East Asian Diaspora and The Joy Luck Club
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 Neo-Confucianism
Structure:
Mosaic narrative
Each of four sections begins with a parable, a literary vignette
Language:
Pidgin English of the first-generation immigrants
Linguistic mediation of ABCs
Poignant ironies
Authentic immigrant experiences
1. “Feathers from a Thousand Li Away,” a Parable
A Chinese mother's swan song sung by her daughter
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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
"The Voice from the Wall," Lena St. Clair's story
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"Two Kinds," a story told by Jing-mei Woo
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3. American Translation (ABC Daughters in their adulthood)
"Four Directions," told by Waverly Jong
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"Best Quality," told by Jing-mei Woo
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Did you know why the Chinese have the custom of eating crabs on New Year's Day?
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4. Queen Mother of the Western Skies
"Magpies," told by An-mei Hsu |
"Waiting between the Trees," told by Ying-ying St. Clair |
"Double Face," told by Lindo Jong |
"A Pair of Tickets," told by Jing-mei Woo |