Amy Tan Two Kinds

Amy Tan Two Kinds
There is a sense of pride to where one comes from whether it is because of the culture, people or the environment. There is a beauty that stands out
about where we call home. However, leaving home is often essential in acquiring a better living and growth. In the short story "Two Kinds" the
author, Amy Tan depicts a story of migration and the expectations. The story is told in first person of Ni'kan a young girl who is being brought up as a
second–generation immigrant. There is a sense of non–acceptance that seem to form over time based on the idealization of America, the land of
opportunities. The author really embraces how important setting is to growth and understanding of an individual. Ni'kan's mother was a woman of
adversities and tribulations.
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Amy Tan Two Kinds Essay
The story "Two Kinds," written by Amy Tan, has a plot that many people can relate to while growing up as a child. The theme of the story is that
there are two kinds of people: the one the mother wants her to be and the one Jing–mei (the protagonist and narrator of the story) strives to be. Both
mother and daughter in the story have a very complicated relationship. The mother believes that you could become anything you wanted in America.
The author emphasizes that Jing–mei's mother tries to dominate and control her life in every possible way you can imagine. For example her mother's
persistent ways in trying to make her into something she's not a "prodigy", as well as making her take piano lessons so she can win against one of her
mother's...show more content...
Jing–mei's mother wants her daughter to have every advantage in this growing land of opportunity by reinforcing her to try harder in school so she
could have academic excellence as Liz Brent states "The tone of this opening paragraph introduces an element of irony in the narrator's attitude
toward her mother's vision of America as a place where "you could become anything you wanted to be." Everything sounds too simple and too easily
achieved"(Overview 1).Once again America is referred as the country of opportunities and where dreams come true while working hard and being
dedicated to chores and the development of activities that involve a highly paid or talented future.
At first the mother thought the daughter was able enough to be the next Chinese Shirley Temple, by making her watch old movies as if they were
training videos. So she took her to a beauty training school to get her hair done like Shirley Temple but instead looked like Peter Pan. Not only acting
was involved in this situation. Memorizing capitals and states, multiplying numbers, finding the queen of hearts in a deck of cards, standing on her
head without hands, predicting daily temperatures in certain states, reading three minutes from the bible and restating a summarize, were simple chores

Two Kinds By Amy Tan
Essay on "Two Kinds"
Type your essay on "Two Kinds" below:
Title The short story "Two Kinds," written by Amy Tan, focuses on the struggles of a young protagonist named Jing
–mei trying to find herself without
the influences and pressure of others. Aldous Huxley once said, "One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them." This relates
to the story in significant ways because when Jing–mei's mother moved to America in hopes of a better future, Jing–mei is pushed to be the "perfect
child." Her mother convinces her the only way to do so was to become a prodigy. Although on board with this idea in the beginning, years pass by,
along with Jing–mei's hopes of becoming this "perfect child." In the beginning of the...show more content...
She thought long and hard one night and soon decided, "I won't let her change me, I promise myself. I won't be what I'm not" (Tan 223). This was the
start to a long, tiring battle between the two which would soon, unknowingly, damage them mentally and emotionally, enduringly. She began neglecting
her mother's tricks to help her and started to rebel. After her mother enrolled her in piano lessons, Jing–mei took complete advantage of them and her
deaf piano instructor. She "would play after him, the simple scale, the simple chord, and then [I] just played some nonsense that sounded like a cat
running up and down on top of garbage cans" (Tan 226). It showed how little effort she put in and how she was going against her mother's wishes to
no extent, wasting her hard earned money just to make a statement. It seemed the harder and more she was pushed, the less Jing–mei believed in
herself or her mother's attempts. As we reach the end of "Two Kinds," you start to see a significant change in Jing–mei's attitude. After what she took as
a peace–offering from her mother, she started to regain hope in their relationship. The offering was brought about when her mother "surprised me. A
few years ago, she offered to give me the piano for my thirteenth birthday. I had not played in all those years. I saw the offer as a sign of forgiveness, a
tremendous burden removed" (Tan 232). This short conversation carried much meaning in Jing–mei's mind, and

Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay
In "Two Kinds," Amy Tan explores a theme of independence. Jing
–me is an impressionable nine year old girl living in an apartment with her parents.
She struggles with the high expectations of her mother, to become a prodigy. The conflict results in a rebellious independence. Tan develops Jing
–me's
character as willful, defiant, and insecure.
To begin, Tan demonstrates that Jing–me's willfulness stands in the way of her success. For example, after failing many of her mothers prodigy tests,
she begins to hate them. One night after another failed test, she adopted "new thoughts, willful thoughts, or rather thoughts filled with lots of won'ts"
(Tan 596). Jing–me decides that she is not going to let her mother change who she is, so she...show more content...
Although Jing–me attempted to become a prodigy, ultimately it is her willfulness that hampers her success.
Further, Tan depicts Jing–me as defiant in the face of her mother's expectations for her. This defiant attitude can be seen when Jing–me finds out that
she will be taking piano lessons from Mr. Chong. She throws a fit and asks her mother "Why don't you like me the way I am?" (597). While at the
piano lessons she further shows her defiance of her mother's expectations when she learns that she can "be lazy and get away with mistakes, lots of
mistakes" (598). Jing–me is upset with her mother for forcing her to take lessons, so she gets back at her by making a minimal effort to learn. Also,
Jing–me displays her bold attitude a few days after she completely embarrassed her parents with a miserable performance at a talent–show. For
example, she thought that after her poor performance at the talent–show, she "never had to play the piano again" (601). She further shows her defiant
attitude when her mother reminds her that it is time to practice. Jing–me replies "I'm not going to play anymore" (601). All of these actions clearly
shows Jing–me's defiant nature, which results in a strained relationship between mother and daughter.
Finally, Tan characterizes Jing–me as insecure in her own capabilities. Like other children her age she is unsure of her ability to try something new.

In the short story, "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan, a Chinese mother and daughter are at odds with each other. The mother pushes her daughter to become a
prodigy, while the daughter (like most children with immigrant parents) seeks to find herself in a world that demands her Americanization. This is the
theme of the story, conflicting values. In a society that values individuality, the daughter sought to be an individual, while her mother demanded she do
what was suggested. This is a conflict within itself. The daughter must deal with an internal and external conflict. Internally, she struggles to find
herself. Externally, she struggles with the burden of failing to meet her mother's expectations. Being a first–generation Asian American,...show more
content...
At first, the daughter was to become a Chinese version of Shirley Temple. When that didn't work, her mother told her that she would be attending piano
lessons.
The daughter did not like the idea of playing the piano. "Why don't you like me the way I am? . . . I am not a genius! I can't play the piano. And even
if I could, I wouldn't go on TV if you paid me a million dollars!" (492–493). Here, Tan is conveying the fact that parents and children have
disagreements on what the child should do, and who the child is to become. For example, parents may have an idea where they want their child to
attend their college education. The child, on the other hand, may want to go to a different college as suggested. Ultimately, it is the decision of the
child. We cannot live how others want us to live. It is the path of our own making that truly makes us happy.
Some may see the mother trying to live her life through her daughter. She invests time trying to make her daughter a prodigy because she was her last
hope. The mother lost two children in China and moves to a new country. Coming to America, she felt that immigrants have to prove that they are as
talented as or more talented than Americans. This belief is supposed to be the basis for the determination, that the mother has, for Jing–mei to become a
prodigy.
The mother in the story tries everything in her power to make Jing–mei famous in some way. Yet Jing–mei was content to being herself.

Two Kinds is a story about mother–daughter relationship В– Suyuan and Jing–mei. Suyuan believed that America is where her dreams will be fulfilled.
She thought that her daughter, Jing–mei, would be the one to realize them. Jing–mei, on the other hand, was a confused child at first. She was led to
believe that she can be someone. At first, she followed her mother, but when she felt that her mother was already forcing her and stealing her youth,
she told herself that it was the end. The story is a clash between two individuals from two different generations and beliefs (Suyuan who basically grew
up in China; and Jing–mei who was born and raised in United States)....show more content...
Tan's life can serve as a lens that can magnify (clarify) the emotions/feelings embedded in the story. Another approach which is deemed appropriate to
the story is the Marxism. It is concerned with labor practices, class theories, and economics, especially as concerned with the struggles of the poor and
oppressed. It examines literature in its cultural and political context; it explores the relation between the artist/character and the society. Jing–mei's
mother, a Chinese immigrant, feels that she has to prove something to the society. There is a need to elevate one's economic and social status. Also, the
mother believed that you could be anything you wanted to be in America. The domestic dispute, on the other hand, was caused by the cultural
differences. It focused on a mother from China and her American–born daughter. In Chinese culture, children are expected to be obedient.
II. Analysis/Discussion In classroom situation, it is better if the discussion starts with the life of Amy Tan as reflected on the story Two Kinds. This
will make students more interested to learn more about the story and will try to compare Tan's life to Jing–mei's. "I was told what I was supposed to do
when I was growing up, so I don't think I ever had a chance to think about what

Amy Tan Two Kinds

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