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<br>Initially, Jing-Mei doesn't have the drive to succeed as her mother does. Her mother has many ideas for her to succeed. At first, it was to be a Chinese Shirley Temple. Then, it was anything out of Ripley's Believe it or not, or Reader's Digest. Jing-Mei's mother would also give her testsbut she failed them all. Eventually. Jing-Mei began to perform listlessly and pretend to be bored. Then, when her mother saw a little Chinese girl playing the piano on the ED Sullivan Show, she got the same idea for Jing-Mei.
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<br>After learning to play the piano, Jing-Mei learns easy ways to get out of practicing. As she took lessons from Mr. Chong, who was deaf, Jing-Mei found out that he was just like Beethoven. Jing-Mei discovers that she could fool him and make it look like she was playing and get away with mistakes. If she hit the wrong key, Jing-Mei wouldn't correct herself. She was determined not to try.
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<br>At the talent show, Jing-Mei's practicing habits show, and she truly learns what her mother wants. She was supposed to play "Pleading Child." In getting ready for the show, Jing-Mei would cheat and never really listen to what she was playing. When it came to the recital, Jing-Mei was so confident that she could pull it off that she started hitting wrong notes and realizing it. She had felt her mother's shame. As a result of the talent show massacre, Jing-Mei didn't want to play the piano anymore. Then, when her mother wants her to practice, she decides that she defiantly won't.
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<br>As an adult, having her mother offer her the piano again, Jing-Mei