This thesis uses cultural criticism and reception theory to examine three things: the novel’s cultural and linguistic inaccuracies, the role of shame in forming the Chinese American identity, and the cumulative influences of popular reviews, educational guides, and public commentary on readers’ tendencies to attach representational value to the novel.

Unfortunately, few scholars have considered detaching representational power from ethnic texts and alleviating the burden on ethnic writers to represent their communities. She is joined in conversation by Orville Schell, the Arthur Ross Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at Asia Society.An Asian American bestseller and a required reading in many classrooms, The Joy Luck Club by Chinese American author Amy Tan has prompted substantial debate-some zealously laudatory of its rich narratives and cultural insights, some seethingly critical of its Orientalist motives, some neutrally analytical of its cultural symbols-over its representation of Chinese and Chinese Americans in the literary mainstream.

In a recent conversation as part of the Asia Society at the Moviesfilm series, Tan explores the themes of the documentary, her painful past, and her successful career. Through archival videos, personal photographs, and original interviews, the film weaves together a vivid portrait of the prolific and celebrated figure in American literature. She recently shared her life story in the 2021 documentary Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir. Throughout her career, Tan has channeled immense personal challenges into her writing, including profound family loss, conflicting cultural expectations, and a strained relationship with her mother. In 1993, she adapted the novel into a groundbreaking movie - the first Hollywood-produced film featuring an all Asian American and predominantly female cast.

Chinese American author Amy Tan is best known for her critically acclaimed The Joy Luck Club, a novel that examines the lives of four Chinese immigrant families in San Francisco.

The joy luck club author