Joy Luck Club Quotes

Generations are like Balboa High School. They both pass down and preserve traditions while having new innovations. A generation holds different characters which creates different identities that make us all distinct. In the book Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, the book’s main plot revolves around experiences from Asian mothers and their daughters that learn from past generations. The daughters get influenced and taught valuable knowledge from their mothers which they will bring with them in their journey of life. The daughter’s character shows similarities from their mothers and symbolizes the mother’s guidance and advice which gets passed down to their character. Furthermore, the character traits of the daughters show resemblance from their mothers.

In the story, Lindo talks about her life with Waverly and explains her experience after being forced into a pre-planned marriage. At first she is sad about her destiny being chosen for her but then she says “I was strong. I was pure. I had genuine thoughts inside that no one could see, that no one could ever take away from me. I was like the wind.” (Tan,53). This quote shows Lindo wielding the power of the wind and using it to realize who she truly is. She keeps her parents promise, but at the same time she still knows deep down in her heart who she really is. This newfound strength Lindo reveals is passed on to her daughter. At the beginning of the chapter, her daughter Waverly explains the same invisible wind power that her mom had taught her. She says “I was six when my mom taught me the art of invisible strength. It was a strategy for winning arguments, respect from others, and eventually, though neither of us knew it at the time, chess games.”. This quote shows that Waverly uses the same strength her mother uses and applies it to her life. This invisible power she earns will help guide her in the

After Waverly has earned a name for herself becoming a professional chess player, Lindo shows off and tells everyone about Waverly’s success. However, Waverly doesn’t approve of her mom showing off and sees it as a sign of embarrassment. She says “I wish you wouldn't do that, telling everybody I’m your daughter… It’s just so embarrassing.”(Tan,101) This quote shows that Waverly and Lindo have different points of view and misunderstand each other as Waverly thinks that Lindo’s showing off embarrasses her. The conversation continues as the Mother questions her. Then, Waverly argues back, saying “Why do you have to use me to show off? If you want to show off, then why don’t you learn to play chess?” (Tan,101). This quote explains her frustration for her mother, and further signifies how she disagrees with her mother and doesn’t want her to show off. Lindo’s past experience of obeying her mom is not passed down to Waverly as she gets into an argument with her mother. This shows that the strength of Lindo is not inherited by