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The story is told through the daughter’s point of view as an adult. Jing-mei’s adult viewpoint is reliable because it comes with the benefit of time and perspective. The story opens with Jing-mei’s presentation of her mother’s backstory and shows mature sympathy for her mother’s perspective. Her decision to put her mother at the forefront gives adult Jing-mei the space to honestly describe how she felt as a child with the understanding that she has since grown. She can also speak about her mother’s extreme actions and desires without the assumption that they are exaggerated details told from a frustrated child’s point of view. Had Tan chosen to travel through time with Jing-mei, having the child narrate up to adulthood, Jing-mei’s perspective would likely feel hyperbolic coming from a child who likened sitting at a piano to being in hell. After the story’s emotional climax in which young Jing-mei screams at her mother, time progresses and Jing-mei reveals her regret. Structuring the story this way creates a buildup of tension and anger that is followed by a release of emotion that gives way to sadness and regret. As the end of the story reveals Jing-mei’s place in time and space, it also indicates her growth. 

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