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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Amy Tan was born February 19, 1952 in Oakland, California. Tan grew up in Northern California, but
when her father and older brother both died from brain tumors in 1966, she moved with her mother
and younger brother to Europe, where she attended high school in Montreux, Switzerland. She returned
to the United States for college, attending Linfield College in Oregon, San Jose City College, San Jose
State University, the University of California at Santa Cruz and the University of California at Berkeley.
After college, Tan worked as a language development consultant and as a corporate freelance writer.

In 1985, she wrote the story “Rules of the Game” for a writing workshop, which formed the early
foundation for her first novel The Joy Luck Club. Published in 1989, the book explored the relationship
between Chinese women and their Chinese-American daughters, and became the longest-running New
York Times bestseller for that year. The Joy Luck Club received numerous awards, including the Los
Angeles Times Book Award. It has been translated into 25 languages, including Chinese, and was made
into a major motion picture for which Tan co-wrote the screenplay.

Her other two books, The Kitchen God’s Wife (1991) and The Hundred Secret Senses (1995), have also
appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Her latest novel, The Bonesetter’s Daughter, was
published in 2001. Tan has also written two children’s books: The Moon Lady (1992) and The Chinese
Siamese Cat (1994), the latter of which was adapted to television for PBS.

Amy Tan has been married to her husband, Lou DeMattei, for over twenty years. They live in San
Francisco and New York.

SUMMARY

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In the excerpt of the novel “The Valley of Amazement,” author Amy Tan presents a character who, at
the age of eight, was determined to be true to herself. Lulu Minturn was born with an extra finger in
each of her hands. Mr. Maubert, her father’s friend and her piano teacher, was a former concert pianist,
who has lost his right arm during the Prussians’ siege of Paris. Influenced by him, the parents of Lulu
decided to let Lulu undergo the operation to completely remove her extra fingers so as to help her in
her musical training. Lulu felt the shock and the fear at the same time because parts of her had to be
completely removed and changed even without her permission. This made her think and decide the
attributes that she had to protect–everything about her pure self-being.

1.) What was Lulu’s reaction when she found out about the operation? Do you think her reaction is
normal? Why or why not?

When Lulu found out about the operation, she was shocked. At the same time, she felt the fear that
people would change parts of her without even asking permission from her. Normally, a child in her
situation could feel the same way because parents usually make sudden decisions for their children that
sometimes children would have no choice but to just follow.

2.) Do you think the parents made a mistake in operating on Lulu’s fingers? Why or why not?

The parents did not really make a mistake in operating on Lulu’s fingers because they were just thinking
of their child’s own good. They just wanted their child to live normally like any other children.

3.) What is the narrator’s fear?

The narrator’s fear is that the people could change parts of her, without her knowledge and permission.

4.) Why did the narrator dislike the way her mother described reproduction?According to her, it was as
if she had been just a mindless blob and that upon entry into the world she took on a personality shaped
through the guidance of her parents. It sounds like she is no different from a thing that people can easily
change whenever they want to, but she cannot do anything, and that her existence is merely just a fruit
of reproduction.

5.) What do you think is its effect on the narrator?

It hurts in the part of the narrator how her mother described reproduction because just like any other
children, she expected that her mother would consider her as more than just a being fruit of
reproduction.

6.) What does it mean, that the narrator wanted to be true to herself?

Wanting to be true to herself means the narrator accepted her true self. She was born with an extra
finger in each hand, and had undergone operation to remove the surplus. It made her realize that she
had to protect everything that was part of her pure self-being and that she wanted to protect her
attributes because everything about herself shaped her self-being.

7.) Have you ever felt the same way? Why or why not?

Yes, I have felt the same way. For instance, the people around me would want me to change or improve
myself, not just in the physical aspect, but also in some others aspects that make up my self-being.
However, I would always want to be true to myself that is why it hurts in my part how they react to the
way God created me.

8.) Do you think the narrator is selfish? Why or why not?

It’s not that the narrator felt that way that she is selfish. It’s just that she didn’t want to change herself—
her true self-being. She just wanted others to accept her imperfection and difference from others as she
herself accepted and embraced everything that shaped her true self-being.

9.) Is the narrator expressing an inherently Asian or American value?

American value is inherently expressed in the story. Americans value perfection. For instance, in the
case of Lulu, her parents wanted her extra fingers to be removed in order for her to live normally and
comfortably like any other people.

10.) Do childhood revelations have lasting impact on one’s life?

Childhood revelations have lasting impact on one’s life. Childhood memories are very powerful that they
go along with the person as he grows older.

INDIVIDUAL REFLECTION

reflection

God created each of us in His own image and likeness. Our uniqueness and differences from one
another make us special in the eyes of God. Thus, we have to fully accept how God created us, including
how perfectly imperfect we are.

Lulu Minturn was born with an extra finger in each of her hands. However, instead of embracing it, the
people around her, particularly her mother and her piano teacher, decided to amputate the extra
fingers for her to live normally like any other people. This made her feel upset that they considered her
undesirable for being born that way.

If I were in Lulu’s shoes, I would have felt the same way. For me, everything has its own purpose. Being
created differently is God’s gift. Perhaps having an extra finger in each of her hands would allow her to
do the things that no one has ever done yet. It would probably make others realize that it’s not about
being different from others, but it’s about making a difference in this world.
– Dominique Lariego

I am happy for Lulu that she decided to look for her real self. She never hesitated to continue living
without keeping the secrets buried. She was willing to accept the real her rather than living without
knowing who she really was. I was inspired by Lulu because there were times that I wanted to know my
real identity. I sometimes wanted to dig deeper about who I am, and I wanted to discover new or
something I don’t know about myself. I also appreciate what her parents did because her parents did
what they have to in order for their child to live a normal life. The only thing that the parents wanted
the most is for their children to be normal.

– Junaly Pondar

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