Road to Perfect Contentment

751 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Two kinds by amy tan literary analysis thesis

The secret to understanding is the will to try. Since the existence of society, people have always strived to try their best. However, some individuals don’t want “best.” Jing-mei, the protagonist in Amy Tan’s short story “Two Kinds,” is one of these people, believing that she could never amount to anything big. Jing-mei refused to hope that she could be anyone special, leading her to stubbornly reject her mother until she finally understood what her mother was trying to do, demonstrating how people will only be happy when they choose to do things on their own free will.
When Jing-mei’s mother pushed her to become a prodigy, she refused to try because she believed that she could not, and as a result, became very stubborn. In the beginning, Jing-mei believed her mother about being able to become anything she wants in America, the land of opportunity. However, after screaming at herself in the bathroom mirror for constantly raising hopes too high and failing expectations too miserably, Jing-mei changed her attitude. “I won’t let her change me, I promised myself. I won’t be what I’m not” (Tan 477). Jing-mei started to believe that she was fated to be mediocre, to never be extraordinary. She convinced herself that she could only be herself, which, for sure, wasn’t a prodigy. Jing-mei became very determined, but towards the wrong goal, refusing to try. She half-heartedly participated in her mother’s tests, and when she started to play piano, found a loophole and never tried hard enough. After the recital fiasco, where Jing-mei failed her piano performance miserably, she decided that “I didn’t have to do what my mother said anymore. I wasn’t her slave… I had listened to her before and look what happened” (Tan 483), blaming the disaster...

... middle of paper ...

...r mother held for. She realized that her mother only wanted one thing: for her to try.
Jing-mei differed from her mother in one way: “I did not believe I could be anything I wanted to be” (Tan 484), leading her to stubbornly refuse to try, until, in time, she finally understood what her mother wanted for her: the best she could be. From the haircut mishap to the magazine tests, Jing-mei had more or less tried to live up to her mother’s expectations. However, since the piano fiasco, Jing-mei gave up, and soon after, her mother lost hope in her daughter as well. It wasn’t until years later, after her mother had died, did Jing-mei realize her mother’s intentions. Jing-mei was once a pleading child stuck on the notion that “I could only be me” (Tan 484), but twenty years later, she became perfectly contented, understanding that there is no limit to efforts and dreams.

Show More
Related

  • Significant Identity In Short Story

    856 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jing-mei 's mother wants Jing-mei to be a prodigy and get popular. Thus, the mother rents a piano for Jing-mei to help her achieve this. Many years later, Jing-mei finds the piano in a broken state, so she decides to have it repaired. She starts playing the song she used to play, “Pleading Child.” But to the right of “Pleading Child,” she finds a second song named “Perfectly Contented.” She starts to play both songs, “And after I [Jing-mei] had played them both a few times, I realized they were two halves of the same song.” (6) Jing-mei’s mother tells Jing-mei that there are two kinds of people: the respectful kind and the disrespectful kind. At that time, Jing-mei also finds out that there are two kinds of people inside her. She could choose to be the kind where the person is a prodigy and respectful, or be the kind that is ugly in the eyes of people. When she plays “Pleading Child” and “Perfectly Contented,” Jing-mei realizes that her identity had changed completely because of her laziness and beliefs. Jing-mei learns that there are two kinds of people in the world, and she should choose the right

    Read More

  • Amy Tan Two Kinds Essay

    474 Words  | 1 Pages

    Jing-mei realizes her mother was trying to help her out, but since their personalities clash, Jing-mei first believed her mother was forcing her to play piano. She thought her mother was setting up unrealistic expectations for her, when only she just wanted to see her daughter live the American Dream. She didn’t understand the Chinese way of thinking so she thought her mother was just being strict. Her mother wants her to be a strong, independent American woman. She just wanted her daughter to have all the opportunities she wasn’t able to have in China.

    Read More

  • Defying Norms: The Journey of Wu Zetian, China's Female Emperor

    1556 Words  | 4 Pages

    Most outcasts of history had a particular, exclusive life; full of struggles against the society ever since birth and grew up with a heart made out of steel from the harsh criticism they have endured. They differ from the community within their beginning to their end, and many of their stories end up becoming legends and gaps of the past that nobody will be able to reincarnate. China’s first and last female emperor, Wu Zetian, was one of these exclusives. Ever since birth, her history of tactics to the people around her; in order to ascend the throne, juxtaposed towards society’s attitudes of women at the time; through her breakdown of gender stereotypes and quick knowledge, and offered a new perspective to the world of just how cruel and beautiful women can be. She successfully destructed all accumulated views of women in the Tang Dynasty, and created her future in the way she wanted it – on top of every man in her country. She was an outcast – somebody who juxtaposed against the demands of her. She was history.

    Read More

  • Two Kinds by Amy Tan

    966 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the short story, "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan, a Chinese mother and daughter are at odds with each other. The mother pushes her daughter to become a prodigy, while the daughter (like most children with immigrant parents) seeks to find herself in a world that demands her Americanization. This is the theme of the story, conflicting values. In a society that values individuality, the daughter sought to be an individual, while her mother demanded she do what was suggested. This is a conflict within itself. The daughter must deal with an internal and external conflict. Internally, she struggles to find herself. Externally, she struggles with the burden of failing to meet her mother’s expectations. Being a first-generation Asian American, I have faced the same issues that the daughter has been through in the story.

    Read More

  • Mother-Daughter Struggle in Amy Tan´s Two Kinds.

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    The story “Two Kinds” written by Amy Tan is about a Chinese-American family looking for new opportunities in California. Jing-Mei’s mother would to sit her down after dinner and read magazine articles about prodigy children and then quiz Jing-Mei to see if she could do what the prodigy child was doing. Jing-Mei was always feeling that she was not reaching her full potential in her mother’s eyes. Through Jing-Mei struggles with her mother and the piece of music the protagonist matures into the realization that she controls her own destiny and becomes stronger in her own beliefs.

    Read More

  • Gender Inequality in Traditional Chinese Culture

    1226 Words  | 3 Pages

    Women go from being controlled by their parents to their husband and then their sons. If she is unfortunate enough to lose her husband, then she should either stay celibate or kill herself. Sister Xianglin is a perfect example of how women in the traditional Chinese and Confucian culture are discriminated against and take advantage of. For example, Sister Xianglin was never referred to by her real name, because no one knew or cared enough to know Sister Xianglin’s real name, her husband had died and yet people still refer to her as his property (227). Sister Xianglin was an extremely hard worker. Although she was “more capable than a hardworking man”, and yet she was not considered an equal (227). Even though she had run away from her mother-in-law, Sister Xianglin was forced to return with her, because she was still her husband's property (227). She had no control over her life and yet would constantly be blamed and tormented for

    Read More

  • Mother Daughter Relationship in Two Kinds by Amy Tan

    430 Words  | 1 Pages

    For many of us growing up, our mothers have been a part of who we are. They have been there when our world was falling apart, when we fell ill to the flu, and most importantly, the one to love us when we needed it the most. In “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, it begins with a brief introduction to one mother’s interpretation of the American Dream. Losing her family in China, she now hopes to recapture part of her loss through her daughter. However, the young girl, Ni Kan, mimics her mother’s dreams and ultimately rebels against them.

    Read More

  • Two Kinds by Amy Tan

    1057 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Two Kinds" is truly an amazing work; it captivates readers with by telling a story of a young girl trying to find herself. Amy Tan does a phenomenal job, not only by portraying a very real mother-daughter relationship, but at showing how much a young girl can change. Jing-Mei evolves throughout the story in a way that many people can relate to; crushed hopes, obeying your parents even if it means doing something you don't want to do, and finally standing up for what you believe in.

    Read More

  • The American Dream To Be Me Analysis

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    this was sometimes due to disappointment that Amy ended up after her mother expecting “And after seeing my mother’s disappointed face once again, something inside of me began to die. I hated the tests, they raised hopes and failed expectations.” This quote illustrates the struggles of never being good enough for her mother. Her self-esteem is what died inside. This example shows the mother’s intense fantasy for perfection. Later on, the mother convinces Jing-mei to take piano lessons with a neighbor who is a retired piano teacher, Mr. Chong. Mr. Chong referred to himself as “Beethoven” which shows how Jing-mei is surrounded by the pressure of becoming a prodigy … Those hopes and expectations were the leading causes of the conflict between Amy and mother.

    Read More

  • Two Kinds And The Lesson

    870 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan and “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara both protagonists have to make choices on how to live their lives in society. In “Two Kinds”, the subject matter are mothers who were born in China want their daughters born in America to follow their Chinese heritage and use American predictions to become successful. The story line is Jing Mei’s mother wants her to become a piano prodigy. Jing-Mei wants to live her own life and not let her mother have control over it. The historical background is when Chinese immigration began toward the end of the 19th century. The majority of Chinese immigrants came to San Francisco. In “The Lesson” the subject matter is wealth is not equally distributed in society. The story line is when Sylvia realizes the inequality that is happening in the world. Sylvia accepts it and isn’t sure where she stands in society. The historical background is during the 1950’ s-1960 the Civil Rights Movement was created to stop discrimination in the United States. 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. Miss Moore wants Sylvia to fight against the inequalities and improve her status in life. An observation of the way Jing-Mei, the protagonist in “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, and Sylvia, the protagonist of “The Lesson” are both struggling to fit in society and wanting acceptance.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Culture And Personal Experiences In An Indian Father's Plea

    900 Words  | 2 Pages

    The two pieces of textual evidence I have to support this claim are both from paragraph #67 in the reading. The first one is whenever Jing-mei and her mother get into an argument about not wanting to play piano anymore. Jing-mei's mother shouts “Only two kinds of daughters!” and then she goes on to say “Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind!” These two pieces of evidence from the text are crucial to the story as a whole. They are important because Jing-mei’s mother wants Jing-mei to follow the chinese culture, and play instruments, and to be a talented young girl like the ones on T.V. While Jing-mei’s mom wants her to follow the chinese culture, Jing-mei is growing up in america, and wants to follow her own mind, and she wants to do her own thing. This causes big conflict between the two during the story. So her mom does kinda force culture onto Jing-mei and that’s where culture is noticed, but Jing-mei also has personal experiences at school that make her want to express her own thoughts and be herself and do what she wants to do, making her not listen to her mom that

    Read More

  • The Themes Of Feminism In Amy Tan's Two Kinds

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Relationship Between a Mother and Daughter in Two Kinds by Amy Tan

    972 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ith Jing Mei and her mother, it is compounded by the fact that there are dual nationalities involved as well. Not only did the mother’s good intentions bring about failure and disappointment from Jing Mei, but rooted in her mother’s culture was the belief that children are to be obedient and give respect to their elders. "Only two kinds of daughters.....those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind!" (Tan1) is the comment made by her mother when Jing Mei refuses to continue with piano lessons. In the end, this story shows that not only is the mother-daughter relationship intricately complex but is made even more so with cultural and generational differences added to the mix.

    Read More

  • Purity And Vivacity Essay

    1922 Words  | 4 Pages

    We wanted them to be proud of us. In the story “Two kinds” written by Amy Tan she outlines a character named Jing-Mei who has a strict mother who seems to want to live out her dream through her daughter. She wanted her daughter to become this vivacious lively young lady with purity. Purity as in freedom to be the best that she can be. By definition purity can mean the freedom to do whatever one wants to do in spite of the standards placed on by society. Jing-Mei’s mother sets her expectations very high. Jing-Mei the daughter protagonist of the mother protagonist goes along with what her mother’s wishes are by acting as if she doesn’t care and just goes a long with what her mother says just to gain her mother’s approval. In the story vivacity represents beauty and attractiveness and also a sense of liveliness that the character is learning to portray. Her mother is a very strict woman with high expectations. Every mother I’m sure has some kind of expectations for their child. However Jing-Mei’s mother pushed her to do everything she can such as watching Shirley Temple, doing knowledge tests and playing piano and taking lessons just to be the prodigy that her mother always wanted her to be. However, her mother had no idea what kind of talent Jing-Mei possessed she just wanted her to be the best she can be and to one day be famous Child

    Read More

  • Achieving the Good Life

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    The journey to achieve the good life on a personal level has defined human life across all cultures and time periods. Although we human beings have this similar goal in life, what we consider to be the “good life” differs from person to person. The Hindu people, for example, believe that one reaches the good life or enlightenment when he/she finds and truly understands Atman, the inner self or soul. In my opinion the good life involves following one’s internal ideals and values. These values should allow him/her to enjoy the good life in spite of time progression and outside influences such as material wealth. However, this concept of the good life comes with costs that prevent those without a strong will to stray from their values. On the journey to find the good life people often come across social and political barriers much like the civil rights supporters of the 20th century. Still more people struggle with making the sacrifices needed to sustain and ensure the longevity their good life, which is illustrated by Aldo Leopold’s land ethic. The costs may seem overwhelming at first but they are only temporary and the long lasting, internal benefits eventually become dominant.

    Read More

More about Road to Perfect Contentment

Open Document