two kinds amy tan thesis

A Summary and Analysis of Amy Tan’s ‘Two Kinds’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘Two Kinds’ is a short story by the American author Amy Tan (born 1952), published as part of her book The Joy Luck Club in 1989. The story is about a young American girl born to Chinese parents; her mother pushes her to become a child prodigy, but the daughter resists.

A powerful tale about pushy parents and their children, ‘Two Kinds’ deserves some closer analysis to tease out its meaning and significance. First, though, here’s a quick recap of the story’s plot.

‘Two Kinds’: plot summary

The story is narrated in the first person by a Chinese-American woman, named Jing-mei, who is looking back on her upbringing in the United States. Her parents had emigrated to the US from China in 1949, and the narrator’s mother was convinced that, in America, anyone could become successful, rich, and famous.

She tells her daughter that she can become a child prodigy like the child firm star Shirley Temple, but when her mother takes her to have her hair curled like Temple’s, the result is a disaster and Jing-mei has to have her hair cut short like a boy’s. She longs to become a prodigy because she thinks that will make her perfect; if she fails to become one, she will be nothing.

Her mother next tries to turn Jing-mei into a fiercely intelligent girl who can match the feats of knowledge and memory achieved by other children, but the tests the mother sets her become more and more difficult. She feels bad for disappointing her mother, but when she catches sight of her own reflection in the mirror, she realises how strong she is, and decides to defy her mother, who eventually gives up trying to school her daughter into becoming a genius.

A few months later, her mother sees a Chinese girl playing the piano on the television, and makes her daughter start taking piano lessons. When Jing-mei confronts her mother about this, the mother denies trying to turn her daughter into a genius, claiming she just wants her to be the best she possibly can be. She is taught to play the piano by a retired neighbour, Mr Chong, who is deaf. Because he cannot hear the notes she is playing, the girl doesn’t bother to correct herself when she hits the wrong notes.

She is determined not to commit to it because her mother has pushed it so hard. When her mother enters Jing-mei into a talent competition, Jing-mei decides to sabotage it by not practising and performing badly. However, as she starts playing and hits the wrong notes, she longs for the performance to go well. Afterwards, her mother is ashamed by how badly she has done, and Jing-mei regrets throwing the performance away.

Two days later, however, the mother tries to force Jing-mei into resuming piano lessons. Her mother tells her that there are only ‘two kinds’ of daughters: those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind, and she insists on her daughter being the obedient kind. In response, Jing-mei says she wishes she wasn’t her mother’s daughter, or that she had died at birth like the children her mother had lost back in China. This stuns her mother, who stops trying to force her daughter to learn the piano.

Jing-mei tells us that, in the years that followed, she continually disappointed her mother, because she doesn’t share her view that she could be anything she wanted to be, but instead could ‘only be me’. When the narrator turns thirty, she is surprised when her mother offers to give her the piano as a birthday present. Even after all these years, her mother is convinced her daughter has a natural aptitude for music. Although Jing-mei doesn’t immediately take the piano off her parents, every time she sees it in their living room she feels proud.

At the end of the story, Jing-mei tells us that her mother recently died and she went round to the house to tune the piano. Opening it up, she finds the sheet music for the piece of music, ‘Pleading Child’, she had failed to play at the talent show. She notices that the piece opposite it in the book is called ‘Perfectly Contented’, and realises these are two halves of the same song.

‘Two Kinds’: analysis

‘Two Kinds’ is a story about the relationship between parents and their children, and what motivates a ‘pushy parent’ to encourage (or coerce?) their child into working hard to achieve something. Does the mother in the story have her daughter’s best interests at heart when she tries to make her learn the piano? Where does a parent’s well-meaning desire to see their child succeed spill over into interfering with the child’s desire not to do a particular thing?

These questions are given an extra twist by the fact that the narrator is Chinese-American, born in the US but to parents who have struggled to escape from Communist China (China became a Communist state in 1949, the same year Jing-mei’s parents fled the country, when Chairman Mao seized power) and who clearly believe in the American dream .

Jing-mei, however, does not share the immigrant’s view that America is a land where all dreams can come true, and her aspirations are lower but arguably more realistic: simply to do the best that she can and to be happy.

It is clear that Jing-mei’s mother is motivating her daughter to succeed partly because she wants her to have all the opportunities she never had as a child. She arguably feels it is her duty as a parent to push her daughter to become a prodigy for her own good. But she is also motivated by a desire to feel pride as a parent.

Is this pride, however, not merely the happiness derived from seeing one’s child flourishing, but something more personal and even egotistical? She feels she can vicariously enjoy her daughter’s success through her, as though she had somehow won the talent show herself.

This becomes obvious when Jing-mei overhears her mother boasting to a friend, Lindo Jong, about her daughter’s natural talent for music, and she realises that her mother is only making her learn the piano so she can brag to other mothers about how talented her daughter is. It is significant that, after the talent show, Jing-mei is disappointed that her mother doesn’t shout angrily at her when they get home.

She wants an opportunity to confront her mother and air her frustration at having to live out her mother’s own fantasies by becoming a child prodigy.

The story’s title, ‘Two Kinds’, is ostensibly explained by the mother’s comment to her daughter that there are two kinds of daughter: obedient and free-thinking. Ironically, her mother has fled a totalitarian state only to set up a petty tyrannical regime in her own home (you can take the girl out of Communism, but …).

Yet Tan’s title ‘Two Kinds’ does itself have two kinds of meaning: it can also refer to the final section of the story, in which Jing-mei discovers the other piece of music from the talent show, and realises – in a moment laden (perhaps too conveniently) with symbolism – that ‘Pleading Child’ is complemented by ‘Perfectly Contented’.

These are the ‘Two Kinds’ of person she has been: she had to struggle slowly through the years as a pleading child longing for independence and the right to choose what she pursued, but now she has reached adulthood, she is indeed perfectly contented, in a way that her mother never could be.

Jing-mei realises that doing your best and making yourself proud is the key to a happy life: trying to win talent shows or outdo other people (or, worse, other people’s children through your own child) is only going to leave you trapped in a perpetual cycle of goal-chasing and ambition-pursuing.

And yet, Amy Tan has Jing-mei point out that the latter was dependent on the former: in order to be fully content as an adult, she had to plead and fight for her own independence while growing up. Her journey mirrors her mother’s, oddly, in that they have both had to struggle out of situations where they were not allowed to be free, but the difference is that Jing-mei embraces her freedom whereas her mother didn’t know what to do with hers.

Instead, she had to live out her own thwarted ambitions through someone who is, now, free to pursue them. Except, of course, Jing-mei doesn’t want them, because they’re not her ambitions. One message of Tan’s ‘Two Kinds’ is that you cannot force someone to be free: they have to embrace it and define it in their own way, otherwise it is not worthy of being called freedom.

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Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Short Story › Analysis of Amy Tan’s Two Kinds

Analysis of Amy Tan’s Two Kinds

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on April 4, 2022

Two Kinds is a selection from Amy Tan ’s (1952– ) critically acclaimed The Joy Luck Club (1989), which critics saw as an intricately woven “novel.” But that Tan intended the book to be read not as a novel but as a collection of short stories is evident. “Two Kinds” stands on its own as a story that explores the struggles between a Chinese immigrant mother, Suyuan Woo, and her firstgeneration American daughter, Jing-mei (the narrator of the story). Suyuan Woo dreams of her daughter’s becoming a child prodigy, but Jing-mei resists these ambitions and attempts to express her own free will. The story expresses the themes that run throughout The Joy Luck Club : “the struggle for control between mothers and daughters; the daughters’ bids for independent lives; the mothers’ attempts to understand the dynamics of life in the New World and somehow to blend the best of their Old World culture with a new way of life that they do not comprehend” (Huntley 43). These themes appear in the first two paragraphs, where Jing-mei begins with her mother’s, not her own, perspective: “My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America” (585). At the core of the struggle between mother and daughter is the conflict between Suyuan Woo’s belief in America as the land of unlimited potential and Jing-mei’s more realistic expectations. However, Tan does more than merely present an unrealistic optimist in Suyuan Woo; with an allusion to Suyuan Woo’s past, Tan suggests why immigrants perceive America differently than their Americanized progeny: “She had come here in 1949 after losing 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. There were so many ways for things to get better” (585). The date of her arrival in America coincides with the end of the Sino-Japanese War and hints at the tragedies that befell her in her war-ravaged home country. Instead of dwelling on these tragedies, she invests all hope in the future, specifically in her daughter.

Amy Tan (HarperCollins / Julian Johnson)

In the third paragraph, the story shifts focus from Suyuan Woo’s perspective to young Jing-mei’s impressions of her mother. For instance, Jing-mei notes that her mother’s search for the type of prodigy she might become was implemented through reading magazines such as Good Housekeeping and Reader’s Digest, and she explains, “My mother got these magazines from people whose houses she cleaned. And since she cleaned many houses each week, we had a great assortment” (586). Jing-mei offers no comment on, seems to have no empathy for, the hard work her mother does in order to achieve a better life for her family. Furthermore, she does not seem to appreciate the sacrifice involved in the deal Suyuan Woo makes with a neighbor, “Old Chong,” in order to get her piano lessons: “My mother had traded housecleaning services for weekly lessons and a piano for me to practice on every day, two hours a day, from four until six.” When learning about the deal for piano lessons, she focuses on her own obligations and concludes, “I felt as though I had been sent to hell” (588). Jing-meidoes not seem to recognize the IRONY of this comment. Despite her mother’s losses and sufferings in China and her sacrifices in America, Jing-mei sees only her own loss of free time in this piano deal. In this way, the story emphasizes differences between immigrant parents and their Americanized children. The children are largely unaware of the hardships the parents endure to get a piece of the American Dream in which they have so much faith.

However, there is more to Jing-mei’s resistance to and resentment of her mother’s ambitions than a mere desire to spend her free time watching television; it is not that she is just “lazy,” as her mother sometimes accuses her. Her resistance is a sign that instead of seeing America as the land of opportunity, Jing-mei sees it as the land of freedom, freedom of choice and of will. At first Jing-mei goes along with her mother’s crazy schemes to get rich quick, but she eventually perceives the unreality of these dreams and, instead, sees her ability to assert her free will. After yet another failure with her mother, Jing-mei looks at herself in the mirror and sees “only my face,” an “ordinary face.” With this she begins to cry, seeing herself as a “sad” and “ugly” girl. It is at this moment that she realizes a different kind of potential than the potential her mother sees: “Then I saw what seemed to be the prodigy side of me—because I had never seen that face before. . . .The girl staring back at me was angry, powerful. This girl and I were the same. I had new thoughts, willful thoughts, or rather thoughts filled with lots of won’ts. I won’t let her change me, I promised myself. I won’t be what I’m not” (587). Her prodigy self is the self who is able to resist authority, to choose her own course of life, a distinctly American ambition.

While mother and daughter each cling to American values, the values they cling to are opposing. When Jing-mei tries to assert her free will by refusing to play the piano, Suyuan Woo tells her that there are only “two kinds of daughters. . . . Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind!” Her mother further tells her that “only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter” (592). While the mother urgently desires an Americanized daughter, one who achieves great things, one with the potential to become rich and famous, she cannot come to terms with other American characteristics, those of self-determination and independence. Despite its emphasis on the immigrant experience, as E. D. Huntley points out, Tan’s fiction has a more universal theme: “Tan also writes about love and loss and redemption, about individuals coming to terms with the facts of their lives and about the workings of fate in human existence” (34).

Analysis of Amy Tan’s Stories

BIBLIOGRAPHY Adams, Bella. Amy Tan: Contemporary World Writers. New York: Manchester University Press, 2005. Huntley, E. D. Amy Tan: A Critical Companion. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1998. Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. Amy Tan: A Literary Companion. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2004. Tan, Amy. “Two Kinds.” In The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction. New York: Scribner, 1999.

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“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan: Critical Analysis

“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, an American writer who was born in Oakland, California in 1952, was first published in the literary magazine The Atlantic Monthly in 1989 and later became part of Tan’s debut book, “The Joy Luck Club” in 1991.

“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, an American writer who was born in Oakland, California in 1952, was first published in the literary magazine The Atlantic Monthly in 1989 and later became part of Tan’s debut book, “The Joy Luck Club” in 1991. The story follows the relationship between a Chinese-American mother and her daughter, who struggle to understand each other’s expectations and cultural identities. “Two Kinds” became a widely read and acclaimed piece of literature, and has since been included in numerous anthologies and literature textbooks. Its popularity is due to its poignant exploration of the complexities of immigrant identity and the mother-daughter relationship, themes that resonate with many readers across cultures and generations.

Main Events in “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

Table of Contents

• Immigrant Aspirations: A Chinese immigrant mother, who has experienced profound loss, places her hopes for a better future on her American-born daughter.
• The Pursuit of Prodigy Status: The mother believes her daughter possesses the potential for extraordinary success and seeks to mold her into a child prodigy.
• Testing and Disillusionment: The mother devises a series of tests to uncover her daughter’s latent talent, but the daughter, increasingly discontented, fails them all.
• Resistance and Self-Assertion: The daughter resists her mother’s expectations, and in an act of defiance, cultivates a newfound sense of individuality.
• Musical Ambitions: Inspired by a young Chinese piano prodigy on television, the mother focuses on developing her daughter’s musical talent.
• Lessons with the Eccentric: The daughter’s piano lessons with the aging, deaf instructor, Mr. Chong, provide an opportunity for subtle rebellion.
• The Talent Show Debacle: The daughter’s performance at a public talent show becomes a humiliating failure, exposing the futility of her mother’s efforts.
• Missed Expectations: The failed performance seemingly ends the daughter’s forced piano education, only to be met with continued insistence from her mother.
• Mother-Daughter Conflict: A pivotal confrontation ensues, with the daughter rejecting her mother’s ambitions and asserting her right to autonomy.
• The Crushing of Dreams: The daughter’s declaration shatters her mother’s dreams and marks a turning point in their relationship.

Literary Devices in “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

• Allusion : Amy Tan uses allusions of Shirley Temple and the Bible to underscore her mother’s aspirations for her. Shirley Temple embodies the archetype of the ideal American child, while the biblical reference highlights the potential for redemption through perseverance, a concept central to the mother’s worldview.
• Characterization : Tan utilizes rich characterization to imbue her characters with depth and realism. Jing-mei, the protagonist, is portrayed as a complex young girl embodying both obedience and defiance. Her mother emerges as a resolute figure driven by a fierce desire for her daughter’s success.
• Conflict : The central conflict between Jing-mei and her mother propels the narrative. Jing-mei yearns for self-determination and resists her mother’s imposed expectations, while her mother is relentless in her pursuit of molding her daughter into a prodigy.
• Flashback : Tan masterfully employs flashbacks, allowing Jing-mei to reflect on formative experiences, revealing her motivations and emotional state. This technique adds layers to the storytelling and illuminates the characters’ inner lives.
• Foreshadowing : The story’s title, “Two Kinds,” subtly foreshadows the core conflict. Furthermore, the opening mention of a prodigy sets the stage for the mother’s unwavering expectations.
• Imagery : Tan’s evocative imagery creates a tangible sense of setting and mood. The depictions of the piano and Jing-mei’s lessons generate an atmosphere of mounting tension and frustration.
• Irony : The poignant irony lies in Jing-mei’s adult realization that her mother’s ambitions centered on providing opportunities for success, rather than solely on creating a prodigy.
• Metaphor : The piano serves as a powerful metaphor for the mother’s unfulfilled dreams and aspirations. It embodies her hope for Jing-mei to achieve greatness.
• Motif : The recurring motif of identity underscores Jing-mei’s struggle for self-definition and her rebellion against the confines placed on her by her mother.
• Point of View : The first-person perspective from Jing-mei’s viewpoint grants the reader intimate access to her inner turmoil and evolving understanding.
• Repetition : The repeated phrase “only two kinds of daughters” accentuates the rigidity of the mother’s expectations and the limitations imposed on Jing-mei’s sense of self.
• Setting : The backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown during the 1950s and 1960s infuses the story with historical and cultural context, shaping the characters’ experiences.
• Symbolism : The piano transcends its literal meaning, symbolizing the mother’s unattained aspirations. Jing-mei’s failure to master the instrument represents her resistance to externally imposed expectations.
• Theme : The overarching theme explores the complexities of forging one’s identity while navigating familial and societal pressures.

Characterization in “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

Major characters:.

• Jing-mei Woo: The protagonist and narrator, a young Chinese-American girl struggling with imposed expectations, cultural identity, and the desire for self-determination. References: “You could be best anything” (mother’s aspiration), “I won’t let her change me…” (inner defiance).
•   Jing-mei’s Mother: A complex figure driven by unfulfilled dreams and past trauma, projecting her ambitions onto her daughter with a combination of demanding expectations and deep love. References: “Lost everything in China…” (past influencing motivation), “Only two kinds of daughters…” (rigid worldview).

Minor Characters:

• Auntie Lindo: Serves as a contrasting figure to Jing-mei’s mother, embodying a different approach to child-rearing with a focus on innate talent. Reference: “She bring home too many trophy…” (emphasizes achievement)
• Waverly Jong: A young chess prodigy, symbolizing the fulfillment of the mother’s desires, potentially highlighting the cost of relentless focus on external success. Reference: Waverly’s sullen demeanor during the talent show.
• Mr. Chong: The enigmatic, deaf piano instructor. His unconventional teaching methods provide an opportunity for subtle rebellion and underscore the theme of differing perceptions. Reference: Jing-mei finding ways to play poorly despite his dedication.

Major Themes in “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

• Mother-daughter relationship: The story revolves around the relationship between Jing-mei and her mother, who have very different ideas about what Jing-mei’s future should look like. The theme of the mother-daughter relationship highlights the conflict between parents and children, as well as the struggles of growing up and finding one’s own identity.
• Cultural assimilation: The story touches on the theme of cultural assimilation as Jing-mei and her mother navigate their lives in America while holding onto their Chinese heritage. Jing-mei’s mother believes that her daughter should strive to become a prodigy in order to succeed in American society, whereas Jing-mei wants to embrace her individuality and find her own path.
• The American Dream: The American Dream is a key theme in the story as Jing-mei’s mother sees her daughter’s potential to become a prodigy as a way to achieve success in America. The pursuit of the American Dream represents the desire for a better life, but also highlights the sacrifices and challenges that come with trying to achieve it.
• Identity and individuality: Jing-mei’s struggle to find her own identity and voice is a recurring theme throughout the story. Jing-mei’s mother wants her daughter to become a prodigy in order to fit in with American society, but Jing-mei resists this pressure and ultimately chooses to embrace her own individuality. The theme of identity and individuality highlights the importance of self-discovery and self-acceptance.

Writing Style in “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

• Vivid Narrative: Tan employs rich imagery and sensory details to create a tangible experience for the reader. Examples: “my hair… an uneven mass of crinkly black fuzz,” “frantic little piano piece with a mesmerizing quality…”
• Symbolism and Metaphor:
• Tan utilizes these literary devices to convey complex themes. Examples: The piano embodying the mother’s unfulfilled aspirations, “Pleading Child” representing the power dynamic within their relationship.
• Tonal Shifts: Tan skillfully blends humor and pathos for emotional impact. Examples: Jing-mei’s initial enthusiasm for potential stardom contrasts with her later defiance: “I pictured this prodigy part of me…” vs. “I won’t let her change me…”
• Accessibility: Tan’s language, though descriptive, maintains a conversational tone, fostering a connection between the reader and the characters’ struggles.

Literary Theories and Interpretation of “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

Essay topics, questions and thesis statements about “two kinds” by amy tan.

Topic 1: The Price of Unrealistic Expectations

• Question: How does Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds” illustrate the destructive impact of unfulfilled parental expectations on a child’s development of self?
• Thesis Statement: In “Two Kinds”, Tan reveals the damaging consequences of unrealistic parental ambition; Jing-mei’s thwarted sense of identity and the strained mother-daughter relationship highlight the harmful effects of prioritizing external validation over nurturing individual potential.

Topic 2: The Immigrant Experience and the American Dream

• Question: To what extent does “Two Kinds” explore the complexities of the immigrant experience and differing interpretations of the American Dream?
• Thesis Statement: “Two Kinds” offers a nuanced perspective on the immigrant experience; showcasing the mother’s pursuit of traditional markers of success as a means of overcoming past trauma, while Jing-mei’s resistance highlights the importance of self-determination within the framework of a new cultural landscape.

Topic 3: The Power of Symbolism

• Question: How does Amy Tan employ symbolism in “Two Kinds” to illuminate the story’s central themes?
• Thesis Statement: Tan masterfully utilizes symbols such as the piano, the sheet music, and even the title “Two Kinds” to deepen the story’s exploration of identity, conflict, and the complex power dynamics between Jing-mei and her mother.

Topic 4: Finding One’s Voice

• Question: In what ways does “Two Kinds” depict the struggle to forge personal identity amidst conflicting cultural and familial pressures?
• Thesis Statement: “Two Kinds” chronicles Jing-mei’s transformative journey. Through defiance and self-discovery, she ultimately embraces her unique identity, shattering the limitations imposed by both her mother and broader societal expectations.

Short Question-Answer about “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

Question 1: How does the story depict the conflict between Jing-mei and her mother?

Answer: The conflict hinges on their differing views of success and potential. Jing-mei’s mother, a Chinese immigrant, believes in the American Dream and pushes Jing-mei towards prodigy status (“Only you can decide between freedom and rules” ). Jing-mei resists this pressure, desiring a life of her own choosing.

Question 2: What is the significance of the piano in the story?

Answer: The piano acts as a symbol of both their clashes and potential connection. Initially, it represents her mother’s imposed dreams, but later it holds the potential for reconciliation. After Jing-mei’s mother’s death, rediscovering the piano pieces (“Pleading Child” and “Perfectly Contented”) helps her understand her mother’s complex motivations.

Question 3: How does Jing-mei’s attitude towards her mother change throughout the story?

Answer: Jing-mei’s attitude shifts from childish defiance to resentment then finally to understanding. Initially, she rebels (“I won’t let her change me”). Eventually, she recognizes the sacrifices her mother made (“…part of me knew I had to give in and do more than say thanks.”). After her mother’s death, she finds a bittersweet understanding of their relationship.

Question 4: How does the theme of cultural identity play out in the story?

Answer: The story explores the clash between Jing-mei’s mother’s traditional Chinese values and the American emphasis on individualism. Her mother believes in limitless potential (“You could be anything you want”). Jing-mei must reconcile her American sense of self with her mother’s expectations shaped by her immigrant background.

Literary Works Similar to “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

• The Joy Luck Club (also by Amy Tan): Explores the lives and relationships of four Chinese-American families, highlighting intergenerational conflict and cultural heritage.
• The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri: Traces the journey of a Bengali-American boy struggling with his dual cultural identity and the weight of his name.
• The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros: A coming-of-age story of a young Mexican-American girl finding her voice in a challenging environment.
• Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri: A collection of short stories navigating cultural differences and the complexities of immigrant experiences.

Nonfiction/Memoir:

• The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston: Blends Chinese myth and autobiography to explore what it means to be a Chinese-American woman.
• Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua: A controversial memoir about raising children using a strict, traditional Chinese parenting style.

Suggested Readings: “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

• Bloom, Harold , ed. Amy Tan . Chelsea House Publishers, 2009. (Check for a chapter specifically on “Two Kinds”)
• Huntley, E. D. Amy Tan: A Critical Companion . Greenwood Press, 2001.

Articles (From Scholarly Journals)

• Li, Stephanie. “Mothers and Daughters in Amy Tan’s ‘Two Kinds’.” Explicator , vol. 75, no. 4, 2017, pp. 236-239. Project Muse , doi:10.1080/00144940.2017.1345928.
• Xiao, Jing. “Two Kinds of Daughters: Mother-Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s Works.” Canadian Social Science , vol. 5, no 6, 2009, pp. 72-78.
• LitCharts. “Two Kinds.” LitCharts , https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-joy-luck-club
• The Amy Tan Foundation. https://lannan.org/bios/amy-tan (Author’s official website – may have essays or critical analyses)

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• “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce: Analysis

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A short story

• Minnesota Review

Contradiction and Culture: Revisiting Amy Tan's "Two Kinds" (Again)

• Kirsten Dinnall Hoyte
• Duke University Press
• Numbers 61-62, Spring-Summer 2004 (New Series)
• pp. 161-169
• View Citation

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CHARACTER BUILDING IN CROSS-CULTURAL SETTING: A Transitivity Analysis Of Two Kinds The Short Story By Amy Tan

Ferany Shaily Maulida, - (2007) CHARACTER BUILDING IN CROSS-CULTURAL SETTING: A Transitivity Analysis Of Two Kinds The Short Story By Amy Tan. S1 thesis, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia.

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The present study explores "'Two Kinds", a short story by Amy Tan -an American-born Chinese, -within the issue relating to cross-cultural settings. It examines the character building of the main character and the author's intention in developing the character in relation to cross-cultural settings. The study used descriptive method in qualitative approach. The data were clauses in the short story containing Jing-mei's character in the form of "I" and "me" developed by the author. To figure out the representation of character building and the author's intention in this short story, the data were analyzed under Fairclough' s CDA with Transitivity as a tool of analysis. Based on findings and discussions, the study reveals that the main character seems to be developed es a girl who is forced by her mother to be a prodigy. She tends to be an individual person and experience internal conflict. The author seemingly wants to convey to the readers that the character was trapped in two different cultures, American and Chinese. In one side she has to obey what her mother wants as a fidelity to her parents as Chinese cultures taught her. On the other side, she wants to be part of the modem, liberal American society in which she could choose her life. This may represent lives of many people especially in America society where intercultural greatly happens. Hopefully, the writer hopes that this study would give a valuable benefit to enrich materials for literature teaching and inspire those who will undertake further study in related fields.

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"Two Kinds": Literary Analysis of Amy Tan's Novel

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The Short Story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan Essay

In her short story Two Kinds , Amy Tan uses influence of past events on present life, language subtleties, and daughter centrality to explain why the characters are in conflict and how it is exacerbated. The story revolves around Jing-Mei, an ethnic Chinese girl who was born in a family of Chinese immigrants to the United States. This setup lays the foundation for the first technique used by the author – referencing the characters’ past to accentuate their present dilemma (Wood 84). Two Kinds opens with Jing-Mei’s narration of her mother’s biography – her flight from Communist China to the United States. Most prominently, this technique is used during the climactic confrontation between Jing-Mei and her mother, when the Jing-Mei’s long-deceased sisters are mentioned (Tan 142). It forces the mother to completely change her attitude and never speak of the reason for that conflict again. The use of this technique leads to the development of an idea that past events have a long-lasting effect on people’s lives. The second technique is the use of different languages to emphasize cultural differences between characters. Cheng notes that language is presented as “a major gap” between mothers and daughters in Amy Tan’s writing (12). Considering that Jing-Mei’ mother is Chinese born, it is reasonable to expect lingual subtleties that distinguish her foreign origin. This aspect becomes especially noteworthy during Jing-Mei’s recollection of dialogues with her mother. The narration itself is in English, but some of the words said by Jing-Mei’s mother are not translated. Specifically, the phrase “Ni kan” is used on three occasions (132, 133, 135). It should be noted that this is not a Chinese linguistic subtlety that cannot be expressed in another language. The meaning of this phrase can be interpreted as “you watch”. In all three cases, there is no necessity to avoid the use of English language. Amy Tan uses the Chinese word specifically to accentuate how Jing-Mei recalls her mother’s words and the gap between them. This technique conveys the idea that the way someone speaks may sound as a foreign language to the person who does not agree with what is said. The third technique used by Amy Tan is what Heung refers to as “daughter centrality” in the relationship between mother and daughter (597). The story is clearly presented in a way that makes readers empathize with the daughter. The fact that the overall narration is first person further focuses the audience’s attention on Jing-Mei as a protagonist. However, this setup also conveys the daughter’s bias against her mother. Over the course of the story, Jing-Mei’s mother projecting her dreams on Jing-Mei is a recurring theme. First, there is an attempt to make Jing-Mei look like Shirley Temple (Tan 132). Then, her mother wanted her to accurately recall and correctly pronounce all capitals (Tan 134). Finally, it is the mother who forces Jing-Mei to learn to play piano (Tan 135). In each instance, the narrative pushes the audience to feel sorry for Jing-Mei and blame her mother. However, the use of daughter centrality also underscores the possibility that Jing-Mei may actually be wrong in her assessment of her mother. The first sign appears when Jing-Mei asks herself why her mother had stopped (Tan 143). The resolution of the story indicates that Jing-Mei finally understood her mother’s perspective when she found out what piece her mother had wanted her to play all along (Tan 144). This technique underscores an idea that narrating a story from a particular person’s viewpoint does not make that person right. Combined together, the importance of past, language subtleties, and first person narration make the audience believe that Jing-Mei is also a flawed character.

Works Cited

Cheng, Scarlet. “Your Mother Is in Your Bones.” Belles Lettres , vol. 4, no. 4, Summer, 1989, pp. 12. ProQuest , Web.

Heung, Marina. “Daughter-text/mother-text: Matrilineage in Amy Tan’s Joy Luck Club.” Feminist Studies , vol. 19, no. 3, 1993, pp. 597. ProQuest , Web.

Tan, Amy. “Two Kinds.” The Joy Luck Club , edited by Amy Tan, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1989, pp. 132-144.

Wood, Michelle Gaffner. “Negotiating the Geography of Mother-Daughter Relationships in Amy Tan’s ‘The Joy Luck Club.’” Midwest Quarterly , vol. 54, no. 1, 2012, pp. 82–96. EBSCOhost , Web.

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IvyPanda. (2023, March 11). The Short Story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-short-story-two-kinds-by-amy-tan/

"The Short Story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan." IvyPanda , 11 Mar. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/the-short-story-two-kinds-by-amy-tan/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'The Short Story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan'. 11 March.

IvyPanda . 2023. "The Short Story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan." March 11, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-short-story-two-kinds-by-amy-tan/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Short Story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan." March 11, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-short-story-two-kinds-by-amy-tan/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Short Story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan." March 11, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-short-story-two-kinds-by-amy-tan/.

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