Tolog Review:The Joy Luck Club

The Joy Luck Club
by Amy Tan
reviewed by Leah Rassam

Family is a lifestyle. It involves your culture, the people that surround you, and what you believe in. The Joy luck Club by Amy Tan constructs the idea of what defines a family and what it represents.

Eight ladies tell stories of either living in China or living in America as a Chinese-American. The greater emphasis is on the symbolism of the relationship between a mother and daughter. The stories in the novel are written from the point of view from four mothers and their four daughters. The stories are not necessarily sequential. I would read one story in the middle of the book and then skip to the back and read a story there. Though the book is made up of different short stories, they are all connected through the same message of the importance of culture and relationships. It was interesting to read through the eyes of the mother and then again from the vantage point of the daughter. The novel can be related to fables. Tan makes a statement through each of her fictional stories that teaches a lesson, often one learned from her relationship with her mother. 

The book contains the culture and tradition of the Chinese and the Americans. It was well written and symbolic. The short stories within the novel connect and progress to form a message about the bond between a mother and a daughter. Although each family is Chinese, they have different ways of conversing with each other. Some of the mothers and daughters understand each other, while others do not. The stories from each pair of mothers and daughters are similar and have messages that relate to one another, such as the fact that some mothers and daughters do not communicate well, but still find ways to love each other. 

Everyone has his or her own belief system. This is constructed from numerous things, including religion. A daughter describes her experience with God. She conveys how her mother’s faith in God never falters until the day she loses her little brother. The mother carried a small Bible with her wherever she went. Then after the loss of the child she no longer read it, but rather used it as a shim to keep a table balanced. Everyday the daughter watched as her mom acted as if the Bible was not there. Secretly she knew her mother still thought about it because it was never dirty, even though it was on the floor. 

Amy Tan defines family through the relationship of a mother and daughter. The stories encompass examples that show cultural influences, a mother-daughter bond, and a belief system. No matter who you are or where you come from, these ideas of love are universal and can be felt by families all around the world.