In the novel, The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan, it tells of four Chinese women drawn together in San Francisco to play mah jong, and tell stories of the past. These four women and their families all lived in Chinatown and belong to the First Chinese Baptist Church. They were not necessarily religious, but found They could improve their home China. This is how the woo’s, the Hsu’s, the Jong’s and the St Clair’s met in 1949.
The first member of the Joy Luck Club to die was Suyuan Woo. Her daughter, Jing-mei “June” Woo, is asked to sit in and take her mother’s place at playing mah jong. Memories of the past are shared by the three women left, An-mei Hsu, Lindo Jong and Ying-ying St Clair. June Woo learns of the real secret her mother carried to her grave from her mother’s friends. The twin baby girls, her half sisters, Suyuan pushed in a Wheelbarrow as she escaped from the Japanese. Due to sickness, Suyuan can no longer carry her babies, and is forced to leave them on the side of the road. She lives her whole life not knowing if they are alive or dead.
In the book, the Woo’s left for America to build a better life for themselves. Suyuan Woo wanted to have a daughter like herself, and no one would look down on her. It was important that she speak perfect English and hopefully not share in the same tragedies and sorrows she had known.
The movie brought this concept out very vividly. You were able to imagine the time and place and the emotions of the characters. Their anger in the early years, how women and children were treated as possessions. The book spoke of Rose Hsu Jordan, daughter of An-mei Hsu, who had seven brothers and sisters. A very tragic time in her life when her brother Bing drowns at age 1 while she was in charge of watching him.
The movie does not touch upon this tragic event and brings out the rich family Rose marries into, and the instant rejection from her boyfriends mother. Rose unhappiness in her marriage with Tod, is similar to the unhappiness her mother had throughout her life.
Lindo Jong was a special character in the book , referring to promises she made to her mother as a young girl, and keeping them throughout her life.
Gillian by Laurel Oke Logan
Gillian by Laurel Oke Logan
The book I read was Gillian, written by Laurel Oke Logan. This book is
about a girl who has just graduated from high school and is in the process
of looking for a job.
Gillian has just graduated from high school. She is so thrilled to go
to college and can not wait. Well the day comes when she is to leave for
college. She and her friends are going to have so much fun.
As the years pass by she is doing very well in her classes, and before
she knows it, it is time for her to graduate from college.
After graduation Gillian went home to her parents house. She was a
little upset because she couldn’t find a job and all of her friends had
found jobs. When Gillian told her father how she felt he told her that
there was a woman who called him to see if she (Gillian) would be able and
willing to work at this camp in Canada in the kitchen. At first Gillian
was very excited but when she began to think about it the whole idea scared
her to death. Going off to a place outside of the United States where she
had never been and leaving her family behind, she just didn’t know if she
could go through with it.
A few days after debating about going she called the lady and got more
information about it and she decided she would give it a try. Gillian was
to leave in about five days so her mother and she went to go buy the right
clothes to wear in Canada and some other things she would need. The day
finally came for Gillian to leave. As Gillian, her family and friends went
to her gate at the airport Gillian began to feel really nervous. She said
good-bye to her family and friends and then she went off. The flight to
Canada was very pleasant.
When Gillian arrived at the camp she met some very interesting people.
Jake was an older man and when Gillian started to get to know everybody and