Joy Luck Club - Book Report

The book The Joy Luck Club was written by author Amy Tan. The book talked about the lives of four women and their daughters. One similarity in the different stories of these women is that it always talked about the struggles that the mothers had with rising their children in the U.S. Another common background that all four mothers shared was that they all came from somewhat rich families and were taught the traditional Chinese way of life instead of the American beliefs that all their daughters seems to have.

Lindo Jong was one of the mothers in The Joy Luck Club. Lindo had a strong and independent personality ever since she was just a teenager in China. At the age of twelve she was force to live with her future husband's family. She was bounded to her duties by the Huang family. Lindo did not have any freedom and she did not like that. Lindo felt like a trapped bird and wanted to get out of the life she lived. With courage Lindo tricked her way out of the life in bondage and became free. And in search of even more freedom she decided to come to the United States where she go happily married this time and had a wonderful life. Unlike Lindo Jong, An-Mei Hsu was not strong minded and rebellious. She was very obedient to her Popo and aunt. An-Mei always listened to her Popo and when Popo told her that her mother was a ghost and she was born from a goose egg she believed Popo. An-Mei had a timid personality, she always obeyed authority. When An-Mei's mother told her to come with her, she did.

When she was young Lindo struggled to fit in the Huang family. Everyday she tried to please Huang Tai Tai and her son Tyan-yu. Every time Lindo does something Huang Tai Tai always find fault in it even though there is nothing wrong. Lindo struggle until she could stand it no longer. Lindo was force into becoming self independent and in the end Lindo gained a very important experience in life, which is to depend on no one except herself and be free.

Jing-Mei Woo believed that a person should enjoy life. When she was in China during the war, Jing-Mei struggled to be happy. Jing-Mei started the Joy Luck Club to be happy. And even after she came to the U.S. Jing-Mei started the U.S. version of the Joy Luck Club so she can enjoy her life.

In conclusion, I completely understand the struggles that the four mothers and daughters went through and I think that despite their differences the mothers loved their daughters and vice versa.

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