I am introducing a perspective of the mother in Two Kinds. This letter is the departing words from the mother to the daughter. These words are intended to stay with the daughter after her mother has died. In the letter, it will explain the mother’s realization of her actions.
To my beloved daughter, Jing-mei,
I hope you are reading my letter after I am gone, if not, please wait.
There is so much I want to tell you but first: through-out your life, you have been my bundle of joy. I want you to achieve greatness. You have a lot to learn; I won’t be there to guide you or when you slip on the rock.
I wanted endless opportunities for you; one day could be like Shirley Temple. I want you to be happy, to love your life, to spend money frivolously, to do whatever your heart desires. I wanted you to grow up with no struggle, no worries in life. I pushed you hard when you were younger; I wanted you to be content and be the best. I have learned from my mistakes. I have seen where I went wrong.
Remember when you were little; we went to that beauty school. The hairstylist made your hair into an afro, it looked hideous: Then she chopped off your long locks, she said,” Peter Pan is very popular these days.” At that point, I realized you should not be playing a magical flying boy for fame. Instead, I tested you every night to make sure you have the opportunity to work hard to allow the world to see your potential, to be the best. I came to America to give you all the opportunities in the world. I realized I was too hard on you and needed to show you that I love you in a way you understood. Jing-mei, you have a fiery spirit. I should have recognized that; instead of saying, “you not trying”. I needed to express your potential differently. I always believed in you, I still believe in you. When you were younger, playing the piano, at that moment, I saw victory in you. I tried to make you into a piano genius. I pulled Mr.Chong out of retirement to teach you: The deficiency of Mr.Chong’s was not the best choice for you. Remember when Auntie Lindo was boasting about her daughter Waverly, chess playing. I did not like her, so snotty. I was obsessed to prove to Aunt Lindo and Waverly that they are not geniuses. I boasted about your piano playing that was a mistake. I should have asked you if you would like to participate in the recital, but my zealousness pushed you to participate. I am sorry for my lack of consideration towards you. I loved you trying to play the piano. I enjoyed you having something to do, maybe, one day you would be able to teach your children how to play and find a direction of what to do with your life.
Time had no mercy on me, but I received many blessings from you. Together, you and your father showered me with love. It brought peace, happiness and joy to my heart. One day, when you reflect upon your life, remember this letter as a token of my love for you. I hope it will remind you of me.
I believed in you. I saw your gift yearning, ready to come out. I wanted you to be the best you can be. I understand why you lashed out on the piano bench; I pushed you to your breaking point. I wanted you to be happy, healthy, to have a fulfilled life: to have the life I never had: Your children to live in a safe, healthy home.
I am sorry for my selfishness. I am sorry for my mistakes. I am sorry for causing you pain. I am sorry for everything.
Love You,
Mom ♥
Citation
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Dear Cerise,
I really enjoyed reading this piece, and throughout your letter, I felt as if this was something Suyuan would actually have written to Jing-Mei. The way you interconnected Suyuan’s love for her daughter with the regret and remorse she felt truly lifted your writing to the next level. I also liked the stylistic use of quotations you had in your writing: for example, the line, “Then, after she chopped off your long locks, she said, ‘Peter Pan is very popular these days.’ “ really demonstrated the insightful work you have done in your writing. Lastly, I specifically liked the use of short syntax in the final few lines and the parallelism you constructed through the repetition of “I am sorry”. Great work!
For the future, I recommend re-reading your work to fix some of the errors present to ensure the smoothest flow possible. An example of this is shown in the line, “I boasted about your piano playing that was a mistake.” You could correct this line in many ways; for example, you could add a dash after “playing”. Another example of a line that can be fixed is, “I should have recognized that; instead of saying, ‘you not trying’ “. The semicolon in this case was unnecessary and could’ve been completely removed. By correcting errors such as this, I believe you will be able to improve the flow of your writing and remove the grammatical errors that make the writing feel more choppy.
Overall, you have crafted an insightful piece, Cerise. Your writing is inspiring and enjoyable to read. It connects back to the idea of the strength of personal convictions when faced with the ambitions that are imposed upon an individual. Your piece really got me thinking about what I want to do in the future and how the ambitions of others will impact my life. I look forward to reading your future works!
Sincerely,
Saad