The Joy Luck Club

Rose had thought that her mother was saying “fate” when she said one had to have “faith.” How did An-Mei’s ideas of fate and faith change over time? How did they stay the same?

What were the motivations of the mothers in sending Jing-Mei to China?

In what ways does this novel encapsulate the immigrant experience in America?

How might this novel have been different if it had been about Chinese fathers and their American-born sons?

Could the woman in the opening stories at the beginning of each section be the same person? How does each story reflect a different period in the lives of the mothers in the novel?

Both the mothers and daughters attribute their miscommunication to cultural differences. Describe three instances in which generational differences also contributed to their misunderstandings.

Waverly is the only daughter in the novel who is also a mother. What lessons from her mother do you think Waverly will pass on to Shoshana?

What do you think will happen to the Joy Luck Club now that Suyuan has passed?