I never really listened to what I was playing. I daydreamed about being somewhere else, about being someone else" (2). Naturally, her poor practice leads to a poor performance in front of her family and peers.

Here however, her reactions betray her. Tan reveals that Jing-mei values her mother's acceptance of her above anything. When Jing-mei laments that her "mother's expression was what devastated [her]: a quiet, blank look that said she had lost everything" and "No accusations, No blame. And in a way, [she] felt disappointed" (3), it becomes clear that Jing-mei's rebellions have been a function of her need for mother's acceptance and approval.

Jing-mei needed her mother to express some form of emotion towards her. Even anger or hostility equates to emotion, which in turn equates to love. Jing-mei does not express devastation over her embarrassing performance or the snide remarks by the little boy or her...
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