Two kinds by Amy Tan
In the 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 through their language, actions, and thoughts, conflict develops between the two women when their cultures and aspirations collide. "Two Kinds" focuses on the theme of conflict between two kinds of women as well as two kinds of daughters.Jing-mei and her mother are two kinds of women because of their drastically different life experience. Before she come to America, Jing-mei's mother has "... lost everything in China: her mother and father, her family home, her first husband, and two daughters, twin baby girls. But she never looked back with regret. Things could get better in so many ways"(1065). As Suyan's past is revealed, I see a clear picture of a determined and strong-willed woman who beats all the
odds to establish a better life in America. However, to the American-born daughter, Jing-mei, her mother's past remains as far as where China is. She neither understands nor comprehends what her mother has gone through in China. When her mother insists her to learn playing piano, her hurtful response is, "I wish I'd never been born! I wish I were dead! Like them"(1071), which pushes the conflict between the two to a higher level. Jing-mei does not understand or fully know her mother because she does not know about her tragic past and the pain she still feels from the memory of it. Her upbrings in America inevitably set her far apart from her mother. While the confrontation is ever increasing between them, they are also struggling within themselves to define their own roles and identities. To some extent, Suyan adopts many American values. She constantly tells her daughter such a typical American belief that one can be "... anything you wanted to be in America"(1065). However, to an even larger extent, her values and ways of doing things are completely Chinese. Just like most Chinese mothers, she tries to form her daughter into a "proper Chinese girl" who will obey whatever the mother says. Only until the worst clash occurred between these two after the piano recital, is when Suyan unwillingly realizes that she has to let her daughter be one of the American daughters who "follow their own mind". As a girl grew up in China, I understand this does not come easy to Suyan. In China, the authoritative role of a mother over her daughter is seldom questioned. A good Chinese mother is respected to channel her daughter to be the extension of herself. When the reality forces Suyan to stop forming her daughter into an obedient one, she is, if not giving up, at least giving in part of her roles of being a good Chinese mother. In addition to the conflict of two kinds of women, Jing-mei is also struggling between two kinds of daughters.
Some common words found in the essay are:
America American-born, America Jing-mei's, China1071 Jing-mei, I'm I'll, Suyan Jing-mei, American Chinese, Suyan China, Chinese Chinese, Amy Tan, kinds women, life experience, jing-mei mother, chinese mother, Suyan Chinese, mother daughter, conflict kinds women, mother's expectations, america jing-mei's, chinese immigrant, conflicts kinds, follow own, kinds amy tan, follow own mind,
Approximate Word count = 1312
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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