Tan is criticized for her disconnection with the actual Asian culture. Peter Tavernise of Duke University’s Ethnic Literature Department said that the China shown is one that is seen through western eyes. Tan cannot speak or write Chinese and has only been there a couple of times. Some say the China is the stereotyped exotic, old China that is romanticized around the world-no better than the Asian grocery store or Laundromat owner that we’re exposed to. Her only link comes from relatives and elders in the states and the western view. The point of the novel is exactly that- American born daughters interpreting their mother’s stories of their lives in China despite their Western biases. The only way to accurately depict these perspectives is to live them firsthand. Just as the daughters knew little of their cultural heritage, except the few learned from their parents, Tan can only relate her family’s views. If anything, her position only brings authenticity to the viewpoints displayed. This is her way of honoring her mother-daughter tradition that has produced her unique story, and the stories displayed in this study of culture.
An American would scoff at the idea of a woman in a Confucian system, helpless and unable to change her own circumstances. A Taoist might be subtler, thinking it silly to place rigid restrictions on oneself, that might impede finding their purpose in life. The mother’s recognized this contradiction and transferred to their daughters the knowledge they needed to manipulate the system. Ying-Ying’s fear of life being out of balance predicted her daughter’s artificial marriage. An-mei’s mother’s suicide and abusive husband provided her with the ability to see the wrong in her daughter’s marriage and push her to correct it. Lindo’s dissatisfaction from her place in a Confucian society taught her the way to manipulate it, which she passed on to her own daughter. Each daughter was estranged from their own parent, misreading all their actions. In the end, they embrace their Chinese roots and find the best place for themselves in this world. “To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage,” Lao Tzu.