The Apple Does Not Fall from the Tree

In The Joy Luck Club, a cycle of enforcement has occurred. In the sections of the daughters they described their experiences of their mothers forcing them to do certain things that they did not want to do. It is similar to the mother’s sections because they were also forced in doing things they did not want to do. From the mother’s childhood of enforcement, then pass on the feeling of force to their daughters.

In The Red Candles, Lindo was forced to get married with a guy she did not have any special connection. She was forced to this marriage because it would be best for her. Lido said, “ This is how i became betrothed to Huang Taitia’s son... his name was Tyan-yu... But even if had known i was getting such a bad husband, I had no choice, now or later,” (Tan 51). Since she had no choice because of the match maker told her parents and Tyan-yu’s parents that they would be a great match, they arrange the marriage. For Lindo, the experience was horrible and impacted her life. It made her to stand for her self. “ It was really quite simple. I made Huang think it was their idea to get rid of me, that they would be the ones to say the marriage contract was not valid. I though about my plan for many days. I have observed everyone around me,.. and then i was ready,” (Tan 63). With her plan trying to get out the horrible marriage, it was a way of Lindo telling the Tyan-yu and his family that they do not belong with each other and she deserve better. With the events that happened to Lindo when she was a teenager, similar events occurred to Waverly Jong.

Waverly Jong is the daughter of Lindo Jong. She was too forced in doing things she did not like. At Rules of the Game, Waverly talked about how her mother forced her in playing chess. Her mother forced her to keep playing chess because Lindo believed that it would make her daughter’s life much better, but after a while Waverly got tired of playing chess. “I no longer played in the alley of Waverly Place. I never visited the playground where the pigeons and old men gathered. I went to school, then directly home to learn new chess secrets...,” (Tan 98). After winning tournaments and becoming a national chess champion, she barely had time to be a child. With her mom always in her back watching every move she made, she cannot do or say fun, including that her mother made her like a trophy to show off to everyone that looked at Lindo. Soon enough Waverly finally told her mother, enough is enough. She stood to her mother and told her that she has had it with the practice, tournaments and to flaunt her to everyone. “One day, after we left a shop i said under my breath, ‘i wish you wouldn’t do that, telling everybody I’m your daughter.’...’It’s just so embarrassing’,” (Tan 99). After saying that to her mother, he gave a sense of relief, but also guilt because she told her mother she was embarrassing in public. It is similar to Lindo’s childhood, on forced marriage. She forced her daughter in playing chess after it got less interesting. Also that they both stood for themselves, so that they would get out of a situation they would not be in. It concludes as the apple does not fall from the tree.

The book was structured to have similar experiences that the mothers had in their childhood and also the daughters. Like in Red Candles and Rules of the Games, Waverly Jong had similar feelings and actions as her mother Lindo Jong did. Because at Lindo’s story she had expericed force and her for her to get out of the situation she need to stand up for her self. Same has Waverly, Lindo forced to keep on playing chess even though it was less interesting, she was forced to continue playing. Until she told her mother that she had enough of playing chess. And so the apple does not fall from the tree.