In this story by Gish Jen, a young Chinese-American girl is embarrassed about her mother having to work. It is a rainy afternoon, and at piano class the girl admires a beautiful white umbrella. She knows that if she asks for one her mother’s answer will be something like: What’s the matter with a raincoat? All you want is things, just like an American. When the kind piano teacher gives the girl the umbrella she says: I wish you were my mother. She soon regrets these words and decides that the umbrella is not so great after all.
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Thanks for the thought, Betty. You raise an interesting point. Why accept the umbrella in the first place if she knew she could never use or show it to anyone?
I enjoyed the story, but it was sad that the little girl felt she had to hide a gift from her mother and her sister. She believed it was better to throw it away than for her family to see it.
Thank you for taking the time to comment; happy that you liked the story!
this is one of the best storys I have ever read and it is actually pretty sad to me. This also teaches a vaulabe lesson. Family is more importaant than material things.????