Sunny's+Rough+Draft.

 Rose in “Without Wood” represents a daughter as the “American Translation” of her mother, An-mei. Although Rose represents American culture and seeks American means of treatment, she just can’t deny her basic orientation toward Chinese heritage. The way how she naturally uses those words her mother uses to describe her present state of mind and the fact that she can’t quite find the perfect English translations of them all sum up to the conclusion that she can’t ignore her Chinese identity nor mother’s influence on her (210). Furthermore, it is not easy for Rose to “make the right decision” to settle the divorce due to her passive nature. This “Born without wood” traits as her mother describes manifests that the daughter Rose is the “American Translation” of her mother An-mei. As a child, An-mei witnesses her own mother’s passive and self-less acceptance of the ill-treatment by her relatives, and she herself learns to subdue her own sorrow and sufferings. Likewise, An-mei’s characteristic flaws are reflected in Rose when she hermitizes herself, “unable to make the simplest decisions” (215). Next reflection of mother in daughter is depicted when Rose comes to realize Ted’s sly intentions. Initially, she goes through the periods trying to solve the conflicts. After all, it was her indecisiveness that Ted took advantage of for all those years. However, Rose gains mother’s wisdom to detect the tricks that Ted plays on her. Realizing that American opinions “have a serious flaw”, she finds a meaning in what a fortune cookie says – “When a husband stops paying attention to the garden, he’s thinking of pulling up roots.” (215) And it becomes the moment when she prefers “Chinese opinions” over “American opinions”. The last example to support Rose as the “American Translation” of her mother is when she finally arrives at a stage of overcoming the defects in her attitude. This attitude of standing up for herself is passed down from old generations to young- from An-mei’s mother to An-mei to Rose. An-mei observes her subdued mother change right in front of her eyes when she finally confronts the shackles that have been restricting all those painful years of her life. Not a bit afraid of the blame from the elders, she transforms herself and directs her daughter to follow her. Consequently, the mother’s wish for her daughter to gain strength is fulfilled when An-mei finally learns to claim herself to the Second Mother with “shout” (272). Similarly, Rose proves herself to be the “American version of her mother” when she uses the powerful words of confrontation against her husband Ted. An-mei’s constant persuasion for her to “speak up” eventually bears fruit, proving that “A mother is best.” (210).