The Joy Luck Club

Part 4 Opening Vignette: Cold-Read Analysis

Directions: You have approximately 45 minutes to read the passage, analyze and annotate
accordingly, and then write a clear, concise, and well-supported paragraph that discusses a main
theme with at least one aspect of contributing craft or authorial intention. Weave in ample textual
evidence as necessary.

Notes:
● Hwai dungsyi: translates directly as “you bad little thing.”
● Syi Wang Mu: translates as Queen Mother of the Western Skies; she is royal, female, and
associated with the West; she also is the dispenser of prosperity, longevity, and eternal bliss.
● Keep in mind that this is the final vignette of four...
● You may NOT research any aspect of the passage online!

In the opening vignette of the section, Queen Mother of the Western Skies in the thrilling

novel The Joy Luck Club, Tan utilizes dialogue in order to show how mothers may teach their

daughters lessons to try to protect them. However, they may end up regretting teaching them

those lessons because it creates a sense of growing up and causes them to lose their innocence.

This is first displayed when the grandmother is speaking to the little baby. She tells her that she

was once “free and innocent” and also “laughed for no reason” (213). This shows how the

mother had to lose her innocence in order to protect herself. She was forced to learn things that a

girl should not have to know at a young age and as a result, lost her innocence and some of her

childlike aspects. The reader can then see how the mother transferred her experience into her

daughter and caused her to lose her childlike innocence as well, even though the mother did not

want to. This is illustrated when the grandmother reveals to the baby granddaughter that she

taught her daughter to “shed her innocence so she would not be hurt as well” (213). The mother

has been through so much trauma only wants to help protect her daughter from the same thing.

Although the daughter probably would not have faced the same trauma as her mother, the mother

can not help but want to try to make sure she is safe. The reader can later see how the mother

wishes to teach the granddaughter better than she did her own daughter. This is made know

because that grandmother calls the baby Syi Wang Mu or Queen Mother of the Western Skies.
 This lady symbolizes prosperity, longevity, and eternal bliss. The grandmother wants her

daughter and granddaughter to be able to have these things even if they do lose their innocence.

She explicitly says that she wants her to learn how to “lose [her] innocence but not [her] hope”

(213). The Queen Mother has a loss of wisdom and the grandmother hopes that she will be

willing to teach the girls to be happy and joyful even if they do have to lose their innocence in

order to protect themselves. Overall, Tan displays how the mother has to make the hard decision

to destroy their daughter’s innocence in order to protect them and work hard to make sure they

still have hope even if everything around them is horrible.

Paper 1 Rubric (Guided Literary Analysis)

0 1 2 3 4 5

Criterion A: The work The response The response The response The response The response
Understanding and does not demonstrates little demonstrates some demonstrates an demonstrates a thorough demonstrates a thorough
interpretation reach understanding of the understanding of understanding of the understanding of the and perceptive
● How well does the standard by literal meaning of the the literal meaning literal meaning of the literal meaning of the understanding of the
candidate demonstrate the text. References to of the text. text. There is a text. There is a literal meaning of the
an understanding of the descriptors. the text are infrequent References to the satisfactory convincing text. There is a
text and draw reasoned or are rarely text are at times interpretation of interpretation of many convincing and insightful
conclusions from the appropriate. appropriate. some implications of implications of the text. interpretation of larger
implications in it? the text. References References to the text implications and
● How well are ideas to the text are are relevant and mostly subtleties of the text.
supported by references generally relevant support the candidate’s References to the text are
to the text? and mostly support ideas. well chosen and
the candidate’s ideas. effectively support the
candidate’s ideas.

Criterion B: Analysis and The work The response is The response The response The response The response
Evaluation does not descriptive and/or demonstrates some demonstrates a demonstrates an demonstrates an insightful
● To what extent does reach a demonstrates little appropriate generally appropriate appropriate and at times and convincing analysis
the candidate analyze standard relevant analysis of analysis of textual analysis of textual insightful analysis of of textual features and/or
and evaluate how textual described by textual features features and/or features and/or textual features and/or authorial choices. There is
features and/or authorial the and/or authorial authorial choices, authorial choices. authorial choices. There a very good evaluation of
choices shape meaning? descriptors. choices. but is reliant on is a good evaluation of how such features and/or
AKA CRAFT!!! description. how such features authorial choices shape
and/or authorial choices meaning.
shape meaning.

Criterion C: Focus and The work Little organization is Some organization The presentation of The presentation of The presentation of ideas
Organization does not apparent in the is apparent in the ideas is adequately ideas is well organized is effectively organized
● How well organized, reach a presentation of ideas. presentation of organized in a and mostly coherent. and coherent. The
coherent and focused is standard No discernable focus ideas. There is little generally coherent The analysis is analysis is well focused.
the presentation of described by is apparent in the focus in the manner. There is adequately focused.
ideas? analysis. analysis.
 the some focus in the
descriptors. analysis.

Criterion D: Language The work Language is rarely Language is Language is clear and Language is clear and Language is very clear,
● How clear, varied does not clear and appropriate; sometimes clear carefully chosen, carefully chosen, with a effective, carefully chosen
and accurate is the reach a there are many errors and carefully with an adequate good degree of accuracy and precise, with a high
language? standard in grammar, chosen; grammar, degree of accuracy in in grammar, vocabulary degree of accuracy in
● How appropriate is described by vocabulary and vocabulary and grammar, vocabulary and sentence grammar, vocabulary and
the choice of register, the sentence construction, sentence and sentence construction; register sentence construction;
style and terminology? descriptors. and little sense of construction are construction despite and style are register and style are
(“Register” refers, in register and style. fairly accurate, some lapses; register consistently appropriate effective and appropriate
this context, to the although errors and and style are mostly to the task. to the task.
candidate’s use of inconsistencies are appropriate to the
elements such as apparent; the task.
vocabulary, tone, register and style
sentence structure and are to some extent
terminology appropriate appropriate to the
to the analysis.) task.

Total: ___________/20