Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

“Aphasia” and Polyphony: Generational Conflict and Identity Construction in Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club

Xiyan HuangZhejiang University of Finance and Economics*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

Amy Tan’s seminal work The Joy Luck Club employs the “four-player game” structure of a mahjong to depict the intricate narratives unfolding between four Chinese immigrant mothers and their American-born daughters. The novel vividly portrays the complex generational dynamics within Chinese-American families: Waverly’s struggle with her mother Lindo Jong over the “honour” of chess championship, and Rose’s complete “loss of voice” within an American marriage, only to find the courage for Chinese-style “voicing” through her mother An-Mei Hsu.This article therefore examines the “silence of the mother tongue” in The Joy Luck Club, employing Stuart Hall’s theory of cultural identity to explore the conflict and reconciliation between the mothers’ adherence to traditional cultural values and the daughters’ pursuit of independence within a cross-cultural context. Their unspoken mother tongue not only leads to misinterpretations of maternal affection and cognitive disorientation but also constitutes a primary source of communication difficulties between mothers and daughters. Efforts to bridge generational divides manifest through polyphony, ultimately facilitating cultural continuity and the reconstruction of identity for both parties. Furthermore, this article aims to illuminate the pervasive clash between old and new cultures within immigrant families across generations, thereby reflecting on ethnic identity anxieties and cultural belonging within the globalised context.

Keywords: Amy Tan; The Joy Luck Club; cultural identity theory; generational conflict; cultural identity
Published: November 5, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.NE29141
Volume: CHR Vol.87
pp. 160-168
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