Nick Lancellotti

The Joy Luck Club

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Reading this book, I was reminded of how much I admire and respect Chinese culture and the deep wisdom and myth that accompany it. After having the pleasure of reading another one of Amy Tan’s books, The Hundred Secret Senses, I have found her style of writing to be quite enjoyable and easy to follow. Completing the first 83 pages of The Joy Luck Club, I found her four-way story approach to be a little confusing to follow as a unit, but individually I felt each story to be absolutely beautiful in both writing and message. At the same time, I do somewhat appreciate the Love, Actually-style storyline and I am anticipating the moment when all the separate sections collapse into one and layer themselves into a stunning conclusion.

One of the reasons why I have grown to love reading books that include Chinese culture is because of the abundance of proverbial messages and life lessons that permeate the stories. The metaphors used to describe certain circumstances and situations I believe to be very relatable and useful, even to people not of Chinese ethnicity. This book certainly is no exception to this pattern. One of the most powerful themes can be found at the very end of the “Red Candle” chapter. Lindo Jong has just finished telling her story of the arranged marriage and how she came to escape her terrible predicament. She admits how glad she was to have been rid of all the gold and silver jewelry that Huang Taitai showered her with, revealing that she was then profuse with the metal element, which causes one to become burdened with dependence; consequently a lack of metal causes one to “think as an independent person” (59). She then continues, after finishing her story, to say that at the same day each year, on the Festival of Pure Brightness, she removes her elaborate clothing and gold bracelets to preserve the memory of that day. She exclaims, “How nice it is to be that girl again, to take off my scarf, to see what is underneath and feel the lightness come back into my body!” (63). This is very symbolic of society today, and the fact that an excess of metal is considered to hamper one’s independence is even more prophetic to modern times. Metal, of course, is a symbol for wealth, and copious amounts of it create a person who is dependent on it and its benefits.  These people are so consumed with maintaining the image of prosperity that they ultimately lose their individual prosperity. They may be wealthy, but they are slaves, held captive in gold chains that mock and jab at their conscience. Those who are not wealthy or possess modest funds are not tied to their money, that is, they are not concerned with being looked upon as being of a higher status, for it does not matter. Such people live their lives with humility and work day after day just to get by, but they have more happiness than all the gold in the world can buy. America is a very prosperous nation, but it needs to wake up to the fact that many of the rich are dead; they have spiritually died. No more do they feel the pleasures of simplicity, rather they seek “aggressive” entertainment. Take The Great Gatsby for example, where Tom and Daisy are so bored with their lives because they have already done everything and seen everything and tasted everything that the world can offer. Their enormous wealth has caused them to experience a life’s worth of pleasure in just a few years. Now, they feel empty with a hole that cannot be satisfied, and consent to sitting idly while they dream of what has come to pass. These are the people who have died. They are emotionally barren and squandered of all desire. In comparison, those who are less fortunate can experience life’s pleasures sparingly and with great distance between episodes, so that the exhilaration of the one before can last all the way to the second. These people are not bored, but excitedly anticipate life’s next great adventure.