Music is a prevalent motif in Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club, appearing during moments of loss and confusion as a reminder of the past. All the vignettes share a common thread, as the music reveals how one must recognize the past and learn from it in order to mature and gain wisdom. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Music is always present as a reminder of the past, especially of past mistakes or regrets, in the stories and reflections of characters. When Ying-Ying comes across the Moon Lady's performance, she describes the performance as a song of regret: “The sad lute music began again as the sky on the stage cleared. And there the poor lady was… An eternity had passed since she had last seen her husband, for this was her destiny: to remain lost on the moon, forever seeking her own selfish desires” (82). As the Moon Lady sings her song, she remembers how she cheated on her husband and how she was so separated from him. In atonement for her sins, she sings and reflects sadly for eternity, always reminding herself of her past mistakes. Jing-Mei's recollection of her piano playing also demonstrates the prevailing theme of music as a memory of the past: "The lid of the piano was closed, excluding the dust, my misery and her dreams..." (154) . When the piano is closed, it also hides the memories of how Su Yuan used to ignite Jing-Mei's genius and motivate her, but unsuccessfully due to Jing-Mei's ignorance. The piano and the music it produces are “[Jing-Mei's] misery and [Su Yuan's] dreams…” (154). It's a reminder of Jing-Mei's past reluctance and her mother's past hopes. Meanwhile, An-Mei also reveals music as a reminder of past mistakes or regrets in recounting her mother's death: The only sounds were those of the girl in the clock playing the violin. And I wanted to shout at the clock and silence its meaningless noise, but I didn't. I saw my mother marching into her bed. I wanted to say the words that would calm his body and his spirit. But I stood there, like the others, waiting and saying nothing. And then I remembered his story of the little turtle, his warning not to cry. (269-270)The music of the clock served as a reminder of the past and, more specifically, his mother's words about "warning not to cry." From the music of the clock, she begins to remember things her mother told her before, such as that she did not belong to the Wu family's false luxuries. For example, when Second Wife gives An-Mei the fake pearl necklace, "[An-Mei's mother] told her to wear the necklace...so [she] would remember how easy it is to lose [herself] ] into something false… Then he turned to [her]: 'Now can you recognize what is true?'” (261). to his mother's past advice. Through listening to music, the characters are awakened to their past regrets and mistakes. The Joy Luck Club conveys the message that one must reflect on past experiences, rather than shut them out and try to ignore the truth. An-Mei, after discovering all the luxuries of her new life, describes the clock in her room: “It was a wonderful clock to see, but after hearing it that first hour, then the next, and then always, this clock is It became an extravagant nuisance. I couldn't sleep for many nights. And later I discovered that I had a skill: not to listen to something insignificant calling to me” (254).An-Mei tries to ignore her doubts and enjoy her new life without delving too much into the truth behind it. He tries to ignore the music and memories of his past, his true home, which contained no false luxuries and illusions of joy. However, when her mother dies after taking poison, "The only sounds were those of the girl in the clock playing the violin... [An-Mei] wanted to shout at the clock and silence its senseless noise, but [she ] no” (269-270). Now, finally, she realizes the falseness of her life in the Wu family and is reminded of the past and her mother's wise words through the endless chiming of the clock she tries to ignore her instincts, until she is finally struck by the extent of her mistakes upon her mother's death. If she had realized it sooner, she might have eased her suffering and realized her true identity Ying-Ying instead. he doesn't ignore the truth. He addresses his past mistakes and misadventures, recounting his reaction to the Moon Lady's song: “By the end of her sung tale, I was crying, shaking with despair. Even though I didn't understand her whole story, I understood his pain. In one small moment, we had both lost the world and there was no way to get it back” (82). He acknowledges his mistakes and the family he lost. He doesn't wander aimlessly looking for something he knows he can't get back or try to deny the truth, but instead faces it and accepts it. Finally, the characters learn that it is necessary to apply past experiences to the present and learn from their mistakes as a step towards maturity. Jing-Mei attempts to play the piano again after her mother's death and as she plays, she reflects on the past and realizes something she had not known before, gaining insight and wisdom: After tuning the piano, I opened the lid and touched the keys. It seemed even richer than I remembered... Inside the Schumann book, the little dark piece I'd played at the recital... It seemed harder than I remembered... surprised at how easily the notes came back to me ... I realized they were two halves of the same song. (155)Jing-Mei listens to the music again, to her past, and learns a monumental lesson from this small moment of reflection. When he starts playing, the message is unclear and “harder” to perceive, but as he makes more effort to remember how to play, he comes to a realization. Jing-Mei finally sees that the piece she played years ago was originally only half of a song and was incomplete. Does he realize his past ignorance of his mother's hopes and naivety? he had exhibited when he first played the piano. He remembers his mistakes and, in doing so, gains a deeper understanding of his mother. She becomes wiser when she begins to consider her mother's true intentions for her. Ying-Ying also learns an important lesson when reflecting on the time she was separated from her family:... I never thought my family would find the same girl... But now that I'm old, and I get closer every year at the end of my life, I also feel closer to the beginning. And I remember everything that happened that day because it has happened so many times in my life. The same innocence, trust and restlessness: the wonder, the fear and the loneliness. How I got lost. (83)Ying Ying still vividly remembers the Moon Lady's song and thinks back to her mistakes many years later. Remember those times of “innocence, trust and restlessness: wonder, fear and loneliness”. She speaks wisely about her previous ignorance and mistakes, describing how she was never the same after this experience and how she moved on to maturity, applying her mistakes to the present. An-Mei also learns from her mother's advice and yes.