HW Due Tuesday, April 28

The Joy Luck Club
Amy Tan

1. Analyze the excerpt from Amy Tan’s “Four Directions:”
My mother was doing it again, making me see black where I once saw white. In her hands, I always became the pawn. I could only run away. And she was the queen, able to move in all directions, relentless in her pursuit, always able to find my weakest spots. (199)

2. Analyze the excerpt from Amy Tan’s “The Rules of the Game:”
“Ma, it’s not how many pieces you lose,” I said. “Sometimes you need to lose pieces to get ahead.” (98)

3. In the poem, “Night Light,” what does the mother’s action in lines 4 and 5 demonstrate about her concern for the child? Explain.

4. Identify and describe the speaker of the poem, “Night Light.” What kind of person is the speaker? How do you know?

5. In the poem, “Night Light,” what does the phrase “blue irises” (line 9) refer to?

6. In the poem, “Night Light,” what idea about the parent and child is conveyed in lines 13 and 14? Explain.

7. Compare and contrast the parent child relationship in “Night Light” to Waverly’s relationship with her mother. Where do you see similarities? Where do you see differences?


* Thes essay on the worksheet will be done in class TOMORROW. Do NOT do it tonight for homework.