The+Joy+Luck+Club



=The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan=

Brief synopsis of chapters Waverly Jong: "Rules of the Game" and Jing-mei Woo: "Two Kinds" -- about two young girls, (and daughters of Chinese immigrants), that are cousins growing up in San Fransico's Chinatown. Both girls struggle to find their individuality and independence from the constant demands and ambitious expectations of their mothers. Waverly enjoys the recognition and local fame as a national chess champion, but resents her mother's boastful self-pride in her personal accomplishments. Jing-mei's mother refuses to allow her daughter to be anything less than perfect, but her persistence causes Jing-mei to find solace in mediocrity.

Challenging Theme - Gender equity and realizing the American Dream
The conflicts that arise between mother and daughter represent the mothers' desire for their daughters to rise above their own meager existences and truly live the American dream. Gender oppression and societal sexism are powerful themes in this book. As the mothers try desparately to save their daughters from the same oppressive fates, they, in turn, become the oppressors.
 * Overview**

Ask students to think about gender stereotypes. What words come to mind when you thnk about the male gender? What words or thoughts come to mind when you think about the female gender? Allow the students to develop their lists individually, and then share them aloud with the class; the teacher making note of each comment. After everyone has shared at least one idea, ask the students if these assumptions about gender are true in all cases? Are these stereotypes accurate depictions of the respective genders? Now have the students consider how these stereotypes foster negativity, ignorance and biases. For homework, have the students reflect on the minimalized representations of their gender and how they felt about being reduced from an individual to a gender stereotype. Have the students connect the ideas of gender equity to the realization of the American dream for the female characters in the //Joy Luck Club// by Amy Tan. The students should be able to develop reasons and rationale for the root of the conflicts between mothers and daughters and their pursuit of the American dream.
 * Ways to teach the theme**

1. Are there equal opportunities for both men and women to achieve the American dream? What advantages might one gender have over the other? 2. What methods do the women in these stories use gain power? What are the positive and negative aspects of these methods? 3. Identify the primary mother/daughter confilcts in the story, their similarities and their differences. How do these conflicts prove both destructive and constructive to the intimate relationship and bond between mother and daughter? 4. How are the daughters in //Joy Luck Club// American "translations" of their mothers? 5. Are the use of stories, rather than direct statements, a more or less effective way of communicating with the readers? Do the stories possess a communicative power that normal speech would lack? Explain your answer.
 * Discussion Questions**

[|http://cliffnotes.com]. -- Cliffnotes online is an excellent learning aid for students -- providing summaries, charater anaylsis, themes, plots, and other important elements of the text. [|http://amazon.com]. -- Amazon can be used as an additional learning aid and resource for literature students. [|http://sparknotes.com]. -- Sparknotes proves a powerful resource for students and teachers alike. Teachers can utilize suggested essay topics and study question, while students can improve their comprehension by referencing thorough and insightful evaluations of the text. [|http://readthinkwrite.com]. -- a great site to find teaching ideas, lesson plans, and grade level specific activities.
 * Suggested links/resources**