Jing-Mei Woo: Best Quality; The Joy Luck Club- Amy Tan; pathos

     In the final chapter of the section "American Translation," Tan evokes pity from the reader for Jing-Mei when she is talking to Waverly at the dinner table; this is known as pathos.  Waverly belittles Jing-Mei, or June, when she says her ad she made for the law firm Waverly works for was not acceptable.  Waverly should have told June when they were alone that it needed to be fixed.  Waverly said this to June at the dinner table during the celebration of the Chinese New Year,

" 'Listen, June, I don't know how to tell you this.  That stuff you wrote, well, the firm decided it was unacceptable.' "

The reader can't help but feel pity for June after Waverly does this.  Waverly embarrassed June in front of her family and close family friends.  In the end June's mother helped her realize that it does not matter what others say only what you think and that you have someone that loves you.
     What others say about us is hard for everyone at some point or another in their life.  I know I have struggled with this before, and I don't doubt that I struggle with it in the future.  I always try to keep in mind that if people feel like gossiping about me right now, oh well, that's life.  In the long run, what they say isn't going to matter at all.