The protagonist is perfectly content with settling and becoming average, whereas the mother finds a problem with that. Tan is trying to say that a mother’s love and expectations are not always an easy pill to swallow. The intent behind the expectation are good and are usually rooted in a more privileged/easier life for the child. Tan structured the story in this order to show that expectations are not always a good thing. Although it is a higher image of the child, the pressure that you place on the child can be just as harmful as it is encouraging.
In the story, it shows how the protagonist used to look forward to when the mom would quiz on the similar things child prodigies know. After the first few disappointments that the mother endured …show more content…
The mother starts to criticize the music the child was producing on the piano saying that the child had talent but the music has something that was missing. Jing-mei was upset when she made a personal connection with the child and made a statement saying that the child was doing good enough questioning why the mother was criticizing the child. The mother then says that the child is talented, but has potential to be better, just like Jing-mei. At the end of the story, the piano becomes the symbolism and representation of Ni khan's mother. The faith the mother had for the daughter to become more that was available to her. After the protagonist has been slacking off in piano rehearsal and finally has the performance, she gets the notes wrong. In the moment that it happens, the mother is proud that the daughter attempted to play not knowing that was the protagonist’s subconscious plan all …show more content…
When her mother dragged her to the piano after her daughter’s insubordinate behavior, Jing-mei took it upon herself to kill all her mother’s faith. She delivered this by using negative verbal fluency. Jing-mei made comments about wanting to be born to a different mother and that had little to no effect on her mother. Jing-mei then takes it up a knotch and then thinks of the babies the mother had in China; she says she wishes she was never born and dead like the other babies. The moment the words leave Jing-mei’s mouth, she sees the effects it has on her mother instantaneously. Her mother’s face went blank, her mouth closed, her arms went slack and she backed out of the room stunned as if she never thought she would hear those
In the story, it shows how the protagonist used to look forward to when the mom would quiz on the similar things child prodigies know. After the first few disappointments that the mother endured …show more content…
The mother starts to criticize the music the child was producing on the piano saying that the child had talent but the music has something that was missing. Jing-mei was upset when she made a personal connection with the child and made a statement saying that the child was doing good enough questioning why the mother was criticizing the child. The mother then says that the child is talented, but has potential to be better, just like Jing-mei. At the end of the story, the piano becomes the symbolism and representation of Ni khan's mother. The faith the mother had for the daughter to become more that was available to her. After the protagonist has been slacking off in piano rehearsal and finally has the performance, she gets the notes wrong. In the moment that it happens, the mother is proud that the daughter attempted to play not knowing that was the protagonist’s subconscious plan all …show more content…
When her mother dragged her to the piano after her daughter’s insubordinate behavior, Jing-mei took it upon herself to kill all her mother’s faith. She delivered this by using negative verbal fluency. Jing-mei made comments about wanting to be born to a different mother and that had little to no effect on her mother. Jing-mei then takes it up a knotch and then thinks of the babies the mother had in China; she says she wishes she was never born and dead like the other babies. The moment the words leave Jing-mei’s mouth, she sees the effects it has on her mother instantaneously. Her mother’s face went blank, her mouth closed, her arms went slack and she backed out of the room stunned as if she never thought she would hear those