What surprising thing does Jing-mei tell her "aunties" about her own mother?
Jing-Mei tells her aunties that she feels like she doesn't really know her mother that well.
What does Jing-mei promise "the aunties" at the end of the story?
Jing-mei promises "the aunties" that she will tell her half-sisters in China everything about their mother.
What did An-mei's mother do to become a ghost?
An-mei's mother committed such a heinous act in the past that her own mother refuses to acknowledge her existence.
What did it mean in An-mei's family to become a ghost?
A ghost meant anything they "were forbidden to talk about," not that her mother was dead.
Why did An-mei's grandmother say bad things about her own grandchildren?
She said this so that the ghosts would not steal them away.
What happened to the greedy girl in An-mei's grandmother's story?
The greedy girl poisoned herself after refusing to say whose child she carried and was cut open by monks only to find a white winter melon.
In An-mei's grandmother's story, what happened to the little girl who refused to listen to her elders?
The stubborn girl shook her head so vigorously to refuse her auntie's simple request that a little white ball fell from her ear and all her brains poured out.
Why was An-mei told never to say her mother's name?
Popo warns An-mei to never say her mother's name out loud, or she'd be spitting on An-mei's deceased father's grave.
In Scar, what is the definition of shou?
Shou is the respect for ancestors and family.
What is An-mei's "know-nothing face"?
An-mei used her "know-nothing" face to conceal her true emotions.
How did Lindo Jong become engaged to her future husband, Tyan-yu?
Her marriage was arranged when she was two years old.
How did Lindo first become a member of the Huang household?
Her family moved away when she was twelve and she moved in with the Huang family.
What gift did Lindo's mother give to Lindo as the family moved away?
She gave her a necklace that was made out of a red jade tablet.
How did Tyan-yu make Lindo cry the first night she lived in his house?
He complained that the soup wasn't hot enough so he spilled it as if it were an accident.
What did Lindo's mother-in-law instruct the servants to teach Lindo?
She had the servants teach Lindo household duties to make her a perfect wife to Tyan-yu.
What promise did Lindo make to herself on her wedding day?
Lindo promised herself to keep her parent's wish to act as if she were happy and never disgrace the family.
Why was Lindo unafraid while she was led down a path on her wedding day?
Lindo was unafraid on her wedding day because she could see what she was inside of her.
What was the red candle's significance and what was supposed to happen to it?
The red candle represented marriage and was to stay lit lest a curse fall upon the marriage.
What lie did the matchmaker's servant tell?
The matchmaker's servant lied that the candle had burned all night.
What mark on Tyan-yu did Lindo use to "prove" her marriage was rotting?
Lindo used Tyan-yu's back mole to her advantage.
How did Lindo escape from the marriage to Tyan-yu?
Lindo escaped her marriage with Tyan-yu first by convincing Huang Tai Tai that their marriage was rotting and identifying the servant girl as his true spiritual wife.
What is the significance of the story of the Festival of Pure Brightness?
The Festival of Pure Brightness signifies the day Lindo remembered what happened to her true identity.
What does Ying-ying say her earliest recollection is?
Ying-ying's earliest recollection is of a hot day on which her nanny dresses her in heavy formal clothes and slippers.
Why does the Amah tell Ying-ying that she must keep her wishes secret?
Amah tells Ying-ying that if she suppresses her selfish desires, she'll get the chance to meet the Moon Lady and have a wish granted.
Why was Jing-mei taking part in the Joy Luck Club?
Her father had asked her to take her mother's place.
How many Joy Luck Clubs have there been?
There have been two clubs, one in Kweilin and one in San Francisco.
Why did Jing-mei's mother form the Joy Luck Club in Kweilin?
Jing-Mei's mother joined the Joy Luck Club to lift the spirits of her and the other women during the times of despair in their country.
Why did the women in the club call it Joy Luck?
They called it "Joy Luck" because each week at their meetings, they hoped to be lucky and that hope was their only joy.
What surprising information did Jing-mei finally learn from her mother's story about leaving Kweilin?
Jing-Mei discovers that she has twin sisters that she has never met before.
How do the people at the San Francisco Joy Luck Club eat?
The members of the San Francisco Joy Luck Club eat as if they have been starving.
Why did "the aunties" give Jing-mei $1200 in an envelope?
The aunties gave Jing-Mei $1200 so she could go to meet her sisters in China and inform them of their mother's death.
What do "the aunties" want Jing-mei to tell her sisters in China?
The aunties want Jing-Mei to inform them of their mother's death and to tell them about their mother's life as well.
How did Ying-ying wind up in the water?
When fireworks launch off the other boats on the lake, Ying-ying is scared and falls off the back of the boat where she sat in punishment for selfish behavior.
What is the ultimate fate of the Moon Lady?
The Moon Lady is banished for defying her husband, the Sun.
What was the effect on Ying-ying of listening to the Moon Lady's story?
Ying-Ying relates to the Moon Lady as a maternal figure and is mesmerized by her beauty and the sorrow of her exile.
What does the Moon Lady represent for Ying-ying?
Ying-ying relates the Moon Lady's loss to her own loss at getting separated from her family.
What wish did Ying-ying ask for from the Moon Lady?
Ying-Ying wished to be found.
How does Ying-ying's story reflect her life and that of her daughter?
Ying-ying's story helps her to understand sadness, which enables her to be a better mother to Lena.
What was "the art of invisible strength" that Waverly's mother taught her?
It was the strategy for winning arguments and gaining respect from others.
How did Waverly's mother demonstrate the art of invisible strength?
She gave Waverly a bag of salted plums because she was quiet and didn't ask for them when they were in the store. Earlier in her life, Waverly had asked for them before and be loud in the store.
How did Waverly learn to play expert chess?
She first taught herself and then she played with Lau Po, who taught her tricks for winning.
What would Waverly's mother say when she attended Waverly's chess exhibition games outdoors?
Her mother would say, "is luck.
Why did Waverly run away?
She ran away because her mother was embarrassing her and showing her off to people.
How did Waverly's mother treat her when she returned home after running away?`
Her mother treated her like she didn't exist.
What was Waverly's mother's view of "rules"?
Her mother believed that people should learn the American ways.
At the end of the story, who is Waverly's imaginary chess opponent?
She imagined her mother as her chess opponent.
What does the dead beggar say when he returns?
As the sword was cutting me down, I thought this was the worst I would ever have to endure. But I was wrong. The worst is on the other side.
How did the American immigration authorities categorize Lena's mother?
They categorized her as a "displaced person".
Why does Lena want to know "the worst possible thing that can happen" to her?
Knowing the "worst possible thing", can help to avoid it and its allure.
Why did Lena start telling lies?
Lena follows in the footsteps of her mother by lying to prevent unpleasant things in the future.
What was Lena's great hope when the family moved out of Oakland?
Lena hoped to leave all her fears behind in Oakland.
What did Lena hear through the wall of the new apartment?
Lena heard shouting from a mother and daughter next door having a big argument.
Why did the girl from next door leave her own apartment?
Her mother kicked her out after a fight.
How did the girl from next door get out of Lena's bedroom?
She used Lena's fire escape to crawl into her apartment window.
What happened later that night after the girl and her mother had argued?
Her mom found her in her room and their conflict was resolved much in the same way it began.
What hope did Lena have after watching the girl next door with her mother?
Watching the girl next door and her mother, Lena hoped for a similar loving relationship with her mother.
What did Rose's mother used to carry to church services at the First Chinese Baptist Church?
She toted a small leather bible.
What makes Rose sure that her mother knows the Bible is still under a table leg in her kitchen?
Although her mother is not the best housekeeper, the bible is still clean and white after 20 years.
How did the decision making start and then change in Rose's marriage?
Rose and Ted's marriage began with him making all the decisions but shifted to pushing her to make decisions after losing a lawsuit.
What did Rose find out "faith" was?
Faith is found to be an illusion that one is in control.
What was the name of Rose's mother's little Chinese book and what was in it?
The Twenty-six Malignant Gates" explains that children are predisposed to dangers on certain days based on their birthdays.
What did Rose and her mother do early on the morning after Rose's brother drowned?
She and her mother return to the beach in hopes of bringing Bing back.
Why did Rose's mother throw her blue sapphire ring into the water?
Rose's mother believed her ring would be offering enough for the Coiling Dragon to release her son from the water.
Why did Rose's mother throw an inner tube attached to a fishing pole into the water?
An-mei thinks Bing will latch onto it from the ocean depths and she'll be able to pull him to shore.
When Rose took the Bible out from under the table leg, what did she find written in it?
Rose finds a section in her mother's Bible called "Deaths", where Bing's name is written lightly in erasable pencil.
Why was Bing's name written in pencil?
It reflects An-mei's doubt that faith can change fate.
What made Jing-mei's mother think that Jing-mei could be a prodigy?
Jing-mei's mother believed Jing-mei could be a prodigy because America was supposed to allow anyone to be anything.
What did Jing-mei's mother lose in China?
Her mother lost her family, her parents, her first husband, two daughters, twin baby girls, and her family's home.
How did Jing-mei first envision herself as a prodigy?
She envisioned herself as a ballerina.
What would perfection have meant for Jing-mei while she was waiting to become a prodigy?
Jing-mei saw her inner prodigy of perfection as equivalent to her capacity to be loved.
Why did Jing-mei's mother read so many magazines?
Jing-mei's mother took examples from magazines to test Jing-mei's talent.
What happened to all of Jing-mei's mother's early efforts to find out what kind of prodigy Jing-mei should be?
When Suyuan tries to find something June is amazing at, both she and her daughter always end up deeply disappointed.
What was wrong with Jing-mei's piano teacher and how did his defect affect her playing?
Her piano teacher was deaf so she never corrected Jing-mei when she made mistakes.
What piece did Jing-mei select for the talent show in the church hall?
She picked "Pleading Child".
Who was the only person in the church hall who thought Jing-mei's performance was good?
Jing-mei's deaf piano teacher, Old Chong was the only person that thought her performance was good.
What did Jing-mei realize after she had played both "Pleading Child" and "Perfectly Contented" a few times?
She realized that the two pieces were two halves of the same song.
What does the saying, "If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," mean?
One thing is always the result of another.
What does Lena's mother see?
Her mother sees only the bad things that will happen in her family.
What are the three things that Lena's mother predicted that came true?
1) her miscarriage 2) a bank failure 3) her husband's death
What does Lena think her mother will see during her visit with her and Harold?
She fears her mother will see whatever is wrong in their relationship.
What physical aspect of Lena's house does her mother connect with a feeling?
Lena's mother says the slant of the floor makes her feel as if she is "running down".
What food does Harold not realize that Lena doesn't eat?
Harold does not realize that Lena leaves the ice cream he brings home on Fridays untouched.
Why does Harold hate it when Lena cries?
He sees her crying as manipulative.
When Lena says, "I knew it would happen," what question does her mother ask?
Then why don't you stop it?
Why does the marble end table collapse?
Lena's mom had too much stuff on it, but claims it has simply fallen down.
What did Waverly want to tell her mother at lunch?
Waverly wanted to deliver the news that she and Rich Schields were getting married.
What did Waverly's mother do when she found that Waverly had eloped with her first husband?
When Lindo first discovered Waverly had eloped with Marvin, she threw her shoe at them.
Why did Waverly first stop playing chess as a child?
Waverly first stopped playing chess as a child because she hated the way her mother tried to take all the credit.
What special thing could Waverly's mother do to change Waverly's view of a person?
Waverly's mother had a knack for pinpointing the worst aspects of anyone's personality.
What mistake did Rich make about the wine at the dinner with Waverly's family?
Rich made the mistake of drinking two full glasses of wine while everyone else had a half-inch.
Why was Waverly so anxious that her mother was the queen while she, Waverly, was the pawn?
Waverly believes her mother's role as queen contributes to her constant indecision.
In what way was Waverly confused about where her mother came from?
Waverly, being of American heritage, confuses the place names "Taiwan" and "Taiyuan".
What trip is Waverly contemplating at the end of the story and with whom would she travel?
Waverly contemplates traveling to China with her mother and Rich.
When Rose was little, what did she believe?
Rose used to believe every superstition her mother mentioned.
Why did Rose's mother say that Rose was "without wood"?
An-mei explains that Rose's lack of the Chinese Zodiac element of wood causes her to listen to too many people.
Why did Rose stay in bed for three days?
Rose is bed-ridden for three days, unable to make decisions due to the internal chaos of her divorce.
Where did Rose tell Ted she was going to live?
Rose demanded to stay in her and Ted's shared house regardless of whether he left.
When Rose says that Ted is hulihudu, what does she mean?
Hulihudu" illustrates a feeling of both confusion and fear.
What does Rose's mother plan in Rose's garden?
Rose's mother planted rampant weeds in her garden.
What is Jing-mei's "life's importance" gift from her mother?
A jade pendant on a gold chain the size of her little finger.
Why did Jing-mei's mother not want to keep the crab that had lost a leg?
Because a missing leg is a bad sign on a Chinese New Year.
Why did Jing-mei leave the room while the crabs were being steamed?
(She left the room because she could not be in there while the crabs were dying.)
How do Jing-mei and her mother disagree in regard to Waverly Jong?
Jing-Mei admires her mother while her mother says that Waverly is like a crab, moving sideways and crooked.
How did Waverly insult Jing-mei professionally?
She said her firm's work is unacceptable.
Who got the crab with the missing leg?
Jing-Mei's mother got the crab with the missing leg.
In what way does An-mei say that all people born girls are alike?
All of them are like stairs, one step after another, going up and down but all in the same way.
What did it mean to An-mei to be raised "the Chinese way"?
She was taught to desire nothing, swallow other people's misery, and eat her own bitterness.
How did An-mei's mother dishonor her widowhood?
She dishonored her widowhood by becoming the third concubine to a rich man.
What did the turtle in the pond do to An-mei's tears?
The turtle ate her tears, told her that she must not cry or she would always be sad, and proceeded to spit them out.
What happened to the eggs that poured out of the turtle's beak?
The tears had become pearly eggs and they hatched seven birds who immediately began to chatter and sing.
What emotion described the magpies?
The magpies were birds of joy.
What did the story of the turtles and the magpies teach An-mei's mother to do?
To swallow her sorrow because if you cry you will just feed others happiness.
How did An-mei learn not to listen to something meaningless calling to her?
She learned this by ignoring the loud sound of the clock on her bedroom wall.
Why did An-mei's mother send An-mei out of their bedroom at night?
Because Wu Tsing had arrived and wanted to be with her.
Why did An-mei's mother become Wu Tsing's concubine?
He raped her, thus giving her no choice but to stay with him as his concubine.
How did An-mei's mother die?
Her mother poisoned herself.
What promise did Wu Tsing make to An-mei's mother after she died?
That he would revere her as if she had been his first and only wife an raise Syaudi and An-mei as honored children.
What does An-mei say that her daughter's psychiatrist is?
She says the psychiatrist is another bind drinking from your misery that doesn't want you to wake up.
How did the tired Chinese peasants get rid of the birds that were drinking their tears and eating their seeds?
The peasants gathered and screamed "enough of the suffering silence!" and clapped hands and banged sticks for hours until the birds starved.
How has Lena St. Clair unknowingly insulted her mother by giving her the guest bedroom in her home?
In Chinese tradition the guest bedroom is suppose to be the biggest and best bedroom and Lena's is tiny.
What did Lena do when she was born?
When Lena was born, she sprang from her mother like a slippery fish and has been swimming ever since.
When Ying-ying was a young girl in Wushi, she was lihai. What does that mean?
Ying-ying was wild and loud, spoiled by her family's wealth.
When did Ying-ying begin to know things before they happened?
The night after her youngest aunt's wedding.
What sign happened to convince Ying-ying that she would marry the man who was guest at her house?
A large wind blew in from the north and the flower on the table split from its stem and fell at her feet.
Why did Ying-ying's husband leave her?
He left her to live with an opera singer.
What is the difference between what Lena sees in her mother and what her mother really is?
Although Lena sees a small old lady in her mother, Ying-ying truly embodies a tiger lady.
Why, according to Ying-ying, is the tiger gold and black?
A Tiger has a gold side to its spirit, leaping with a fierce heart, and a black side, devious and cunning.
Why does Ying-ying abort her first child?
Enraged by her husband's abandonment, Ying-ying aborts her fist child because she sees the baby as her husband's legacy, rather than her own flesh and blood.
What did Ying-ying do for ten years at the country home of her cousin's family?
For ten long years Ying-ying stayed in her cousin's country home waiting between the trees.
What did Ying-ying give up when she married St. Clair?
By marrying St. Clair, Ying-ying sacrifices the fierce spirit of her autonomy.
At the end of the story, what does Ying-ying want to do for her daughter?
By freeing all her memories, Ying-ying will be able to pass her powerful Tiger spirit to Lena as an act of love.
Why does Waverly Jong want to go to China?
Lindo believes her daughter's primary motivation for visiting China is to fulfill her second honeymoon.
Why does Waverly especially want to be Chinese?
Lindo only sees her daughter's desire to be Chinese in her passion for fashion
Why could Lindo's children not have American circumstances and Chinese character?
Lindo believes her children will be so influenced by their birth country there would be no room for traditional Chinese values.
Who first taught Lindo about America?
An American-raised Chinese girl in Peking taught Lindo about survival in America.
What kind of job did Lindo get in the cookie factory?
Lindo first found a job in the cookie factory as forming Chinese fortune cookies out of hot dough.
What was the fortune inside the cookie that Lindo gave to Tin?
The fortune read "A house is not home when a spouse is not at home.
Why does Waverly like the fact that she and her mother have crooked noses?
Waverly likes the fact that her and her mother have crooked noses because it makes them look devious and two-faced.
At the end of the story, what is Lindo wondering about?
As an immigrant, Lindo reconsiders why it is she is unable to wear "both" of her faces, as those two faces really do speak to her total experiences.
Why does Jing-mei feel different as her train leaves the Hong Kong border and enters Shenzhen, China?
Jing-mei feels like she's "becoming Chinese".
Where is Jing-mei meeting her two half-sisters?
Jing-mei is meeting them in Shanghai.
How did the half-sisters learn that their mother was dead?
They learned their mother was dead when Lindo wrote a letter to them.
How did Jing-mei learn the details of what happened to her half-sisters?
She learned the details from her father.
Why did Jing-mei's mother actually leave the babies?
Suyuan Woo left the babies at the side of the road along with other things because she thought she was going to die when she lost her strength.
Who found the babies?
The babies were found by a kind peasant couple and raised them as their own.
What are the two different Chinese meanings of Suyuan, Jing-mei's mother's name?
'Suyuan' means both "Long Cherished Wish" and "Long Held Grudge".
What are the meanings of Jing-mei's name?
Jing-Mei's name means that she is a "pure essence" and a "younger sister" respectively.