Summary Of Saving Sourdi By May-Lee Chi

It is said that mothers and daughters have the closest bond on earth. This is the only relation where people can truly and blindly trust each other, but this relation can vary in different situations. In most families where both the mother and the daughter have the same root, they seem to have a good relationship with their mothers because they share the same point of view. In “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, the mother’s harsh rules and Jing-Mei’s quick decisions have made Jing-Mei regret later in life. Similarly, in “Saving Sourdi” by May-Lee Chai, Sourdi’s mother’s traditional ways of living has made Sourdi to suffer through an abusive marriage. In both the stories, in which both families include a mother who is the first generation immigrant and the daughter who is an American citizen, their relation is very complex because of their distinct thinking. Jing-Mei’s mother has always had a very high expectation for Jing-Mei. Her mother

Her mother has taught her to follow their Chinese tradition in which the mothers are always right no matter what. Sourdi had no say when her mother fixed her marriage at the age of eighteen. “I was younger than Sourdi when I get married” (pg.127), said Sorudi’s mother. It was a cultural and tradition thing to get married at an early age. Sourdi didn’t say anything against it because she grew up seeing this culture. Instead of rebelling against her mother she was very submissive. In Qi Wang’s article, she indicates “Observation of Chinese immigrant families has suggested that many parents…actively preserve traditional Chinese values and practices” (pg.186). Any immigrant parents would want their children to learn and value their culture before they learn the American culture. Just like any other immigrant parents, Sourdi’s mother also wanted her to follow her native culture first and live her life in her mother’s way without