Amy Tan Quotes

Film writer

Amy Tan, born in February 19, 1952, is a renowned film writer from the United States. Her works are characterized by profound character portrayal and unique cultural background, with notable works including 'The Joy Luck Club'.

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All Mother Thinking Ifs Joy Luck Club People Knows Way Writing Want Daughter Looks Chinese Fate Firsts Loses Mind Feels Pain Remember Different

Famous Amy Tan Quotes

“On the third day after someone dies, the soul comes back to settle scores. In my mother's case, this would be the first day of the lunar new year. And because it is the new year, all debts must be paid, or disaster and misfortune will follow.”

Years Firsts Soul Would Be Mother Dies Cases Thirds Paid Debt Disaster Settling Score Misfortunes New Year Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“In America nobody says you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gives you.”

Giving America Circumstances Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“Then you must teach my daughter this same lesson. How to lose your innocence but not your hope. How to laugh forever.”

Loses Teach Laughing Forever Lessons Daughter Innocence My Daughter Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“We all had our miseries. But to despair was to wish back for something already lost. Or to prolong what was already unbearable. -Suyuan”

Lost Wish Despair Misery Unbearable Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“I had on a beautiful red dress, but what I saw was even more valuable. I was strong. I was pure. I had genuine thoughts inside that no one could see, that no one could ever take away from me. I was like the wind. -Lindo”

Beautiful Strong Saws Wind Pure Red Dresses Valuable Genuine Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“And I think now that fate is shaped half by expectation, half by inattention. But somehow, when you lose something you love, faith takes over. -Rose”

Thinking Loses Half Fate Expectations Rose Something You Love Inattention Faith In Love Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“But she never looked back with regret. There were so many ways for things to get better. -Jing-mei”

Way Regret Get Better Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club: A Novel

Source: The Joy Luck Club: A Novel

“We are lost, she and I, unseen and not seeing, unheard and not hearing, unknown by others.”

Lost Seeing Hearing Unseen Unheard Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“For unlike my mother, I did not believe I could be anything I wanted to be. I could only be me.”

Believe Wanted Mother Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“And after I played them both a few times, I realized they were two halves of the same song.”

Two Song Half I Realized Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“Only you pick that crab. Nobody else take it. I already know this. Everyone else want best quality. You thinking different.”

Thinking Knows Want Different Jesus Quality Picks Crabs Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club: A Novel

Source: The Joy Luck Club: A Novel

“A girl is like a young tree, she said. You must stand tall and listen to your mother standing next to you. That is the only way to grow strong and straight. But if you bend to listen to other people, you will grow crooked and weak. You will fall to the ground with the first strong wind. And then you will be like a weed, growing wild in any direction, running along the ground until someone pulls you out and throws you away.”

People Ifs Way Firsts Said Running Young Mother Fall Girl Next Strong Grows Growing Tree Wind Standing Weak Tall Weed Crooked Strong Winds Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“I discovered that maybe it was fate all along, that faith was just an illusion that somehow you're in control.”

Fate Illusion Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“Why do you have to use me to show off? If you want to show off, then why don't you learn to play chess." - Ch. 5”

Ifs Want Play Use Shows Chess Showing Off Using Me Rules Of The Game Joy Luck Club

Author:Amy Tan

“Fate is shaped half by expectation, half by inattention.”

Half Fate Expectations Inattention Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“Even though I was young, I could see the pain of the flesh and the worth of the pain.”

Pain Young Flesh Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“For woman is yin, the darkness within, where untempered passions lie. And man is yang, bright truth lighting our minds.”

Men Mind Lying Passion Darkness Lighting Yang Darkness Within Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“My mother had a look on her face that I'll never forget. It was one of complete despair and horror, for losing Bing, for being so foolish as to think she could use faith to change fate.”

Thinking Looks Use Faces Mother Forget Fate Horror Despair Losing Foolish Never Forget Forget It Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“I began to look at all events and all things as relevant, an opportunity to take or avoid.”

Looks Opportunity Events All Things Relevant Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“And I remember wondering why it was that eating something good could make me feel so terrible, while vomiting something terrible could make me feel so good.”

Feels Remember Wonder Terrible Eating Vomiting Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“I saw what I had been fighting for: it was for me, a scared child.”

Children Fighting Saws Scared Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“And below the heimongmong, all along the ground, were weeds already spilling out over the edges, running wild in every direction.”

Running Edges Weed Over The Edge Spilling Joy Luck Club Running Wild

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“I have always known a thing before it happens.”

Happens Known Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“It is because I had so much joy that I came to have so much hate.”

Joy Hate Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club: A Novel

Source: The Joy Luck Club: A Novel

“I wanted my children to have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character. How could I know these things do not mix?”

Knows Children Character Wanted Circumstances Chinese Combination My Children Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club

Source: The Joy Luck Club

“And now I also see what part of me is Chinese. It is so obvious. It is my family. It is in our blood.”

Blood My Family Obvious Chinese Joy Luck Club

Book:The Joy Luck Club: A Novel

Source: The Joy Luck Club: A Novel

About the Author

Born: February 19, 1952
Known for: Film writer
Quotes: 282

Books & Sources

The Joy Luck ClubRelated source material

The Bonesetter's DaughterRelated source material

Saving Fish From DrowningRelated source material

The Kitchen God's WifeRelated source material

The Hundred Secret Senses: A NovelRelated source material

The Joy Luck Club: A NovelRelated source material

The Opposite of Fate: Memories of a Writing LifeRelated source material

Revisiting the Depths: Overcoming Fear and Finding Peace - A Journey of TransformationRelated source material

The Hundred Secret SensesRelated source material

The Valley of AmazementRelated source material

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