In Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, mother and daughter relationships are put to the test. Four women meet to play a game of Chinese mahjong, keeping a tradition alive. Suyuan Woo, founder of the club, had a daughter named Jing Mei June Woo. Suyuan had two daughters which she expected both to succeed to her standards. June, however, struggled to please her mother in all she did, and never felt as if she had any worth. Their relationship becomes distant due to miscommunications. Asian culture and expectations weigh heavily on Suyuan’s mind as she worries about the path her daughter takes, one that is untraditional and looked down upon. June finally understands her mother, after it is too late. Secrets and traditions can either tear apart or build up a relationship.
Suyuan Woo had a hard life growing up. She gives birth to two girls, but is forced to leave them in China, where she grew up. She goes onto live in America, where she marries and has June and Waverly. The secret of her twin daughters remains hidden to her daughters, until the time is right. Suyuan kept a jade pendant necklace in hopes to one day give it to her
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See, I wore this on my skin, so when you put it on your skin, then you know my meaning. This is your life's importance."(Tan 235) June did not care for it at, at first. After her mother's passing, however, the pendant meant much more to her. Although June never was as successful as her mother had hoped she’d be, her mother was very proud and believed that she had a good heart. June finally understood her mother’s intentions in her parenting. Suyuan wanted June to realize her internal worth, rather than monetary and academic success or fame. Suyuan had to grasp that her daughter wasn’t a traditional Asian girl with traditional goals for her life. She was June, and she was