While Jing-mei's mother, Suyuan, is trying to make her daughter into a prodigy, Jing-mei picks up first on her silent reproach, even before Suyuan says anything negative toward her. When Jing-mei fails the memory tests her mother puts her through, she notices her "mother's disappointed face once again," and she interprets that to mean she is not measuring up to her mother's expectations. When the two of them are watching The Ed Sullivan Show,...
While Jing-mei's mother, Suyuan, is trying to make her daughter into a prodigy, Jing-mei picks up first on her silent reproach, even before Suyuan says anything negative toward her. When Jing-mei fails the memory tests her mother puts her through, she notices her "mother's disappointed face once again," and she interprets that to mean she is not measuring up to her mother's expectations. When the two of them are watching The Ed Sullivan Show, Suyuan tells Jing-mei that the young performer they're watching is like Jing-mei: "Not the best. Because you not trying." In this way, Suyuan reproaches Jing-mei not because she isn't successful, but because she doesn't believe she's trying.
When Jing-mei tells her mother she isn't a genius, Suyuan says she isn't asking her to be a genius, but only to "be your best." This, again, implies Suyuan thinks Jing-mei is not using sufficient effort.
When Jing-mei rebels and says she will never be the kind of daughter her mother wants her to be, her mother says that what she requires is an obedient daughter. Here, Suyuan reproaches Jing-mei for her disobedience.
After Jing-mei becomes an adult, Suyuan offers to give her the piano as a birthday gift. Suyuan tells Jing-mei she could have been a genius if she wanted to, but she just didn't try. This is a reproach for a lack of desire as well as a lack of effort.
Although Jing-mei interprets her mother's words and actions as reproaching her for her lack of success, Suyuan specifically reproaches her for not trying, not obeying, and not having enough motivation.
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