The Joy Luck Club

Jong: Rules of the Game & St. Clair: The Voice from the Wall

Directions: As you read through the chapters, annotate the text for germane themes, craft, and
global issues. Then, answer each of the following questions in at least 3-4 concise sentences,
making sure to include a proper citation for ALL quotes.

PLEASE DO NOT RESEARCH THESE ONLINE!

CHALLENGE YOUR INTELLECT AND DO THE WORK YOURSELF!

Chapter 5: Waverly Jong: Rules of the Game

1. Examine the correlation between chess and wind in this chapter, using at last two direct quotes
to support your response.
In this chapter Waverly Jong uses the invisible strength of the wind to win her chess matches.
Much like her mother, she uses the power of the wind to “distract” and “blind” her opponents to
lure them into a trap in order to beat them (98). This strategy is also seen in other aspects of her
life that Waverly compares to chess, especially in the conflicts that she has with her mother since
Lindo also knows that “the strongest wind cannot be seen” (103).

2. Analyze the relationship dynamic between Lindo and Waverly throughout the narrative,
exploring how it supports a main theme of the novel.
In Waverly and Lindo’s relationship, there is a noticeable disconnect and misunderstanding from
both sides which is a common theme that is prevalent throughout this novel. It comes from a lack
of communication that causes this conflict, especially for Waverly who doesn’t understand her
mother’s intentions or her past making her ignorant as to why her mother treats her the way she
does. Lindo often wants to show off her daughter to others to show them how smart her daughter
is but Waverly doesn’t truly understand the culture that her mother was raised in and
misinterprets this as arrogance.

Chapter 6: Lena St. Clair: The Voice from the Wall

*Open prompt chapter: Write three specific questions that provide focus for analysis and
then answer them accordingly! At least two questions should include direct quotes.

3. How has Ying-Ying’s own trauma and fear affected Lena on an emotional level or
psychological level?
The fear that Ying-Ying constantly lives with unfortunately affected Lena as well by exposing
her to such dark and terrifying thoughts making her also “beg[in] to see the terrible things” that
her mother did (106). This fear transpired to Lena and instead of having a carefree childhood, she
started to see the dangers in the world around her causing her to look at things in the worst light
possible. In the chapter, she repeats how she would constantly think about “what is the worst
possible thing that can happen to you” showing how these negative thoughts manifested in all
aspects of her life (105).

4. What is a global issue relating to the relationship shared between Lena’s mother and father?
Community/Culture: The mental health issues that Lena’s mother went through show how the
ignorance of loved ones can further damage them especially when there is no attempt at fully
understanding the other person. Ying-Ying had left China where mysterious events caused her to
become traumatized and compacted with all of this she married a man who had absolutely no
understanding of who she was. He would often “put words in her mouth” in order to try to
appear as if he understood her without it taking too much effort (109). This lack of
communication furthered her mother’s depression by letting it worsen without trying to get her
help.

5. How did the difference in culture affect Lena and her mother’s relationship?
Lena’s mother is very protective of her and warns her of the dangers that can happen outside of
their house. When Lena is trying to understand why her mother simply doesn’t respond because
she can’t convey it to her daughter and in her culture, she doesn’t need an explanation she simply
needs to listen to her mother. Also, Lena has a hard time understanding Chinese concepts like
balance and doesn’t fully understand what her mother means whenever she has to rearrange the
house to find emotional balance.