The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Character Scorecard
Add to the descriptions of each of these characters as you read more of the story. These notes will be very helpful in your essays.
Mothers:
Suyuan Woo
An-mei Hsu
Lindo Jong
Ying-ying St. Clair
Daughters:
Jing-mei “June” Woo
Rose Hsu Jordan
Waverly Jong
Lena St. Clair
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Vocabulary One
Li: Chinese measure of distance
mah jong: Asian gambling game that uses colored titles
cerebral aneurysm: an abnormal dilation in a blood vessel in the brain, usually an artery, that often leads to death.
Kweilin: city in China
Kuomintang: the Chinese government before the Communist revolution
The Red Candle
betrothed - engaged
chamber pot - portable toilet bowl which would be emptied and cleaned by servants
The Moon Lady
amah - nurse (in Asia) (often used in The New York Times crossword puzzle)
presumptuous - acting above one’s station or position in life; taking liberties
Name______Trials IV
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Worksheet One
What are the woman’s greatest hopes in the story on the first page:
How has the initial narrator(Jing-mei Woo)’s life recently changed?
How and when did the families in this book (the Woos, Hsus, Jongs, St. Clairs) meet?
What was it like in Kweilin when Suyuan Woo arrived there? Can you figure out why?
What was the Joy Luck Club and why did Suyuan Woo begin it originally?
How does Suyuan answer the charge that these meetings were inappropriate?
Why did Suyuan leave Kweilin? Describe her trip and what happened?
How have the Joy Luck Club meetings changed over the years?
Describe the relationship between Suyuan and her daughter Jing-mei, citing evidence.
Describe the relationship between Suyuan Woo and Lindo (Lin) Jong, citing evidence.
Describe the overall interrelationships during the mah jong game.
What important piece of information do the “Aunties” impart to Jing-mei?
What do the Aunties do for Jing-mei?
What do the Aunties really want Jing-mei to do? Why?
Why is this a problem for Jing-mei?
What does this represent for the Aunties? (This is the central conflict of this book).
Name______Trials IV Due Monday, Sept. 26
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Worksheet 1b Scar
What was An-Mei’s grandmother like? Provide evidence.
How was An-Mei’s mother regarded by the family while An-Mei was growing up? Why? Provide evidence.
Describe the atmosphere of An-Mei’s upbringing including specific evidence.
Why did An-Mei’s mother return? What sort of reception did she receive?
How did An-Mei get the scar on her neck? What were the circumstances?
What did An-Mei’s grandmother do to urge An-Mei’s recovery? What do you think of this strategy?
What did An-Mei’s mother do to try to help her own mother recover? What does this tell you about her?
Name______Trials IVDue Thursday, Sept. 29
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Worksheet 1c The Red Candle
What is Lindo Jong concerned about at the beginning of her narration? Cite specific evidence.
How was Lindo’s marriage arranged? What was her husband like?
What were mother’s-in-law looking for in their future daughters-in-law in China?
What was Lindo’s childhood like and why? Under what circumstances did she go to her husband’s family?
How was Lindo treated by her husband’s family when she moved in with them? Be specific.
What was odd about Lindo’s wedding? How did Lindo change on that day?
What happened on Lindo’s wedding night? How was this significant? Why was it falsely reported?
How did Lindo escape her marriage? Be specific. What specific qualities does this story demonstrate about Lindo?
Name______Trials IV Due Monday, October 2
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Worksheet 1d The Moon Lady
What is Ying-Ying St. Clair concerned about at the beginning of her story?
How does Ying-ying’s upbringing compare to those of the women telling the previous tales? Provide evidence.
Describe the relationship between Ying-ying and her amah.
What trouble did Ying-ying get into at the festival?
What happened to Ying-ying when the fireworks went off? What new type of experience did this lead to for her?
What other stories in our culture does the story of the Moon Lady remind you of? Why?
What evidence is there in this and the other stories of how girls and women are treated and brought up differently than boys and men in China in this period?
What was Ying-ying’s wish for the Moon Lady? Why didn’t she get to ask it? What does this and the whole story tell us about Ying-ying’s character?