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Culture and character in Amy Tan's two kinds
Main idea in the two kinds story by amy tan
Essay on amy tans "two kinds
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In Amy Tan’s, “Two Kinds”, Amy demonstrates that the American dream may be far from reality. In the story Jing- mei endures many tests and trials forced upon her by her mother, Mrs. Woo. In the story, Mrs. Woo sets unreasonable expectations for her daughter; hoping that one day they too can live the American dream. Amy Tan suggests that it is best for a person to find their own identity and not have one unwillingly forced upon them, no matter the circumstance. In “Two Kinds”, Mrs. Woo views her daughter, Jing-mei, as her ticket to live the American dream. In the story, Mrs. Woo attempts to mold Jing-mei into an American prodigy. Mrs. Woo goes as far as to change her daughter’s appearance, so that she can look more like Shirley Temple, the American Sweetheart. This plan backfired when the beauty school student messes up on Jing-mei’s hair, and they are forced to chop it all off; “’Peter Pan is very popular these days’ the instructor assured my mother” (Tan 637). Unfortunately, this did not alter Mrs. Woo’s vision; she began searching through magazines for Jing-mei’s next test. Mrs. ...
Our mothers have played very valuable roles in making us who we are and what we have become of ourselves. They have been the shoulder we can lean on when there is no one else to turn to. They have been the ones we can count on when there is no one else. They have been the ones who love us for who we are and forgive us when no one else wouldn’t. In Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds,” the character Jing-mei experiences being raised by a mother who has overwhelming expectations for her daughter, which causes Jing-mei to struggle with who she wants to be.
Growing up in California, Tan continued to embrace the typical values of Americans. She had taken on American values as her own identity, completely ignoring most of her Chinese heritage. In fact, young Amy Tan would answer her mother’s Chinese questions in English (Miller 1162). Teenage Amy Tan lost both her father and sixteen-year-old brother to brain tumors. Soon after that, she learned that she had two half-sisters in China from her mother’s first marriage (“Amy Tan Biography”). In 1987, Tan made a trip to China to meet those very same ...
In America, every citizen is guaranteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Although each person is given these rights, it is how each person uses them that defines how successful they will be in America. There are several obstacles that some Americans face on their pursuit of happiness. In this country’s past, Americans lived by a very specific set of beliefs that valued the importance of hard work, faith, and family. As time progressed and America began to evolve as a nation, this capitalistic society no longer devoted itself to family and faith but rather success, and the pursuit of prosperity. The shift from dependence on tradition towards a society that values success and how people struggle to b successful when society makes it difficult marks a common theme in Lorraine Hansberry’s play, A Raisin in the Sun. Two of the main characters in this story Lena Younger (Mama) and her son Walter Lee directly reflect the shift from tradition to a focus on success and capital and the struggles they face in regards to racism. Mama and Walter Lee’s contrasting values about the American dream and the way in which they pursue their own dreams while facing racism exemplifies the shift from valuing tradition like in previous generations in America, to valuing success and prosperity like in more current generations.
"My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America" (491). This ideology inspired Jing-mei’s mother to work hard to create a better life for herself and her family in a new country. The search of the American dream exerts a powerful influence on new arrivals in the United States. However, realizing that they may not achieve the dream of material success and social acceptance, parents tend to transfer that burden to their children. It is a burden where dreams usually fall short of expectations.
When people think of the American Dream, they usually picture a wealthy family who lives in a big house with a white picket fence. They see the husband being the breadwinner for the wife and kids, by supporting and providing the best way that he can. They also picture the wife catering to her husband 's every need. The protagonist Janie Crawford lives this American Dream but soon comes to a realization that this life isn’t her destiny. Crawford learns that love does not involve money but rather being joyful. In Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Janie breaks the American Dream myth by living a non-traditional life through belief, happiness, and freedom.
Amy Tan's short story, "Two Kinds" begins with a brief introduction to one mother's interpretation of the American dream. The Chinese mother who lost her family in her native homeland now hopes to recapture part of her loss through her daughter. Those of us who are parents want what is best for our children. We strive to make our children's futures better. In some cases, when our own dreams have either been destroyed or not realized, we project our dreams and wishes on our children. In "Two Kinds", Amy Tan tells of such a story through the eyes of a young girl who initially mimics her mother's dreams but ultimately rebels against them. Tan's use of a common theme that most parents can relate to expresses the frustrations that parents and children feel when obsession takes the place of nurturing.
In Lorraine Hansberry's inspirational play A Raisin in the Sun, a working class African American family's life is turned upside down when death comes for their father. In this play, the main characters: Walter, Benetha, Ruth, and Mama(Lena), all dream of having a better life. Despite the living conditions that rule their lives, they each try to pursue the "American Dream." Although the "American Dream," is different for each character, by the end of the play and through many trials and tribulations; the Younger's come to realize who's dream is the most important.
“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan is about an immigrant family from China. The two main characters consist of a chinese mother named, Suyuan, and her American-born daughter, Jing Mei. For Suyuan, moving to America meant opportunities. She pushes her daughter, Jing Mei, into trying new activities in hopes of turning her into a child prodigy. Jing Mei becomes stubborn and resentful. Her attitude towards her mother becomes a protective wall against her struggle to change her. Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds”, depicts the cultural conflict that can arise between first-generation American children and their Chinese immigrant parents today.
The American Dream can mean a number of different things to number of different people. Over the years this ideal has evolved and its definition will continue to change for many more years to come. What has not changed is the desire to achieve this dream. For decades now, people from all over the world have immigrated to the United States with hopes of obtaining this dream. However it seems that, to many immigrants the American dream has a very different and more modest definition. To many foreigners it means having the basic necessities in life and giving their children opportunities and life they ever had. Immigration can be a good and a bad thing. On one hand the overall standard of living is better but on the other hand it is almost inevitable that the family, especially the children, will lose some of their culture as they Americanize and assimilate. This is partially the reason why the mothers of The Joy Luck Club continue to have the Joy Luck Club meetings. Even though they are now in America, they want to make sure their daughters are exposed to and maintain the Chinese culture. Mother/ daughter relationships are a large component in Amy Tan’s award winning novel, The Joy Luck Club.
The story two kinds by Amy Tan is a motivational story and somewhat heartbreaking. It’s a powerful example of conflicting personalities and needs that cause a struggle between the parent and child. This story relates to most family’s today such as parents trying to push their kids to become something they were not meant to be. The title of this short story “Two Kinds” is describes the theme of this story itself. The mother had previously stated that there are only two types of daughters. “Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind”. Jing Mei did not understand or realize the truth or meaning behind that saying until after her mother’s death. Jing Mei realized that her mother only meant that she could be an obedient child by listening to her mother while at the same time follow her own heart and want her own prodigy in life. This story has a lot of meaning behind it when it comes to looking at the characters from their stand point. Throughout this story I focused on both Jing Mei and Suyuan Woo because they have many similarities and differences and it kind of shocks me. They both have different backgrounds and have been influenced by two different cultures. Because they were born into two different cultures they both have different opinions about America and China.
This novel is a great novel to give an example on how reality is to people even the high class. Through the discussion of the passage, poem and scholarly article will show how the path towards the American Dream can turn into a negative or positive outcome in a person’s life.
Amy Tan's story “Two Kinds” is about a mother who brings her child to America to offer her a better life. Furthermore, the goal for the mother for bringing her child to America is to have her daughter be destined for greatness, even if it means having her daughter try out every opportunity to find what where her greatness might be hiding. The overall theme is in Amy Tan's story “Two Kinds” reflects on the relationship between the mother and daughter. Not only the relationship between the two but showing that mothers will do many things for their children to make their lives better and to ultimately give them the life they never had. In sum, “Two Kinds” reflects on how many mothers do things in their lives for their children that at the time they are unaware of but years down the road, the child finds out that there’s a reason in which their mother did the things in which they did. The overall reason being for mothers doing things for their child is that they love their child unconditionally and are behind them no matter where life takes them.
In Amy Tan 's Two Kinds, Jing-mei and her mother show how through generations a relationship of understanding can be lost when traditions, dreams, and pride do not take into account individuality. By applying the concepts of Virginia Woolf, Elaine Showalter, and the three stages of feminism, one can analyze the discourse Tan uses in the story and its connection to basic feminist principles.
The dictionary defines eternity as something lasting forever; with no beginning and no ending. John Keats’ poem, “Ode on a Grecian Urn” juxtaposes the mind boggling idea of eternity and the urn, where everything remains unchanged, frozen in perpetuity. Through poetic devices, Keats is able to effectively draw attention to a desire to escape reality and seek repose in the ideal (Wigod 58). The poet makes effective use of metaphors, repetition, imagery and point of view in order to draw parallels to the urn, presenting it as a motif for aestheticism and the eternal beauty of art.
The story “Two Kinds” is based on a mother/daughter relationship told by the daughter in first person narrative. As seen through the daughter’s eyes the relationship is strained due to different views caused by a generation gap, different beliefs and cultures. The mother was born and raised in China and Ni Kan was raised in China town after her mother migrated to America in 1949. When her mother left China, she had to leave behind her parents, husband and twin daughters and through it all remained certain that America would provide her with opportunity’s that she didn’t have before. “But she never looked back with regret. There were so many ways for things to get better.” (pg. 821)