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Why should you read “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan? - Sheila Marie Orfano

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TEDEd Animation

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In her Auntie An-mei’s home, Jing-Mei reluctantly takes her seat at the eastern corner of the mahjong table. At the north, south and west corners are her aunties, long-time members of the Joy Luck Club. This gathering is the point of departure for a series of interconnected vignettes in Amy Tan’s debut novel. Sheila Marie Orfano explores why the novel still captivates readers worldwide.

What is a central theme of the novel?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Sheila Marie Orfano
  • Director Kayu Leung, Alo Trusz
  • Storyboard Artist Kayu Leung
  • Animator Alo Trusz
  • Art Director Kayu Leung, Alo Trusz
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen
  • Music Gymnopédie No. 1 by Erik Satie
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Fact-Checker Eden Girma

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