Two Kinds Literary Analysis

In Amy Tan’s short story, Two Kinds, there are not just two kinds of conflict but many.. These include; American versus Chinese cultural differences, a parent’s wishes versus a child’s wants, and the pursuit of material success versus personal contentment. However, the most obvious is the conflict between Jing-mei and her unnamed mother’s personalities. Jing-mei is a young Chinese-American grade school girl with a modern independence. Her mother on the other hand, is a old-world Chinese immigrant who left everything behind in order to make a better life for herself and her only child. The author, Amy Tan, shows how they struggle to relate to each other, but also shows their good qualities in order to redeem these two characters in the end. In the story, Jing-mei and her mother have tension due to the fact that the mother is trying to make sure her daughter has a better future than she did. Unfortunately, Jing-mei doesn’t quite understand her mother’s desire. One reason for this confusion is because Jing-mei is too stubborn to see her mom’s point of view. This can be seen on page five where Jing-mei refuses to play the piano presented to her in order to practice and develop her

Although the piano was a source of tension between Jing-mei and her mother in the story, it also brought them closer. This can also be seen on page five, when Jing-mei says, ”And after that, every time I saw it in my parents' living room, standing in front of the bay window, it made me feel proud, as if it were a shiny trophy that I had won back”. This shows that Jing-mei finally understands that her mother was trying to encourage her success in life the only way she knew how.
In conclusion, Amy Tan’s short story, Two Kinds focuses on the many forms of conflict and resolution found in many American immigrant households. The author uses Jing-mei and her mother to reflect the differences of personality within each