Amy Tan’s "Two Kinds" and "Best Quality" depict a struggling and often stressful relationship between a defiant daughter and an overbearing mother. June Mei and her mother Suyuan engage in a destructive battle between what is possible and what is realistic. June‚ although headstrong‚ seeks her mother’s approval and adoration. Suyuan‚ although patronizing‚ yearns for her daughter’s obedience and best qualities. The relationship between mother and daughter falls victim to tension inherent in any mother/daughter
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Amy Tan’s short story “Two Kinds” tells the story of the relationship between the protagonist‚ Jing Mei Woo and her mother. Jing-Mei’s mother believes that America‚ is the land of opportunity where she could be‚ “anything she wanted”(1). Hence‚ she has high hopes that her daughter will become a prodigy. Her mother is unclear of what exactly that could be‚ considering her search through a myriad of avenues. Nevertheless‚ she knows that with hard work‚ there is success. In the beginning
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Most children struggle to establish who they are. In ‘Two Kinds’‚ does Jing-Mei know who she is or is she struggling because of her mother’s view? Throughout the entire story‚ her mother is pushing her daughter to be the best or to be a prodigy which leads Jing-Mei to struggle within herself on who she can be. As she struggled‚ she had two halves pulling at her which was her mother’s expectations and her thoughts telling her she wasn’t anything special. As she grew up‚ she accepted defeat that she
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Two Halves of the Same Song “My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America” (526). This is the first sentence in “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan spoken by the narrator’s point of view‚ Jing-mei‚ the daughter. The story was a direct reflection of love vs. rebellion with the mother and the daughter‚ presented in a humorous almost sounding sarcastic tone to show the two kinds of people in the story; the one the mother thought the daughter should be and the one the daughter thought she
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short story "Two Kinds‚" Amy Tan explores the clash of cultures between a first-generation Chinese-American daughter‚ Jing-mei‚ and her mother‚ Suyan‚ a Chinese immigrant. Suyan is certain that Jing-mei can become a prodigy if she only tries hard enough. At first Jing-mei is eager to try‚ but she always falls short of her mother’s expectations. She decides that the prodigy in her is the girl who would steadfastly refuse to be what she is not. While the mother and daughter reveal their personality
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Amy Tan writes as many hidden things as the number of her story in Two Kinds. As its complex structure suggests‚ the book tries to organize the the stories of mother and daughter with the intention of reaching the same destination: the daughter’s recovery of her cultural and ethnic identity as Chinese by overcoming the generational gap and the cultural differences between herself and her mother. The mother intend to hand over their "good intentions" and "usable past" in China to their daughter in
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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. However‚
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The Differences between American and Chinese Society In the story Two Kinds by Amy Tan‚ Jing Mei‚ a Chinese American girl struggles with her identity and learning how to balance her mother’s wants with her needs. Jing- Mei’s mother feels that obedience to her should come first and following her own aspirations should not be a consideration. With the pressures of pleasing her mother and still discovering one’s shelf‚ Jing-Mei searches for balance but finds conflict‚ confusion‚ and disdain. In
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In Amy tans short stories Rules of the Game‚ Fish Cheeks‚ and Two Kinds use themes concerning the boundaries and relationships between mothers and daughters. Asian culture‚ particularly Chinese culture plays an important role in all three short stories‚ giving the traditional conflicts an interesting plot. Amy tans short stories mainly describe the troubles and tension between Chinese immigrant mothers and their Americanized daughters through their shared adventures in an entertaining way. The daughters
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“Never compromise your culture because you are your culture”. In the short story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan‚ The Red Headed Hawaiian by Chris McKinney‚ and The Biography of Frida Kahlo by Hayden Herrera‚ Jing Mei‚ Rudy Puana‚ and Frida Kahlo reveals how culture informs the way you view others and the world because it defines their perspectives‚ boundaries‚ and life experiences. “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan is about Jing Mei and her mother with a relationship of complexities due to the different opinions they
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