Zodiac Signs In Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

There are a dozen Chinese zodiac signs and each of them carries its own specific characteristics. The idea is that each individual is born into a specific sign. Then, based on the sign that you’re born into, your character will reflect that of others born into that sign. Each individual sign has both good and bad traits that define them, just as we humans have both good and bad aspects to us. The zodiac signs are important in Chinese culture, as you can clearly see in Amy Tan’s novel ‘The Joy Luck Club’. I will be discussing how one character from the novel, Waverly Jong, has a personality that very well represents the Dragon Zodiac sign. The Dragon has always been known as the mightiest Zodiac sign. Although it holds multiple desirable
For instance, they are often arrogant and quick to criticize. As mentioned before, Jing-Mei Woo was actually childhood family friends with Waverly. Jing states in the twelfth chapter that Waverly was constantly arrogant towards Jing’s financial status and since childhood Waverly would embarrass her or put her down. Waverly’s own mother, Lindo Jong, says in chapter fifteen how Waverly acted ashamed of her own mother and always told others fake stories to mock her mother’s origin. Now, there are five different types of the Dragon. The one that Waverly fits into the best is the Wood Dragon. The Wood Dragon isn’t good at strong relationships. This is clear since Waverly’s childhood friends don’t like her, she divorced her high school sweetheart and she has trouble communicating with her mother. Wood Dragons also want a long relationship but are very picky in choosing a spouse. Waverly wants her bond with Rich to last but she desperately wants her mother to like him first. Waverly’s mother criticized Waverly’s first husband and that quickly ended their marriage. Also, those who are Dragons are unfulfilled and tempered. You can see these traits in Waverly even as a child. Her temper caused her to quit chess just to get to her mother. Then, once she returned, she had lost all of her talent. Losing such a huge part of her caused Waverly to feel unfulfilled and ashamed of herself. She felt so