The Bean Trees And Two Kinds: A Comparative Analysis

“Children learn more from what you are than what you teach” (W.E.B DuBois). Children constantly gain knowledge from their parent’s actions and decisions. Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Peña, The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, and Two Kinds by Amy Tan all show different ways parents influence their child’s behavior and decisions. Throughout these three novels, parents are role models for their children through the examples they set, the way they treat them, and how they force them into situations. A child’s actions reflects the influence from their parents because they want to make their parents proud. Primarily, a parent influences their child's decisions and behaviors by setting examples for their kids. In Mexican Whiteboy, Uno has

There are both positive and negative ways that parents can treat their children. In The Bean Trees, Taylor and Lou Ann are both mothers trying to find a new start with their children. Making sure her adopted daughter, Turtle, will receive the same treatment that every human deserves. Taylor states, “Knowing that Turtle’s first uttered sound was a laugh brought me no end of relief. If I had dragged her halfway across the nation only to neglect and entirely botch her upbringing, would she have laughed? I thought surely not” ( Kingsolver, ch. 7). Taylor treats Turtle with care, which makes a positive impact on both of them. In contrast, Lou Ann has a different experience from Taylor, but learns to use the negativity she receives from her family into a positive affect. Lou Ann tries to find a new identity away from her family. “One time Granny introduced me to some cousins by marriage of hers, I was wearing this brand-new midi-skirt I’d just made? And she says, ‘This is my granddaughter Lou Ann. She isn’t bowlegged, it’s just her skirt makes her look that way’” (Kingsolver, ch. 8). Lou Ann’s family makes comments that embarrass her and make her feel self-conscious about her appearance. Parents have a large impact on their children's lives, and depending on what type of parent they are, the child will act differently in the

Two Kinds, is a story about author Amy Tan’s childhood. Her mother wants Amy to be smart so she will have more opportunities. “Amy screams, ‘Why don’t you like the way I am?’ I cried. ‘I am not a genius! I can’t play the piano. And even if I could, I wouldn’t go on T.V if you paid me a million dollars’” (Tan 2). Amy does not want to participate in the activities and jobs that intelligent people do and yells at her mom for forcing her to do so. After her mom unsuccessfully tries forcing her to be a genius, Amy realizes her true ability and decides to make her own path. “Unlike my mother, I did not believe I could not be anything I wanted to be, I could only be me” (Tan 5). Amy decides doing what she wants serves her best interest. She learns that she must just be herself and not try to be what anyone else wants her to be. Parents should not force their children into situations they do not want to be in. Putting this pressure on them can cause a loss of confidence and negatively affect the relationship between the parent and the