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The Importance Of Expectations In Amy Tan's Two Kinds

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In Amy Tan’s short story, “Two Kinds,” she demonstrates the powerful, harmful effect of a parent's’ high expectations and how it can be detrimental to one’s child. Parents want to give what’s best for their kids and will go through any necessary means to obtain that. Whether it be through change of environment or change of behavior for the child, parents blindlessly strive towards that goal without a second thought. Expectations may arise along the way as parent’s form an idolized idea of what they want as their child. Much to Jing-mei’s chagrin, her mother believes that shaping her into a superstar will grant her the happiness and recognition she deserves. “...my mother thought I could be a Chinese Shirley Temple.” (383): By enforcing an idea that her daughter needs to conform to her standards, she slowly sets the idea that her daughter must lose any sense of her own originality to fit to her mother’s standards or imitate what brings people success. By obeying that mindset, people do not have a sense of identity and may face serious consequences if they can not fulfil a “simple” task.
However, people can understand the experience that we can not always fulfill our parent’s expectations of us. Placing someone above their capacity and always being disappointed with that person’s results can only bring harm to …show more content…

The overbearing position that a person can not obtain may hurt the person in the process as they deem themselves pitiful. However, people will rise to the occasion and rebel against the wishes of others once they come into terms that they are not perfect. Amy Tan illustrates this through Jing-mei Woo’s inability to fulfil her mother’s dream to be the prodigy she. Jing-mei stands up for herself and makes the realization that she is okay to not be a prodigy and be whatever person her mother wanted her to

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