“Her actions remind me that, even under unbearable circumstances, one can still believe in justice,” in David Henry Hwang’s foreword, in Ji-Li Jiang’s memoir Red Scarf Girl, commemorated even during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution anyone can overcome adversity (9). Ji-Li Jiang was a young teenager at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, and living through a very political time in China’s history made Ji-Li into the person she is today. Ji-Li’s intelligence, her choices, and family devotion made her into the headstrong and successful person she is today. Even when Ji-li thought she was unintelligent, others saw she was wise. There were many moments when Ji-Li was reminded she was very smart.
Although June never was as successful as her mother had hoped she’d be, her mother was very proud and believed that she had a good heart. June finally understood her mother’s intentions in her parenting. Suyuan wanted June to realize her internal worth, rather than monetary and academic success or fame. Suyuan had to grasp that her daughter wasn’t a traditional Asian girl with traditional goals for her life. She was June, and she was
Jing-Mei’s American upbringing hindered her ability to understand her mother’s perspective – which was based on Chinese heritage – resulting in strong differences of opinion that led to arguments. In addition, since Jing-Mei and her mother failed to communicate effectively about their different perspectives, they became frustrated and upset with each other. The relationship between Jing-Mei and her mother was harmed by their emotional distance from each other. The absence of verbal affection between them translated to increased resentment and disappointment. Positive emotional connection between a parent and child proves vital in maintaining a healthy relationship in the face of
Jing-Mei mother as an immigrant believed her daughter can have a bright future. Jing-mei felt pressure at time to make her proud of her, but it never really worked. “After seeing, once again my mother disappointed face, something deep inside me began urge.” Jing Mei would always listen to her mom of what she wanted for her “you could be this, you could be that.” At time Jing-Mei took her nonsense and talk about HER future.
but she is unable to find the answer since her mother has died. Jing-mei thinks about when her “mother gave [her, her] “life’s importance”, a jade pendant on a gold chain... But these days, [she] think about [her] life’s importance. [She] wonder[s] what it means, because [her] mother died three months ago, six days before [her] thirty-sixth birthday. And she’s the only person [she] could have asked, to tell [her] about my life’s importance, to help [her] understand [her] grief.”(197).
"It's in your blood, waiting to be let go” (Tan190). June May learned much more than what it means to be Chinese and after leaving China June learned what it meant to be her mother’s
(Tan 190). Later, she adds, “I lay awake thinking about my mother’s story, realizing how much I have never known about her, grieving that my sisters and I both lost her…How can I describe in broken Chinese about our mother’s life? Where should I begin?” (Tan 194-5). Jing-mei’s desire to connect with her family, especially her sisters, in their language is evidence that she has altered her attitude, a crucial step in her character
The first story told is about Jing-Mei Woo and her memories of her departed mother, Suyuan. In them, Jing-Mei (often referred to as June) talks about the issues she faced with her mother, saying “I can never remember things I didn’t understand in the first place.” (Tan 19) The most common problem addressed was her perception of her mother’s persistence on her success in a field, which to her seemed very pushy. She did not realize what Suyuan
Jing Mei is signed up to perform at a local talent show in front of her family, despite having no interest in playing the piano. Her performance of a piece ironically titled “Pleading Child”, as expected, doesn’t go well, which only makes Jing Mei and her mom’s perspectives of each other more negative. Ultimately fueled with hatred on Page 27-28, Jing Mei has a meltdown, thinking to herself, “My true self had finally emerged. So this was what had been inside of me all along.” Feeling both pressured and embarrassed by her family, especially her mom, Jing Mei, musically, feels powerless, and all of her might to be a prodigy disappears after her performance.
“America was where all my mother’s hopes lay” (Tan 308). This indicates that her mother has ambition about living a better life in America. However, she decides to live her young life vicariously. She pressures her daughter into attempting to find a talent so that she can become the next prodigy in America. These activities consist of having Jing-Mei becoming a “Chinese Shirley Temple” by attending beauty training school, she tests anything that Jing-Mei should know, and she forces Jing-Mei into playing the piano.
The reason for this is on the one hand because her broken English stops her from passing on her wisdom and life experience to her daughter. On the other hand, it is her way of keeping and preserving her Chinese identity and heritage. But to Jing-mei, the different languages they use on a daily basis only create problems. She thinks that Suyuan “always [said] things that didn’t make any sense, that sounded both good and bad at the same time”(208). The language barrier makes Suyuan’s messages confusing, and therefore, Jing-mei is unable to tell her mother’s intention.
This peculiarly specific list showed that as a first-generation American, she was constantly scrutinizing the small actions that her mother demonstrated, and she was embarrassed, although it is not likely anyone else ever noticed. However, as she got older, Jing-Mei realized the fact that she was “becoming Chinese.” She still did not truly understand her mother or the beauty of Chinese culture, but her acceptance was the first step of the long excursion of
Suyuan mainly expressed her doubts, seemingly never being proud. Surprisingly to June, a friend of Suyuan tells her, “‘She loved you very much, more than her own life'’”(Tan 29). June’s mother showed disappointment, regret, and frustration– but still she holds so much love for her daughter. This is a complex thing to understand from an outside perspective, but most mothers and daughters have experienced this. Suyuan loves Jing-Mei dearly, but she still wants her to work
But as the years went by, my parents, especially my mother, wanted me to do better and get all A’s on my report card in elementary school. Near the last few weeks of grade 7, I got my final report card and I was very disappointed in myself for not getting all A’s. Comparing Jing-mei’s life and mine, the report cards that my parents receive from me are like the tests that Jing-mei receives everyday from her mother. Furthermore, the disappointment that I felt for not meeting my parents expectations is probably how Jing-mei felt when she “began to die” with the thoughts of “raised
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.
