In the novel, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, one of the four mother-daughter relationships is between Suyuan Woo and Jing-Mei. Much like the other relationships, Jing-Mei and her mother had a broken one. Throughout Jing-Mei’s life, she faced miscommunication and criticism from her mother. However, their relationship soon changes when Suyuan Woo suddenly dies from a cerebral aneurysm. Jing-Mei must now step up and fulfill her mother’s legacy, which she does so successfully by growing as a person, accepting her mother’s legacy, and finally completing Suyuan’s wish.
The joy luck club was created by Suyuan Woo with the intention of forgetting previous miseries and hardships. Each member of the joy luck club took turns hosting the gathering and everybody converged to share happy moments. Unfortunately, after Suyuan dies, Jing-Mei must take over. Jing-Mei feels incapable of filling her mother’s footsteps. Even Jing-Mei’s mother previously stated, “You don’t even know little percent of me! How can you be me (page 27)?” Jing-Mei has always felt insecure and unsure about herself and her abilities. However, Jing-Mei, with some coaxing and encouragement, manages to crawl out of her shell and participate in the gathering by playing mah jong. This is the first step to following her mother’s legacy. Jing-Mei is beginning to connect herself to her mother and really fill her mother’s footsteps.
The second part to fulfilling Suyuan Woo’s legacy was accepting Woo’s wish of finding her lost twin daughters and meeting them. “ She knew they were alive, and before she died she wanted to find her daughters in China (page 39).” Jing-Mei accepted the request of visiting her long lost sisters. By doing so she further took over for her mother. This wish, once Suyuan’s, soon turns to be Jing-Mei’s wish as well. Jing-Mei, later in the book, though hesitant and unsure, feels as though it her objective to inform her siblings about their mother’s death and who she was as a person. By accepting her mother’s wish, it soon turns to be Jing-Mei’s wish to give her sisters the opportunity to “meet” their mother, thus growing closer to her mother and even resembling her intentions. Jing-Mei herself begins to realize how she reflects her mother. “ And I am sitting at my mother’s place at the mah jong table, on the East, where things begin (page 41).” Jing-Mei honors her mother’s legacy by accepting to complete her mother’s aspiration.
By the end of the novel, Jing-Mei has completed Suyuan’s legacy. Jing Mei has gone to China to meet her older sisters to tell them about their mother. Her mother’s wish has always been for her daughter to get in touch with her Chinese heritage and to know about her past. Jing-Mei succeeds in this as she discovers the Chinese element within herself. “ And now I see what part of me is Chinese (page 288).” She understands the deep and confusing connection with her mother. Jing- Mei realizes that her mother’s criticism was her way of expressing love and encouragement. Her mother believed she could do so much and more. Suyuan Woo’s aspiration was to reunite herself with her “lost daughters.” Though Suyuan did not herself complete this objective, her daughter certainly did. Jing-Mei builds connects herself to China and her sisters. Jing-Mei realizes that she and her mother are very much alike. She states, “ Together we look like our mother. Her same eyes, her same mouth…(page 288).” Readers can understand that Jing- Mei has truly completed her mother’s wish. Jing-Mei feels the Chinese half inside her and she finally understands her mother’s intentions.
Suyaun Woo longed to reunite herself with her long lost daughters. She finally found them, but died before she had the chance to meet. Therefore, she passed down this wish onto her daughter, Jing-Mei Woo. Jing-Mei, with great will, completed the legacy her mother wanted her to. The journey to China not only only helped Jing-Mei grow as a person, but strengthened the relationship with her mother. Jing-Mei both honors and fulfills her mother’s legacy. Jing-Mei unites herself with China as well as with her family.
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