The Joy Luck Club Questions

what was suyuan's attitude towards Waverly and Jing mei

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In her relationship with her daughter, Jing-mei, Suyuan can be very critical. Suyuan has high standards and believes that a person can be anything in America so long as they try – that’s part of why she came to America in the first place. In Suyuan’s mind, Jing-mei doesn’t try hard. A perfect example is when Suyuan attempts to get Jing-mei to play the piano. Though it would be cool if Jing-mei became a piano prodigy, all Suyuan really wants is for her daughter to try hard, mean it, and not give up – all of which Jing-mei refuses to do. Suyuan sees the same lack of determination in her daughter’s college career; Jing-mei can’t pick a major and then ends up not finishing college at all. Since Suyuan came to the U.S. in part to give her future children more options, it is probably difficult to see her daughter not taking full advantage of the opportunities available. (1)

Suyuan's attitude toward Waverly is one of admiration. She's somewhat jealous of the girl's accomplishments, but she's sure that Jing-mei can measure up. When Waverly humiliates her own daughter at the New Year's party, Suyuan does nothing.

Source(s): http://www.shmoop.com/joy-luck-club/part-2-chapter-4-summary.html