"Motifs of Amy Tan's 'The Joy Luck Club'" is about the motifs and themes in section 1 of Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club." It deals with motifs such as the color red, the five elements, and promises.

In the first section of The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, there are many motifs threaded throughout each of the four stories. One of which is the color red. The color red is very symbolic towards early Chinese culture and tradition. In the chapter, The Red Candle, the author explains everything in detail. She explains about the red columns in front of the house for decoration, the red dragons, the red wedding dress with …

…break their promises. In China, one stayed true to their promises. She promises to her family that she will not disgrace them. She promises to marry her husband-to-be and promises to be a good devoted wife. But most of all, before she gets married, she promises to remember her true self and find a way out of the marriage someday, which she does. This theme is sure to come up in the book later on.