The Joy Luck Club (novel) - Essay Example

Both Jing-mei and Waverly happen to be the daughters of the women who have high expectations of their daughters and do not hesitate to push them so as to make them fulfill the dreams they have regarding them. Also, both Jing-mei and Waverly choose to revolt against the aspirations of their mothers, to lead a life that is in consonance with their innate yearnings and needs. One particular thing about Jing-mei is that she is never able to understand her mother’s high expectations from her and thereby leads a considerable part of her life feeling dejected and confused.

Her mother’s expectations from her happened to be unrealistic and not in harmony with what she actually wanted to do in life. Though her mother discernibly encouraged her to be anything she desires to be, yet in her heart she wanted her daughter to be a star. She expects her to be a piano prodigy irrespective of the fact that June had no taste for music and her vociferous protests as, “I’m not your slave. This isn’t China. You can’t make me (Tan 150)!” The troubled consciousness of Jing-mei is extremely hurt by the obstinacy of her mother as she says, “Only two kinds of daughter: obedient or follow own mind.

Only one kind of daughter can live in this house, obedient kind (Tan 151).” Thereby, June tends to have a hazy self concept and feels like a failure as she regrets her mother’s misplaced expectations, “My mother and I really never understood one another (Tan 27).” She always felt that she was insufficient and that something really lacked in her troubled life I contrast, Waverly, daughter of Lindo not only happens to be gifted from an early age, but she also happens to be proud and confident about her abilities as she says, “When I was playing chess, I trusted in myself completely (Tan 25).

” She never shared the misgivings, confusion and a sense of dejection and despondency that June is required to face for a major part of her life. Waverly happens to be a girl who has a mind of her own and who could take decisions regarding her like, unlike the wavering and mild June. Yet, very much like June, though being successful and independent, Waverly also badly yearns for the approval of her mother. Quiet akin to June, Waverly really regrets her mother’s habit of bragging about her talent for chess and the high expectations she heaped on her.

Thereby like June, Waverly is averse to her mother’s perception of her and how she vitiated her life as she acknowledges her influence on her life by saying, “What she said was like a curse. This power I had- I could actually feel it draining away (Tan 90).” Hence, though Waverly differed from June in being gifted and endowed with exceptional abilities, yet, like June she also happened to be a victim of great motherly expectations and the domestic pressure that was placed on her right from childhood to be something exceptional and successful.

June and Waverly shared a vitiated and enforced relationship since both of them happened to be childhood rivals right from an early age. Both of their lives were largely shadowed by their mothers’ habit of comparing their talent, abilities and accomplishments. Waverly was gifted in chess and her mother used it as a tool to make June’s mother feel low, a thing that placed both June and Waverly under immense embarrassment and pressure and made them feel inimical towards each other. June particularly feels humiliated by the arrogance