Ling, Amy. Between Worlds: New York: Rockefeller
Fellow; 1990. Chapter 4, Focus on America: Seeking a Self and a Place;
p 104-105, 132-141.
Amy Ling adds a different twist in the mother-daughter relationships found
in The Joy Luck Club by analyzing humor. Although the humor is limited,
it exists, and Ling discusses the significance of this humor. She specifically
notes the story of Lindo and Waverly when Lindo speaks about her home town
of Taiyuan. Waverly thinks she said Taiwan. Lindo becomes angered that
her daughter would say she was from Taiwan. This humor is a strong addition
to the otherwise serious plot.
Another aspect of the mother-daughter relationships that Ling analyzes
is the importance of Amy Tan's history. She concludes that Tan's background
had an effect on the way she developed her characters. Ling discusses how
Tan pulls memories from her past and her relationship with her mother as
a basis for the character development of the mothers in the story.
Amy Ling's Between Worlds is a very useful source if one is looking
for information on mother-daughter relationships in The Joy Luck Club.
What makes her book different from others is the fact that she discusses
how outside forces, such as Amy Tan's past, can impact character development.
The book was very reliable because it discussed subject matters other than
just what the characters were like. I found the book to be very useful
in guiding me to learn why the characters were developed the way they were.
Huntley, E.D. "Amy Tan: A Critical Companion."
Criticism.
New
York:
Rockefeller Fellow, 1998. 43-47.
Huntley discusses how the past influences the mother-daughter relationships
in The Joy Luck Club. He particularly compares the ethnic ties that
the mothers received from their parents and their attempt to pass them
down to the daughters in the book. These attempts to familiarize the children
with some ethnic ties is, for the most part, unsuccessful. Some differences
between the generations of mother and daughter include how the mothers
married at a young age to "men who did not appreciate them" (47). The mothers
also dealt with war, poverty, and starvation.
Huntley refers to the expectations the mothers have for their daughters,
particularly emphasizing the Chinese culture they wish to include in their
American lives. This "ignorance of personal forces and private demons drives
their mothers" (47). He also discusses the actual language barrier that
exits between the mothers and daughters. The daughters speak perfect American
English, whereas the mothers "stumble over English words that they have
never learned to pronounce" (47). This barrier adds drama to the existing
tension between the mothers and daughters.
E.D. Huntley's book was very informative and contained much information
about mother-daughter relationships in The Joy Luck Club. This book
specifically dealt with generation differences and the ethnic ties that
existed between the mothers and daughters in this novel. I found that it
was more difficult to navigate through the information in this book than
others due to the extensive amount of information it contained. Overall,
I found Huntley's book informative and useful.
Twentieth
Century Studies
Hamilton, Patricia L. "Feng Shui,
Astrology, and the Five Elements: Traditional Chinese Belief in Amy Tan's
The
Joy Luck Club." Studies in Twentieth Century Literature 24 (1997):
125-128.
Hamilton's essay refers to astrology and the impact astrology has on the
mothers and daughters in The Joy Luck Club. Lindo Jong is a horse and "destined
to be obstinate and frank to the point of tactlessness" (128). Waverly,
who is a rabbit, notes these characteristics of her mother and confirms
that they are accurate. Rabbits are described as "sensitive, with tendencies
toward being thin-skinned and skittery at the first sign of criticism"
(128). These very different views and characteristics place blame on astrology
for difficulties in Lindo Jong and Waverley's relationship.
Hamilton also discusses the different roles the daughters play. They need
to be both the "dutiful Chinese daughter" (126) and "American career Woman"
(127). These various duties are executed in an unusual way. Instead of
turning toward their mothers for help, they distance themselves from them
and reject traditions their mothers pass down to them.
Patricia Hamilton's argument that astrology impacted mother-daughter relationships
in The Joy Luck Club validated the idea that outside forces could
affect relationships. The study was thorough and deeply examined astrology
as a reason for tension between mothers and daughters in Tan's novel. The
source was easy to look through and simple to pin point specific instances
where astrology could be the blame for some problems in mother-daughter
relationships.
Xu, Ben. "Memory and the Ethnic Self: Reading
Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club." Multi Ethnic Literature of the United States
1994; 19 no. 1: 3-17.
Xu discusses the mother’s memory of their past and their ethnicity. He
brings up a particular story of when Lindo Jong gives Waverley “a small
tablet of red jade which held the sun’s fire” (10). Waverly does not believe
it brings her luck. She believes her accomplishes are based on her intelligence
and skill. Lindo believes “it is just tricks” (10).
Another instance that Xu discusses is the traditional role of Chinese mothers.
They are considered more authoritarian, defensive, and hesitant than American
mothers. This difference also impacts the way Chinese mothers raise their
children and in turn how their children react to their mothers and the
American culture they are surrounded by. An important aspect of the mother-daughter
relationships in The Joy Luck Club is seen when the daughters finally
realize their mothers are only trying to help them and accept their knowledge
and wisdom.
This book was very helpful in informing readers about ethnicity and the
different beliefs the mothers and daughters had about their culture. Xu
pointed out differences between Chinese and American mothers, which allowed
his audience to relate more directly to the characters in the novel. Overall,
the source was effective in discussing ethnic ties which are passed down
from one generation to another.
Shear, Walter. “Generational Differences and
the Diaspora in The Joy Luck Club.” Studies in Contemporary Fiction. 1993;
34 no. 3: 193-199.
Walter
Shear argues two very different but important aspects of mother-daughter
relationships in The Joy Luck Club. First, he reflects on the wishes
the mothers have for their children and how the daughters respond to these
wishes and expectations. Second, Shear discusses the characteristics and
mannerisms that are passed down from mother to daughter generation after
generation. These traditions impact the way the mother and daughter react
to one another.
Shear brings up a particular story of when Waverly Jong recalls how her
mother taught her “the art of invisible strength” (194). Another characteristic
that Lindo wishes to pass on to Waverly is Chinese character. She decides
that having American circumstances and Chinese character is the best combination
for her daughter. This characteristic is not freely accepted by Waverly
and causes tension between her and her mother.
This source was effective in supplying readers the knowledge about what
expectations the mothers had for their daughters in The Joy Luck Club.
Shear discusses aspects of mother-daughter relationships that other sources
do not. These aspects, including what the mothers wish for their daughters,
can be seen in everyday life, allowing audiences to connect to the individuals
in The Joy Luck Club. These expectations are not limited to Chinese
mothers, and that makes the source very real and understandable.
Heung, Marina. “Daughter-Text/Mother-Text:
Matrilineage in Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club.” Feminist Studies 1993;
19 no. 3: 597-613.
Heung argues an issue that is not widely discussed in the other journals
and books, the relationships between the mothers in The Joy Luck Club
and their mothers. Her recap of their background and parental figures gives
light to why the mothers may act the way they do to their daughters. She
mentions the story of Lindo Jong’s childhood and first marriage. An important
feature of this story is the fact that her parents had arranged for her
to be married at the age of two.
Lindo
bestows a very different attitude on Waverley than her mother bestowed
on her. Lindo recalls that her mother did not see the changes in her face
over the years. This memory is confronted again with her daughter Waverly
when Mr. Rory is cutting Lindo’s hair. They see Waverly and Lindo’s reflection
in the mirror and admire their similarities and changes in face. The final
characteristic that Heung discusses is how Lindo acknowledges that Waverly
is not completely Chinese. She states that “inside-she is all American-made”
(603).
Marina Heung's study is a very useful source when looking for information
on mother-daughter relationships in The Joy Luck Club. Her study
reflects more on the relationship the mothers had with their mothers rather
than the mother-daughter couples seen in the book. The source was reliable
because it brought up many examples from the story. The study was helpful
in providing me information about the mothers in Tan's novel.
Last Updated:
December 8, 2002
