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A Literary Analysis Of Two Kinds By Amy Tan

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Evelyn How Mr. Catrette Lit/Writ 7 September 2015 In Two Kinds, a short story by Amy Tan, it is about a mom who pushes her daughter and strives for her to be some type of prodigy. The mom came from a tough background, moving to San Francisco after losing her parents, her family home, her first husband, and two twin baby girls. She “believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America”, so she didn’t regret her decision. The mother was a housecleaner, and wanted June to be worth more than that. So she was obsessed with attempting to make June a prodigy. The mother was watching a show that had piano music, and wants June to start playing piano. She exchanges housecleaning services for piano lessons for June. June doesn’t want any of …show more content…

Every time my mother got halfway up from the sofa to adjust the set, the sound would come back on and Sullivan would be talking. As soon as she sat down, Sullivan would go silent again... It was like a stiff, embraceless dance between her and the TV set. Finally, she stood by the set with her hand on the sound dial.” This quote is significant because it is just like the mother and June’s relationship. The mom does something, June does something to go against it.. Then June says something, and the mom says something against it. It’s like a dance between the two of them. For example when June’s mother told her that she had had lessons with Mr. Chong, June couldn’t stand it anymore. “Why don’t you like me the way I am? I’m not a genius! I can’t play piano. And even if I could, I wouldn’t go on TV if you paid me a million dollars.” The mother slapped her, shouting “Who ask you to be genius? Only ask you be your best. For your sake. You think I want you to be genius? Hnnh! What for! Who ask you!” Then she muttered “So ungrateful.” Once one of them snaps, they have this dance, shouting back and forth to each

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