The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan: Chapter 10, 11, 12

Literary Term: I found a symbol in the chapter Four Directions. "I went to the closet and then came back with a mink jacket that Rich had given me for Christmas. It was the most extravagant gift I had ever received. I put the jacket on. 'It's sort of a silly present,' I said nervously. 'It's hardly ever cold enough in San Francisco to wear mink. But it seems to be a fad, what people are buying their wives and girlfriends these days (169).' " The mink jacket is a symbol of Rich's generosity to buy his fiance' a fashionable gift to remember him by. The mink jacket is a symbol of a gift from a future husband to his future wife.
Literary Term from chapter 12: I found a complex sentence in this chapter. "My mother was seventy-one, but she still walked briskly along, her small body straight and purposeful, carrying a colorful flowery plastic bag (198)." The complex sentence is used to describe the narrator's mother by using one independent clause and one dependent clause.

Quote from novel chapter 10: " 'You think it is so easy. One day quit, next day play. Everything for you is this way. So smart, so easy, so fast (171).' "
Quote from chapter 11: " 'A mother is best. A mother knows what is inside you,' she said above the singing voices (188)."
Quote from chapter 12: " 'For a long time, I wanted to give you this necklace. 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(208).' "

  In chapter 10, Waverly gets to the point where her love of chess is ruined by her mother's overbearingness and pride. Waverly thinks that if she takes a break from chess, then her mother will get worried and beg Waverly to compete again. However, her mother backs off and doesn't approach Waverly or say a thing. Waverly then comes to her mother saying she's ready to play again. Her mother's reply is, " 'You think it is so easy. One day quit, next day play. Everything for you is this way. So smart, so easy, so fast.' " This made me think of how people think that you can quit something, and just as easily pick it back up. Sometimes, after taking breaks, regaining old talent isn't so easy.
  Chapter 11 starts with Rose meeting up with her mother at church. Rose is going through divorce with Ted. She begins taking advice from friends on how to cope. Rose is seeing a psychiatrist which her mother disapproves of. " 'A mother is best. A mother knows what is inside you,' she said above the singing voices." This reminded me of my realization that mothers really do know best. Somehow, my mother knows what is inside me. I am just a mirror image of her, and so i think a lot of the time she knows what is inside me. My mother knows me so well.
  Jing-mei, in chapter 12, is given a jade pendant by her mother as a gift of life's importance. Jing-mei never really understands what her mother see's as her importance. This is a tragedy and mystery after Jin-mei's mother dies. Jing-mei must find out for herself what her mother intended the pendant means. When Jing-mei receives the pendant her mother says something to her. Her mother says, " 'For a long time, I wanted to give you this necklace. 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.' " This entire passage brought to mind how some gifts are passed on through generations. These gifts are special because they have years of memories in them and are intended to stay in the family.