Rough+Draft



Physically and intellectually, it is only natural for mothers and daughters to be alike. Nonetheless, there tends to be fewer similarities between the two when they are raised up in different environments. One gets accustomed to one culture, and the other to another culture. In Amy Tan’s __The Joyluck Club__, one of the mother-daughter pair portrays this characteristic very well. Like her mother Lindo, Waverly possesses the power of logic and a sense of pride though she is less attached than Lindo because she is American.
 * In what way is a daughter the “American Translation” of her mother? Choose a mother/daughter pair and discuss.**

Waverly is a natural-born chess player. She knows exactly what moves to make at the right time to triumph over her matchless opponents. As she grows up, she quits chess, yet applies the same skill of logic to her struggles with her mother Lindo as she says, “I closed my eyes and pondered my next move.” (Tan, 103) Lindo, not surprisingly, is a master of logic herself. She learns such skill from her childhood, when she cleverly figures out how to escape from the Huong family due to her unwanted marriage and unacceptable treatment by her mother-in-law. “ He said the servant girl is Tyan-yu’s spiritual wife. And the seed he has planted will grow into Tyan-yu’s child,” (62) claims Lindo in hopes of finding her life back after her miserable 14 years of life. Both women, though for different purposes, strategically plan out methods such as waiting until the perfect time to take drastic action. Since others don’t have such gift, they are guaranteed to win over any match through the use of power of logic. The challenge of comes when Waverly and Lindo try to use it against each other, who are already experts, hoping that things will run the way they anticipate.

Although the power of logic is an exceptional skill the two women possess, it plants them a sense of pride. Waverly becomes over proud of her reputation of being the chess champion in China Town that she expects others to do her chores and adjust the environment to her. In addition, in Waverly’s childhood, she says to her friend Jing-Mei, “you aren’t a genius like me,” (151) at the talent show, referring to Jing-Mei’s poor piano skills. Her brothers call her spoiled, yet Lindo contributes to Waverly’s arrogant behavior. While Waverly has a sense of pride in herself, Lindo has pride over her daughter. Overjoyed of her daughter’s outstanding accomplishments, she “proudly walks with [Waverly], visiting many shops … ‘this is my daughter Wave-ly Jong,’ she said to whoever looked her way.” (101) Lindo shows off her daughter in China Town to substantiate that she has what others do not have: a daughter that signifies her status within the community. Although Waverly is embarrassed by her mother’s bragging, she cannot help herself not to feel more superior than she already is, resembling pride.

As can be seen from above, Lindo is very attached to her daughter’s performance. She almost advertises Waverly as if her daughter is her form of achievement. Such affection over Waverly’s talent proves Lindo’s desire to want credit for her possessions. Being engaged at the age of two and living under an unbearable family until sixteen causes Lindo to value herself and her properties more than others normally would. This is where the separation comes between the two women. Waverly does not comprehend her mother’s obsession over things that are a part of her while Lindo is frustrated with Waverly’s lack of care for her belongings and self-esteem. Lindo’s harsh environment as a young girl forces her to hold on to the things that she can reach whereas the American culture teaches Waverly that such greed isn’t necessary. Thereby, Lindo considers Waverly as a part of her rather than a separate individual. She is trained, from her childhood experience, to keep things near her because otherwise, she will end up losing them the way she loses faith in her family. Lindo feels betrayed by them when they “begin treating [her] as if [she] belonged to somebody else.” (45) On the other hand, unlike her mother, Waverly never experiences the feeling of losing or not having the things she loves around her, thus she does not value her possessions as much. Lindo referring to herself as a 24-karat gold and Waverly considering herself as only a 14-karat gold explain the two women’s cultural barrier.

Regardless of the numerous similarities Lindo and Waverly share, such as possessing the power of logic as well as a sense of pride, the divergence between the two is inevitable. The mother is more accustomed to the Chinese traditions while her daughter settles down in the American culture. Waverly is more American, but she is the American translation of her mother Lindo. The mother-daughter bond does not break very easily. In every culture, the special affiliation between a mother and a daughter exists no matter where they are raised in just like this specific pair.