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Lives in Two Languages: An Exploration of Identity and Culture
by Linda Watkins-Goffman
A Reader's Guide
These questions will guide you as you read the novels and excerpts from the novels that appear in Lives in Two Languages.
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Questions from the excerpts in Lives in Two Languages
"Without Wood" (pp. 55-65)
- Why do you think this chapter is entitled "Without Wood"?
- What is the significance of the word "hulihudu"?
- Who is Mr. Chou and what does he represent?
- Explain Rose's dream at the end of this chapter.
- In general, how did Rose's mother influence her successes as well as her mistakes?
"Two Kinds" (pp. 66-77)
- How did her mother's wishing that her daughter would become a prodigy influence Jing-Mei Woo's thoughts while she was growing up?
- Based on what you know of her mother, why do you think Jing-Mei's mother wanted her to be a prodigy?
- Why was Jing-Mei so angry?
- When the recital ended, what devastated Jing-mei most?
- Describe the differences between mother and daughter, citing the passages that helped you see the differences.
- Why do you think the chapter was called "Two Kinds"?
Questions from the Novel The Joy Luck Club (1994)
- In the previous section from the textbook, we examined the relationships between two mother- daughter pairs, Suyuan Woo and Jing-Mei Woo and An-Mei Hsui and her daughter Rose Hsu Jordan. What happened to Lindo Jong and Ying-Ying St. Clair in China, and how did their experiences in China influenced the identities of their daughters, Waverly Yong and Lena St. Clair?
- Why and how do we learn about identity in this novel? How is it affected by our closest relationships?
- As an optional activity, rent the movie Joy Luck Club and compare it with the novel you have just read. Are the stories of the aunties and their daughters expressed any differently in the film? What differences do you notice?
All of Amy Tan's novels explore the dynamics of Chinese-American life in the U.S. and understanding one's culture and heritage.
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