The Development Of The American Dream In 'Two Kinds'

Generation after generation, from the early ancient civilizations to the modern day, twenty-first century world, the society has deprived countless individuals of their inner self, forcing many to lock away their creativity and individuality deep within themselves. In the short story “Two Kinds”, Jing-Mei, a Chinese-American girl, struggles with independence and the development of her identity. As the story advances, Jing-Mei learns how to balance her mother’s wants with her own needs. The story is set in an American-Asian immigrant family, with Jing-Mei’s mother pressuring Jing-Mei with the heavy burdens of her own childhood, which had been spent back in China where she blamed her incompetence in life all on the nonexistence of the “American Dream”.

Chong for piano lessons and practice, in expectation of complete success at a talent show. As a result of her ignorance, Jing-Mei dwindles in her rigorously long hours confined to the piano bench, and in rebellion to her mother’s irrational standards, performs egregiously. Shortly after the incident, mother and daughter quarrel ferociously and disown the family ties. Nothing mends until years later, when Jing-Mei’s mother offers her the very piano she had practiced on in her miserable childhood, symbolizing peace between the jostled family that had never been set right. In the realistic short story “Two Kinds by Amy Tan, Jing-Mei’s mother does not allow Jing-Mei to stay true to herself by forcing her to take challenging tests, pushing her to play piano, and arguing about what kind of daughter she