“Two Kinds” is a coming-of-age story, in which the narrator, Jing-mei, struggles to forge her own sense of identity in the face of her strong-willed mother’s dream that she become a “prodigy.” Jing-mei is caught between her Chinese mother’s traditional ideas about how to raise a daughter, and her own development as a …
Why is it called Two Kinds?
The title of the story refers to a statement made by Suyuan, a Chinese immigrant, to her daughter, Jing-Mei, in which she says there are ‘two kinds of daughters: those who are obedient and those who follow their own minds. ‘
What is the name of the mother in Two Kinds?
Summary and Analysis Jing-mei Woo: Two Kinds. To Jing-mei’s mother, America is the Land of Opportunity. She has high hopes that her daughter will be a great success as a prodigy.
What is the symbolism in Two Kinds?
Shirley Temple, the young Chinese actress on TV symbolizes the reality of American dream and the desires of many immigrants. She is a successful actress despite her young age while Jing-Mei’s mum is a poor adult. She also represents the bountiful life that Jing’s mother wanted her to have.What does the piano in Two Kinds symbolize?
Jing-mei’s thirtieth birthday gift was the piano. She “saw the offer as a sign of forgiveness, a tremendous burden removed.” The piano represents reconciliation between mother and daughter. Jing-mei took it as a sign of acceptance and she later realized that her mother had never given up on her.
What does the ending of Two Kinds mean?
The ending makes us reflect on the whole story and lets us interpret it in a different way. After her mother’s death, Jing-mei begins to realize what her mother had wanted for her. … The “pleading child” cannot be “perfectly contented” because she cannot resolve her difficulties with her mother — and herself.
Where does Two Kinds take place?
The short story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan is set in Chinatown, San Francisco, USA.
What is the lesson of the story Two Kinds?
In “Two Kinds” the mother and daughter relationship is unbalanced. The mother, Suyuan, believes Jing Mei can accomplish the American dream and become successful. In “The Lesson”, the story focuses on poverty and wealth in the world.What Two Kinds Does the title tie to within the story?
In “Two Kinds,” “Pleading Child” and “Perfectly Contented” have a double meaning in the story because they represent the changing feelings of Jing-Mei towards her mother.
Who is the main character in Two Kinds by Amy Tan?“Two Kinds” is a short story from the book The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. It was first published in The Atlantic in February 1989. The short story outlines the main character Jing-mei (June) Woo’s childhood and the effects of her mother’s high expectations for her life.
Article first time published onWhat does the piano symbolize?
A piano can be mellow and can represent contentment or, from another angle, romance. French horns represent nobility, accomplishment, loneliness, and solitude. … A distorted guitar represents power, aggression, and strength, while a “clean” electric guitar is used to symbolize anguish and solitude.
What does the narration reveal about Jing-Mei's character?
What does the narration reveal about Jing-mei’s character? She works hard because she feels loved and accepted by her parents. She wants to be perfect so that she can be better than anyone else. She is afraid that she’ll be a disappointment if she doesn’t become a prodigy.
Why did Rose stay in bed for three days?
Why did Rose stay in bed for three days? She stayed in bed for three days because her husband had left her and she was unable to make the simplest decisions.
What happened to the piano at the end of the story?
At the end of the 1993 movie, Holly Hunter’s mute character Ada McGrath throws herself into the sea tied to her beloved piano. But rather than allow herself to drown, she fights back to the surface and goes on to have a settled life with her daughter, Flora, and lover Baines, played by Harvey Keitel.
How does the daughter change over the course of the story Two Kinds?
In “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan Jing-Mei grows from an obedient child into an independent young woman. As a young girl she shares her mother’s enthusiasm for the American dream. … When June realizes the amount of practice needed to become a talented pianist she begins to question her mother’s motives.
What is the irony in Two Kinds?
Irony: Piano was the daughter’s way to be a success, but the piano became the daughter’s embarrassment. Chinese family, but the daughter is far from excellent or the best. Mother believes a person can do all or anything in America, but the child is not necessarily free and is forced to do so many things.
What does pleading child and perfectly contented mean?
Jing-mei realizes that the “Pleading Child” who disobeyed her mother has now become a “Perfectly Contented” adult, a woman who reconsiders her mother’s expectations with a new sense of willingness and acceptance.
What is the climax in Two Kinds?
The climax of the story is a piano recital and the events that unfold the day after. Her mother is so proud of Amy’s musical talent; she even invites Auntie Lindo and Waverly to Amy’s first piano recital. … The next day, Amy’s stubborn mother expects her to practice piano, as if nothing has gone wrong.
What is the mood of Two Kinds?
Jing Mei has a good sense of humor, which carries throughout the story until the climactic moment when there is a definite change of tone to a sadder mood. Overall, however, the prose has a happy spirit, and it is clear that the narrator enjoys telling her story.
What is the story Two Kinds by Amy Tan about?
“Two kinds” is a short story from the book The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. It was first published in 1989. The short story outlines the main Jing- Mei Woo’s childhood and the effects of her mother’s high expectations for her life.
What is the summary of Two Kinds by Amy Tan?
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. Suyuan longs to turn June into a piano prodigy, even bartering with Mr. Chong for piano lessons.
How are the mother and her daughter similar and different?
The mother and daughter are similar because they are both stubborn. They are different because the mother wants her daughter to be perfect and the daughter wants to be herself. … In this story, conflict, or a struggle between the characters, results when a mother pushes her daughter to succeed .
Who is Waverly How does the narrator feel about her?
Who is Waverly? How does the narrator feel about her? Her cousin. Parents are competitive with one another, therefore the girls are as well.
How has Jing-Mei changed at the end of the story?
Jing-Mei views it as her mother forgiving her for what she said to her when she was a child. How does Jing-Mei change at the end of the story? She becomes content and proud of herself.
How did Ying Ying lose herself?
She is caught by a fishing boat. They ask her to point to her boat, and she mistakenly points to a boat where the little girl is safe. Ying-ying feels lost forever. Her rescuers drop her off on shore.
What is the conflict in Two Kinds?
In the short story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, the author creates a conflict between a Chinese mother and her daughter. The relationship between the mother who wanted her daughter to be prodigy, and her daughter who refused to be prodigy is presented (43).
Why is the story called double face?
Lindo is more subtle in her appraisal. She wonders how much of her is still Chinese, and how much of her has become American. Both women have a “double face,” the title of this section, for they straddle two cultures. … Both are strong, focused women.
What does Jing-Mei's mother want for her daughter?
What does Jing-mei’s mother want her daughter to be? Jing-mei’s mother wants her to be a prodigy or a young child with an extraordinary talent or ability (p. 132).
What does America represent to the mother?
In Amy Tan’s short story, “Two Kinds” America represents the opportunity to be whatever you want to be. Having lost her mother, father, first husband, and twin daughters in China, the mother sees America as the place where things could get better. She could erase her past with a new future, a future filled with hope.
Does the narrator tell the story?
A narrator is the person telling the story, and it determines the point of view that the audience will experience. Every work of fiction has one! The narrator can take many forms—it may be a character inside the story (like the protagonist) telling it from his own point of view.
What do guitars symbolize?
Playing the guitar means never being alone with nothing to do. It means strumming for fun, or going further and further into amazing territory and a lifetime of discovery and discipline, or just taking up a hobby that gives you a bit pleasure and a sense of achievement. Playing the guitar means everything.
