Amy Tan's "Two Kinds" Relates to the Mother-Daughter Relationship

"Two Kinds" is a short story by Amy Tan, taken from her book, The Joy Luck Club. It was originally published in The Atlantic in February 1989. Amy Tan wrote the story with the hopes that it would become an international bestseller. But what does that mean? How does it relate to the contemporary mother-daughter relationship? And why does it resonate today? Here are a few answers to that question. Also, read on to learn more about Amy Tan and "Two Kinds."

Amy Tan

"Two Kinds" is an extract from Amy Tan's novel The Joy Luck Club. It first appeared in The Atlantic in February 1989. This short story reflects on the joys and tragedies of two different people. It is an unforgettable story that is sure to make you think twice about your relationships with people. In "Two Kinds," Amy Tan explores two different types of relationships and shows us how to overcome them.

Initially, Amy Tan's story focuses on her mother, who believes there are two kinds of daughters. Her mother only accepts Jing-mei because she believes in the concept of two kinds of daughters. In the end, Jing-mei must choose between two ways of being herself, and decide between the two. Her choice will change the course of her life and those of those around her. It will be an emotional and psychological journey for her, and will help her find her own identity.

Jing-mei Woo

In The Joy Luck Club, Jing-mei Woo is the main character. Her narratives bridge generations and cultures. In the present day, she represents herself in America, but she also speaks for her mother, who died years ago. In the past, Jing-mei has lived in China, where she discovers a Chinese essence inside herself. Now, she is in America, but she feels an obligation to tell her half-sisters about her mother's story, which she hopes will inspire their lives.

At thirty years old, Jing-mei is no longer the shy child of her mother, but she still plays the piano. She starts to play the piano after her mother dies. After she realizes that she can play the piano, she discovers that her mother was right and that two pieces of a song are the same. But she also has to overcome her fear of making her mother jealous of her talents.

Jing-mei's relationship with her mother

A study in Shanghai has revealed that Jing-mei's relationship with the Chinese culture has deteriorated. She has been trying to distance herself from her Chinese culture, while her mother worries that she will forget who she is. During a trip to China with her parents, Jing-mei learns about her mother's past and relive her childhood. Her mother reveals secrets to her daughter about their family and culture, and she starts to doubt her own identity.

The jade necklace is an example of her mother's pride. It is a symbol of her daughter's identity, and she also brings a feather from China to represent the music pieces. As Jing-mei inspects her mother's piano, she finds out that her mother was very proud of it. This is another example of how Jing-mei's relationship with her mother has evolved throughout the novel.

Abandonment as a symbol of a mother-daughter crisis

Child abandonment is often a result of a parent's inability to care for their child. It may occur for various reasons, including mental or physical incapacity. Consider the recent case of a Chinese woman and her child, where the mother may have been an immigrant from a non-EU country and had trouble arranging for proper care of her child. The mother became so desperate that she left the child unattended in a crowded place.

Many daughters of deceased mothers talk about feeling abandoned. This is not a normal response to a mother's death. In fact, mothers who die while their children are young do not choose to abandon their children. However, in the book Motherless Daughters, author Hope Edelman argues that the death of the mother represents the end of the family that existed when the mother was alive.

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Amy Tan's mother's fear of liberal American culture

"Where the Past Begins" is an autobiography about Amy Tan's family background. She was born in China to a concubine and married an evil man. Her mother had five children and had fled the country with her father when Amy was a child. Throughout the novel, she recounts the many horror stories about ghosts and curses that her mother told her. In the end, Amy realizes that her mother's fear of liberal American culture was real and very real.

"Amy Tan's mother's fear of liberal America" reveals the pressures of second-generation immigrant families. Her mother's generation had been expected to remain silent and subservient in China. While in America, she is expected to be successful and speak her mind. She feared the negative effects of liberal American culture on her daughter's success and wished to live long enough to witness her daughters' successes.