The character trait that emerges as a result of Jing-mei's conflict with her mother is willfulness.
The story “” reflects on the relation of a mother and her daughter who had been brought up in different cultures. Suyuan, Jing-mei's mother wanted her to become child prodigy of America. Suyuan tests her daughter in different activities restlessly. She gives Jing-mei piano lessons too. Jing-mei too tries hard but fails. Jing-mei wants everyone and her mother to accept her as she. Her mother was not ready to accept her as she is in reality. In anger and distress, Jing-mei shouts at her mother by saying that she would have been very happy if she too would be dead as her twin sisters. She excepts her mother to accept her the way she is.