by Amy Tan
reviewed by Kitty Fang
At the moment I closed the book, I laughed with tears. I felt sorry for what the characters in the book have gone through while I smiled for the happy ending.
The Joy Luck Club tells stories of four immigrant mothers from China and their daughters who were born in America. The mothers came to America with the willing to get rid of their pathetic past and the hope for giving their kids a better life. They founded the joy luck club and played Mahjong, which is my favorite game and attracted me to read the book in the first place. The author did a great job talking about marriage and relationship between mothers and daughters.
I was always wondering how I should get along with my future daughter when I was reading the book. Waverly and her mother Lindo make me think of my own mother. Since I was little, my mom always makes comparisons between other kids and me. Every time I had to try harder and harder, trying to be outstanding. At that time I thought she just enjoyed the feeling of superiority, but I just realized that I was wrong. The reason why my mother compared me with others is the same as Lindo’s---- They are both proud of their daughters. There was so much misunderstanding between Lindo and Waverly, just as my mother and me. The book tells me that mothers and daughters should be understanding for each other. Now I think I have figured out the answer of the way to get along with my future daughter.
The second important theme is marriage. Marriage, the word seems to be distant to me since I am only 15. The first marriage of Lindo, which happened in ancient China, was unhappy. Women cannot choose their husband in ancient China. Indeed, how can a marriage be happy when the couples have never met before? I admire Lindo because she got out of that marriage by a trick and came to America and found her true self. I strongly disagree that wives are supposed to obey everything their husbands say. The book teaches me the right definition of love and marriage: Female and male are born to be equal. We women should have the courage to stand out for ourselves when it is needed.
Additionally, The Joy Luck Club talks about culture gap, Chinese tradition and so on. I appreciate the way the author plots. It is creative and attractive that the whole book is written in first person in different people’s views. The Joy Luck Club is such a great book that makes me want to read it again.
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