Lindo Jong "Double Face"
"My daughter wanted to go to China for her second honeymoon, but now she is afraid" (Tan, 253).
"'What if I blend in so well they think I'm one of them?'" Waverly asked me. "'What if they don't let me come back to the United States?'" (Tan, 253).
"'When you go to China,'" I told her, "'you don't even need to open your mouth. They already know you are an outsider.'" (Tan, 253).
"'What are you talking about? '" she asked. My daughter likes to speak back. She likes to question what I say.
"'Aii-ya,'" I said. "'Even if you put on their clothes, even if you take off your makeup and hide your fancy jewelry, they know. They know just watching the way you walk, the way your carry your face. They know you do not belong.'" (Tan, 253).
"My daughter did not look pleased when I told her this, that she didn't look Chinese. She had a sour American look on her face. Oh, maybe ten years ago, she would have clapped her hands-hurray!- as if this were good news. But now she wants to be Chinese, it is so fashionable. And I know it is too late" (Tan, 254).
"It's my fault she is this way. I wanted my children to have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character. How would I know these two things do not mix?" (Tan, 254).
I found this piece with the daughter Waverly Jong and her mother very interesting. Waverly is feeling very insecure and at the same time eager to go to China. All these years she wanted to be American and was even embarrassed by her mom and her "Chinese ways" but now she has a change of heart and wants to be Chinese and own it. Unfortunately, it is very difficult now since she is already in her mid 30s. Her mom feels guilty for expected Waverly to grow up in America and not be Americanized. I think this happens to a lot of people whose parents grew up in a different country and migrate to America. I think this is an "aha" moment where Waverly's mom sees things clearly and why Waverly is the way she is. In other words, this is a climax and will lead them to a resolution.
Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. Penguin Books, 2014, pp. 1-288.
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