The Structure Of Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

Tan has a unique novel structure, meaning she has constructed her novel on the bases of the game, Mahjong. After the recent death of Suyuan Woo, The Joy Luck Club opens with her daughter, Jing-mei, attending the weekly meeting of food, games, and conversation. She was asked to fill in her mother’s position at the table, as is tradition. Jing-mei comments, “Without having anyone tell me, I know her corner on the table was the East… Auntie An-mei, who is sitting to my left… asks Auntie Lin across from me” (Tan 33), directly acknowledging where each player sits. According to the rules of Chinese Mahjong, the game begins with the East Wind, then continues to the left of each player. In the Table of Contents, the order follows specifically with