The Construction Of Memory In The Joy Luck Club From The Perspective Of The Feminist Theories Of Memory

Among all the Chinese American writers it is undeniable that Amy Tan is one of the most iconic figures.She opened new doors for the understanding of the Chinese American identity in general but specifically for the Chinese immigrant women in the United States.Her work has been a great contribution to the visibility of their voices as well as a groundbreaking achievement for necessary debates around concepts like memory,identity and history;which are essential for the validation of the position and the acknowledgement of the role played by the Chinese American people in the American society not just today but throughout history.The intention of this study is to provide for the first time in the academic ground a comprehensive analysis of the novel The Joy Luck Club(1989)for a whole understanding of the dynamics involved in the construction of memory present in it always linked and read from a feminist perspective,specifically from the perspective of the feminist theories of memory.In order to provide some context to the reader,the study begins with a brief introduction to the history of the Chinese immigration in the United States and the development of the Chinese American literature as well as a review of the main studies from academies in China and abroad concerning the analysis of the novel from different points of view.In order to explicate the fundamental concepts of the theoretical framework it is presented in the second chapter the main background of ideas of the feminist theories of memory including the cultural and literary memory;the social and collective construction of it and their position about oral memory and historiography which are critical concepts for this study.In the third chapter this analysis will be firstly addressed from its narrative aspects including the role of language,sometimes depicted as a barrier and sometimes as a bridge followed by the interactions between past and future and the presence of orality and literacy in the novel.Finally,in the last chapter the exploration continues but now addressed from the cultural and social aspects focusing specifically on the interactions between memory and identity;collective and individual memory as well as the dynamics stablished between the two generations that are depicted in the novel.