The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan depicts the lives of four mothers who were born in China but eventually immigrated to America. They hoped to live a better life for themselves and their daughters. An important part of the novel focuses on the relationship between a mother, Suyuan Woo, and her daughter Jing-mei. At the beginning of the book, Suyuan Woo's journey to China from Kweilin to Chungking and finally to America contains much symbolism in his search for meaning. Amy Tan uses a tragic journey with symbolism, irony and a concrete structure to convey the message that one can discover one's identity by accepting one's origins. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The novel opens with Suyuan's physical journey to China. During the Japanese invasion, Suyuan flees along the road from Kweilin to Chungking. However, she grows weak and abandons her twins near a road. Furthermore, upon returning to Chungking, she soon discovers that her husband has died in the war. However, his tragic journey takes an ironic turn when he decides to create the Joy Luck Club: "What was worse, we asked each other, to sit and wait for our own death... Or choose our own happiness?" (Tan 35). One would expect Suyuan's journey to bring her suffering and despair; however, Amy Tan uses irony to achieve the opposite effect, showing how accepting one's suffering can lead to hope. Suyuan's physical journey from Kweilin to Chungking extends further when he emigrated from China to America. In the novel, America and China become two different symbols. China represents the east and America the west. The novel, divided into four sections, reflects the cardinal symbolic direction. It is no coincidence that the mah-jong table is also divided into north, south, east and west, each occupied by a different character. Amy Tan's structural creation of the novel allows for a deeper and more symbolic meaning of its theme. For Suyuan Woo, Jing-mei's mother, her place was “in the East… where it all begins” (Tan 50). Suyuan had originally founded the Joy Luck Club in China (East), where she began her life and physical journey. Amy Tan uses Eastern symbolism to represent her origins. The quote shows how Suyuan recognized her origins, stemming from her culture and her beginnings in China. While Suyuan and the other three mothers have found their true selves in China, their daughters in America are confused and frustrated. Jing-mei, Suyuan's daughter, feels for most of the novel that she has never known her mother or herself. But in the end, Suyuan's journey extends to Jing-mei. The other three mothers reveal that Suyuan had been searching for her twins all her life. He finds them, but dies before he can meet them. Therefore, her journey is conveyed to Jing-mei, who is told to be "loyal to her [mother]" (Tan 39) and to go look for her sisters. Jing-mei, who was never faithful to her mother in America, now does the opposite. Here, Amy Tan uses the symbolism of America (the West) to represent adventure and restlessness: the American dream, where individuality persists, but also ambiguity. However, by having Jing-mei return to China, Tan demonstrates that one's origins are the key to self-understanding and identity. Ultimately, Jing-mei fully understands herself and her mother when she returns to China itself. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay Amy Tan, through the use of a tragic journey, symbolism, irony and structure shows how accepting one's origins is fundamental to self-realization and.