The joy luck club
The joy luck clubThe Joy Luck Club is the stories of four families that migrated from mainland China in the last generation. It is the story of four mother-daughter relationships in the United States and the story of the four mothers’ lives in a repressive and sexist Chinese society. These stories are told in such a manner that illuminates the contrasts between the Chinese and American cultures.
Each mother’s story shows the hardship placed on women in a country bound by ancient traditions. They are traditions that are particularly hard on women, giving them little choice as to their fate. In the mother-daughter stories, each daughter faces, and of course overcomes, problems caused by freedom from the pre-set roles of the old country. So each of these stories is also about the changes that go on in a family adapting to a new way of life. I think these stories are representative of the difficulties experienced by real life families as they go through the process of assimilation.
The four women, Suyan, Lindo, Ying Ying, and An Mei came to America many years ago to escape the social and political turmoil in China. Now, however, Suyan has died and the three other members of the club invite her daughter June to take her place. June belongs to the new generation, to those of Chinese heritage who grew up speaking English and learning American customs. Also of this new generation are Waverly, Lindo’s daughter; Lena, Ying Ying’s daughter; and Rose, An Mei’s daughter. The Joy Luck Club revolves around these characters and tells of the varied difficulties and tragedies involved in these mother/daughter relationships.
The movie opens with a gathering. Friends have gotten together in a celebration. Several families...
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