Two kinds short story analysis. A Summary and Analysis of Amy Tan’s ‘Two Kinds’ 2022-11-16

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"Two Kinds" is a short story by Amy Tan that tells the story of Jing-mei, a Chinese-American girl, and her relationship with her mother. The story is set in the United States during the 1950s and explores the theme of identity and the conflicts that can arise between mothers and daughters.

At the beginning of the story, Jing-mei's mother believes that her daughter has the potential to be a prodigy and constantly pushes her to excel in different areas. She enrolls Jing-mei in piano lessons and encourages her to enter talent shows, hoping that Jing-mei will become a successful musician or actress. However, Jing-mei lacks the natural talent and passion for these pursuits and is unable to fulfill her mother's expectations.

As the story progresses, Jing-mei and her mother become increasingly distant and their relationship becomes strained. Jing-mei resents her mother's constant pressure and begins to rebel against her expectations. She refuses to practice the piano and ultimately performs poorly at a talent show, causing her mother to become disappointed and angry.

The conflict between Jing-mei and her mother comes to a head when Jing-mei discovers a box of old pictures and mementos from her mother's life in China. Among the items in the box is a photograph of Jing-mei's mother as a young girl, dressed in traditional Chinese clothing and standing next to her own mother. Jing-mei is shocked to see that her mother, who had always seemed so traditional and strict, was once a rebellious and independent young woman.

This revelation helps Jing-mei understand her mother and the sacrifices she made in order to provide for her family. It also helps Jing-mei realize that her mother's expectations for her are rooted in love and a desire for her to succeed. With this newfound understanding, Jing-mei is able to forgive her mother and repair their relationship.

In conclusion, "Two Kinds" is a poignant and thought-provoking story that explores the complexities of family relationships and the search for identity. It highlights the importance of understanding and empathy in resolving conflicts and strengthening bonds between loved ones.

Analysis Of Two Kinds Short Story

two kinds short story analysis

She longs to become a prodigy because she thinks that will make her perfect; if she fails to become one, she will be nothing. The present paper is an attempt to explore how the Chinese mothers resolve the friction caused by dual identities with the assistance of space- geographical, social, cultural, spiritual and personal. Therefore, Jing-mei realizes she is fulfilling her mother's dream; she is meeting up with her sisters after many years. You could work for the government and get good retirement You could buy a house with almost no money down. But she felt the pressure coming from her mother and at the same time she felt impatient for it. He believes the Sandman to be a man named Coppelius Edgar Allan Poe's Thanatopsis Analysis For most of his two — decade long career as a short story writer and a poet, with his first book of poetry being published in 1827 when he was only eighteen, Edgar Allan Poe struggled to support himself and his family. Living in America as a Chinese immigrant, Jing-mei 's mother plants her dreams of American success on the shoulders of her daughter.

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Two Kinds Analysis

two kinds short story analysis

Two kinds reveal two different sides of the cultural spectrum, and their opposing view towards their values. In addition, the plan represents the struggle between a mother and her daughter. Using Connotations and Metaphors Based on the story described by Tan, the main character has ambiguous relationships with her mother who, in turn, resorts to the classical methods of upbringing maintained in Chinese culture. But she is also motivated by a desire to feel pride as a parent. Second is for the children to be obedient to their parents, for parents only want what is best for their children. Chong enter Jing-mei into a talent competition at which she is expected to showcase her piano skills. Jing-mei spends the ride home from the talent show waiting for her mother to yell at her.

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(DOC) Literary Analysis of Two Kinds by Amy Tan

two kinds short story analysis

However, Suyuan also heals the rift when she makes a gift of the piano to Jing-Mei and lets her adult daughter know that she was the only member of the family who could play. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. Her mother, on the other hand, acted the way she did because of her dream of success. For a nine-year-old who wants nothing more than to make her mother proud this was exciting. As hinted above, the story illustrates a conflict between two well-articulated positions wherein a rebel, on principle, meets head-on and fights against an established authority. A skillful worked out title tells the whole story on enough of the story to satisfy the reader 's curiosity.

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Two Kinds Short Story Analysis

two kinds short story analysis

Jing-mei as an adult appreciates what her mother had done for her as a child. Two Kinds Character Analysis 937 Words 4 Pages As a whole, while the story was very depressing at times, it still has an underlying tone of family ideals, as the relationship between the mother and daughter still remained despite the arguments they had. The second date is today's date — the date you are citing the material. She wants to be something else and at the same time she wants just to be herself. Because the man is blind, the only reliable point-of-view available is the one of the unseen narrator. Coming of age means maturity for Mei-Jing and regret towards her actions when younger. See eNotes Ad-Free Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts.

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Literary Analysis of Two Kinds by Amy Tan: [Essay Example], 656 words GradesFixer

two kinds short story analysis

No one touches the piano for many years, until Suyuan gives Jing-Mei the piano and tells her daughter she was the only one in the family who could play. Even during her lessons, she knew she could be good at it, even become great with it. Woo, when she continues to fail to become a prodigy. Her resistance is a sign that instead of seeing America as the land of opportunity, Jing-mei sees it as the land of freedom, freedom of choice and of will. Every night after dinner, Jing-mei and her mother look at magazines featuring stories about amazing children.

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Two Kinds

two kinds short story analysis

While more positive emotions of relief and hope are set forth; leading one to happiness. Through the richness of her artistic innovation and crafting, Tan has explored a new possibility for fiction writing and has enriched the literary tradition in the genre of novel writing in Chinese American literature. This study focuses on how the totality of individuality is split due to ethnic anxiety and how a diasporic mother functions to restore that totality by making her daught er understand her worth and reconcile with her Chinese culture and ethnic identity. By using this perception of prosperity and accomplishment, her mother thought that she was going to be able to shape Jing-Mei into it. As a result, each character reveals the whole idea but not just different parts of the plot. The story deals with immigrants and the American expectation for success, but primarily of a daugthters relationship to her mother.

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Amy Tan Two Kinds Short Story Analysis Free Essay Example

two kinds short story analysis

Jing-mei offers no comment on, seems to have no empathy for, the hard work her mother does in order to achieve a better life for her family. Tan speaks about the generation change and the struggle to adapt the newly introduced culture. Jing-mei 's mother felt like an outcast existing in a dominate population. Jing-mei is vaguely aware of what her mother went through in order to come to the United States. Joy Luck Club Mother Daughter Relationship 1177 Words 5 Pages One dynamic that false expectation strains is the relationship between Suyuan and her daughter Jing-Mei. As part of the novel, the story is just a piece of how these women interact with each other, and with how they interact with the main plot of the novel. Despite a rather simple and habitual language, Tan raises a rather topical issue of parent-child relationships and resorts to various literary devices, in particular, metaphors and connotations, in order to convey a deeper meaning through certain phrases and situations.


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Two Kinds Summary

two kinds short story analysis

Jing-mei 's mother felt like an outcast existing in a dominate population. Amy Tan is a Chinese-American novelist. The focal point of the story is oftentimes troublesome yet inescapable and uncovers clashing values. Based on Tan's own experiences, the book centers upon the friendships and lives of four Chinese women who play mahjong together. As literary methods, metaphors and connotations are often used to enhance the effect of perception and reflect deeper meanings. The main character recalls this proverb more than once and seeks to destroy such a stereotype. Woo, a mother and daughter, had many conflicts and disputes caused by their contrasting standards of success.

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