In The Joy Luck Club, most of the transformations are accomplished through a combination of understanding and life circumstances. As the daughters in this novel grow up, their understanding of their mothers changes, transforming the mothers (at least in their eyes) from overly-concerned and embarrassing old ladies into sympathetic figures. And the circumstances that surround moving to American change the older generation in a fundamental, albeit confusing, way.
Questions About Transformation
- Who transforms in this novel? Is it all of the women? In what ways do they change?
- Why is Waverly so afraid of her mother’s comments? Isn’t her mother just pointing out the truth? (Like, Rich really does have freckles…)
- In the last chapter, Jing-mei "becomes" Chinese when she enters China. Why does she need to enter China for this to happen? Do you buy her mom’s argument that Chinese-ness can be passed down through DNA?
- What is the significance of the duck transforming into a swan?
- What are the engines of transformation in this novel.
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Waverly imbues her mother’s words with a strength they would not ordinarily have, allowing her mother’s off-hand comments to alter her perceptions and beliefs.
In The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan employs transformations primarily as a symbol of hope or, conversely, hopelessness.