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

    Amy Tan's short story "Two Kinds" provides a thought-provoking literary analysis of the conflicts that arise between parents and children when their goals and aspirations differ. A first-person narrative, Tan depicts Jing-Mei Woo and her mother's struggle to reconcile their divergent views on success, through the use of symbols such as Shirley Temple and allegories such as "Pleading Child » and “Perfectly satisfied”, Tan. highlights the lasting effects of misunderstandings caused by a lack of communication in personal relationships. Through the literary analysis "Two Kinds", this essay highlights the importance of communication and understanding in maintaining healthy kinship relationships.Say no to plagiarism.Get a tailor-made essay. on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get the original essay At the beginning of the story, it's clear that there is a lot of pressure on Jing-Mei Woo to be a "prodigy" and corresponds to the idealized image of American success. For her mother, she only saw this exposed by Hollywood. She aspired for her daughter to become a “Chinese Shirley Temple.” By using this perception of prosperity and accomplishment, her mother believed that she would be able to shape Jing-Mei into it. As first-generation Chinese immigrants, their family found success in Western culture in the form of celebrities and television personalities. This strongly influenced what Mrs. Woo wanted her daughter to strive to become. At one point, Jing-Mei shared this same dream when she said, "I had the feeling that I would soon become perfect: my mother and father would adore me." I would be impeccable. I would never feel the need to sulk or demand anything.” But often with family ideals comes pressure to become something you might not want to be. Conflicts became evident when Jing-Mei began to move away from the "prodigy" label and wanted to be herself, regardless of her mother's expectations. The “Shirley Temple” ideal was not practical. It is in this fundamental idea that she and her mother germinated their altercations and their unhealthy energy towards each other. Her mother's anger and forceful tactics made it difficult to correspond with each other and understand each other's intentions and true wishes. The mother had inner thoughts full of feelings, she wanted to start a new life like her story in China. “Mother was so determined that in America you could be anything you wanted, you could open a restaurant, you could work for the government and have a good retirement, you could buy a house with almost no down payment.” Her mother was so determined that America would be the place where you could accomplish whatever you put your mind to, regardless of your identity. A large number of people migrate to the United States every year from different parts of the world to pursue these types of opportunities. It's called "the American dream." The author showed us her perspective on her new life and identity, along with a good story of her to understand the problem that will arise between her and her daughter. Through the metaphorical In the song titles, Tan expresses how the experiences we have as children, positive and negative, stay with us, but it may only be later in life that we see how these experiences shape us. The missing piece of communication lasted throughout the mother-daughter relationship until it became strained and broke when the latter lashed out.