The Relationship Between a Mother and Daughter in Two...

Two Kinds by Amy Tan is about the intricacies and complexities in the relationship between a mother and daughter. Throughout the story, the mother imposes upon her daughter, Jing Mei, her hopes and dreams for her. Jing Mei chooses not what her mother wants of her but only what she wants for herself. She states, For, unlike my mother, I did not believe I could be anything I wanted to be. I could be only me (Tan 1). Thus this battle of wills between mother and daughter sets the conflict of the story. The theme seems to be about how the expectations of a parent can lead to resentment from the child when the child fails to meet those expectations. The theme is partially set in the opening paragraph with the statement, My mother†¦show more content†¦At the end of the story, Jing Mei switches her narration from that of a child to that of the adult allowing the reader to see the adult perspective on her life. No longer is the relationship between Jing Mei and her mother antagonistic. With the offering of the piano, the mother tells her, You have natural talent. You could have been genius if you want to (Tan 1). Jing Mei states that she couldn’t. Then her mother states, You just not trying (Tan 1). Her mother bore her no anger or sadness when she made these statements and Jing Mei gave no argument in return. For the majority of the story, the characters remain static and flat. There is no growth of the characters as they remain locked in their battle of wills. This type of characterization makes the reader focus more on the theme rather than on the individuals themselves. The only growth exhibited by any character is at the end. Jing Mei realizes that it was only a mother’s love which drove her to make Jing Mei succeed. She understands that her mother only had good intentions for her at heart, although the outcome was not the desired effect. The piano in the story has different meanings for each character. For the mother, the piano symbolizes her hopes and dreams for her daughter. For Jing Mei, the piano symbolizes the unwanted pressure to become something she believes she is not. The mother does everything in her power to make sureShow MoreRelatedAmy Tan Overcoming Faulty Relationships and Self Identity Essay1514 Words   |  7 PagesAmy Tan struggled with many issues caused by her dual cultures, which she expressed thoroughly in her works. Daisy and John Tan were post war immigrants and the parents of Amy Tan (Amy Tan). Tan was given the Chinese name An-Mei, which stands for blessings from America (McCarthy). To them she was the blessing that they had received after their own struggles. Tan’s father came to America after WWII to become a minister (Amy Tan). Even though it seemed like Tan’s life was running smoothly tragedy struckRead MoreAnalysis Of Two Kinds By Amy Tan1567 Words   |  7 Pages One of the most complex relationships is that of a mother and daughter. 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