Standard editions of The Jade Peony are divided into three distinct sections, one per narrator:
The title object—the jade peony pendant worn by Grandmama—represents the soul of Chinese heritage. In Chapter 14, jade is broken. This is radical. Jade represents virtue, immortality, and perfection. By shattering it into a wind chime, Poh-Poh suggests that heritage is not a static ornament but a dynamic, broken, and reassembled sound. This mirrors the immigrant experience. Wayson Choy The Jade Peony Pdf 14