Mothers And Daughters In Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club

In The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, a group of mothers and their daughters share their stories and experiences as they adapt from life in China to life in America. “Best Quality” is a story about Jing Mei Woo and her mother Suyan who have a relationship that is difficult but also strong. Suyan gives Jing Mei a jade necklace that is meant to represent her “life’s importance” (Tan 197).

The imperfect groves and details of the green necklace could show Jing Mei that the ups and downs of her life and her relationship with her mother will ultimately help her learn about herself and other. This piece of jewelry was not ideal for Jing Mei. To her, it was, “too large, too green, too garishly ornate” (197). She had a very critical attitude towards something that was meant to be meaningful and special. Throughout her whole life, she is compared to others and criticized (by her mother, friends, and

family) for not being perfect, just like this stone. When Jing Mei was a child, Suyan wanted her to become a prodigy at something, but when she began playing piano, she was very bad. Jing Mei admits that if she had tried harder, she probably would have been somewhat acceptable, but instead she tried to be inferior. Suyan expects too much of her, but she begins to realize that it was out of love, and she wanted her to succeed, even though it came off as pushing too hard. Her love for her mother is not always obvious, but it is clear that it is there because she tries to fulfill these expectations. When Suyan is quizzing Jing Mei on trivia and she gets an answer wrong, Jing Mei is ashamed: “...After seeing my mother’s disappointed face once again, something inside of me began to die” (134). If she truly did not appreciate her mother, she would not care about pleasing her but throughout their relationship she learns that she is actually trying to do what is best for her. The necklace represents the true and sincere, but sometimes hidden love that Suyan has for Jing Mei.
As the jade will change and deepen in color, Jing Mei will have the ability to change and the potential to grow. Suyan knows deep inside that Jing Mei can do amazing things. This shows that she has a very positive and hopeful view of her daughter, for she knows that she raised her while instilling the necessary values in her to lead to success. Suyan described the necklace as unexceptional and made sure to let Jing Mei know that, “This is young jade. It is a very light color now, but if you wear it everyday it will become more green” (209). The jade is young, and similarly, Jing Mei has many years to live. Even if she was not yet her best self, she could become it as time goes on. After the offensive dinner table conversation with Waverly and her mother, Suyan tells her daughter that, “You can make your legs go the other way” (208). She believes that Waverly never went in the right direction, always insulting others, and that Jing Mei can do more than her, by putting hard work into anything to get the results she wants. After all of the over-encouraging and being let down throughout Jing Mei’s childhood, Suyan shows hope and believes in Jing Mei.
When Suyan handed down her necklace, her hardships, values, and story were passed onto Jing Mei. At the beginning of the book when Jing Mei finds out about her sisters who are in China, she wonders, “What can I tell them about my mother? I don’t know anything” (40). Even after her mom died, she hasn’t found a way to do her life story justice. This journey of finding her mother’s story will continue throughout her life and be never ending because it is not something as simple as an object being passed down. It is decades of years, filled with days each filled with moments, some more important than others, but all still making up a lifetime. When she receives the necklace, her mother tells her that when she puts it on, “then you know my meaning” (208). This is not the case literally, but right after she says this as she tries to get the cat away she realizes that she is in the exact same spot that her mother was in, mirroring her movements. She doesn’t yet know her mother’s story, but she is inheriting her actions and her mother is subconsciously becoming a part of her. Even when she is not around anymore, Suyan’s legacy will continue to shape and influence Jing Mei.
As the world and life are whizzing by, the jade pendant will keep Jing Mei grounded while fostering self discovery and staying true to everything that she has grown up with.

Throughout The Joy Luck Club, mothers hand down jewelry to their daughters to represent their commitment to their families. In “The Red Candle” Lindo Jong is being married off and sent to live with her future husband and his family. Her mother acts serious as she puts a red jade necklace around her neck. She tells her to obey her family and act grateful for this opportunity. Lindo and Jing Mei were both given jade necklaces to represent new beginnings. Lindo was moving away, and Jing Mei’s mother knew that she would be dying soon. Jing Mei also was starting the process of finding herself and changing, as Suyan hinted at many times. In Chinese culture, jewelry seems to be given as a gift but always with a deeper meaning and representation. The small green pendant given to Jing Mei from Suyan carries the weight of their family and will help Jing Mei become a better person as she finds her own path through

life.