The Joy Luck Club
1) Title of the Novel
The Joy luck Club
2) Name of the Author
Amy Tan
3) Date of Publication
1989
4) Genre
Fiction, Historical fiction
5) Characteristics of the Genre
While being one hundred complete fiction, the author Amy Tan uses facts that are true with some family’s that have “honor”. Though it is not a complete work of fiction, because Tan uses real life locations such as the United States of America.
6) Setting: time+place+tone
Most of the story takes place in American however, that really depends on who the main character is at that chapter. For the time, there are multiple sections of it. The time of the Second Great War, so around the 1930s is the first time period. Cold war time is when the next one takes place, 1950s. 1960s and the 1980s are the final time section that the book covers. There is a constant tone of seriousness throughout the whole novel. With it being narrated my mother talking about their children, or their daughters to be more specific.
7) Character description
Jing-mie: Out of all of the narrators, she speaks the most. Making her the main character. She also speaks on her mother due to the fact of her recent death. A person who tried her hardest to give her daughters a life full of opportunities
Suy Woo: A very strong woman who is full of will. Thought she doesn’t realize it, Woo is a lot like her daughter Mie, who fears for their own children.
An-mie Hsu: Distrustful and taught by her mother to never trust anybody nor let anybody see your fear. As well as keeping an inside worship of religion which would be God.
Lena Clair: A woman who learned a very important life lesson early, that people will only yell at people if they care about you. Even though she is in a failing marriage herself.
Waverly Jong: Strategic as well as being a very thoughtful person. Jong tries to stay in denial about her loss of Chinese heritage.
Ying-ying Clair: Despite that she was told to be calm and passive, Ying is a sneaky person who will loses something very important in most people’s lives. Her will. A girl of superstition is a good term for her.
Rose Jordan Hsu: Going with the flow is all she knows how to do. Never one to make her own disunion. Even though she married the man she wanted to, still never realizing what real happiness.
8) Theme
Remembrance of who you are, and where