Summary and Theme: Two Kinds by Amy Tan
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The document summarizes the story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan. It describes how Jing-mei's mother believes America is the land of opportunity and is determined to make Jing-mei a prodigy, trying to mold her into a child actress and have her take intellectual tests. Ultimately, she decides Jing-mei will be a piano virtuoso, arranging lessons with a teacher. However, Jing-mei refuses to cooperate and plays badly on purpose. At a talent show, it's revealed Jing-mei has no musical talent, causing tension between her and her mother.
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Summary and Theme: Two Kinds by Amy Tan
- 2. SUMMARY To Jing-mei's mother, America is the Land of Opportunity. She has high hopes that her daughter will be a great success as a prodigy. She's not precisely sure where her daughter's 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. First, Mrs. Woo tries to mold her daughter into a child actress, but that doesn't work. Then she tries intellectual tests clipped from popular magazines. Jing-mei doesn't show promise in this area, either. Finally, Mrs. Woo hits upon the answer: Jing-mei will be a piano virtuoso. Mrs. Woo trades housecleaning services for Jing-mei's piano lessons from Mr. Chong, an elderly piano teacher, who is deaf and whose eyes are too weak to tell when Jing-mei is playing the wrong notes. Mr. Chong's efforts are so sincere that Jing-mei picks up the basics, but she is so determined not to cooperate that she plays very badly. One day, the Woos meet Lindo Jong and her daughter Waverly. Mrs. Jong brags about Waverly's success as a chess prodigy. Not to be outdone, Jing-mei's mother brags about her daughter's "natural pride," and the young girl immediately becomes even more determined than ever to thwart her mother's ambitions. 2
- 3. Continuing to clean houses, Mrs. Woo scrapes together enough money to buy a secondhand piano. A few weeks later, Jing-mei participates in a talent show in a church hall. All the couples from the Joy Luck Club come to her piano debut. Although she has not practiced and does not know the music, Jing-mei has come to believe that she is indeed a prodigy. Halfway through the song, though, she begins to realize how badly she is playing. The weak applause and her parents' disappointed looks reveal the unmistakable truth: Jing-mei is not a musical prodigy. As a result, Jing-mei is shocked when her mother expects her to continue practicing. During the ensuing quarrel, Jing-mei shouts the most hateful thing she can summon: "I wish I'd never been born! I wish I were dead! Like them!" At the mention of the twin daughters in China that she was forced to abandon years ago, Mrs. Woo suddenly retreats and never mentions the piano again. As a result, Jing-mei is shocked when her mother offers her the piano as a thirtieth birthday present. Only after her mother's death can Jing- mei accept the piano. As she is packing her mother's things, she sits down to play the piano for the first time in many years. 3
- 4. THEMES The American Dream The tension between mother and daughter
- 5. 1. The American Dream The apparent folly of Mrs. Woo’s aspirations for her daughter can be learnt from her dogmatic belief that America is the Land of Opportunity. Thus, she places unreasonable expectations on the shoulders of her young, tender daughter. Even though, she may not exactly know where her daughter’s prodigal talents lie, she is nevertheless adamant that her daughter is destined for greatness, by virtue of having been born in America.
- 6. First, Mrs. Woo tries to model her daughter into a famous actress, but that fails abjectly. Then she puts Jing-mei through general knowledge tests. Young Jing- mei doesn’t show promise in this area, either. Finally, her mother hits upon the answer that Jing-mei will be a piano virtuoso. Like many immigrants, Mrs. Woo believes in America's promise: With hard work and a little luck, Jing-mei can be anything that she chooses to be. Jing-mei will not have to undergo any of her mother's hardships
- 7. 2. The tension between mother and daughter • Jing-mei and her mother also clash because of their opposing concepts of life. • Suyuan believes that Jing-mei will manifest an inner prodigy if only she and her daughter work hard enough to discover and cultivate Jing-mei’s talent but Jing-mei, on the other hand, believes that there are ultimately things about her that cannot be forced, “ she is who she is”.
- 8. Jing-mei also had no desire to cooperate with her mother. On the contrary, she fights her every step of the way."I didn't have to do what my mother said anymore. I wasn't her slave. This wasn't China. I had listened to her before and look what happened. She was the stupid one," she decides. Determined to thwart her mother's ambitions, Jing- mei neglects practicing the piano.