Summary:
The Joy Luck Club was written in 1989, a time of great change in the world. It was during this time that the once powerful ideals of communism had begun to collapse with the fall of the Berlin Wall. The capitalist western society had been at its peak with great power and influence in the world.
The Joy Luck Club
Summary of the Story: The novel delves into the complicated relationship between 4 Chinese immigrant mothers and their first generation American born daughters. The novel alternates from the shocking lives of the mothers in pre-Revolutionary China to the complex and chaotic life of the daughters in twentieth century San Francisco.
Context: The Joy Luck Club was written in 1989, a time of great change in the world. It was during this time that the once powerful ideals of communism had begun to collapse with the fall of the Berlin Wall. The capitalist western society had been at its peak with great power and influence in the world. Though the Berlin Wall had fallen, another barrier was raised in the form of the 'bamboo curtain' which had hid China and much of the eastern world behind it in a shroud of mystery. As a result, very little of China was known to western society. They had believed in farfetched tales and bizarre beliefs of the east. China was seen as a distant, strange and inferior in comparison to America. It was also seen during this time that a new movement had begun. The feminist movement had gained momentum and could not be stopped. Strong and intelligent women were uncovered and fought for the equality of sexes and better treatment of women.
Purpose: Amy Tan's purpose in writing The Joy Luck Club was to show western society the culture and tradition of China. At the time most of the books being published involved western society and culture with almost none showing the eastern world or perspective. Tan had thus written The Joy Luck Club in an attempt to unveil the bamboo curtain and teach western society of the traditions and culture of China through the novel.
Due to the 'bamboo curtain' there were various viewpoints of China. As a result, it was extremely difficult for people to emigrate from China to America. Tan had wanted to highlight this difficulty through the various trials the Chinese mothers had endured in the novel. This can especially be seen in Jing-mei who had faced numerous ordeals in immigrating to America.
Readings
Feminist: The Joy Luck Club conveys strong feminist ideals. Tan describes the harsh treatment of the Chinese women in the patriarchal society of China against the similarly unfair treatment of the daughters in America. In both cases though, the women rise up against the oppression and obtain strength and freedom. The intelligence and strength of the female characters such as Lindo Jong clearly represent the strong women of feminism. Lindo was forced in to a marriage and had no choice but to comply. She was ill treated by her new family and had very few rights and freedoms. However, Lindo was able to escape as she began to "think as an independent person" and planned to escape the marriage without breaking her promise to her family. Through her strength, determination and intelligence she was able to escape to a better and free life. Lindo's story clearly represents the principle ideas of feminism; independence. As Lindo had begun to think as an "independent person" she portrays the growing independence of women due to feminism.
The Joy Luck Club also deals with more modern feminist issues such as that of contraception. The relationship between Lena and her husband, Harold show the inequality in modern day society. Lena and Harold attempt to be equal by sharing the costs of everything. However, Harold does not believe that he should pay for "things that have gray borders, like the birth control pills." The birth control pill was seen as a symbol of independence and freedom by the feminist movement. As Harold had refused to share the costs of the birth control pill, he clearly portrays the chauvinistic views at the time. Both Lena and Harold believe their relationship is equal but it clearly is not. It is seen that "Harold makes seven times more than what" Lena makes. This clearly portrays the unfair income earned by men and women. Though both Lena and Harold have the same occupation, Harold, a man still makes more than Lena.
Another strong woman in the novel is Rose. Rose was in a marriage where she was the subservient and stereotypical wife who cleaned, cooked and would do anything for her husband .she did so throughout most of the marriage but in the end it was a divorce. Though she had sacrificed so much of her life for him, it meant almost nothing to him. Rose shows the change in women with the rise of the feminist movement. Though she was weak and subservient in the marriage she had in the end become stronger and stood up and fought for herself. She finally told her husband that he "can't just pull me out of your life and throw me away... the power of my words was that strong." Rose's story clearly portrays the changing roles and attitudes of women due to the rise of the feminist movement. The subservient and stereotypical housewife has given way to the strong, free and independent woman.
Biographical: Much of The Joy Luck Club was based on the life of Amy Tan. It is possible to see the many similarities between the characters, events and her.
An-mei's story is based on the story of Tan's own grandmother. When her grandmother was a young woman, she was raped by a man and force into concubinage. However, she had eventually taken her life away through the swallowing of raw opium. An-mei had a similar situation where her mother "awoke to find him touching her beneath her undergarments...he grabbed her hair and threw her on the floor" and was raped by the wealthy man, Wu Tsing and had no other choice than to become his concubine. An-mei's mother could "see how this life was" and told her daughter that "you cannot eat enough of this bitterness" and had swallowed raw opium and died to offer her daughter a better life.
Jing-mei's story was also based on a similar situation in Tan's life. Tan's mother was forced into a feudal marriage but had been able to escape from her abusive husband. But at the time, leaving her husband without divorce was seen as a criminal act and my mother had also left for another man, making it even worse. Together with Tan's father they escaped to America where she was consequently captured and thrown into jail. Eventually she was able to escape to California but was unable to send her three daughters in China to America. They were trapped behind the 'bamboo curtain' and it was thirty years later that they were able to meet.
Western Social Criticism: It is obvious from a western social criticism that The Joy Luck Club was merely Amy Tan's attempt to make a profit. The Joy Luck Club was one of the few novels published in the time to feature eastern characters, traditions and culture. However, the aspects featured were typical views of the western reader. The novel confirmed what the western reader had thought of China as being an inferior and barbaric nation. Tan had portrayed China negatively in the novel. This can be seen throughout all of the stories of the novel. Tan writes "you could be anything you wanted to be in America. You could open a restaurant. You could work for the government and get good retirement. You could buy a house with almost no money down. You could become rich. You could become instantly famous." From these words it can be seen that America is a superior nation and a land of opportunity. Furthermore, Tan had written, "I wasn't her slave. This wasn't China." Jing-mei had felt that the strict treatment from her mother was unfair as it was a typical attitude in China. This emphasizes the barbaric and inferior nature of China in comparison to America. Tan also describes the superior America in the first preamble. Tan writes "In America I will have a daughter just like me. But over there nobody will say her worth is measured by the loudness of her husband's belch. Over there nobody will look down on her." Tan reinforces the idea that America is a superior nation with freedom, rights and equality.
This is the complete article, containing 1,380 words
(approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page).
