Lindo is definitely an individual, her own person, especially in light of the society she grew up in. She had a mind of her own, which was very unusual in traditional Chinese culture. However, she was not strong-willed in an obvious way; instead, she used cunning to get her own way. When she was two years old, she was betrothed to a rich family's son, whom she married at age twelve. She was trapped in a marriage she didn't want to a boy she did not love, and was constantly criticized by a mother-in-law who was never satisfied. So on the night of their wedding, Lindo saw the power of the wind, how it made the flame flicker on the red candle that was supposed seal her forever with her husband Tyan-yu and his family. Using her own wind, her "invisible strength" she blew out her husband's side of the candle. Now she was no longer permanently bound to her husband.
Later on in her marriage, Lindo used her cunning again, this time to leave her marriage forever, to finished what she had started when she was twelve. During the years in between, she had been so oppressed by Huang Taitai that she had become little more than a servant who was content to please Huang Taitai and Tyan-yu. However, when Huang Taitai ordered Lindo to lie in bed all day because she had not conceived, Lindo finally had time to think and become herself again. She devised an ingenious plan to force the Huangs to release her from her marriage. Lindo had promised to herself, years ago at her wedding, that she would never forget who she was, and although she came close, she never did.
When Lindo comes to America, she sees the true value of things that are covered up with nice-looking facades. She sees that some things in America are not so good, no matter how much people try to hide it. She sees past the surface, but she fears her daughter cannot; that is why she is so critical to Waverly, but she only wants the best for her daughter. For example, Rich buys Waverly a mink coat, and when Waverly shows it to her mother, Lindo criticizes it and says that it is not the best quality, meaning that she thinks that her daughter deserves only the best, but Waverly takes it to be just another petty criticism toward Rich. Lindo names her two sons Winston ("wins ton") and Vincent ("win cent") so they would make lots of money and lead happy lives. However, she named Waverly after the street they lived on because when Waverly grew up and left home, Lindo wanted her to take a piece of her mother, Lindo, with her.
