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Unattainable parental expectations lead to childhood rebellion. Jing-mei’s mother believes that anything is possible in America as long as one tries. She believes that Jing-mei can be a prodigy if she simply makes the effort to excel, and Jing-mei initially shares her belief.
‘Two Kinds’ is a short story by the American author Amy Tan (born 1952), published as part of her book The Joy Luck Club in 1989. The story is about a young American girl born to Chinese parents; her mother pushes her to become a child prodigy, but the daughter resists.
- Obedience Versus Individuality
- Cultural Identity, Assimilation, and The American Dream
- Mother and Daughter Generational Conflict
- Miscommunication and Misunderstanding
The title of the story, “Two Kinds,” refers to Jing-mei’s mother’s statement that there are two kinds of daughters: those that obey and those that choose to be an individual. This idea encompasses the story’s central theme of obedience versus individuality. Jing-mei’s mother escaped Communist rule in China where obedience and collectivism were valu...
Jing-mei’s mother believes in the American Dream—that anything, particularly material wealth, is possible if one tries, but this view leads to assimilation issues and a faltering cultural identity for Jing-mei. When describing all that is possible in America, Jing-mei’s mother lists all the material successes one could accrue and considers fame the...
Both mother and daughter in this story represent a generational push and pull in opposite directions. “Two Kinds” refers to the two kinds of daughters Jing-mei’s mother talks about, symbolized by the two songs at the end of the story, but also represents the two opposite forces of mother and daughter. For all of Jing-mei’s mother’s hopes for and pr...
Due to language difficulties and cultural differences, Jing-mei and her mother are doomed to misunderstand each other. These communication difficulties emerge most notably in the dialogue between the two characters. Jing-mei speaks fluent English while her mother speaks in both broken English and in Chinese. Jing-mei’s mother is determined to make ...
The central theme of "Two Kinds" is the conflict of expectations and culture between mother and daughter. "Two Kinds" is a section of the Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan that tells the...
Sep 30, 2023 · This article looks at the meaning in the short story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan. It includes a summary and an examination of themes and other important points.
Nov 21, 2023 · In 'Two Kinds', a short story by Amy Tan, Suyuan, a Chinese immigrant with a painful past, and June, her Asian-American daughter, are locked in a battle for control....
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Plot Summary. “Two Kinds” is Jing-mei Woo's reflection on her mother’s efforts to make her into a child prodigy. Jing-mei’s mother left China under traumatic...
