The Joy Luck Club bookreview

“The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan was one of my English textbook. At first, I thought it was a children’s book. After reading it, I realized immediately why it is a best-selling novel. It allows me to explore the tender and tenacious bond between four Chinese women, and their American-born daughters. Furthermore, the writer smartly uses different diction for mothers and the daughters to express the individual characteristic of the generation. I found the story entertaining and can’t stop before I finish reading it.

Suyuan Woo started the original “Joy Luck Club” during the Second Sino-Japanese War to cope with the war and bring luck to the members. The meaning of the club is to bring hope for the future. I admired the attitude they had and their method to pass the hard time. On the day of escaping from Japanese invasion, Suyuan reluctantly leaves her twin daughters under a tree. After coming to America and remarries, she formed a new Club with three other Chinese female immigrants, and gave birth to another daughter. Many years later, Suyuan learned that her abandoned twins were adopted, but died of a brain aneurysm before she could meet them. It was her daughter Jing-mei who fulfilled her long-cherished wish of reuniting with the twins. Besides Suyuan and her daughter’s story, there are stories of the rest of the new Club members and their daughters. All are inspirable and interesting.  

The major concerns of the book are the influences that the mothers gave to their western-educated daughters and the conflicts between the traditional Chinese cultural and Western cultural. The novel also discuss about different generations of women trying to understand each other, and the process of finding one’s own identity.

Although their stories vary in how their growing-up and coming to America, the mothers’ thinking are very similar. They all want daughters to grow up in America and have opportunities. However they also wish daughters to retain the Chinese values and customs. By telling daughters the stories, the mothers prevent daughters from repeating the same mistakes and hence understanding the intention of bringing the best lives for their daughters. Mothers had no freedom to choose their destiny in the past, therefore, hoping daughters can live a free and equal life with men in America. Nevertheless, the children often do not understand their mother. They were Americanized and did not know the significance of the Chinese heritage. It is only possible when they grow up.

                                              

This book shows varies of Chinese culture and belief. In my opinion, if parents wish to retain their children’s Chinese value, they should cultivate it since their childhood. One should never forget his cultural root because no matter how different you may be from your family, you will always be connected to them through your heritage. The book teaches us to think about the sacrifice that our parents made for our better life. It also reminds us to appreciate our parents and we must not take it for granted.