For writer Amy Tan, there is a lot of baggage that comes with being a Chinese-American. It isn't just one society acclimating into another. It's far from the truth. In order to understand what informs the motivations of one generation involves looking back at the first, the one who immigrated to America with hope of having better opportunities. What she finds is that even when changing cultures from China's collectivist mentality to America's individual go-getter. No matter how different things may seem, it's about navigating both worlds and doing their best to make sense of them. By the end, it creates one of the best stories about the personal identity of a culture in flux between old ways and new in a time when women have more opportunities than ever. What unites them is a common heritage, and it's important to never forget that.
There isn't actually a protagonist in "The Joy Luck Club." If there's anything that draws the readers in, it's the titular club. The name comes from the belief that their coming together will bring joy and luck based on their bountiful meals. It all ties to when they first came to America and ate such lavish meals in a time where others didn't have those options. Their great unity was escaping the trying times of China in favor of something safer. Sure, it meant always being seen as an outsider, not always understanding the English language to properly communicate with others. Even then they find themselves drawn to practice their spirituality and traditions because it gives their lives purpose.
Throughout the many stories, there is this combining of the old and new ways of living. The older generation chronicles the lives of their family as they moved to America, discovering how difficult things would be. The younger are more open and less conservative, exploring how their lives of climbing up the business ladder and falling in love differed from the past. Any elder family members may dispense wisdom, but it comes with this rejection of the new way. It's in part because they have a familiarity with the Chinese culture, whereas the younger ones American. The constant push and pull result in fascinating looks at how each side of the family informs the other.
It's a delicious book as well. Tan fills every chapter not only with entertaining stories and allegories but with the various meals that informed those moments. There is this sense that while many of their struggles may be misunderstood by the others, they have this shared love of food. Food was their one comfort that brought everyone together even when problems arose. This was because it showed the communal, of two generations coming together to understand what made their lives have value. It's where they shared stories, played games, and realized that no matter what else happened in this world, they always had this.
Throughout the book, there is this incredible look into a culture that hasn't been as recognized in American literature. Even in the stories where nothing more than a simple romance happens, there is a specificity to everything that makes the Chinese culture feel more accessible than they had been at any other time. You understood their plight as well as how kooky their elders could be when having to deal with situations they don't understand. As much as the worlds they inhabit may differ from conventions, they aren't treated as exotic. They're given normalcy that transcends culture and understands the place of women in the changing world. They're no longer just wives, able to have agency and fend for themselves. It's in these moments where their insecurities about trudging a new path alone begin to feel more real, of revealing the need for spirituality and guidance. It's the way that identity is fully understood, and therein lies Tan's brilliance.
"The Joy Luck Club" may play more like a series of essays, but together they have one of the most touching looks at the family through two very different generations. By focusing on immigrant parents and their children as young adults, it manages to find depth and heart within the struggles that they face. No matter how small things may seem, having a loved one there to guide them or a tradition to ground them, it's all-important to understanding their place in the world. For the first time, the customs feel accessible to outside readers, presenting them not as exotic rituals, but as the behavior we all take in, wanting to become better people. This is a great start to an even better writing career and one that does plenty to make you see struggles as these small learning moments that don't have to be hard. They could also be endearing and beautiful so long as there's something deeper resonating in everyone.
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