Themes:
              Maternal legacies 
              American born Chinese identity (ABCs)
              Cross-cultural and intergenerational conflicts
              Immigrant identity and diaspora 
              Loss and recovery
              Filial piety and sacrifice 
​              Sexism and expendable girls 

Structure:
              4 vignettes per each of four sections that begin with a parable
              
Language:
              Pidgin English
              Poignant ironies
              Authentic immigrant experiences

1. “Feathers from a Thousand Li Away,” a Parable 

 "The Joy Luck Club," Jing-Mei Woo's story
Jing-Mei takes her deceased mother's corner and tells her mother's unfinished story. 
👉 Why did Suyuan start the Joy Luck Club in Kweilin?
👉 Why did she start another Joy Luck Club in San Francisco? 

"The Scar," An-Mei Hsu's story
Ghost Mother 
Filial piety 

"The Red Candle," Lindo Jong's story
"little daughter-in-law"

​👉 Lindo makes a promise to herself: “I would always remember my parents’ wishes, but I would never forget myself.” How does Lindo escape the arranged marriage and still honor her parents' wishes?

"The Moon Lady," Ying-Yung St. Clair's story
​👉 Why is there such an emphasis on being found in "The Moon Lady" and what relation does this quest have to the novel as a whole?

An-mei's "ghost mother" leaves the young An-mei; Lindo was, at age two, arranged to be a bride to a stranger; and even Ying-ying, with no fault or malice of any specific person, is lost. Why do you think there is a recurring theme of children being lost or abandoned in this first segment of the novel?

2. The Twenty-six Malignant Gates, a Parable

"Rules of the Game," Waverly Jong's story 
👉 To Waverly, playing chess is waging a battle. What other battle does she fight in this chapter? 
​

"The Voice from the Wall," Lena St. Clair's story
👉 Convinced that her life is "out of balance, not in harmony," Ying-ying lives self-persecuted and guilt-stricken. What are the two aspects of her Chinese identity she loses when she immigrates into America and how does it affect her character? 
👉 In what ways, does fear depart from reality in Lena's view of her neighbors? 
👉 There are many references to walls. Which ones are physical and which ones are imaginary or figurative?

"Hapf and Half," a story told by Rose Hsu Jordan 
What does the white Bible signify? And why do you think An-mei kept it in the same place for over twenty years?
What does An-mei sacrifice to have Bing returned to her? 
What does the title signify? 
What is the cause of Rose's fatalism? 

"Two Kinds," a story told by Jing-mei Woo
Why does Suyuan give the piano to Jing-mei?
What does Jing-mei realize about the piano and the piece she resented playing?