Joy Luck Club Sacrifice

The true love between a mother and daughter is selfless and drives them to make sacrifices for one another. This is especially true in the novel The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan as it depicts the stories and sacrifices between four Chinese immigrant mothers and their Americanized daughters. The sacrifices between Suyuan and June, Lindo and her mother, and An-Mei and her mother are described through the literary elements of conflict, characters, and symbols. Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club explores the idea that sacrifices should be made between a mother and daughter relationship to create a deeper connection, thus allowing the daughter to recognize their mother and their worth. The characters face various conflicts throughout their lives. The mother

An-Mei’s mother sacrificing her spirit to provide An-Mei with a stronger one demonstrates the love and care a mother has for their daughter while also showing that she is aware of her own weak spirit. These traits help An-Mei feel grateful for her mother’s kindness as she finds her own voice within her mother’s weak. The traits that Suyuan, Lindo, and An-Mei’s mother demonstrate allow them to unify themselves with their daughters and mothers. The symbols in The Joy Luck Club develop a deeper understanding of what it is to sacrifice in a mother-daughter relationship. Suyuan’s sacrifice unravels an important symbol in the novel, especially for her twin daughters. “..because [Suyuan’s twin daughters] remembered the names written on the back of an old photo, a photo of a young man and woman they still honored,...” (165). Suyuan sacrifices her valuables and pictures with her twin babies during the Japanese Invasion. After many years, her picture became an important symbol for the daughters as it is all they have of their mother. Despite never meeting Suyuan, they still share a deep connection through the image that holds Suyuan’s