We didnt immediately pick the right kind of prodigy. Two kinds amy tan sacremento, california jing mei self jing mei s mother wants her to play the piano, but she does not want to. Rise and fall of an inner prodigy an angry and powerful girl glares back at jing mei in the bathroom mirror tan 1066. In two kinds by amy tan, the mother believes that a person can become whatever she chooses in america. The bestselling novels of amy tan cross the water between her ancestral and contemporary homes, china and san francisco, and speak powerfully to readers about the universal bonds and tensions between generations and cultures. The hsus house is just like it was when jingmei was a little girl fragrant with the smell of chinese food and decorated with plasticcovered furniture. Besides maxine hong kingston, amy tan, and gish jen came to the literary. Two kinds from the joy luck club by amy tan, pages 9142. While everyone has conflicts with their mothers at some point, amy tan is able to make this particular conflict interesting because the mother is such a comic, tragic, determined, and foreign character.
Tan intended the book to be read as a loose collection of interrelated stories, but it is often referred. Title the short story two kinds, written by amy tan, focuses on the struggles of a young protagonist named jingmei trying to find herself without the influences and pressure of others. Jing mei is a rebellious child caught between two cultures. Dec 23, 2009 the story two kinds, by amy tan is just one of the stories about the relationship between mothers and daughters in the book, the joy luck club. Oct 11, 2017 in two kinds by amy tan we have the theme of hope, identity, rebellion, responsibility, blame, independence and acceptance. What happens at the end of the story two kinds by amy tan. Concerning jing mei in amy tan s two kinds, the enotes study guide on the story says the following about her. Because of her mothers constant pressure for her to play music, jingmeis desire to be a normal chineseamerican girl turns into a search for her own identity and a struggle between her and her mother.
Jing mei s mother is a determined chinese immigrant with high ambitions for her daughter but little practical idea of how they can be achieved. Amy tan s two kinds character chart character characteristics text evidence explanation jing meis. In two kinds by amy tan we have the theme of hope, identity, rebellion, responsibility, blame, independence and acceptance. Because of her mothers constant pressure for her to play music, jing meis desire to be a normal chineseamerican girl turns into a search for her own identity and a struggle between her and her mother. Start studying english 2 story two kinds by amy tan. Jing mei, a young chinese girl, grew up in america with her mother, a member of the joy luck club. Joy luck club was adapted into a feature film in 1994, for which amy tan was a. Jingmeis mother is a determined chinese immigrant with high ambitions for her daughter but little practical idea of how they can be achieved. Initially, jing mei doesnt have the drive to succeed as her mother does. Jingmei, a victim of her own undoing in amy tans two kinds.
How does it suggest that the reader should interpret the second paragraph. We start this story with a mother, a chinese immigrant to the united states, telling her american born daughter, jingmei, at a very young age that she can become anything she wants to become in. Jingmei and her mothers relationship are often difficult. In the novel, when jingmeis mother speaks of chinese mahjong, she. About the author was born in 1952 an american writer explore motherdaughterrelationships the chineseamerican experience bestknown work is thejoyluckclub a movie adapted by the book was made 3. Jing mei s mother boasts about her talented daughter jing mei performs terribly at the talent show. Narrated in the first person by a woman called jing mei woo the story is a memory piece and after reading the story the reader realises that tan may be exploring the theme of hope.
The first main character is the daughter jing mei june woo whose mother passed away and is asked to join the joy luck club and play mah jong with her adoptive aunts. This study guide consists of approximately 38 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of two kinds. Two kinds of characters two kinds, a short story by amy tan, opens with jing mei june woo, the narrator, reflecting on her mothers life after shes dead. Two kinds is a chapter from tans book, the joy luck club, which is made up of sixteen stories about tan growing up in america with a mother from ancient chinese customs tan, 189. Two kinds is a short story by amy tan that presents the conflict between a girl, june. Two kinds of characters two kinds, a short story by amy tan, opens with jingmei june woo, the narrator, reflecting on her mothers life after shes dead. Amy tans two kinds is a short story about the relationship between a chineseamerican mother and her american daughter. Two kinds amy tan sacremento, california jingmei self jingmeis mother wants her to play the piano, but she does not want to. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The main theme of two kinds by amy tan is that of the differences between generations, illustrated by the conflict between mothers and daughters. The mother wanted the narrator to be a successful child prodigy like the ones they see on tv. The joy luck club by amy tan acknowledgments the joy luck club eforeward feathers from a thousand li away o the joy luck club. In the story two kinds, jingmeis mother believes that children in america can achieve anything they desire.
Through this, jing meis mother pushes into being a prodigy. Tan intended the book to be read as a loose collection of interrelated stories, but it is often referred to as a novel. The story two kinds, by amy tan is just one of the stories about the relationship between mothers and daughters in the book, the joy luck club. What is the summary of the novel two kinds by amy tan. Amy tan s story, two kinds, works independently or as part of her novel, the joy luck club. Jong and waverly, help readers understand the generation and cultural gaps between chinese mothers and americanchinese daughters. However, this kind of loss is somewhat compensated by the rights and. Sep 12, 2011 amy tans two kinds is a short story about a secondgeneration chinese american woman reflecting on her life when her mother had high expectations for her to become the next prodigy. Tans popular stories are informed by her chineseamerican heritage as they explore family ties and understanding, memory and inheritance, generational tensions and conflicting cultures. The conflict of two kinds revolves around jingmeis mothers attempt to make her into a prodigy and jingmeis struggle to be who she is. Scribd is the worlds largest social reading and publishing site.
The character of jingmei in two kinds by amy tan two. The short story outlines the main character jingmei june woos childhood. Tan writes about two songs played by jingmei, perfectly contented and pleading child. The stories that follow rely on setting in differing ways and to different degrees, but. Jingmei, a victim of her own undoing in amy tans two kinds pages 2. Jingmei, a young chinese girl, grew up in america with her mother, a member of the joy luck club. The physical setting is america, more specifically san francisco, social setting. Two kinds she has high hopes that her daughter will be a great success as a prodigy. What insight into jingmeis mothers faith in america does the third paragraph provide. Shes not precisely sure where her daughters talents lie, but she is sure that her daughter possesses great ability it is simply a matter of finding the right avenue for jing mei s talents. Several of the stories appeared in periodicals separately, many of them in. As a vignette, or standalone story, it serves as an illustration of two important themes, or main.
Two kinds from the joy luck club by amy tan, pages 2 5. Amy tan s two kinds explores the complexity of a motherdaughter relationship through the lens of young jing mei, the daughter of a chinese immigrant mother named suyuan. Here, we discuss the setting of the short story two kinds by amy tan. Essays, term papers, book reports, research papers on english. These kinds of explanations made me feel my mother and i spoke two different.
Amy tans two kinds is a short story about a secondgeneration chinese american woman reflecting on her life when her mother had high expectations for her to become the next prodigy. Further reading two kinds is the last story in the second of four sections of amy tans immensely successful first book, the joy luck club. The short story outlines the main character jingmei june woos childhood and the effects of her mothers high expectations for her life. The setting of an american dream amy tans short story two kinds chronicles the childhood memories of jingmei, a first generation american citizen, and her mother suyuan woo, an immigrant to the states. Take our free two kinds quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. The novel tells of jing mei s struggles to find her identity in the world, leaving her cultural identity and heritage behind in the process. Her mother becomes the antagonist because of her insistence that jingmei find a hidden talent. Shes not precisely sure where her daughters talents lie, but she is sure that her daughter possesses great ability it is simply a matter of finding the right avenue for jingmeis talents.
Jingmei, a victim of her own undoing in amy tans two. This story is actually an episode from tans first novel the joy luck club 1989, which many of you may have seen in its film version. Narrated in the first person by a woman called jingmei woo the story is a memory piece and after reading the story the reader realises that. Two kinds by amy tan 9 september 2016 the story takes place around 1960s, where the narrator talks about her childhood and 1980s towards the end when she had grown up to be an adult about thirty years old. English 2 story two kinds by amy tan flashcards quizlet. Clair the twentysix malignant gates o rules of the game. The conflict of two kinds revolves around jing mei s mothers attempt to make her into a prodigy and jing mei s struggle to be who she is. In the story, two kinds, amy tan writes about a relationship between a mother and a daughter. Feathers from a thousand li away the joy luck club part 1, chapter 2 the red candle the moon lady the twentysix malignant gates rules of the game the voice from the wall half and half two kinds american translation rice husband four directions without wood best quality queen mother of the western skies magpies waiting between the trees double. The character of jingmei in two kinds by amy tan two kinds. Point of view the story is told in firstperson point of view by jingmei we seem to understand and sympathize with her frustration and anger because of her mothers expectations.
Her mother becomes the antagonist because of her insistence that jing mei find a hidden talent. The conflict between jingmei and her mother is caused by her mother pushing her into being a prodigy. The protagonist of the story is a girl named jing mei. The short story two kinds was written by amy tan the daughter of chinese immigrants who was born in oakland and raised in california. How would you describe the tone of the opening paragraph. Jingmeis mothers responds to the events of this passage.
As you read, note how the daughter in two kinds deals with her mothers expectations. Summary of two kind by amy tan from the novel the joy luck club. Multicultural story, two kinds amy tanjhedit authorstream. Jing meis mother, a chinese immigrant in america, puts her own personal gratification on the shoulders of her daughter. Essay on two kinds type your essay on two kinds below. The character of jingmei in two kinds while trying to understand the reasons for her mother wanting jingmei to be great, jingmei discovers the real meaning of two kinds. Character analysis on jingmei in two kinds two kinds, by amy tan is a story in which a chinese mother believes that her daughter can do anything in the united states as long as she puts her mind to it and decides to push her daughter, jing mei, into being a prodigy. Jingmeis mother boasts about her talented daughter jingmei performs terribly at the talent show. Print word pdf take our free two kinds quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. Although he is an excellent pianist and formerly taught piano. Although he is an excellent pianist and formerly taught piano to others, he is now retired.
Two kinds is a short story from the book the joy luck club by amy tan. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. An analysis of a short story two kinds a conflict between two kinds daugther by amy tan. It is about the relationship of a girl the narrator and her mother.
The minute our train leaves the hong kong border and enters shenzhen. Plot analysis of two kinds by amy tan linkedin slideshare. The time setting of the short story can be deduced from the clues that jingmei offers about her mother physical setting. Teaching two kinds by amy tan connected teaching and. The mother of jingmei wants her daughter to become famous, but jingmei just wants to be herself. Author introduction two kinds by amy tan amy tan is an american born chinese that grew up in the san francisco bay area. Her mother started the joy luck club and selected the players from people at church. The short story outlines the main jing mei woos childhood and the effects of her mothers high. Discuss the story and the lesson in two kinds by amy tan.
Jingmei arrives late to the joy luck club meeting, held at the hsus apartment, nervous to be taking her mothers place. Tan showed the awkward differences between mothers and daughters superbly and did it in a way that made it seem personal. In amy tans story two kinds, a narrator, jingmei, is a chinese american girl who struggles to find her identity, which is resulted from the conflict with her chinese immigrant mother who imposes the american dream on her daughter. This collection of short stories revolves around the lives of chinese immigrant women who form a club and play what game. It is easy for us to understand the americanized jingmei wanting to be able to choose her own. You could work for the government and get good retirement. Two kinds is a short story that was initially published in what periodical in february 1989. In the story, the mother forces her daughter to take piano lessons and does not tolerate laziness and disobedience. The time setting of the short story can be deduced from the clues that jingmei offers about her mother. Two kinds by amy tan essaystwo kinds by amy tan is a very properlywritten short story that showed how much a daily incident could touch the heart. With this, her mother has the idea of jing mei playing the piano. Two kinds amy tan my mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in america. Background two kinds is a story in amy tans immensely successful first book, the joy luck club.
The short story setting is in china, and the narrative is part of the novel the joy luck club. Assimilation dilemmas in the representation of chinese american experiences. Two kinds by amy tan 9 september 2016 the story takes place around 1960s, where the narrator talks about her childhood and 1980s towards the end when she. Two kinds by amy tan by chainapa nujeenseng on prezi. We provide free model essays on english, two kinds by amy tan reports, and term paper samples related to two kinds by amy tan. In the story two kinds, jing meis mother believes that children in america can achieve anything they desire. Amy tans story, two kinds, works independently or as part of her novel, the joy luck club. Two kinds is a short story from amy tans book the joy luck club. The character of jingmei in two kinds example essay online.