ipl-logo

How Does Jing Mei Woo Change Throughout The Novel

689 Words3 Pages

Agustin Duarte
Mr.McCormick
Pre-AP English
3/31/22
Jing-Mei Woo’s Progression When someone close dies it can heavily change the perspective of someone. You realize that you lost the connection you once had and will never see them again. You start to learn how you impacted that person and how they impacted you and realize that all the petty arguments you once had never mattered. You wish you could go back and change those small things but you can not. Jing-Mei Woo, from the book “Joy Luck Club” written by Amy Tan, is a great example of this. Throughout her stories, we learn what type of relationship she had with her mother and how it evolved as they got older.
In The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, Jing-Mei Woo, also known as June, is one of the …show more content…

Her relationship with her mother is distant, as evidenced by their stilted conversations, where Jing-Mei struggles to understand her mother's Chinese heritage. However, as Jing-Mei listens to her mother's stories and anecdotes, she gradually begins to understand her mother's perspective and appreciate her Chinese roots. For instance, when her mother talks about her abandoned twin daughters in China, Jing-Mei realizes the depth of her mother's pain and how her mother's experiences have shaped her life. Jing-Mei says, "I saw what seemed to be the prodigy side of me--my mother's fears of my turning out like my aunt. But I also saw what seemed to be the opposite side of me--my father's 'Chinese side'--blending with my mother's fears and the reality of the present" (Pg. 39). This realization makes Jing-Mei more empathetic toward her mother, and she begins to appreciate her cultural …show more content…

Through the game, Jing-Mei realizes the importance of communication and understanding between two individuals, despite their cultural differences. Jing-Mei's mother reveals to her that she has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and Jing-Mei realizes that she never truly understood her mother until that moment. Jing-Mei says, "And now I also see what part of me is Chinese. It is so obvious. It is my family. It is in our blood" (Pg. 306). This interaction with her mother makes Jing-Mei realize that her Chinese heritage is an integral part of her

Show More
Related

Differences And A Brief Moment In The Life Of Angus Bethne

657 Words | 3 Pages

With the mother pushing her this much it makes her very strict. She doesn’t really give Jing a choice. This also made Jing feel like her mother didn’t like her the way she was. “’Why don’t you like me the way I am?’ I cried.

Read More

Two Kinds By Amy Tan Thesis Statement

2019 Words | 9 Pages

She then uses these “new thoughts” and ideas to state that she “won’t let her [mother] change” her into the person she seeks her daughter to be. When Jing-Mei experiences a realization that she is her own person and not simply another part of her mother, she can embrace the comfort of knowing that she will not change for anyone, and is simply extraordinary for having her own thoughts and feelings. This reflects how Amy Tan can understand her thoughts and feelings about the hardships in her relationship with her mother as a way to connect more closely to her characters and make them more realistic in her writing (“How Amy Tan’s family stories made her a

Read More

Amy Tan Two Kinds Literary Analysis

1066 Words | 5 Pages

This disagreement quickly became a source of resentment and anger for both of them, but Jing-Mei and her mother were unable to resolve this conflict because of their different backgrounds and experiences. The story showcases how relationships between mothers and daughters can be strained because of differences in culture and a lack of communication. One of the difficulties between Jing-Mei and her mother is their different cultural backgrounds, which is supported by two points from the story. Firstly, Jing-Mei and her mother both disagreed on the opportunities that existed in America. According to Singer, Amy Tan uses “two entirely

Read More

Poem Analysis: Legal Alien By Pat Mora

429 Words | 2 Pages

“After losing everything in China…She never looked back with regret. ”(Chunk 1 ¶3). Jing-Mei’s mother is a Chinese immigrant with the typical ‘everything is better in America’ mindset. Jing-Mei, being raised in America, had more of an American mindset. “You want me to be someone i’m not…I’ll never be the daughter you want me to be!”

Read More

The Joy Luck Club Identity Quotes

772 Words | 4 Pages

The aunties are looking at me as if I had become crazy..” Jingmei is seen as the representative of the younger generation in the book, who was born in the United States and feels largely disconnected from her Chinese identity. She admits this while displaying deep sympathy with the older generation. Her “success” is wanting to become someone like her mother, however, she does not necessarily know any much about her. This is due to her mom putting

Read More

Amy Tan Two Kinds Cultural Analysis

571 Words | 3 Pages

Regardless, her mother still is persistent on Jing Mei becoming a prodigy, despite her passionless performance and her family’s negative reaction. In return, Jing Mei becomes angry at her mother, and will do anything to change her mind. Screaming, “I wish I were dead! Like them.”, her mother freezes, disappointed in her daughter, and quits Jing Mei’s piano classes. On Page 28-29, Jing Mei’s perspective on the world becomes more apparent: “For unlike my mother, I didn’t believe I could be anything I wanted to be, I could only be me.”

Read More

How Does Amy Tan Use Language In The Joy Luck Club

1243 Words | 5 Pages

Jing-mei cannot understand her mother language wise, and so she misses the meaning of her words. This makes it exceedingly simple for Jing-mei to disregard her mother’s words that hold significance, causing rage and confusion. This language barrier allows for significant miscommunications between the two. This is shown in the second quarter of the book, where the reader is introduced to The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates, a Chinese book of misfortunes. A mother warns her daughter of dangers that are detailed in the book.

Read More

Cultural Conflict In Amy Tan's Short Story 'Two Kinds'

477 Words | 2 Pages

“For unlike my mother, I did not believe I could be anything I wanted to be, I could only be me.” (Tan 24). With this statement you can see that she does not agree with her mother. Jing-Mei’s Mother was raised in Chinese culture, therefore she is very strict and demanding to Jing-Mei to do what she wants. From doing a chore, to hobbies or even Jing-Mei’s passion.

Read More

Dreams In Steinbeck's Of Mice And Men

1104 Words | 5 Pages

Both the mother and daughter put in work towards the dream together, because both desired for the dream to positively impact their lives. Jing mei was intrigued by the idea of becoming famous at first, and says she “was just excited as her mother”, and even “pictured part of her as many different images and tried each one one on for different images” (Amy Tan). Jing Mei was clearly on board with the whole process of becoming a prodigy and it brought her and her mother’s relationship closer. The aspiration of Jing Mei becoming a prodigy pushed her mother and her to work together towards a specific goal, in which they both had their mindset to.

Read More

Amy Tan A Pair Of Tickets Analysis

1309 Words | 6 Pages

At her first glance at them, she knew exactly who they were because of their resemblance to their mother. However, as she approached them, she realized that there were no evident similarities in features between them and her mother, but that the similarities she noticed at first ran deep in their blood: they were family. And at this brief moment of realization, the most perceptible change in Jing-Mei took place. She said, “Now I also see what part of me is Chinese. It is so obvious.

Read More

Essay On Two Kinds By Amy Tan

971 Words | 4 Pages

She constantly fails at everything she attempts, which leads to Jing-mei showing a strong emotion of doubt. “For unlike my mother, I did not believe I could be anything I wanted to be” (327). Jing-mei is no longer hopeful she can be a “prodigy” unlike her mother. She failed at becoming a ballerina, and her mother’s knowledge tests, which causes Jing-mei to no longer have high aspirations for herself, as any child who fails at many things continuously. Jing-mei notices she is not as smart as her mom wants her to be, nor any different from children her age.

Read More

Analysis Of Two Kinds By Amy Tan

862 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout the story, Jing-mei’s feeling toward her mother change in critical ways. As a young child, Jing-mei wants constant attention from her mother, going so far as agreeing to become a child prodigy. In the story, Jing-mei commented, “In fact, in the beginning, I was just as excited as my mother, maybe even more so” (Tan 221). This was before her mother becomes highly adamant about wanting her child to become a prodigy. As time went on, she wanted Jing-mei to become the epitome of a child star.

Read More

Analysis Of Two Kinds By Amy Tan

1369 Words | 6 Pages

At first Jing-Mei grew in her dreams and desirers to be perfect for her family; “In all of my imaginings

Read More

Amy Tan Research Paper

737 Words | 3 Pages

Jing did not feel as if she was Chinese, since she lived in California; she felt more American. Once the train entered China she felt as if she was becoming Chinese. “The minute our train leaves the Hong Kong border… And I think, my mother was right, I am becoming Chinese” (241). Jing is excited to visit her relatives there

Read More

Two Kinds Character Analysis

937 Words | 4 Pages

Jing Mei, while portrayed as an obedient child, is only willing to listen to her mother to a certain extent. Throughout the story, it is consistently hinted that Jing Mei would eventually explode against her mother as an attempt to free herself from her mother’s chains. In addition, after the fiasco at the piano recital, she eventually derives further from her mother’s wishes as she “didn 't get straight A...didn 't become class president...didn 't get into Stanford...dropped out of college.” (54). On the flip side, Jing Mei’s mother is a stereotypical Chinese parent who is fully determined to ensure her daughter’s success in a new environment.

Read More

More about How Does Jing Mei Woo Change Throughout The Novel

Related Topics

Open Document