Literature Help: The Kitchen God's Wife

By Students' Academy

“The Kitchen God’s Wife” by Amy Tan was first published in 1992. It is the second novel written by this Chinese-American novelist.
The story basically extensively explores the Sino-American female identity and draws on the story of the life of the author’s mother.

When the book was published for the first time, it was a big commercial success. It made to the bestsellers lists in several countries worldwide.

The author, Amy Tan, was born in Oakland, California. Her parents were Chinese immigrants. She had a difficult childhood. She mostly gets inspired to write by the lives of her family. Most of her work is considered autobiographical.

Literature Help: The Kitchen God's Wife
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Jul 9, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310528873

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Literature Help: The Kitchen God's Wife

Copyright

Literature Help: The Kitchen God's Wife

Students' Academy

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Chapter One: Introduction

The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan was first published in 1992. It is the second novel written by this Chinese-American novelist.

The story basically extensively explores the Sino-American female identity and draws on the story of the life of the author’s mother.

When the book was published for the first time, it was a big commercial success. It made to the bestsellers lists in several countries worldwide.

The author, Amy Tan, was born in Oakland, California. Her parents were Chinese immigrants. She had a difficult childhood. She mostly gets inspired to write by the lives of her family. Most of her work is considered autobiographical.

The Kitchen God’s Wife is somewhat similar to her own story ‘The Tale of Pearl.’ The present novel is set largely in early 90s California and China during the Second World War.

San Francisco is the primary location in the initial chapters of the novel. It is noticeable that San Francisco has a significant Chinese-American population. A major part of the population had moved during and after the Second World War.

The second part of the novel basically concentrates on the lives of Chinese women under the occupation of China. They had to suffer the cruelties at the hands of the occupying forces.

In China there used to be the Kitchen God, the forgotten wife of Zao Jun. The title of the novel refers to that God. Zao Jun’s story is similar to that of the novel’s co-protagonist, Winnie.

The story goes that Zao Jun used to be a very hard working farmer. He had married a highly virtuous and kind woman. Her name was Gao. Unfortunately, all their money got wasted. Eventually, Zao’s wife left him and he became a beggar, with no possessions of his own.

One day, while begging he came across his wife. He was shattered by the guilt and he threw himself into the fire to atone for all that he had done. Since he admitted his wrongdoing, he got rewarded for his courage. The Jade Emperor made him into a god.

Tan equates Zao to Weng Fu and Winnie to the mistreated and forgotten wife of Zao.

Chapter Two: Plot Overview

Pearl Louie Brandt is the first narrator of the novel. The novel opens with her narrative voice. She was born in America. She is the daughter of a Chinese mother and a Chinese-American father. Pearl happens to be a speech therapist in San Jose.

Winnie Louie is Pearl’s mother. She calls Pearl up and requests her to send her daughters to attend the engagement party of Pearl’s cousin Bao-Bao in San Francisco.

Pearl does not like the idea and seems to be reluctant to oblige her mother because she is more involved in her American identity than her Chinese background. However, she agrees to attend the party. She feels that if she does not attend the family festivities, she will feel guilty.

Pearl’s mother calls her again two days before the engagement party and informs her that Auntie Du has passed away and her funeral will take place the day after the party.

Burdened with her Chinese background, she takes her young daughters, Tessa and Cleo, and her husband along and sets out for San Francisco.

She reaches her childhood home. She meets her Auntie Helen who is the partner of Pearl’s mother in their flower shop. Helen is Bao-Bao’s mother. Helen