The Short Story 'Two Kinds' By Amy Tan

Words: 693

Pages: 3

Open Document

To Raise a Prodigy The short story Two Kinds by Amy Tan explores the many complexities of the relationships shared between immigrant parents, and their second-generation children. This very notion serves as the basis of the story’s conflict, in which Jing-mei’s mother, having abandoned her harrowing life in China for the betterment of her daughter’s future, relentlessly enforces her cultural anxieties of success upon Jing-mei. Ultimately, the unreasonable expectations that are placed on Jing-mei’s shoulders derive from her mother’s dogmatic faith in the vast opportunity provided by first-world countries - an ideology that resonates strongly with many immigrants, and even more so with my parents. In particular, my parents undoubtedly believed that simply due to my Canadian heritage, I was destined for greatness, as was …show more content…
As a result, since the age of 6, I was often subject to lectures reflecting Jing-mei’s mother’s own beliefs: “Of course you can be prodigy, too [...] You can be best at anything” (715). Additionally, the feelings of self-disappointment and inadequacy that Jing-mei often experiences are reminiscent of my own childhood, in which I was often compared to others, and forced to complete additional studies against my own will. More comparable, however, is the way in which I would react to these overbearing circumstances. Just as Jing-mei, I would often complain and wail my way out of a situation, with the intent of ultimately thwarting my parents’ ambitions. Having both been raised in an Asian household, my childhood draws many significant parallels to Jing-mei’s, with the exception of one notable difference, however. Unlike Jing-mei, I accustomed myself to my parents’ high expectations, after understanding early on the kindhearted intentions of their “ruthlessness” - they ultimately wished for my

Short Story Summary: Two Kinds By Amy Tan

Two kinds Two kinds is a short story written by Amy tan. It is about a Chinese family that moved from China to America. In the story Amy described the relationship between Ni Kan, a young girl, and her immigrant mother. Moving to America her mother lost everything including her family, however the one thing that she didn’t lost was the hope that her daughter will have it all and be famous one day. It was sad how the mother pressured her daughter to be a genius and would not accept her daughter…

Words 577 - Pages 3

Amy Tan Two Kinds Conflict

The short story "Two Kinds" was written by Amy Tan. When I first read this story, I felt that I had a connection with the narrator. The story uses all five key elements from the beginning of the story till the end. The most important and necessary elements that I found make the story as great as it is are character, setting, theme, conflict, and point of view. Of these five elements, I noticed that two stood out to me the whole time I was reading the story and both elements made me want to keep reading…

Words 241 - Pages 1

eassy 2 Essay

Two kinds Two kinds is the story about a Chinese mother who migrated to American. The story is representing the relationship between every mother and children. In the story, the high expectation that every mother have on their children can be seemed. Also how the children feel when they are fall short of the expectation that their parents have on them can be seemed. Since the mother in the story lost everything back in China, she determined…

Words 1535 - Pages 7

William Butler's Speech Sounds

the entire text and it transforms the story into another stage. Throughout the whole short story “Speech Sounds”: the world is hopeless, and the society is isolated; the people are silent. Butler uses Rye’s words to describe the inhumane people, and they like the violent and sanguinary beasts. Until the end, Rye plays the role of a deficient person who is struggling with her own silence and fear of the society. However, Rye’s feelings all changes when the two children appear after the merciless shooting…

Words 660 - Pages 3

Amy Tan Two Kinds

“I wish I were dead! Like them” (Amy Tan 231). Two kinds is a short story by Amy Tan which is about a girl who rises against her mother's expectations. After a careful analysis of the story, the reader comes to understand how JIng-Mei’s feelings change, why her feelings change, and how this changed relationship affects the whole story. Jing-Mei’s mother has always been hopeful for her daughter even though Jing-Mei has not always been hopeful towards herself. “ My mother believed you could be anything…

Words 526 - Pages 3

Amy Tan's Presentation Of Family In Two Kinds And Fences

Got That Name”, Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds and “Fences” by August Wilson the theme of family arises. Due to the theme of family the notion of unsympathetic parents is presented. In Marilyn Chin’s poem the speaker's father is unsympathetic due to how he named his daughter after Marilyn Monroe, a figure known for her questionable behavior. In addition to the unsympathetic nature of the father in “how I got my name”, an unsympathetic mother also appears in the short story “two kinds” by Amy Tan. throughout this…

Words 683 - Pages 3

Amy Tan's Two Kinds: Literary Analysis

thinks of such things differently, this is shown in the stories “An Indian Father’s Plea” by Lake, and “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker. A different view is viewed in “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan. These authors explain within their stories that a character, most likely the main character, is taught differently the same views, and they view things different than others. The positions to these stores can be be viewed the same way, besides maybe one story. In “An Indian Father’s Plea” by Lake, the position…

Words 929 - Pages 4

Parents Struggle In Two Kinds By Amy Tan

Amy Tan uses her own experiences as being a Chinese American. Jing-Mei wants nothing but to be herself. She feels as if her mother is not happy with her as a person. “Why don’t you like me the way I am? I’m not a genius! I can’t play the piano.” (Tan 1120) Jing-Mei just wanted to live her life as a regular American teenager. Instead her mother wanted her to be a pianist, and…

Words 416 - Pages 2

Compare And Contrast Catch The Moon And Two Kinds

Although “Catch the Moon” and “Two Kinds” both share the fact that both children cannot understand their parents and have trouble communicating between them, there is a critical difference in the way that the parents want of their kids. Also, the two children are dynamic. They change throughout the story. “Catch the Moon” is about a father who works at Jorge Cintron & Son, selling hubcaps and his son, Luis is an employee. Luis is also a troubled teenager. “Two Kinds” is about an ABC (American Born…

Words 1121 - Pages 5

The Good Luck Club Essay

Honors English Period 3 Danyielle Edwards The short stories “Rules of the Game” and “Two Kinds” share a common central idea. Both short stories resemble one another; Chinese families, a mother expectations, rebellious daughters etc. The central idea of the stories focus on a mother/daughter dynamic. In “Rules of the Game” the main character is Waverly, Waverly's mother believes she is a key component during…

Words 651 - Pages 3