Joy Luck Club

Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club brings forth many characteristics of new world and old world traditions into the reader’s sight. Old world traditions are the customs and beliefs practiced in one’s native country. The novel introduces the reader to the hardships that one encounters when the environment and the neighbors change. The American customs, or new world traditions, seem to prevail in the thoughts of the Chinese-American daughters; thus, encouraging the mothers to stress the old world traditions onto their children. The mothers also try to bring the best of both worlds to their children to make their children’s lives better. As the children mature, they realize the true worth of their Chinese heritage and try to retain to the Chinese characteristics that they have. In The Joy Luck Club, old world and new world traits are gained and lost by the characters in the novel to benefit themselves and make their strength of mind stronger.

The children in The Joy Luck Club gain many characteristics of the old world and the new world that compose new people. The novel introduces us to characters that have lost their inner soul spirits that contain their Chinese heritage. The mothers know that their Chinese traditions and language are a necessary factor in dealing with their everyday life. The mothers also know that the new American traditions are needed to succeed in their new home. The mothers encourage English speaking, but also want to preserve their Chinese language. The major new thought that is gained by the children, and the mothers is the “American Dream.” They believe that anything is possible in America, and their dreams can be fulfilled trough their children. “My mother believed you could be anything you wanted in America…You could be instantly famous.”(Tan 141). The children gain pride for their native country also; raising their self-esteem and bringing about new strength in them. People cannot be accepted in society without accepting themselves. One has to accept their heritage and have pride for their heritage for other people to respect them. The mothers in the novel try to teach this lesson to their children.

The minute our train leaves the Hong Kong border and enters Shenzhen, China, I feel different. I can feel the skin on my forehead tingling, my blood rushing through a new course, my bones aching with familiar old pain. And I think, My mother was right.