The Mother and Daughter Relationships in Amy Tans The Joy...

Mother and Daughter Struggle in The Joy Luck Club The Joy Luck Club, by Amy Tan, illustrates what life is like for many foreigners in America who are trying to give their child the opportunities they most likely did not have themselves as children. The story touches on a very common struggle in America, that between mother and daughter, in which the daughter never feels good enough for her mother. Also present is the struggle Jing-Mei has with herself. Jing-Meis mother has her mind set on making her daughter a prodigy of some kind. She constantly presses Jing-Mei to do better and be better at whatever activity she participates, but why is she doing this? There are a couple of reasons, one of which is†¦show more content†¦Because Jing-Mei is American and has grown up with all of the opportunities of Americans, the mother expects more of her, and she thinks the daughter should expect more from herself. Judging by the dialogue between Jing-Mei and her mother, the reader gets a sense that Jing-Mei does not understand the importance of her success, not just to her mother, but to herself as well. Im not a genius!(Tan 493) Jing-Mei cried. To which her mother replied Who ask you to be genius? Only ask you be your best for you sake. You think I want you to be genius?(Tan 494). Jing-Mei did not understand why her mother wanted her to be a prodigy. If there were times she did, she just didnt care. This leads us to the struggle between mother and daughter. Nearly every mother and daughter in America has had some kind of struggle where the mother wants one thing, but the daughter wants another. Theres nothing different in Two Kinds. At first when Jing-Meis mother comes up with a plan to make her a prodigy, Jing-Mei is excited and enjoys the attention her mother bestows upon her. Later on, she is not so happy, and she wishes her mother would just leave her alone to be her mediocre self. The reader gets this idea when she says, . . . in the beginning I was just as excited as my mother, maybe even more so.(Tan 491). Everything began to change when Jing-Mei failed, yet again, in her attempt at becoming a prodigy and,Show MoreRelated Improving Mother/Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club1216 Words   |  5 PagesImproving Mother/Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club One day everything is going great, in fact things could not be better and then you say something and your friend turns to you and says â€Å"oh my god, you sounded just like your mother†.   That is when you freak out and think to yourself it is true I am turning into my mother.   This is every daughters worst nightmare come true.   When a young girl is growing up her mother always says and does things that the girl vows she will neverRead MoreEssay Mother-Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club1519 Words   |  7 PagesMother-Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club      In the Joy Luck Club, the author Amy Tan, focuses on mother-daughter relationships. 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