2. SUMMARY
To Jing-mei's mother, America is the Land of Opportunity. She has high hopes that
her daughter will be a great success as a prodigy. She's not precisely sure where her
daughter's talents lie, but she is sure that her daughter possesses great ability — it is
simply a matter of finding the right avenue for Jing-mei's talents. First, Mrs. Woo
tries to mold her daughter into a child actress, but that doesn't work. Then she tries
intellectual tests clipped from popular magazines. Jing-mei doesn't show promise in
this area, either. Finally, Mrs. Woo hits upon the answer: Jing-mei will be a piano
virtuoso.
Mrs. Woo trades housecleaning services for Jing-mei's piano lessons from Mr.
Chong, an elderly piano teacher, who is deaf and whose eyes are too weak to tell
when Jing-mei is playing the wrong notes. Mr. Chong's efforts are so sincere that
Jing-mei picks up the basics, but she is so determined not to cooperate that she
plays very badly.
One day, the Woos meet Lindo Jong and her daughter Waverly. Mrs. Jong brags
about Waverly's success as a chess prodigy. Not to be outdone, Jing-mei's mother
brags about her daughter's "natural pride," and the young girl immediately becomes
even more determined than ever to thwart her mother's ambitions. 2
3. Continuing to clean houses, Mrs. Woo scrapes together enough money to
buy a secondhand piano. A few weeks later, Jing-mei participates in a talent
show in a church hall. All the couples from the Joy Luck Club come to her
piano debut. Although she has not practiced and does not know the music,
Jing-mei has come to believe that she is indeed a prodigy. Halfway through
the song, though, she begins to realize how badly she is playing. The weak
applause and her parents' disappointed looks reveal the unmistakable truth:
Jing-mei is not a musical prodigy.
As a result, Jing-mei is shocked when her mother expects her to continue
practicing. During the ensuing quarrel, Jing-mei shouts the most hateful
thing she can summon: "I wish I'd never been born! I wish I were dead! Like
them!" At the mention of the twin daughters in China that she was forced to
abandon years ago, Mrs. Woo suddenly retreats and never mentions the
piano again. As a result, Jing-mei is shocked when her mother offers her the
piano as a thirtieth birthday present. Only after her mother's death can Jing-
mei accept the piano. As she is packing her mother's things, she sits down to
play the piano for the first time in many years.
3
5. 1. The American Dream
The apparent folly of Mrs. Woo’s aspirations for her
daughter can be learnt from her dogmatic belief that
America is the Land of Opportunity.
Thus, she places unreasonable expectations on the
shoulders of her young, tender daughter.
Even though, she may not exactly know where her
daughter’s prodigal talents lie, she is nevertheless
adamant that her daughter is destined for greatness,
by virtue of having been born in America.
6. First, Mrs. Woo tries to model her daughter into a
famous actress, but that fails abjectly. Then she puts
Jing-mei through general knowledge tests. Young Jing-
mei doesn’t show promise in this area, either.
Finally, her mother hits upon the answer that Jing-mei
will be a piano virtuoso.
Like many immigrants, Mrs. Woo believes in America's
promise: With hard work and a little luck, Jing-mei can
be anything that she chooses to be. Jing-mei will not
have to undergo any of her mother's hardships
7. 2. The tension between mother and
daughter
• Jing-mei and her mother also clash because of their
opposing concepts of life.
• Suyuan believes that Jing-mei will manifest an inner
prodigy if only she and her daughter work hard
enough to discover and cultivate Jing-mei’s talent
but Jing-mei, on the other hand, believes that there
are ultimately things about her that cannot be
forced, “ she is who she is”.
8. Jing-mei also had no desire to cooperate with her
mother.
On the contrary, she fights her every step of the
way."I didn't have to do what my mother said
anymore. I wasn't her slave. This wasn't China. I had
listened to her before and look what happened. She
was the stupid one," she decides.
Determined to thwart her mother's ambitions, Jing-
mei neglects practicing the piano.
9. Answers
1. Amy Tan
2. American
3. Writer
4. Oakland, California
5. Two Kinds
6. Jing - Mei
7. Actress
8. Mr. Chong
9. Mrs. Woo
10.Secondhand Piano
