Detailed Analysis of the Text
1. “Two Kinds” is a fiction. Although thispassage is taken from a novel, it can be read as a complete short story. Bythis we mean that it has a complete plot of its own. As you may know, a plot isthe deliberately arranged sequence of interrelated events that constitute thebasic narrative structure of a novel or a short story. Very often a plot startsfrom a significant conflict. This conflict sets the plot in motion. It holdsthe reader’s attention, builds the suspense of the work and arouses expectationfor the events that are to follow. The plot of a traditional short story consistsof three parts: beginning, middle and end. It often moves through five stages:exposition, rising action, crisis (climax), falling action and resolution. Theexposition is the beginning section in which the author provides necessarybackground information. In the second stage, the conflict is developedgradually and intensified. The crisis, also referred to as the climax, is thatmoment at which the plot reaches its point of greatest emotional intensity.Once the climax or crisis is reached, the tension subsides and the plot movestoward its conclusion. The final section of the plot is its resolution; itrecords the outcome of the conflict and establishes some new stability. As weread “Two Kinds” we will find that this story is carefully constructed,containing all five stages. We will discuss them as we read along. When we reada story, one of the first things that draws our attention is the plot. However,a finely worked out plot is more than just a sequence of happenings. Often ittells of an epiphany: some moment of insight, discovery, or revelation by whicha character’s life, or view of life, is greatly altered. As we read “Two Kinds,”we should try to see if there is such a moment in the story.
2. After reading a story we often askourselves questions like “What is the story about?” “What does the story mean?”or “What is the author trying to say?” In answering these questions, we areconsidering the theme of the story. The theme of a story is different from theplot. While the plot tells what happens in the story, the theme is what thestory is about. The theme of a story is the general meaning, the central anddominating idea that unifies and controls the total work. Usually it is easierto summarize the events than to state the theme in one’s own words. Take thestory we are reading here. Based on our first reading of the story we mayretell the story in our own words without much difficulty, but to state thetheme we have to read the story closely and think carefully. After reading andanalyzing the whole story, we will find that the meaning of the title “TwoKinds” is spelled out in Paragraph 72: “Only two kinds of daughters,” sheshouted in Chinese. “Those who are obedient and those who follow their ownmind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter!”This is important because it enables us to identify the central idea of the story,the story’s theme. We can now try to formulate in our own words a statementabout the human experience that the author is trying to share with us throughthis work. Different readers may come up with differently formulatedstatements, but they should express more or less the same general meaning. Hereis an example of a statement of the theme of “Two Kinds”: The mother’s attemptto change her daughter into a prodigy and the daughter’s resistance to suchchange epitomize a bittersweet relationship between mother and daughter and asharp conflict between two generations and two cultures.
3. The story “Two Kinds” employs first-personnarration. A story can be told in the first or the third person. Whenfirst-person narrative is used, the story is told by “I.” In this story, the narrator,the daughter, is one of the story’s main characters. The whole story isnarrated by the daughter. Though the narrator remains the same, the point ofview may change. Most of the story is narrated from the point of view of thedaughter as a little girl while the last part is from the point of view of thesame daughter when she has grown up. As readers, we should distinguish betweenthe first-person narrator “I” and the author who wrote the story. In otherwords, the fictional “I” and the real-life author are not the same person,though in an autobiographical or semi-autobiographical novel or story, manyevents that “I” experience are based on the author’s own life experiences. AmyTan’s The Joy Luck Club has autobiographical elements, and for such a novelfirst-person narration is more effective than third-person narration. As thefirst-person narrator is part of the story, she/he can move freely within thefictional world and approach other fictional characters. The first-personnarrator addresses the reader directly. The immediate and compelling quality ofthe first-person narration enables the author to capture the moment as if itwere taking place this very instant and right here. The narrator is either aparticipant in or an eyewitness of the events. So there is authority infirst-person narration. First-person narration also allows the reader to enterthe mind of the narrator. The narrator tells us what happens in the physicalworld as well as in his/her mental world. When we read the relevant passage,we not only follow the events, the external occurrences, but we are also ableto perceive what is going on in the mind of the narrator, the internal development ofthe girl as a character. However, first-person narration has its imposed limits. Itis tightly controlled and restricted in its access to information. It can only tell uswhat the narrator sees and knows. It cannot let the readers enter the minds ofother characters. So first-person narration is inevitably narrow and may evenbe biased in terms of perspectives and observations.
4. The main characters in this story are thedaughter, Jing-mei (her English name is June) and her mother (Suyuan, 宿愿inChinese). There are minor characters including the girl’s father, Suyuan’sfriend, Lindo, Lindo’s daughter, Waverly and the piano teacher, Old Chong. Thecharacters, especially the main ones, are an important element of a story.Every story has a plot and characters. As events inevitably involve people, itis impossible to discuss plot in isolation from character. Character and plotare intimately related. In “The Art of Fiction” Henry James asks, “What ischaracter but the determination of incident? What is incident but theillustration of character?” The major, or central, character of the plot is theprotagonist; his opponent, the character against whom the protagonist strugglesor contends, is the antagonist. The protagonist is the essential characterwithout whom there would be no plot in the first place. It is the protagonist’sfate on which the attention of the reader is focused. The terms protagonist andantagonist do not imply a judgment about either’s moral worth. Manyprotagonists and antagonists embody a complex mixture of both positive andnegative qualities. In our story, if the daughter is the protagonist then themother is the antagonist, and our job is to try to understand both of themrather than to pass judgment on either one. There areseveral methods which an author uses to reveal character—characterization:characterization through the use of names; characterization through appearance;characterization through dialogue; characterization through action. Awell-portrayed character should be what we call dynamic or well-rounded, notstatic or flat. A dynamic or well-rounded character, rich in personality, growsor develops in the progress of the story while a static, or flat, one remainsunchanged, more or less the same throughout the story. It is useful to bearthis point in mind as we examine our main characters.
5. Paragraphs 1 to 3, the beginning part ofthe story provides the reader with background information. It describes themother and her hopes for her daughter, paving the way for the development ofthe conflict between the daughter and the mother. These paragraphs show thatthe mother was very optimistic about the future and correspondingly ambitiousfor her daughter. They also allow us to deduce the reasons why the mother placedextraordinarily high hopes on her daughter. First, she believed one could beanything one wanted to be in America. Whether she was aware of it or not, shewas influenced by and believed in the “American Dream.” Secondly, she wascompeting with her best friend Lindo, who had a smart daughter. Thirdly, shehad lost everything in China and had come to America with the determination to live a better life. Shewas transferring her own hopes to her daughter.
6. Youcould buy a house with almost no money down. (Para. 1)
Paraphrase: You could buy ahouse with a very small down payment 首付,that is, most of the money was loaned to you.
down: Here the word“down” is an adverb, meaning “in cash when bought” 现款; a down payment is theinitial upfront portion of the total amount due, usually given in cash when atransaction is finalized.
7. “Ofcourse you can be prodigy, too.”(Para. 2)
Note:The mother’s English was not grammatically correct; hereshe drops the article “a” before the countable noun “prodigy.”Later we will find that she makes all kinds of grammatical mistakes.
prodigy: a young person who is extremely clever orgood at doing something 奇才，神童:Mozart was a child prodigy.
8. “Youcan be best anything” (Para. 2)
Note:To be grammatically correct, one should say: “You can be thebest at anything.”
9. AuntieLindo (Para. 2):
Oneof the four women members of the Joy Luck Club. The narrator’s mother’s close friendand rival since they compared their daughters all the time.
10. sheis only best tricky (Para. 2)
Sheis only good at being tricky.
11. herfamily home (Para. 3):
Why family home? Is the word “family” redundant?No. In China, a family home is one where a big, extended family ofthree or more generations live together.
12. Paragraphs 4 to 11 form the firstsubsection of the body of the story. This section is concerned with themother’s unsuccessful attempt to change her daughter into a Chinese ShirleyTemple. In the beginning the child was as excited as the mother about becominga prodigy. At this point, the conflict between mother and daughter was not perceptible.
13. tappingher feet (Para. 4)
Here she wasdoing a tap dance, a dance performed with sharp, loud taps of the foot, toe, or heel at each step.
14. “Youalready know how. Don’t need talent for crying” (Para. 5)
This is a reproachful remark said ina sarcastic tone. The mother is indicating that the daughter criestoo much.
15. abeauty training school (Para. 6)
美容培训班
16. theMission district (Para. 6)
Adistrict in San Francisco, for decades it has been a primarily Hispanic neighborhood withtourists frequentingits interesting restaurants, bars andspecialty shops.
17. Insteadof getting big fat curls, I emerged with an uneven mass of crinkly black fuzz(Para. 6)
Paraphrase: Shirley Templehad blond hair in big fat curls. But after her hair was done, the narratorlooked very different from what she and her mother had hoped.
an uneven mass of crinkly black fuzz:一团乱蓬蓬的黑色小卷毛
crinkly: full ofwrinkles, twists and ripples
fuzz: thin, soft hair
18. “Youlook like Negro Chinese” (Para. 7)
Note:She is thinking of stereotypes: White girls have blond curlyhair, Chinese girls have black straight hair, and black girls have crinklyfuzzy hair. To the mother, the new hairstyle was even worse because thedaughter now looked like a Negro girl.
19. shelamented, as if I had done this on purpose (Para. 7)
lamented: To lament is toexpress annoyance or disappointment about something you think isunsatisfactory: The use of the word shows that the mother is dissatisfied anddisappointed with the daughter. The word appears again later.
as if I had done this on purpose: Thegirl felt that her mother blamed for this initial failure. Later on we findthat the mother and daughter often blame each other in their intenserelationship.
20. Theinstructor of the beauty school had to lop off these soggy clumps (Para. 8)
to lop off: to cut a part ofsomething off, especially a branch of a tree
soggy: unpleasantlywet and soft: The ground is soggy from the rain.
clump: agroup of trees, bushes or other plants growing very close together. Here “lopoff” and “clumps” are used figuratively.
21. “PeterPan is very popular these days” (Para. 8)
Inmaking her hair smooth again, the girl looked like a boy, and so the instructorwas comforting the mother and the girl by mentioning Peter Pan, whose hair wasshort, with a few straight-across bangs above his eyebrows.
22. Infact, in the beginning, I was just as excited as my mother (Para. 9)
Whywas the narrator as excited as her mother in the beginning? Becauseher mother’s attempt to change her into a prodigy roused in her many fancifulideas and made her quite excited.
23. Ipictured this prodigy part of me as many different images, trying each one onfor size (Para. 9)
Paraphrase: I imaginedmyself as different types of prodigy, trying to find out which one suited methe best.
trying each one on for size: Totry something, especially clothing, to see if it is the right size for you.
Translation: 我在脑海里描绘我的神童部分的各种形象，试试哪一种最适合于我。
24. adainty ballerina girl (Para. 9)
Asmall，pretty and delicate girl who dances in ballets.
ballerina: a woman whodances in ballets.
25. I waslike the Christ child lifted out of the straw manger, crying with holyindignity (Para. 9)
holy indignity: It’s difficult to explain exactly whatthe author means here by “holy indignity.” These words can be interpreted indifferent ways. In outdated English, the word “indignity” means “indignation.”So the sentence may mean that the Christ child cried with holy indignation whenhe was lifted from the straw manger. Another way of explaining the sentenceshows that the author is being humorous here. Jesus Christ did everything withholy dignity, such as preaching and healing the sick. But when he was a newbornbaby, being lifted out of the straw manger, he cried justlike other babies, without holy dignity, but with indignity. Yet, because hewas the holy Son of God, his indignity was holy, too. Here the girl isimagining herself playing the part of Christ as a new-born baby on stage aspart of a Christmas celebration in a church.
26. I wasCinderella stepping from her pumpkin carriage (Para. 9)
Inthe fairy tale Cinderella is left alone in the kitchen while her stepmother andtwostepsisters go off to attend a party at which there is dancing,given by the king. She feels very sad. At this moment Cinderella's fairygodmother appears and asks her to go into the garden and bring thelargest pumpkin she can find. By magic the fairy godmother changes the pumpkininto a golden coach lined with white satin. Cinderella goes to the party in thecarriage, and she is the prettiest girl there. The king’s young son, completely charmed, dancesevery dance with her the whole night. In the end, the Princeand Cinderella are happily married.
27. beyondreproach (Para. 10)
无可指摘，完美无缺
reproach: blame, shame,disgrace, or a source, cause, or occasion of this.
28. Paragraphs 12 to 20 form the secondsubsection of Section Two of the story. In this part we learn that the mother wastrying very hard to train her daughter to be a genius. As the tests got moreand more difficult, the daughter lost heart and began to hate being tested. Shedecided that she would not let her mother change her. This change of attitudeleads to the gradual development of conflict between mother anddaughter.
29. Mymother got these magazines from people whose houses she cleaned… assortment(Para. 12)
Fromthis we can see that the family is not well off. The mother has to clean manyhouses each week to help support the family.
30. multiplyingnumbers in my head (Para. 16): 心算乘法
31. findingthe queen of hearts in a deck of cards (Para. 16)
hearts: suit of playingcards marked with heart figures in red. A deck of cards is a set of playingcards; pack. Playing cards are arranged in decks of four suits: spades, hearts,diamonds, and clubs, with 52 cards in a deck.
Translation:在一副纸牌中找出红桃皇后来
32. tostand on my head without using my hands (Para. 16): 不用手扶地的倒立
33. NowJehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance (Para. 17)
Thisline is taken from 2 Chronicles of the Old Testament. 2 Chronicles recount thereign of King Solomon, the revolt of the northern tribes, the kings of Judahand the fall of Jerusalem. The original passage is quite complicated withdifficult names. No wonder that Jing-mei couldn’t remember much from her reading. Chapter17 of 2 Chronicles says: “And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, andstrengthened himself against Israel. And he placed forces in all the fencedcities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities ofE’phrim, which Asa his father had taken. And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat,because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not untoBa’alim; But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in hiscommandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore the Lordestablished the kingdom in his land; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphatpresents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.”
34. … somethinginside of me began to die (Para. 18)
Compare what Jing-mei saidin Paragraph 9, “In fact, in the beginning, I was just as excited as my mother,maybe even more so.” It is natural for a child to become excited when he or sheis told he/she can be a prodigy. As the tests got harder and harder, Jing-mei lostinterest and confidence. Seeing how disappointed her mother was with herperformances, she knew that she was not a genius, not a prodigy. This indicatesan important change Jing-mei.
35. Ihate the tests, the raised hopes and failed expectations. (Para. 18)
Note:This is animportant sentence, revealing the nature of the conflict between mother anddaughter. Why did Jing-mei hate the tests? She hated the tests because theyrepresented hopes that had been raised so high that failure to meet the expectationswas inevitable.
Translation: 我讨厌那些测试，那些过高的希望和达不到的期盼。
36. Ilooked in the mirror above the bathroom sink and when I saw only my face… Ibegan to cry (Para. 18)
When Jing-mei lookedin the mirror, she expected to see a pretty face or she wished that some magicwould make her face prettier. When she saw only her face in the mirror andrealized that face would not change, she was so sad and disappointed that shewas trying to scratch it. It seems possible that the author is alluding here to thefairytale “Snow White.” Once, the Queen, Snow White’s stepmother, looked in themirror, asking: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?”The mirror answered: “You, O Queen, are the fairest one of all.” Time went by, andSnow White grew up to become very beautiful. Whenthe Queen then asked the mirror thesame question the answer was somewhat different: “You, Lady Queen, though fairyou are, Snow White is fairer, far.”
37. likea crazed animal (Para. 18)
crazed: (adj.) behavingin a wild and uncontrolled way
38. Ihad new thoughts…lots of won’ts (Para 19)
Note: Whatnew thoughts did Jing-mei have now? What did shedecide to do? She had new thoughts which were filled with a strong spirit ofdisobedience, rebellion. She decided not to cooperate with her mother’s plans.
willful: continuing to dowhat you want, even after you have been told to stop
lots of won’ts: Whenyou disobey an order, you say, “I won’t do it.” So “lots of won’ts” meansdisobedience and rebellion.
39. Iwon’t let her change me, I promised myself. I won’t be what I’m not (Para. 19)
Jing-mei is asserting her identity. This idea of “I am what Iam. I’ll always be myself” reflects American individualism which is an importantaspect of American values. Growing up in America, Jing-mei had been inevitably influenced by this value.Obviously this notion of individualism was not in conformity with a traditionalChinese family education, which emphasized filial piety, the principle thatchildren should respect and listen to their parents. After Jing-mei made up her mind to resist change, the conflictbetween mother and daughter escalated.
40. Igot so bored I started counting the bellows of the foghorns out on the baywhile my mother drilled me in other areas.(Para. 20)
bellow: a deep hollowsound
foghorn: ahorn on a ship or a lighthouse sounded as a warning during a fog 雾角，雾喇叭（向雾中的船只发警告）
on the bay: on the SanFrancisco Bay
to drill: to teach someoneby making them repeat something many times
other areas: The word “areas” is used because the baywas an area the girl’s attention was focused on.
Translation:我感到极为枯燥无聊，开始心里数着海湾传来的雾角的声音，而我的妈妈正在其他方面训练我。
41. Thesound was comforting and reminded me of the cow jumping over the moon. (Para.20)
The bellow of the foghorns on the bay had a qualitythat could rouse the child’s imagination. The sound reminded her of the nurseryrhyme about the cow jumping over the moon. The complete rhyme goes like this:
“Hey,diddle, diddle,
The cat and thefiddle,
The cow jumped overthe moon.
The little doglaughed,
To see such sport,
And the dish ranaway with the spoon.”
42. Paragraphs21 to 28 form the third subsection of Section Two. While watching a Chinesegirl playing the piano on the Ed Sullivan Show, a new idea flashed into themother’s mind. With the introduction of the new plan, the conflict woulddevelop even further.
43. TheTV was old and the sound kept shorting out. (Para. 21)
shorting out:短路
44. Paragraph 21is one of the many fine examples showing how the author tellsher story using simple but vividly,expressive language. When the TV set shorted out, the mother would get up fromher seat to adjust the set. This action was repeated so many times that in theeyes of the child it was like a dance between her mother and the TV set. In herdescription, the author uses simple words like “up and down, back and forth,quiet and loud.”
45. Itwas like an embraceless dance between her and the TV set. (Para. 21)
她和电视机好像上演了一段舞蹈，二者不相拥抱，动作僵硬。
46. Finallyshe stood by the set with her hand on the sound dial. (Para. 21)
sound dial: a piece of equipment of an old-fashioned radio or TVset that you turn to adjust the volume of the sound
47. Sheseemed entranced by the musica littlefrenzied piano piece with this mesmerizing quality, sort of quick passages andthen teasing lilting ones before it returned to the quickplayful parts (Para. 22)
entranced: very interestedin and pleased with something so that you pay a lot of attention to it
to mesmerize: to make someonefeel that they must watch or listen to something or someone, because they areso interested in it or attracted by it
lilting: with a pleasantpattern of rising and falling sound in music or voice
Translation:她似乎被这音乐吸引住了。这钢琴曲不长，但有点狂乱，有着迷人的特点，乐曲一开始是快节奏的，接着是欢快跳动的节拍，然后又回到嬉戏的部分。
48. Thegirl had the sauciness of a Shirley Temple (Para. 24)
Paraphrase: The girl was full of energy and spirit,lovely and brisk, a type of girl like Shirley Temple.
a Shirley Temple: ofthe Shirley Temple type
49. Shewas proudly modest like a proper Chinese girl (Para. 24):
Paraphrase: A properChinese girl was supposed to be modest. Knowing this, the girl tried to lookmodest, but actually she was proud.
Translation:正如一个举止得当的华人女孩，她虽然骄傲但显得谦虚。
50. Andshe also did this fancy sweep of a curtsy (Para. 24):
Paraphrase: Like Shirley Temple, she did her curtsy with a fancysweep. Translation: 就像秀兰·邓波儿每次结束表演时那样，她也行了个花哨潇洒的屈膝礼。
51. thefluffy shirt of her white dress cascaded slowly…a large carnation (Para. 24):
Translation:她那白色蓬松的裙子慢慢地垂落到地上，好似一大朵康乃馨花。
52. Inspite of these warning signs, I wasn’t worried. (Para. 25)
Whatwere the warning signs? The girl and Jing-mei were so similar that Jing-meishould have known what her mother was thinking. If thatChinese girl could be a Shirley Temple-like prodigy, why not her own daughter? Watchingthe girl’s performance, the mother had a new idea—to make her daughter learn toplay the piano. Jing-mei saw the warningsigns, but she was not worried. The reason is explained in the followingsentences.
53. reams(Para. 25)： (pl.) (informal) a large amount of writingon paper: He showed me reams of notes he had taken.
54. SoI could be generous in my comments when my mother bad-mouthed the little girl(Para. 25)
Whycould the girl be generous in her comments? As she knew she would not becompeting with this girl, she was not jealous of her and so she could say nicethings about the girl’s performance.
bad-mouth: (Informal, especially in AmericanEnglish) to find fault with, to criticize or disparage: His former colleaguesaccused him of bad-mouthing them in public.
55. “Play note right, but doesn’t sound good!No singing sound”(Para. 25)
Wecan see that although the mother did not speak grammatically correct English,she was able to express herself adequately. Clearly she meant that the girl played thenotes correctly but failed to bring out the melody of the piece.
56. “What are you picking on her for” (Para.26).
Paraphrase: Whyare you criticizing her so unfairly?
to pick on someone: toblame someone for something, especially unfairly.
57. I knew almost immediately I would be sorryI said that (Para. 26)
I knew immediately I had invited criticismby saying that.
58. Paragraphs29 to 46 form the fourth subsection of Section Two. It describes how Jing-mei ismade to learn to play the piano under the instruction of Old Chong. Jing-meihated the piano lessons because she didn’t want to be somebody she was not. Therelationship between mother and daughter became more and more tense. When Jing-mei’smother uses her to compete with Auntie Lindo, Jing-mei cannot put up with hermother’s behavior anymore, and she decides to put a stop to “her foolishpride.” What is Jing-mei going to do? That naturally arouses our anticipationas we continue our reading into the next section.
59. … mymother had traded housecleaning services for weekly lessonsand a piano for me to practice on every day,two hours a day, from four untilsix. (Para. 29)
My mother would dohousecleaning for Mr. Chong. As a form of payment for her services, she gotfree weekly piano lessons and a piano for her daughter to practice on everyday, two hours a day from four until six. At this stage, the little girl wastoo young to appreciate the efforts and sacrifice her mother made for her.
60. I whinedand then kicked my foot a little when I couldn’t stand it anymore. (Para. 29)
I whined: Icomplained in a sad, annoying voice.
61. Mymother slapped me (Para. 32)
This tells us twothings. First, the mother is rather quick-tempered. Secondly, we are remindedthat she is a Chinese mother. American parents would have hesitated to usephysical punishment in dealing with their children.
62. “Whoask you be genius? Only ask you be your best. For you sake. You think I wantyou be genius?” (Para. 32)
If we put this part into more correct English, itshould be: Who is asking you to be a genius? I am onlyasking you to do your best. For yoursake. Do you think I want you to be a genius?
63. “Soungrateful” (Para. 33)
This reflects an important Chinese value concerningthe relationship between parents and children. Parents do everything they canfor their children and the children are supposed to feel grateful to theirparents. This is different from a typical American attitude: since the parentshave brought their children into this world, they have obligations to theirchildren, so the children do not have to feel that they owe anything to theirparents.
64. Iheard her mutter in Chinese (Para. 33)
Note that when the mother communicates with herdaughter, sometimes she speaks English and sometimes Chinese. Perhaps she switcheswhen the notions are so typically Chinese that it is easier for her to expressthem in her mother tongue or when she finds that what she wants to say is toodifficult for her to get across in English.
65. “Ifshe had as much talent as she has temper, she would be famous now” (Para. 33)
Translation: 如果她的才气和脾气一样大的话，她早就出名了.
66. … tappinghis fingers to the silent music of an invisible orchestra. (Para. 34):
Translation: 用手指随着一支无形乐团的无声音乐打着拍子
67. “LikeBeethoven!” he shouted to me. “We’re both listening only in our head!” (Para. 35)
Beethoven’s career was marred by his deafness. Atfirst he could not bear to let anyone, even his best friends, know of histragedy. In a letter he wrote to his brother about his deafness in 1802, hesaid: “What humiliation when any one standing beside me could hear a distantflute that I could not hear, or a shepherd singing, and I could not distinguisha sound! Such circumstances brought me to the brink of despair and almost mademe put an end to my life: nothing but my art held my hand.” The diseaseworsened, and he became completely deaf in 1807. In spite of his deafness,Beethoven went on working with all his strength, though he was never able tohear most of his own finest music. For more information about Beethoven, seeNote 10 to the text.
68. … anold unreachable itch (Para. 37)
Theword “itch” has two meanings. An itch is an uncomfortable feeling on your skinthat makes you want to scratch it with your fingernails.Informally and figuratively, it means a strong desire to do or have something.
69. Butnow you must learn to keep time! (Para.38)
keep time: to play a pieceof music using the right rhythm and speed 保持（相同的）节奏
Thereare other phrases about music with the word “time” in them. Here are a fewexamples:
a) Waltzes are usually in three-four time.
b) He went through the motions in half-time.
c) She began moving her body in time to the music.
d) While his friends were singing, he beat time forthem.
e) The girl was playing the piano to accompany him, but hecould never stay in time with her.
70. He balanced pennies on top of my wrists(Para. 39)
This is a commonmethod piano teachers use to train their students. The players’ fingers danceon the keyboard but their wrists should not move up and down but be kept still.
71. conductinghis own private reverie (Para. 40)
He was conducting the invisible orchestracreated by his own imagination. reverie: dreamy thinking, imagining ofespecially agreeable things; fanciful musing; daydreaming.
72. Ilearned to play only the most ear-splitting preludes, the most discordant hymns(Para. 41)
Thisis a metaphor, comparing her non-cooperative attitude to learning to playdiscordant music. “Ear-splitting” and “discordant” are used figuratively,meaning that she tried her best to be as disagreeable as possible in dealingwith her mother. This is the way she demonstrated her rebellion.
73. Overthe next year, I practiced like this, dutifully in my own way. (Para. 42)
Ifyou do something dutifully, you do what you are expected and behave in a loyaland obedient way, with a sense of duty. Here by adding “in my ownway,” the girl means that although she practiced the piano according to hermother’s orders every day for the next year, she played in a privatelyuncooperative way, which neither her mother nor the piano teacher realized.
74. Itwas after church… (Para. 42)
after church: After the churchservice on Sunday. At the very beginning of the novel, Jing-mei tells the storyof how her mother and the other three Chinese ladies met at the First ChineseBaptist Church:
My motherstarted the San Francisco version of the Joy Luck Club in 1949, two yearsbefore I was born. This was the year my mother and father left China with onestiff leather trunk filled only with fancy silk dresses. ..
When theyarrived in San Francisco, my father made her hide those shiny clothes. She worethe same brown-checked Chinese dress until the Refugee Welcome Society gave hertwo hand-me-down dresses, all too large in sizes for American women. Thesociety was composed of a group of white-haired American missionary ladies fromthe First Chinese Baptist Church. And because of their gifts, my parents couldnot refuse their invitation to join the church. Nor could they ignore the oldladies’ practical advice to improve their English through Bible study class onWednesday nights and, later, through choir practice on Saturday mornings. Thiswas how my parents met the Hsus, the Jongs, and the St. Clairs. My mother couldsense that the women of these families also had unspeakable tragedies they hadleft behind in China and hopes they couldn’t begin to express in their fragileEnglish. Or at least, my mother recognized the numbness in these women’s faces.And she saw how quickly their eyes moved when she told them her idea for theJoy Luck Club.
75. Wehad grown up together and shared all the closeness of two sisters squabblingover crayons and dolls (Para. 42)
Translation: The two girls had grown up together. Likesisters they had often quarreled over crayons and dolls.
to squabble (over/about): to quarrelcontinuously about something unimportant: The kids are still squabbling aboutwhose turn it is to wash the dishes.
76. Inother words, for the most part, we hated each other (Para. 42)
Paraphrase: In other words,we hated each other most of the time.
Note: Their behavioris similar to sibling rivalry. Sibling rivalry is competition between brothersand sisters for their parents’ attention or love. Although there is siblingrivalry in all cultures, it may be more common in American families than inChinese families because of different family relationships and the Americanvalue of individualism. In American families, every child is led to thinkhe/she is the best. They are encouraged to compete for everything from an earlyage on. If we compare the relationships among sisters and brothers in Chineseand American families, we can find some differences. In Chinese families, eldersisters and brothers are told to look after their younger sisters and brothers.In return, younger sisters and brothers are supposed to show respect for theolder ones. In American families, more stress is put on individual rights andequality than on relations in which the older and the younger siblings havedifferent roles to play.
77. “Chinatown’sLittlest Chinese Chess Champion” (Para. 42)
Aheadline in a newspaper or magazine. Note the alliteration used here.Alliteration and puns are often used in newspaper headlines in order to catch the readers’ attention. In the novel,there is a section narrated by Waverly. She learned to play chess atan early age. By her ninth birthday, she was a national chess champion.Although she was still some 429 points away from grand-master status, she wastouted as the Great American Hope, a child prodigy. A photo of her appears in Lifemagazine.
78. “Shebring home too many trophy,” lamented Auntie Lindo…. “All day I…dust off herwinnings” (Para. 43)
Note: LikeJing-mei’s mother, Auntie Lindo also speaks incorrect English. In more accurateEnglish, it should be: She brings home too many trophies. All day she playschess. All day I have no time to do anything else but clean and dust off hertrophies.
Note: The use ofwords and expressions like “lamented” and “threw a scolding look” show thatalthough Auntie Lindo was very pleased with and proud of her daughter andwanted to brag about her to her best friend, she knew that was contrary to Chinesemodesty. So, as a proper Chinese mother, she had to hide her pride and pretendto be modest and complain about her daughter. She is praising her daughter inan indirect way.
winnings: (pl) somethingwon, especially money
79. “Youlucky you don’t have this problem” (Para. 44)
You are lucky that you don’t have so manytrophies to dust off. The tone was ironic, implying that her daughter didn’tbring home any trophies.
80. Andmy mother squared her shoulders and bragged…this natural talent (Para. 45)
Note:Jing-mei’smother knew her friend too well to miss the ironic tone of her remark. She wasdetermined to respond to her friend’s challenge. What she means to say is ourproblem is “worse” than yours. If we ask Jing-mei to wash dishes, she hearsnothing but music. It’s as if you can’t stop this natural talent. From theabove conversation we can see that the two mothers’ behavior is typicallyChinese. Under the same circumstances, an American parent would simply say: “Mydaughter is great! I’m proud of her!”
squared her shoulders: to push backyour shoulders with your back straight, usually to show your determination
Translation: 而我的妈妈挺起胸膛，吹牛说，“我们的问题比你的更糟糕。如果你让精妹洗碗，她根本听不到，因为她满脑都是音乐，似乎她的天才是无法制止的。”
81. I wasdetermined to put a stop to her foolish pride. (Para. 46)
Jing-mei hated being compared to Waverly. She knows that what hermother said is not true and that it is nothing but foolish pride that makes her talk this way.Therefore, she is determined to put a stop to this.
82. Paragraphs 47 to 60 form the fifthsubsection of the middle part of the story. Jing-mei was to perform in a talentshow to be held in the church. This was a good opportunity for parents to showoff their talented children to their friends. Jing-mei started all right andsoon made a mess of her performance. Undoubtedly this was a slap in the face to hermother, from whom Jing-mei expected angry accusations from her mother. To hersurprise as well as disappointment, nothing happened when they got home. Asreaders we can’t help wondering what this silence means. We feel that a stormis imminent. If we think of the story in terms of the five stages outlined in Point1 of the detailed study, then we may guess that the crisis, or the climax, of the storyis about to come.
83. OldChong and my mother conspired to have me play in a talent show which would beheld in the church hall (Para. 47)
Note:The word“conspired” reveals the narrator’s relationship with her mother: They were opponentsin a sharp conflict. conspire: to plan something harmful or illegal togethersecretly: He had conspired with an accomplice to rob the bank.
talent show: A talentshow/contest is a competition in which people show how well they can sing,dance, tell jokes etc. 才艺表演
84. … Wurlitzerspinet (Para. 47)
RudolphWurlitzer was a German immigrant and the founder of a company in Ohio, theU.S.A., which makes and sells musical instruments. The first Wurlitzer pianowas built in 1880.
85. Itwas the showpiece of our living room (Para. 47):这是我家起居室的唯一摆设（陈列品）。
86. I wasto play a piece called “Pleading Child” from Schumann’s Scenes fromChildhood (Para. 48)
“Pleading Child”is from Schumann’s Scenes from Childhood, a collection of 13 little pieces for piano published in 1839.They are written in the simple form of episodes, and each of them is providedwith a sharply distinguished melodic core. Each piece has a suggestive title.The introductory piece is entitled “Of Foreign Countries and People,” and thelast piece “The Poet Speaks”. The others include “Suppliant Child (alsotranslated as “Pleading Child”), “Funny Story”, “”Child Fallen Asleep”,“Reverie”, “Perfect Happiness” (also translated as “Perfectly Contented”). Thiscollection is one of Schumann’s best-known short pieces, loved by many andsuitable for students of all levels. The author chooses “Pleading Child” for Jing-meito play in the talent show because the title suits the situation she was in atthat time.
87. Thepart I liked to practice best was the fancy curtsy: right foot out, touch therose on the carpet with a pointed foot, sweep to the side, left leg bends, lookup and smile (Para. 49)
curtsy: a gesture of greeting, respect, etc. formerlymade by girls and women and characterized by a bending of the knees and aslight lowering of the body
Translation:我最喜欢练习的部分是花哨的谢幕行礼动作：先出右脚，脚尖点在地毯上的玫瑰图案上，身子侧摆，左腿弯曲，抬头，微笑。
88. Myparents invited all the couples from the Joy Luck Club to witness my debut(Para. 50)
debut: a firstappearance in public as of an actor 初次登台表演
Note:The word “witness”and “debut” are very formal, not really suitable for this occasion. Thenarrator uses these formal words ironically to imply that her parents, or to be more exact,her mother, attached too much importance to this occasion out of her high hopesfor her daughter. She expected her daughter to give a successful performance toimpress their friends. A talent show held by the church was mainly forentertainment, an opportunity for church members to get together, not meant forserious competition. However, Jing-mei’s mother uses this chance to show offher daughter and compete with her friend Lindo.
89. Theyrecited simple nursery rhymes, squawked out tunes on miniature violins, twirledHula Hoops, pranced in pink ballet tutus, and when they bowed or curtsied, theaudience would sigh in unison, “Awww,” and then clap enthusiastically (Para.50)
to squawk: to utter a loud,harsh cry, as a parrot or chicken
to prance: to rise up onthe hind legs in a lively way, while moving along: said of a horse; to moveabout in a way suggestive of a prancing horse
Translation: 他们背诵简单的童谣，用微型小提琴拉出又响又粗的调子，跳呼啦圈舞，穿着粉色的芭蕾舞短裙蹦蹦跳跳。当他们鞠躬行礼时观众异口同声发出“啊，啊”的赞叹，然后热烈地鼓掌。
90. Thisis it! (Para. 51): This is the opportunity for my prodigyside to make its appearance.
91. Ilooked out over the audience, at my mother’s blank face, my father’s yawn,Auntie Lindo’s stiff-lipped smile, Waverly’s sulky expression (Para. 51)
Note:Here thenarrator sees four people with four different facial expressions. The mother hasa blank face because her feelings at this moment are mixed. She has high hopesand expectations and she is nervous, too. Whatever she feels she must hide herfeelings. The father yawns, showing he doesn’t’ care so much as the mother andhe is bored by this children’s activity. Auntie Lindo’s stiff-lipped smilereveals that she tries to put on a polite smile but only succeeds in anawkward, unnatural smile. Obviously she is afraid that Suyuan’s daughter’ssuccess might overshadow her own daughter. Waverly, being a child, also failsto hide her unhappy feeling very well.
stiff-lipped smile:awkward, unnatural smile 尴尬、不自然的笑容
sulky: showingannoyance, resentment, dissatisfaction
92. As Isat down I envisioned people jumping to their feet and Ed Sullivan rushing upto introduce me to everyone on TV (Para. 51)
Paraphrase: As I sat down atthe piano, I imagined that my performance would be such a great success thateveryone would jump to their feet in excitement. Even Ed Sullivan would be soimpressed that he would rush up to introduce me on his TV program.
to envision: to imagine something not yet inexistence; to picture in the mind
93. Achill started at the top of my head and began to trickle down. Yet I couldn’tstop playing, as though my hands were bewitched. I kept thinking my fingerswould adjust themselves back, like a train switching to the right track (Para.52)
to bewitch: to get controlover someone by putting a magic spell on them
Translation: 一股凉气从头顶开始，然后一点点传到全身。但我却不能停止演奏，双手犹如有了魔力。我不停地想，我的手指会调整好，就像火车会被扳到正确的轨道上。
94. Iplayed this strange jumble through two repeats, the sour notes staying with me allthe way to the end (Para. 52)
jumble: an untidymixture of things, e.g. these notes recorded a jumble of thoughts and feeling
sour notes: notes that aregratingly wrong or off pitch
95. MaybeI had just been nervous and the audience, like Old Chong, had seen me gothrough the right motions and had not heard anything wrong at all. (Para. 53)
When the performance is over, the girl hoped thatshe did not play that badly after all. Maybe she was just imagining that shehad played terribly owing to nervousness and that the audience had not noticedany mistakes.
96. Butthen I saw my mother’s stricken face. (Para.53)
When I saw mymother’s stricken face, I knew it was not mere illusion: I really had given anawful performance. Otherwise my mother’s face would not be looking so painedand distressed.
stricken: afflicted oraffected by something painful or distressing; very badly affected by trouble,illness, etc..
Examples:
He was conscience-strickenover the grief he had caused her.
Suppliesof medicine were rushed to the flood-stricken areas.
Panic-strickencrowds swarmed into the square.
Agrief-stricken mother wrote this letter about the tragedy to the editor of thenewspaper.
97. Theaudience clapped weakly (Para. 53)
Compare this with the audience’s responsein Paragraph 50. After each performance given by the little children, theaudience would sigh in unison, “Awww,” and then clap enthusiastically. Thisshows that not only her mother but also everybody else, except the deaf OldChong, noticed what a poor job she had done.
98. Wecould have escaped during intermission. Pride and some strange sense of honormust have anchored my parents to their chairs (Para. 55)
Paraphrase: We had a chanceto leave the show during intermission, but we didn’t. My parents remained firmin their seats throughout the show, probably out of pride and some strangesense of honor.
to anchor: An anchor is aheavy object, usually a shaped iron weight, lowered by cable or chain to thebottom of a body of water to keep a vessel from drifting. Figuratively, toanchor something means to keep something from drifting or giving way, etc. byor as by an anchor; to fasten something firmly so that it cannot move.
99. juggledflaming hoops while riding a unicycle (Para. 55)
to juggle: to keep threeor more objects moving through the air by throwing and catching them veryquickly
unicycle: a one-wheeledvehicle straddled by the rider who pushes its pedals.
uni- : (prefix) one;having or consisting of one only (e.g. unicellular, unisex)
100. The breasted girl with white makeup whosang from Madama Butterfly and gothonorable mention (Para. 55)
breasted: with breasts
white makeup: The girl is singing an aria inwhich she portrays the Japanese geisha (艺妓)Cio-Cio-San in Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly. Cio-Cio-San falls inlove with the American naval officer Pinkerton and marries him against herfamily’s strong opposition. Pinkerton returns to the USA with his fleet. WhenCio-Cio-San learns that her husband has betrayed her and is married again to anAmerican woman, she takes her own life. In the opera, as a Japanese geisha,Cio-Cio-San wears heavy white makeup.
honorable mention: a special honor in a competition for workthat is of high quality but does not get a prize (没有进名次的)鼓励性质的优秀奖
101. a tricky violin song (Para. 55): 技巧性很强的小提琴曲
tricky:requiring great skill or care
102. Auntie Lindo said vaguely, smiling broadly(Para. 57): When family friends came up to Jing-mei’s parentsafter the show, they were supposed to say something nice about Jing-mei’sperformance. However, the poor job Jing-mei did made it hard for them to offer compliments. WhatAuntie Lindo said was a general, ambiguous comment, thus “vaguely.” But hersmile was broad and genuine, unlike the stiff-lipped smile on her face beforeJing-mei played, for now she felt relieved because her friend’s daughter hadnot been able to outshine her own daughter.
103. Paragraphs61 to 76 form the last subsection of the middle part of the story. Jing-meiassumed that her failure at the show meant she would never have to play thepiano again. Yet two days later her mother urged her to practice as usual. Sherefused and her mother insisted. They had the fiercest quarrel they had ever had. Thisis the crisis or climax of the story with the plot reaching the point of greatest emotionalintensity.
104. I assumed my talent-show fiasco meant Inever had to play the piano again (Para. 61)
Since my talentshow performanceended in ridiculous failure, I took it for granted that my motherhad given up on me and would not make me play the piano again.
105. I wedged myself more tightly in front ofthe TV (Para. 62):
Paraphrase: I pushed myselfmore tightly in front of the TV (to show her reluctance to leave it forthe piano practice).
wedge: a piece ofwood, metal, etc. that has one thick edge and one pointed edge and is usedespecially for keeping a door open or for splitting wood. To wedge is to forcesomething firmly into a narrow space. Here the word is used figuratively.
106. I wasn’t her slave. This wasn’t China(Para. 64)
In her mind, a daughter was as obedient as aslave in China. Jing-mei regarded herself as American and was determined not tobe a Chinese daughter. This shows that the mother-daughter conflict is not onlybetween two generations but also between two cultures.
107. She was the stupid one (Para. 64):
She was to blamefor what happened at the talent show. She was the one who caused the ridiculousfailure.
108. I saw her chest heaving up and down in anangry way (Para. 67)
Paraphrase: I saw herbreathing hard in great anger.
toheave: to swell up, bulge out; to rise and fall rhythmically; tomake strenuous spasmodic movements of the throat, chest, or stomach in order topant, breathe hard or gasp.
109. “No!” I said, and I now felt stronger, asif my true self had finally emerged (Para. 68)
This “No” signifies disobedience and rebellion. Jing-mei's true self hasfinally emerged and she finds strength in her true identity.
110. … I kicked the throw rug under my feet. (Para.70)
American Englishfor a scatter rug, a rug for covering only a limited area
111. “Only two kinds of daughters.” “Those whoare obedient and those who follow their own mind… obedient daughter .” (Para.72)
Translation: 只有两种女儿：顺从听话的和自行其是的。这个家里只能有顺从听话的女儿。
Note:These wordsclearly reveal the mother’s firm belief in parental authority. Her traditionalChinese views convince her that daughters should listen to and obey theirmothers’ commands. She is aware that American daughters are not obedient. Shewants her daughter to have a Chinese character in American circumstances.
112. As I said these things I got scared (Para.73)
Jing-mei gets scared because she knows these are terrible thingsfor a child to say to his/her parent. It is a declaration thatyou have decided to disown your family.
113. It felt like worms and toads and slimythings crawling out of my chest, but it also felt good, as if this awful sideof me had surfaced, at last. (Para. 73)
Paraphrase: Explain the meaning of the sentence andwhy the narrator felt this way: When I said those words, I felt that some verynasty thoughts had got out of my chest, and so I felt scared. But at the sametime I felt good and relieved, because the nasty things had been suppressed inmy heart for a long time and now they had got out at last.
Note: Herethe author uses a simile to describe her feeling vividly. Worms and toads areamong things that a child is likely to associate with nasty feelings. This example shows howthe author uses a child’s point of viewsuccessfully. Other examples are found in her earlier references to Peter Pan,Cinderella, and the nursery rhyme about the cow jumping over the moon.
slimy: covered with athick slippery substance that looks or smells unpleasant
to surface: to suddenlyappear or become obvious after having been hidden for a while
Translation:我觉得好像有许多虫子，癞蛤蟆和其他黏糊糊的东西爬出了我的胸膛。但我的感觉是好的，因为隐藏在我身上的可怕一面终于暴露出来了。
114. “Too late change this” (Para. 74)
It’s too late to change this. I will always beyour mother and you will always be my daughter.
115. And I could sense her anger rising to itsbreaking point. I wanted to see it spill over (Para. 75)
Paraphrase: I could feelthat her anger had reached the point where her self-control had collapsed, andI wanted to see what my mother would do when she lost complete control ofherself.
breakingpoint: the point at which one’s endurance, self-control, etc.collapses under stress
116. Alakazam!-and her face went blank. (Para.76)
Alakazam is part of a series of words. A magiciansays abra, kadabra, alakazam, and a miracle will happen.
117. and her face went blank, her mouth closed,her arms went slack, and she backed out of the room, stunned, as if she wereblowing away like a small brown leaf, thin, brittle, lifeless (Para. 76)
What would one expect the mother to do when herdaughter said those terrible words? One might expect her to fly into a great rage and punish her daughter forbeing so ungrateful. Maybe she would scold her and slap her. After all she wasa quick-tempered woman and she had scolded and slapped her daughter before forless compelling reasons. Yet nothing of the sort happened. She said nothing anddid nothing. What magical effect did the words produce? The words were likemagic words, transforming the mother, in a flash, from a frighteningly strongwoman into a silent, stunned and helpless one like a small thin leaf blownaway. She looked as if she had been defeated by an invisible enemy.
Translation:她的脸部失去了表情，嘴巴紧闭，双臂无力地垂下。她退出了房间，神色惊异，好像一小片枯黄的树叶被风吹走，那样单薄、脆弱、毫无生气。
118. Atthis critical point, a careful reader will have many questions. What broughtthis sudden change in the mother? How could these words work as if they were magic andproduce such a dramatic effect? The complete answer cannot be found in thispart of the story. One has to read the whole novel. But at least some clue canbe inferred: the loss of the babies was unbearably hurtful to themother for “we never talked about” them. By saying “I wish I were dead! Likethem,” the girl must have wounded the mother so deeply that she was powerlessto react. If we read the whole novel we will find that the mother had guarded this secretclosely all her life. When the girl was told that her mother had losther first husband and her baby daughters back in China, she naturally thoughtthey were all dead. Yes, the husband died in the war. But what about thebabies? Why did her mother never talk about them? Was there a secret? Thereader is held in suspense until the very end of the novel: the baby girls werenot dead; they were abandoned by their mother! The mother felt guilty all herlife but had never given up efforts to find the lost daughters. At the sametime she gave all her love to and placed all her hopes on her American-borndaughter. So when Jing-mei said she wished she were dead like them, the wordswere terribly cruel and hurtful to her mother. The two daughters were finallyfound, but only after the mother’s death. At the end of the novel, Jing-mei goesto China to see them for her mother. Only then does her father tell the wholesecret to her. He tells her how her mother fled with her two babydaughters from gunfire during the Anti-Japanese War, what she sufferedand why she had to abandon them. The following is what the father tells Jing-mei:
“After fleeingKweilin, your mother walked for several days trying to find a main road. Herthought was to catch a ride on a truck or wagon, to catch enough rides untilshe reached Chungking, where her husband was stationed.
…The roads werefilled with people, everybody running and begging for rides from passingtrucks. The trucks rushed by, afraid to stop. So your mother found no rides,only the start of dysentery pains in her stomach.
Her shouldersached from the two babies swinging from scarf slings. Blisters grew on herpalms from holding two leather suitcases. And then the blisters burst and beganto bleed. After a while, she left the suitcases behind, keeping only the foodand a few clothes. And later she also dropped the bags of wheat flour and riceand kept walking like this for many miles, singing songs to her little girls,until she was delirious with pain and fever.
Finally, therewas not one more step left in her body. She didn’t have the strength to carrythose babies any farther. She slumped to the ground. She knew she would die ofher sickness, or perhaps from thirst, from starvation, or from the Japanese,who she was sure were marching right behind her.
She took thebabies out of the slings and sat them on the side of the road, then lay downnext to them. You babies are so good, she said, so quiet. They smiled back,reaching their chubby hands for her, wanting to be picked up again. And thenshe knew she could not bear to watch her babies die with her.
When the road grew quiet, shetore open the lining of her dress, and stuffed jewelry under the shirt of onebaby and money under the other. She reached into her pocket and drew out thephotos of her family, the picture of her father and mother, the picture ofherself and her husband on their wedding day. And she wrote on the back of eachthe names of the babies and this same message: “Please care for these babieswith the money and valuables provided. When it is safe to come, if you bring themto Shanghai, 9 Weichang Lu, the Li family will be glad to give you a generousreward. Li Suyuan and Wang Fuchi.
And then she touched eachbaby’s cheek and told her not to cry. She would go down the road to find themsome food and would be back. And without looking back, she walked down theroad, stumbling and crying, thinking only of this one last hope that herdaughters would be found by a kindhearted person who would care for them. Shewould not allow herself to imagine anything else.
She did notremember how far she walked, which direction she went, when she fainted or howshe was found…”
119. Paragraphs77 to 93 form Part Three, the end of the story. This concluding section isnarrated from a different point of view. Now the daughter had grown up from a littlegirl to a mature woman. This section is divided into two subsections.Paragraphs 77 to 89 form the first subsection in which the conflict betweenmother and daughter subsided. They stop quarreling and make peace with eachother.
120. In the years that followed, I failed herso many times, each time asserting my own will, my right to fall short ofexpectations. I didn’t get straight As. I didn’t become class president. Ididn’t get into Stanford. I dropped out of college (Para. 77)
Note: Thesesentences sum up what happened in the many years that passed between the timethe daughter was a small child and when she reached thirty. Although this sectionis still narrated by Jing-mei, now she has now grown up to be a mature woman.While the narrator remains the same, the point of view has shifted.
I failed her so many times: This isexplained by the next sentences: I didn’t get straight As. I didn’t becomeclass president. I didn’t get into Stanford. I dropped out of college.
fall short of expectations: to fail to meetthe expectations
121. The lid to the piano was closed, shuttingout the dust, my misery, and her dreams (Para. 81)
When the lid tothe piano was closed, it shut out the dust and also put an end to my misery andher dreams.
122. “No, this your piano. Always your piano.You only one can play” (Para. 84)
No,this is your piano. It has always been your piano. You are the only one who canplay.
123. “You could been genius if you want to”(Para. 86)
You could havebeen a genius if you had wanted to. After so many years, this is the first timethat the mother has said such encouraging words to her daughter. These wordsshow that the mother knew her own daughter very well. She fully recognized hernatural talent and clearly knew that she did not want to try her best.
124. And she was neither angry nor sad (Para.88)
Thiscalm tone shows that she had completely reconciled herself to the reality.
125. And after that, every time I saw it in myparents’ living room, standing in front of the bay windows, it made me feelproud, as if it were a shiny trophy I had won back (Para. 89)
bay window: a window or set of windows jutting outfrom the wall of a building and forming an alcove within, usually with glass onthree sides
Note:Why does thedaughter feel proud and see the piano as a trophy she has finally won? Thepiano has become a symbol. When she is forced to learn to play it, it is asymbol of her misery and her mother’s dreams. When her mother offers it to herfor her thirtieth birthday, the offer means forgiveness and reconciliation. Nowshe hears her mother praising her. Her mother’s appreciation is like a trophythat she has won at long last.
126. Paragraphs90 to 93 are the second subsection of the concluding section of the story. It takesplace a few years after the previous scene. Now Jing-mei’s mother had died.This section not only brings the story to its end but also contains anepiphany, a moment of discovery, insight, and revelation, by which thenarrator’s view was altered.
127. tuner (Para. 90): aperson who tunes musical instruments (a piano tuner) 调音师
128. all the colors I hated (Para. 90): Thecolors ware too bright, loud for a refined, sophisticated taste.
129. moth-proof (Para. 90): treatedchemically so as to repel the clothes moth
-proof:(combining form) treated or made so as not to be harmed by something, or to beprotected from or against; resistant to, unaffected by: a fireproof wall,waterproof boots, a bulletproof car
130. I rubbed the old silk against my skin,then wrapped them in tissue and decided to take them home with me (Para. 90)
What the daughterdid has symbolic meaning. It tells us that she loves and misses her mother andshe has decided to keep the typical Chinese dresses because they form partof her Chinese heritage.
131. And for the first time, or so it seemed, Inoticed the piece on the right-hand side. It was called “Perfectly Contented.”I tried to play this one as well. It had a lighter melody but the same flowingrhythm and turned out to be quite easy. “Pleading Child” was shorter butslower; “Perfectly Contented” was longer, but faster. (Para. 93)
or so it seemed: Since she practiced “Pleading Child” sooften she must have seen the other piece on the right-hand side of the page,but at that time with all her attention concentrated on “Pleading Child,” shesimply didn’t notice it.
Translation:第一次，或好像感觉是第一次，我注意到右边的乐曲,标题是“心满意足”。我也试着弹这首曲子，它的曲调比较轻松，但节奏同样流畅，不是很难。“祈求的孩子”较短、较慢，而“心满意足”更长、更快一些。
132. And after I played them both a few times,I realized they were two halves of the same song (Para. 93)
Translation: 在我弹了几遍后，我意识到，原来这两个曲目是同一首歌的两个组成部分。
Note: What does the narrator mean when she says that they are twohalves of the same song? Why does the author end the story this way? The lastsentence is very meaningful. At this stage, the narrator is able to see thather childhood was made up of two sides. Although there were unhappy moments, onthe whole it was filled with happiness. The titles of the two different pianopieces are clearly suggestive. When she was a little girl, she only saw oneside of her childhood. She couldn’t understand her mother, regarding hermother’s hopes and expectations as tormenting pressure that only brought miseryto her. So she saw herself as a pleading child. Now as she realizes how hermother loved and appreciated her, she feels perfectly contented. This lastsentence is significant because it contains the narrator’s epiphany (领悟，顿悟), amoment of insight, discovery or revelation, by which the character’s view isgreatly altered.
133. Inthe novel, after her mother’s death, Jing-mei goes to China to be united withher sisters, the two girls the mother lost in the War. The following movingscene is described in the last passage of the novel:
The plane takes off. I close my eyes. Howcan I describe to them in my broken Chinese about our mother’s life? Whereshould I begin?
…
And now I’m walking down the steps of the plane,onto the tarmac and toward the building. If only, I think, if only my motherhad lived long enough to be the one walking toward them…
Somebody shouts,“She’s arrived!” And then I see her. Her short hair. Her small body. And that samelook on her face. She is crying as though she had gone through a terribleordeal and were happy it is over.
And I know it’snot my mother, yet it is the same look she had when I was five and haddisappeared all afternoon, for such a long time, that she was convinced I wasdead. And when I miraculously appeared, sleepy-eyed, crawling from underneathmy bed, she wept and laughed, biting the back of her hand to make sure it wastrue.
And now I seeher again, two of her, waving, and in one hand there is a photo, the Polaroid Isent them. As soon as I get beyond the gate, we run toward each other, allthree of us embracing, all hesitations and expectations forgotten.
‘Mama, Mama,’ weall murmur, as if she is among us….
My sisters and Istand, arms around each other, laughing and wiping the tears from each other’seyes. The flash of the Polaroid goes off and my father hands me the snapshot.My sisters and I watch quietly together, eager to see what develops.
The gray-greensurface changes to the bright colors of our three images, sharpening anddeepening all at once. And although we don’t speak, I know we all see it:Together we look like our mother. Her same eyes, her same mouth, open insurprise to see, at last, her long-cherished wish.
