In the novel The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan themes are intricately developed by different literary devices used by the author. Amy Tan uses metaphors to symbolize larger ideas and to show the preserved culture of the mothers used to assist their daughters on their journey throughout life, which better help develop themes within the book. These metaphors vary from: trying to teach a lesson, to holding family close, to preserving meaningful artifacts from their ancestors. By using these techniques a whole new level is added to the novel. A striking example of Amy Tan using a metaphor to introduce larger ideas and reinforcing the theme occurs in the chapter “Scar.” To include a theme about protecting the family Amy Tan puts in the line, “Many times Popo said aloud to all who could hear that my brother and I had fallen out of the bowls of a stupid goose, two eggs that nobody wanted, not even good enough to crack over rice porridge. She said this so that the ghosts would not…show more content… In the chapter “Half and Half”, Tan uses a simple metaphor to cover a much more complicated topic, “In her palm was a ring of watery blue sapphire, a gift from her mother, who had died many years before.” (Tan 129). This line seems small and unimportant but when analyzed it shows a lot of hidden key details. The reason this ring from an ancestor is in her palm is because she is trying to use this ring to get Bing back from the water that had taken him away. The theme of family being number one is shown here as she is throwing valuable gems from ancestors and doing this cultural ritual to be able to try to get her son back. Not only is this theme based upon family being number one but is also about sticking to cultural beliefs. The simplistic metaphor also symbolizes the water that has stolen Bing. It is pretty much saying that the use of the ring is for this particular
