Discussion Topic
The significance of the jade pendant and its symbolism in The Joy Luck Club
Summary:
The jade pendant in The Joy Luck Club symbolizes the mother-daughter bond and the cultural heritage passed down through generations. It represents the mother's hope for her daughter's future and the wisdom and strength she wishes to impart. The pendant serves as a tangible reminder of identity, familial love, and the connection between past and present.
What does the jade pendant symbolize in The Joy Luck Club?
The jade pendant comes to symbolize both Jing-mei's relationship with her mother and her Chinese heritage. As such, its meaning evolves over time.
The jade pendant is first given to Jing-mei by her mother, Suyuan, in the chapter titled "Best Quality." Suyuan calls the pendant "life's importance." Jing-mei initially dislikes the pendant and keeps it stuffed away in a box with no intention of ever wearing it. She claims it is not a piece of jewelry she would have picked out for herself and that it's too large and garish for her taste. This is reflective of her estrangement from her mother, whom she sees as overly critical and demanding, as well as Jing-mei's distance from Chinese culture. However, this soon changes.
After her mother dies, Jing-mei begins to wear the pendant all the time, wondering what the carvings on the item mean. She does not ask her aunts for...
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an interpretation, because she knows they will all give her different answers and not necessarily the one her mother might have intended for her. By this time, the necklace becomes a symbol of a mother's love for her daughter, as well as a reminder of what Jing-mei has lost after Suyuan's death, when it is too late to ever fully know what she felt "life's importance" to be.
Why does Suyuan give Jing-mei the jade pendant in The Joy Luck Club?
In the section titled "Best Quality," Jing-mei is feeling particularly exhausted after a confrontation with Waverly. Once again, Waverly has destroyed Jing-mei's confidence, making her believe that she isn't capable of being anything more than a mediocre copywriter. As she stands at the sink to help her mother wash dishes, Suyuan begins preparing more tea. Jing-mei awaits a chastisement that seems imminent based on the way their dinner conversation has been going.
Instead, Suyuan points out that Jing-mei had chosen the worst crab from the batch as her dinner. She reflects aloud that her daughter is always "thinking different" from other people.
Suddenly, Suyuan takes off the jade necklace she is wearing and thrusts it into the hand of Jing-mei. She tells her daughter that she wants her to have it so that she will "know [her mother's] meaning." She has worn this necklace on her skin, knowing that one day her daughter would wear it on her own skin. In this way, the necklace is a way of connecting mother and daughter.
Since a necklace is worn close to the heart, it also symbolizes the love that is transferred from one generation to the next. Suyuan wants Jing-mei to recognize her worth and to believe that she is valuable and precious, as her mother sees her. The necklace is thus a physical reminder of how precious Jing-mei is to her mother.