Amy Tan and Amy Chuan

Prior to reading The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan we had read and analyzed a piece by Amy Chuan titled "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior". In this piece Amy Chuan speaks of the relationship she has with her daughters. In her piece she states that "Chinese Mothers" are much stricter and careful than mothers of any other ethnicity or race. She discusses how she does not allow her daughters to engage in fun activities such as being in a school play, attending a sleepover, or watch TV and play video/computer games. She also speaks on how it takes constant practice and battling to become good at something,

"To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up." (Chuan).

This shows how Amy Chuan and many other "Chinese Mothers" push their children to the limits in an attempt to become good at something. All fun is eliminated and much time and focus is put onto practicing. Chuan states that without the parent constantly being behind the child, then the child would not want practice. Therefore the mother must be there to battle against the daughters resistance. This same type of mother-daughter relationship is also found in The Joy Luck Club.

In the section, The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates, there is a story named "The Rules of the Game". This story discusses the relationship between Lindo Jong and her daughter, Waverly. Waverly becomes fascinated with the game of chess and her mother notices this and decides to commit her time to push her to become well at it, I no longer played in the alley of Waverly Place.

"I never visited the playground where the pigeons and old men gathered. I went to school, then directly home to learn new chess secrets, celevrly concealed advantages, more escape routes" (Tan 98).

The relationship that Lindo has with her daughter is very similar to what Chuan has with her daughter. Both denied their daughters fun. They both worked hard to push their daughters to become successful at something. They both contain this similar "Chinese Mother" mentality. In short, both Amy Chuan and Lindo Jong reflect the hard work of a "Chinese Mother" to push their daughters to succeed.