John’s answer to “What exactly happens at the very end? Not sure I understand” > Likes and Comments
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I agree with your interpretation on many fronts. I think it is also a warning for parents not to live vicariously through their children. It puts way too much pressure on them to please and not to find their own authentic selves.
Barbra, isn't it a beautiful, multi-layered story? I'm in awe of her ability to find so much nuance. It's still heartbreaking to me to think of Lydia, and you're right: Parents push their children to such actions all the time, not realizing it, but it's also easy to forget (which the book brilliantly depicts) that parents are people with lives and loves and regrets that soar beyond the four walls of a house.
No one is to blame directly, except that the mother has the biggest contribution. The constant nagging, the constant obsession with grades and studies - did she ever bloody pause to look at her daughter? I hated Marilyn from the moment that she returned home. Before that, I could feel her pain of her own life not turning out the way she wanted it to, but there's no excuse for what she did to her daughter.
It's kind of ironic that it's the caucasian parent who is being the "Tiger Mom"
I completely felt that it was ironic, Medhansu. Ng reversed the roles of the parents. James cared about popularity (as he hadn't had this himself) and Marilyn cared about her academic achievements (as she had not pursued these like she'd hoped, due to being pregnancy.)
Very ironic.
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Barbra
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Oct 26, 2016 09:04AM
I agree with your interpretation on many fronts. I think it is also a warning for parents not to live vicariously through their children. It puts way too much pressure on them to please and not to find their own authentic selves.
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Barbra, isn't it a beautiful, multi-layered story? I'm in awe of her ability to find so much nuance. It's still heartbreaking to me to think of Lydia, and you're right: Parents push their children to such actions all the time, not realizing it, but it's also easy to forget (which the book brilliantly depicts) that parents are people with lives and loves and regrets that soar beyond the four walls of a house.
No one is to blame directly, except that the mother has the biggest contribution. The constant nagging, the constant obsession with grades and studies - did she ever bloody pause to look at her daughter? I hated Marilyn from the moment that she returned home. Before that, I could feel her pain of her own life not turning out the way she wanted it to, but there's no excuse for what she did to her daughter.
It's kind of ironic that it's the caucasian parent who is being the "Tiger Mom"
I completely felt that it was ironic, Medhansu. Ng reversed the roles of the parents. James cared about popularity (as he hadn't had this himself) and Marilyn cared about her academic achievements (as she had not pursued these like she'd hoped, due to being pregnancy.) Very ironic.
