The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan is a work of realistic fiction, which is quite different from the types of books I usually read—such as science fiction, fantasy or dystopian literature- where the worlds are often removed from everyday life. I didn’t expect to connect with a book that focuses so deeply on family dynamics and generational differences and I was surprised by how relatable and emotionally powerful it was. I can relate to the struggle of living up to expectations, trying to understand my parents and feeling caught between two cultures. Those are just a few of the reasons why this book stayed with me after I finished it.
First published in 1989, the book takes us to different times, showcasing Chinese and American cultures between the early 1940s and the 1980s in both China and America, from the perspectives of each mother and her daughter that forms the Joy Luck Club. The book is centered around the character of Jing-Mei Woo who at the start of the book, is shown to be replacing her mother, Suyuan Woo, in the mahjong club that she had been a part of for about 40 years before her passing. She is told by her mother’s friends that they had finally found her mother’s long-lost half-sisters, whom Suyuan had been looking for her whole life, and was exchanging letters with.
It then dives into different chapters of each woman’s life, following their journeys from childhood to adulthood, showing how their experiences shaped them, and the nuances of life in early 1940s America.
As the reader, it’s easy to take the daughters’ sides while reading from their perspectives, sympathizing with them when they think that their mothers are insufferable or too pushy, and forcing their ideals upon their children. But then once you see it from the mothers’ perspectives, you begin to understand them as well. It wasn’t their fault they grew up the way they did and despite that, they still tried their best to be good mothers.
Tan uses symbols throughout the story, the obvious one being a swan. Early in the story, the swan is introduced in traditional fairytale sense and it embodies transformation as well as representing the mothers’ hopes and dreams for their daughters. This symbol spoke out to me – symbolizing new beginnings while still carrying the past – because I feel this in my life.
The book is very engaging, with each chapter telling a different story that connects to the main idea. And each character feels three-dimensional in the sense that it allows you to see them as more than just characters on a page. There is a deeply emotional feeling of closure that ties all the stories together, showing how the past and present are connected. In the end, the book didn’t just tell me the stories of the mothers and daughters; it made me feel as if I was part of their journey too.
