The relationship between a mother and daughter in two kinds by amy tan 972 words 4 pages two kinds by amy tan is about the intricacies and complexities in the relationship between a mother and daughter. The mothers and daughters in this book are separated by many factors age, experience, ambition, and culture. The motherdaughter relationship is the main conflict through the story. The novel two kinds by amy tan explores the complex motherdaughter relationship between jingmei, a chinese american girl, and her mother, suyuan. Amy tan born february 19, 1952 is an american writer whose works explore motherdaughter relationships and the chineseamerican experience. May 22, 2019 two kinds is the last story in the second segment of amy tans highly popular debut book, the joy luck club.
The story was written in 1st person, told by the daughter. Chong, lindo jong or waverly jong are secondary and they are only relevant in connection to the main characters, as they trigger several reactions from their part. Tan intended the book to be read as a loose collection of interrelated stories, but it is often referred. They are of chinese origin, and the mother has emigrated to america some years ago with her husband.
Two kinds by amy tan international english by sandra. Two kinds of characters two kinds, a short story by amy tan, opens with jingmei june woo, the narrator, reflecting on her mothers life after shes dead. The other three members of the joy luck club yingying, lindo, and anmei all have wisdom that they wish to impart to their independent, american daughters. The mothers and daughters in this book are separated by many factors age. Tan intended the book to be read as a loose collection of interrelated stories, but it is often referred to as a novel. Her novel the joy luck club was adapted into a film in 1993 by director wayne wang tan has written several other novels, including the kitchen gods wife, the hundred secret senses, the bonesetters daughter, saving fish from drowning, and the valley. Conflicts occur owing to divergent opinions about identification. The motherdaughter struggle over identity in two kinds is less about who jingmei will turn out. The climactic argument occurs when the mother angrily asserts only two kinds of daughters. What is the summary of the novel two kinds by amy tan. I realized that the two kinds were in fact these two types of daughters, however the storys purpose was not to define jingmei as either.
Analysis of two kinds essays two kinds is a short story about a mother who pushes her daughter to become a prodigy. Narrated in the first person by a woman called jingmei woo the story is a memory piece and after reading the story the reader realises that. Stay connected to your students with prezi video, now in microsoft teams. Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind. Throughout the story, the mother imposes upon her daughter, jing mei, her hopes and dreams for her. Two kinds is an excerpt from her first book, the joy luck club, which received high acclaim. Here are all the word lists to support the reading of grade 10. Amy tan has said that she never intended the joy luck club to be a novel. These two kinds of daughters match up with the two songs because one song says perfect which is obedience and the other song is pleading child which about a child who. She has high hopes that her daughter will be a great success as a prodigy. The plot of the story is about a mother and her daughter. Two kinds is the last story in the second of four sections of amy tans immensely successful first book, the joy luck club. Two kinds by amy tan, begins with a brief introduction to one mothers interpretation of the american dream.
May 26, 2010 character analysis on jingmei in two kinds two kinds, by amy tan is a story in which a chinese mother believes that her daughter can do anything in the united states as long as she puts her mind to it and decides to push her daughter, jingmei, into being a prodigy. The short story outlines the main character jingmei. The book is divided into four interconnected segments with each of them containing a group of stories which can stand alone themselves. Two kinds by amy tan 9 september 2016 the story takes place around 1960s, where the narrator talks about her childhood and 1980s towards the end when she had grown up to be an adult about thirty years old. Narrated in the first person by a woman called jingmei woo the story is a memory piece and after reading the story the reader realises that tan may be exploring the theme of hope. Two kinds by amy tan my mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in america. Amy tan s two kinds and best quality depict a struggling and often stressful relationship between a defiant daughter and an overbearing mother. In amy tans two kinds the mother and the daughter show how through generations a relationship of understanding can be lost when traditions, dreams, and pride do not take into account individuality. Two kinds by amy tan 9 september 2016 the story takes place around 1960s, where the narrator talks about her childhood and 1980s towards the end when she. Further, the two kinds is identical to a twosided coin, with one side representing the mother, her chinese heritage, and obedience that she attempts to infuse in her daughter because of her awful past. Analysis of two kinds by amy tan 1567 words 7 pages. Two kinds amy tan my mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in america. The short story outlines the main jing mei woos childhood and the effects of her mothers high. Imagery in two kinds amy tans two kinds shows readers the problematic relationship between mothers and daughters.
The relationship between a mother and daughter in two kinds. However, their daughters lena, waverly, and rose all have their own perspectives on life as americans. Originally published in 1989, two kinds is a short story written by chineseamerican author amy tan. Today in class we read and discussed a short story by amy tan titled two kinds. A storys setting is usually described in the beginning of the story, giving an explanation of where and when the story is taking place. Two kinds by amy tan essay example bestwritingservice. It is about a mother who wishes that her daughter become a prodigy, but the daughter doesnt accept and wants her mother just to accept her as she is. Find out what kinds they are, and how this view affects a motherdaughter relationship in an excerpt from amy tans novel the joy luck club. Set in modernday san francisco, the story revolves around jingmei june woo as she recounts her childhood and the influence of her mothers lofty expectations for life in america. Teaching two kinds by amy tan connected teaching and.
Amy tan s two kinds explores the complexity of a motherdaughter relationship through the lens of young jingmei, the daughter of a chinese immigrant mother named suyuan. The most important characters in two kinds by amy tan are jingmei woo and mrs. Let me say in advance that in over ten thousand miles, in thirtyfour states, i was not recognized even once. The mother asserted that there were only two kinds of daughters. Essay on the duality of the american dream in amy tans two kinds. In this story, jingmei woo reflects on her childhoodspecifically her mothers expectations of her. Two kinds by amy tan essay example topics and well written. Two kinds summary two kinds is a short story by amy tan that presents the conflict between a girl, june, and her mother, suyuan. Two kinds is a chapter from tans book, the joy luck club, which is made up of sixteen stories about tan growing up in america with a mother from ancient chinese customs tan, 189. Four are mothers who each had different hardships that forced them to leave china. Oct 11, 2017 in two kinds by amy tan we have the theme of hope, identity, rebellion, responsibility, blame, independence and acceptance. Two kinds by amy tan essay example topics and well. May 12, 2009 amy tans two kinds in amy tans two kinds the mother and the daughter show how through generations a relationship of understanding can be lost when traditions, dreams, and pride do not take into account individuality. Further reading two kinds is the last story in the second of four sections of amy tans immensely successful first book, the joy luck club.
The conflicts between mother and daughter in two kinds by. Summary to jingmeis mother, america is the land of opportunity. As a vignette, or standalone story, it serves as an illustration of two important themes, or main. Literary analysis there are many key elements which together make up a story, namely a storys setting, its main characters, the plot, and the symbolism it contains. Two kinds is a short story that appears in amy tans novel the joy luck club. Background two kinds is a story in amy tans immensely successful first book, the joy luck club. Only two kinds of daughters, she shouted in chinese.
A mothers dream for her daughter in amy tans two kinds. The conflicts between mother and daughter in two kinds by amy. Jingmei assumes the role of narrator in the novel and takes readers on a deeply personal journey that exposes the societal, generational and cultural differences that distance jingmei and suyuan. You could work for the government and get good retirement. Two kinds is the last story in the second segment of amy tans highly popular debut book, the joy luck club. What are the two kinds of daughters in two kinds by amy tan. Two kinds is a short story from the book the joy luck club by amy tan. At first my mother thought i could be a chinese shirley temple.
The novel tells of jingmeis struggles to find her identity in the world, leaving her cultural identity and heritage behind in the process. He would open the book and point to different things, explaining, their purpose. In two kinds by amy tan see answers 2 ask for details. Amy tan only two kinds of daughters, she shouted in chinese. This is the classic american dream that weve been talking. Amy tan s story, two kinds, works independently or as part of her novel, the joy luck club. The short story outlines the main character jingmei june woos childhood and the effects of her mothers high expectations for her life. The purpose of this story is to make the reader realize how much pare. How do those two kinds of daughters match up with the two songs at the end of the story. Like the other joy luck daughters, jingmei takes her rebellion to the extreme as if to convince everyone including herself that she doesnt care what her mother says but just makes it clearer that shes only doing it because her mother has gotten to her. All rick riordan books amy tan book series short stories good books. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Amy tan is an author who writes about her life growing up as an asianamerican in chinatown.
In two kinds by amy tan we have the theme of hope, identity, rebellion, responsibility, blame, independence and acceptance. At the beginning it displays an angry tone, but at the end the tone is apologetic. Amy tans two kinds is a short story about the relationship between a chineseamerican mother and her american daughter. One of the most complex relationships is that of a mother and daughter. Losing her family in china, she now hopes to recapture part of her loss through her daughter. This is the classic american dream that weve been talking about throughout the book, but this is really the first time that its directly mentioned by one of the characters. In terms of the story, this mentality is what sets off suyuans need for her daughter to be a prodigy of something it didnt really matter what. The relationship between a mother and daughter in two. Two kinds, jingmeis mother said there are two kinds of daughters.
The two songs that are in the piano book are pleading child and perfectly contented. June mei and her mother suyuan engage in a destructive battle between what is possible and what is. Suddenly, jingmei realizes that the two titles are two halves of the same song. Books similar to two kinds meet your next favorite book. This realization brings together the theme of the tension between mothers and daughters. Multicultural story, two kinds amy tanjhedit authorstream.
What is the name of the daughter in amy tans two kinds. Character analysis on jingmei in two kinds two kinds, by amy tan is a story in which a chinese mother believes that her daughter can do anything in the united states as long as she puts her mind to it and decides to push her daughter, jingmei, into being a prodigy. A storys setting is usually described in the beginning of the story, giving an explanation of. Amy tans story, two kinds, works independently or as part of her novel, the joy luck club. Several of the stories appeared in periodicals separately, many of them in. A motherdaughter conflict in amy tan s two kinds and best quality. The mother pushes her daughter to become a prodigy, while the daughter like most. Mother daughter relationship in two kinds by amy tan 123.
518 1436 1531 47 601 277 185 1392 535 266 683 411 876 37 786 772 942 1078 94 884 1190 809 512 53 1429 1 990 871 71