bond, that is enkindled at birth. They are frightened. In me, they see their own daughters, just as ignorant, just as unmindful of all the truths and hopes they have brought to America. They see daughters who grow up impatient when their mothers talk in Chinese, who think they are stupid when they explain things in fractured English. They see daughters who will bear grandchildren born without any connecting hope passed from generation to generation. (Tan 31) Culture greatly influences the youth of today as American circumstances considerably influenced the daughters of the novel. In some instances, the Western culture dominates as the mothers strive on, in its shadow: "...and because I remained quiet for so long now my daughter does not hear me. She sits by her fancy swimming pool and hears her Sony Walkman, her cordless phone..." (Tan 64). Ying-Ying ponders upon the fact that, "She follows my Chinese ways until she learned how to walk out the door by herself and go to school" (Tan 289). Because of heavy resentment on the mother's part, in some instances, the American culture is frowned upon and is stereotyped as having "morbid thoughts" (Tan 105). Many problems, especially embarrassment, surface when the younger generation attempts to become absorbed into a new culture, while the parents insist on clinging to their old ways. The daughters experience troubles while trying to cope with their immigrant parents. There is an obvious language barrier that may result in feelings, such as that of Jing-mei: "These kinds of explanations made me feel my mother and I spoke two different languages, which we did. I talked to her in English, she answered back in Chinese" (Tan 23). Often, the daughters feel ashamed. The people who embarrass them and whom they resent are their parents: "I wish you wouldn't do that, telling everybody I'm your daughter" (Tan 101). The young ladies later realize that it is childish to think that way, and they focus on th...
