per week job).
She truly dreamed of writing fiction.
In 1985, she wrote a short story, “Endgame,”
which told about an amazing, young chess player
who had a strained relationship with an
overbearing mother.
She received a $50,000 advance for the collection that
she expanded this work into.
She dissolved her freelance business and endeavored to
finish this collection. She named it The Joy Luck Club.
The Joy Luck Club Background
In 1949 four Chinese women drawn together by the shadow
of their past begin meeting in San Francisco to play mah
jong, invest in stocks, eat dim sum, and "say" stories. They
call their gathering the Joy Luck Club. Nearly forty years
later, one of the members has died, and her daughter has
come to take her place, only to learn of her mother's lifelong
wish-and the tragic way in which it has come true. The
revelation of this secret unleashes an urgent need among
the women to reach back and remember... In this
extraordinary first work of fiction, Amy Tan writes about what
is lost-over the years, between generations, among friendsand what is saved.
The mothers and their daughters
Suyuan Woo
Founder of the Joy Luck
Club
Flees China during war
and leaves behind her
twin daughters
Revives the club in San
Francisco, where she is
settled
Jing-mei (June) Woo
Takes her mother’s
place in the club when
she passes away
Wishes to travel to
China to be reunited
with her sisters
The mothers and their daughters
Lindo Jong
A member of the Joy
Luck Club
Fears she has become
too assimilated into
American culture
Fears that she has
undermined her
daughter’s Chinese
identity
Waverly Jong
Successful attorney
Skilled chess player
Fears what her mother
will think of her white
fiancée Rich
The mothers and their daughters
An-Mei Hsu
A member of the Joy
Luck Club
Fears that she has not
taught important life
lessons to her daughter
Feels that she has lost
most of her faith in God
Rose Hsu
Married a man named
Ted Jordan, despite
strong protests from her
family
Her marriage is
decomposing because
she does not know how
to assert herself
The mothers and their daughters
Ying-ying St. Clair
A member of the Joy
Luck Club
Allows her American
husband Clifford to
articulate her thoughts
and feelings
Fears that she has
passed her passivity on
to her daughter
Lena St. Clair
Married to Harold
Livotny
Has followed in her
mother’s footsteps in
regards to her marriage
III. Important Themes
A. Sacrifices Made for Love
B. The Relationships between Mothers
and Daughters (or Older and Younger
Generations)
C. The Immigrant Identity/ Cultural
Identity
D. Misunderstandings and
Reconciliation
Discussion Questions
 Please choose one of the following questions to address in 13 paragraphs.
 “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Do children
eventually turn out like their parents? Why/why not?
 Fate plays more of a role in our lives than does individual will
and determinism. Why/why not?
 Parents are always proud of their children, even if they fail.
Why/why not?
 Children do not always appreciate the value of their parents’
wisdom and advice. Can you think of any instances where
you did not value your own parent’s advice?
 There are some experiences that we have at a young age
that affect the rest of our lives. Can you think of any examples
either in your own life or in the life of someone close to you?