Generational trauma

Understanding the theme of generational trauma is crucial to comprehending the plot of Joan is Okay as a whole. As a child, Joan struggles against the weight of her parents’ expectations for their new life in America. In adulthood, her trauma manifests into an obsession with control. Fang and Tami are two characters that also struggle with generational trauma.

Joan often talks about how her parents berated her. In reference to Sue’s never-ending criticism she says, “A pessimist, a constant speculator. Had she known what America was like, she might not have immigrated. Had she not been an immigrant, she might have enjoyed being a mom. Raising you took off half my life, [Sue] would say. You’re living proof of where that half went” (34). Sue’s frequent complaints about her wasted youth inadvertently instilled a sense of guilt in Joan for simply being...