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Amy Tan Foils

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Recommended: Literary elements used in amy tan two kinds

Examining Generational Change toward the American Dream in Two kinds
Two kinds, a short story by Amy Tan, explores the relationship between an immigrant mother and her first generation daughter. The mother, who has faith in the American dream, values the belief that to be happy, you have to be famous and change yourself; Ni Kan, the daughter, yearns for a personality of her own. Tan characterize these women as foils to each other. As a result of them being foils, they’re relationship is strained and they never have a close bond until Ni Kan grows older. Tan uses these characters to show that with each generation the American dream is changed. Amy Tan demonstrates that different generations of people have different views on the American dream through Ni Kan ‘s mother dream of fame and fortune for her child, and Ni Kan’s dream of finding an identity. Tan believes the cause of the barrier between mother and daughter is due to their foiled dreams.
At the start of the short story, the narrator’s mother is first introduced as an immigrant, who has moved to America to seek a …show more content…

Tan used these characters as foils through their conflicting dreams and hopes; their bond is broken because of their conflicts. As a result of Ni Kan losing her mother, Ni Kan realizes that she had fulfilled her dream of finding her own identity. Ni Kan, without her mother, explores her own personality. This exploration is included in Ni Kan’s dream to express Tan’s belief in the American dream. Tan believes that the American dream is not one relative dream but a dream that evolves and grows through generations. Tan uses her belief to impact the reader and the characters. Ni Kan’s mother never realized her dream because her dream was outdated and needed to change. Amy Tan expresses her opinion on the American dream and how it is a relative term through the mother-daughter relationship in her short

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Tan that despite its evident differences to Cofer’s memoir is discussing the same trials ethnic, culturally diverse people experience. On page 881, Cofer recounts her first public poetry reading where an older woman mistook the Puerto Rican author for a waitress that ignites passion to the reading, “her lowered eyes told me that she was embarrassed,” [4] at the sheer power and conviction of Cofer enforcing that she is an educated Latin woman that deserves respect for her identity. While academically Tan’s teachers would always direct her to STEM subjects as viable career options which contradict the author's passion for writing despite not being on-par with the typical standard of what’s expected of a Chinese-American girl. However, what sets both pieces apart is that Tan does this examination through her mother and her own experiences as Chinese-Americans, while Cofer’s memoir encapsulates her own struggles that intertwine with the vast Latin woman’s

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It is the matter of common knowledge that the American Dream is a conception referring to a desire of having a social regulation in which every male and female individual is capable of reaching the fullest importance that is normally unattainable, and be distinguished by the community for their true substance, despite the fortunate conditions of the status. Moreover, this idea denies any limits or boundaries and provides equal opportunities for people of any age, gender, or race. “The Great Gatsby” and “Bodega Dreams” feature characters that most clearly represent a desire or indifference to join such a society. After all, the American dream is not different for a person of color in “Bodega Dreams” and “The Great Gatsby” because both characters view it as money, love, having a knowing name as well as being successful. There is no reason for the dream to be divergent for a person of another race.

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Tan expresses the life experiences of Chinese immigrants to the United States and attempts to depict the relationship of a mother and daughter through her significant piece of writing ‘The Joy Club’. Therefore, all these authors somehow portrayed their early struggles and their view point towards life from their literary

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Through this movie, it is important to take notice of how gender, education, class and traditional culture can influence a person’s journey to achieve the American dream. First, it can be seen that

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The American Dream comes and goes throughout everyone’s lives in America. But for some, it shows a spark of hope of a dream that will allow them to succeed in life. Whether it is something that people want to have in their lives or having a goal in their mind, it is what allows people to continue pushing through life and doing everything to get what they want. The American Dream creates a vision of what people want in their future but, if this “vision” fails, many people would either give up or find a new dream. There are many reasons why people give up on their dreams, but some, they believe that it is out of their control to accomplish their dreams such as the main characters in The Great Gatsby.

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Reflecting on them, she expresses the meaning her mother's English holds with her and emphasizes its importance with the metaphor, “It's my mother tongue.” She expands upon it in her statement right after; the use of parallelism between her description of her mother tongue, “Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery,” and its impact reinforcing, ”That was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world.” Tan's inclusion of these childhood stories appeals to the reader’s sense of connection with her through the use of exemplification. This strategy focuses on Pathos by placing the reader in the author’s shoes and effectively conveying how, though difficult, growing up and living with these Englishes has molded her perspective on the power of

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When many people picture the typical American dream. They automatically envision a family with two kids, a older son and a younger daughter, who live in a nice house with a white picket fence surrounding it. The father is a business man and the mother is a stay-at-home mom. This family enjoys cookouts, hosting parties, and going on vacation every summer. Most people, including the little girl in “Volar”, make this dream a priority and believe that achieving it will make them satisfied.

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When she was around others she would talk differently than how she talks with her mother. “…all the forms of Standard English that I had learned in school and through book, the forms of English I did not use at home with my mother” (118). Throughout her story she refers to the English her mother speaks as “Broken English” because her mother would say sentences like “Why he don’t send me check, already two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived” (119). Her mother didn’t have much difficulty understanding or reading English. When Tan was younger, she would feel embarrassed when her mother would speak because many people couldn’t understand her well.

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Judith Ortiz Cofer, the author, uses symbolism, setting, and imagery to show the lifestyle of living the American Dream. Cofer creates symbolism through the little girl’s point of view towards her dreams and with her mother at the end of the story. Her dream was about wanting to fly, “So I would stay in my bed recalling my dreams of flight, perhaps planning my next flight” (Cofer 197). The flying in her dreams resembles her urge to wanting to be free and live the American Dream. While the daughter is asleep, the mother and father have time together before they wake her.

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Nevertheless, as the story unfolds, Tan explains in more detail of the relationship of the mother and her daughter. In which the mother fully believed her daughter would become this great prodigy. Therefore, pressuring her daughter

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The key to success is working hard to reach the goal. The workmanship and struggle for success can be called the American Dream. The idea of an American Dream has existed for a long time. The proof is its being a hidden theme for many American Literature stories. In Two Kinds by Amy Tan, there is an underlying theme of the American Dreams and there are different types of an American Dream .That is why the story should be included in the text books for the high school students to read.

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