Amy Tan: An Overview of Her Works

Amy Tan is a Chinese-American who was born in Oakland, California in 1952. She has written eight well-known books that fall into three different categories. Tan is probably most well-known by her works of fiction, including: The Joy Luck Club (1989), The Kitchen God’s Wife (1991), The Hundred Secret Senses (1995), The Bonesetter’s Daughter (2001), and her newest Saving Fish From Drowning (2005). She has also written a non-fiction book called The Opposite of Fate (2003), which is a book of musings or casual essays of her life. Finally, Tan has written two children books: The Moon Lady (1992) and The Chinese Siamese Cat (1994). The Joy Luck Club was turned into a movie in 1993, and The Chinese Siamese Cat was turned into an animated television series on PBS called Sagwa.

Amy Tan is a fantastic writer who deserves this fan page, because she uses her writing to express her feelings on culture, identity, relationships, sexism, and fate to bridge the gap between Chinese and American cultures. Below is an overview of the themes found in The Joy Luck Club, The Kitchen God's Wife, and The Bonesetter's Daughter.

Mother-daughter relationships are a common theme that circulates throughout Tan’s stories. In The Joy Luck Club, Tan has four pairs of mother/daughters: Jing-Mei Woo and Suyuan Woo, Lena St. Clair and Ying-Ying St. Clair, Waverly Jong and Lindo Jong, and Rose Hsu Jordan and An-mei Hsu. Even though Jing-Mei’s mother is dead, she is able to discover who she is through the recollection of her mother’s life. Although there is conflict between some of the other mother/daughter relationships, they learn about their mothers and in the process obtain their own identity. These mother/daughter relationships closely reflect to Medea, I Stand Here Ironing, and Of Woman Born.

Identity is also an important theme in Tan’s books. Being the descendent of Chinese immigrants, most of Amy Tan’s characters are Chinese and revolve around Chinese culture. However, Tan did not want her writing to be treated just as Chinese-American culture, but also meaningful literature. Amy Tan has been known to incorporate her own personal experience into her novels. It is easy to see that Tan carries her Chinese culture into her stories, but she also uses characters that seem to reflect people in her own life, such as her mother and grandmother. It is assumed that Tan’s trip to China with mother influenced The Joy Luck Club and that her mother resembles Winnie Louie from The Kitchen God’s Wife. Tan’s grandmother is also portrayed by Precious Auntie in The Bonesetter’s Daughter.

Sexism is another theme that rotates throughout Tan’s novels. Just like in American culture, women in China are subject to sexism and oppression—a key motif in our Gender Women Studies 200 course. The Joy Luck Club reflects on some of China’s cultural values: An-mei’s mother is raped and she has to marry her rapist so that she can maintain her honor. There is a double standard, however, when her husband can marry many women and is not looked down upon. This theme is identifiable in Oppression by Marilyn Frye and The Burning Times by Starhawk.

Another theme that Amy Tan weaves into her books is self-determination and fate. The character from The Bonesetter’s Daughter, Luling, believes that since she betrayed her mother, she will be cursed for life. Comparable, in The Joy Luck Club, a character named Lindo (along with her mother and her own daughter, Waverly) is born with a crooked nose, and she believes she and her daughter will not have good fortune. This is similar to The Bluest Eye, in the fact that Pecola and her mother both believe they are ugly and just accept it as fate—they do not have or believe in self-determination. However, Waverly ends up being successful and understands that not everything is dependent on fate. Amy Tan includes in her stories that even though fate can be real, it is up to everyone to make their own decisions and not have an external locus of control.

I was only able to read a few of her books, but she has many more to choose from. I definitely recommend Amy Tan's novels if you would like a culturally diverse and interesting book. Personally, I thought they were pretty easy reads and once finals are over (and I am less busy) I will read her newest book, Saving Fish From Drowning. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to ask any questions!

Sources:
The Joy Luck Club. New York: Putnam's, 1989.
The Kitchen God's Wife. New York: Putnam, 1991.
The Bonesetter's Daughter. New York: G.P. Putnam's, 2001.
Academy of Achievment. "Amy Tan Biography -- Academy of Achievement." Academy of Achievement Main Menu. 25 Apr. 2005. .