The short story, ‘Two kinds’ is the last story in Amy Tan’s book, The Joy Luck Club. The book was supposed to be a short story collection, but critics think that the book is more of a novel. In the short story “Two Kinds”, Amy Tan introduced a very complex relationship of a mother and a daughter who grew up in completely different eras. Suyuan was born in China before the revolution and Jing-Mei was born in the 20th century in America. Jing-Mei and her mother are different because of their considerably
In Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds”, the Author sheds light on the personal battles immigrants face in the pursuit of the American Dream. She does this through the main character the mother, who like many mothers only wants what's best for their daughters. Her desire for this dream is heightened since her aspirations for her daughter is stemmed from her, dogmatic belief that America is the land of opportunity. This story stood out to me because of how the author uses Jei- Ming and the mother to examine the
why parents often force their children to do things that their children feel are either unnecessary for their age level? One narrator feels the same way when she complains to her mother, “You want me to be someone that i'm not”(Tan 231). In the story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, a daughter explains the obstacles she has conquered in her childhood. In this story, Jing-mei, the protagonist has a rough and complicated relationship with her mother. Her mother has always wanted her daughter to be a prodigy
can ever get. In many ways, Se Yuan Woo appears to play the part of the stereotypical Asian parent in Amy Tan’s Two Kinds. She forces her daughter, Jing Mei, to try different things to make her become famous. Her eagerness to make Jing Mei try different things to become famous might have been the result of her difficult life when she was in Jing Mei’s age, so Jing Mei will not experience that kind of life that she had gone through when she was in China. In addition, it could also be her dreams when
In the story “Two Kinds”, the narrator Amy Tan talked about her relationship with her mother and how she viewed the older and younger generations of Chinese American families. The setting of the story helps bring an understanding of each character. Even though there are various types of setting used in this story, this piece is specifically going to talk about the cultural setting. Cultural setting is divided into two parts; physical and nonphysical setting. Physical cultural setting is the dialogue
Amy Tan’s short story “Two Kinds” describes the dysfunctional relationship between a controlling mother and her daughter. The story begins when a family from China moves to America after losing everything back home in China. The narrator, Jing-mei is always in a constant struggle with her mother over her identity. Her mother makes many attempts for her daughter to become this so-called prodigy child. From beauty training school and ballet to naming capitals and predicting the daily temperatures in
Why are Asian children such hard workers? In the short story “Two kinds” Amy Tan answers this question by portraying an Asian mother and daughter and their conflicts growing up in a different culture. The mother and daughter really fight over the idea of change. They have a deep conflict over the value of hard work and the achievement of greatness. The same individuals try to blend their ideas of two different cultures of education and hard work. Each Jing-mei and her mother view their purpose in
Adrielle Lee ENGL-1302 Mrs. Black 16 February 2015 Symbolism in Two Kinds by Amy Tan Years after Jing-Mei decides to stop playing the piano, her mother offers to give her the piano. She does not accept the piano when her mother offers it. Jing-Mei takes the piano when her mother dies. After her mother dies, Jing-Mei visits her childhood home and chooses to play the piano and plays the song that she played for the show years ago. The song was named “Pleading Child” and on the opposite page was named
English 11 Mrs. Blomme 10 December 2014 Amy tan research paper Amy Tan grew up in a very traditional Chinese family. Even though she didn’t grow up in China, her childhood was full of many experiences that a normal Chinese child would grow up with. Throughout her life her mother’s expectations and her experiences molded her writing style and her stories. Amy Tans writing style reflects her experiences growing up in a strict Chinese household. Amy Tan was born in Oakland California on February
Eguchi-Miller English 1B 11:40-1:05 Elizabeth Carlyle February 2, 2015 Reading Response 1: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan Many asian immigrants come to America because they believe it's the land of opportunity. Amy Tan's mother immigrated from China and is what you might call a Tiger Mom, who had very strict rules and ambitions for her child. In the short story “Two Kinds,” Amy discusses the complexity of generational and cultural identification by giving examples of the different aspirations