A Study Guide for Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club," excerpted from Gale's acclaimed Novels for Students. This concise study guide includes plot summary; character analysis; author biography; study questions; historical context; suggestions for further reading; and much more. For any literature project, trust Novels for Students for all of your research needs.

Follows the story of four lifelong friends, whose lives are filled with joy and heartbreak, and shows how their experiences have affected the hopes and dreams they hold for each of their children.

"This treasure trove for book lovers explores fifteen classic novels with memorable maternal figures, and examines how our cultural notions of motherhood have been shaped by literature. Sweet, supportive, dependable, selfless. Long before she had childrenof her own, journalist Carrie Mullins knew how mothers should behave. But how? Where did these expectations come from-and, more importantly, are they serving the mothers whose lives they shape? Carrie's...