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What Is Jing Mei Woo's Relationship In Two Kinds By Amy Tan

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A mother-daughter relationship can be the most incomprehensive yet complicated, but is also an unbreakable loving bond. Jing-Mei Woo is the protagonist in the short story Two Kinds by Amy Tan. Jing-Mei Woo and her family moved to San Francisco, California from their native country, China. Her mother, Ms. Woo came to America with the mindset – “You could be anything you wanted to be (223).” Ms. Woo had her daughter attempt to be the next Shirley Temple (an actress), a child with a photographic memory, even be able to learn balance, and then finally a pianist. Jing-Mei would try and please her mother and be that perfect child. Every parent, but more so mothers want the best for their child. Attempting to leave behind the devastating loss of her …show more content…

She was at first a pleading child who wanted to do things her way, but also wanted to live and do right by her parents. It was almost as if her mother wanted to live through Jing-Mei and she would allow it, until she could not take anymore. Towards Jing- Mei’s later years when she lashed out at her mother she realized that was the only instance she felt content, because she was finally taking control of her own life. She no longer had someone forcing her to be someone she was not. Then again its that part where Jing-Mei is thinking of the what ifs in her life. When she was re gifted the piano her mother reassured her that she could have been a genius and she did in fact pick up [the notes/keys] fast (228), if she had decided to take the lessons seriously. The question is did she intend to hurt her mother’s feeling so horribly? Jing-Mei only wish was for her mother to understand that she did not want to be changed, nor would she be forced into someone she was not. Would Ms. Woo have loved Jing-Mei for who she truly was, or would she love Jing-Mei for who she wanted her to be? Jing-Mei did in fact have a talent inside of her, but she just did not give it her full

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Growing up is a hard time, and for the three most important characters in the short stories, “Two Kinds,” “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant,” and “Fish Cheeks” it certainly is no different. It makes them feel unacknowledged when all they want is just independence and acceptance of the ones that they find to be important to them. Acceptance is something every person wants to gain from everyone, it just is not something focused on commonly. For Jing-Mei in the story “Two Kinds” acceptance is not something often found in their family.

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When the story was told from Jing-mei’s perspective, Suyuan seemed like a selfish mother but when Suyuan’s story was told from Jing-mei’s father’s perspective, we saw the reality of Suyuan’s sacrifice. Another example of is when she takes on an extra job so that Jing-mei could take piano classes. After Suyuan had passed away, Jing-mei reminisced about her past and told her story of when she was 9. Her mother had wanted her to be a prodigy. When Suyuan saw a piano prodigy on TV, she called Jing-mei over and

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Jing-Mei then decides to reunite with her sisters in China, anxiously stating, “I lay awake thinking about my mother’s story, realizing how much I have never known about her, grieving that my sisters and I had both lost her“ (271). At this point in the story, it becomes evident Jing-Mei no longer despises her mother for her distasteful tendencies. Instead, she aspires to see her mother one last time. Remorseful of her incapacity to connect with her mother on a deeper level, Jing-Mei feels inept to fill in for her mother at the mahjong table.

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The problem between mama and Jing-Mei is, mama is pushing her to do stuff and Jing-Mei is not liking it. In the beginning, JIng-Mei has happy to do what mama wants but every time they did that Jing-Mei would disappoint mama. “But my mother’s expression was what devastated me: a quiet, blank look that said she had lost everything .” By Jing-Mei saying that she feel sad that she keeps disappointing mama. “Maybe she's not the best, but she's trying hard.

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“After losing everything in China…She never looked back with regret. ”(Chunk 1 ¶3). Jing-Mei’s mother is a Chinese immigrant with the typical ‘everything is better in America’ mindset. Jing-Mei, being raised in America, had more of an American mindset. “You want me to be someone i’m not…I’ll never be the daughter you want me to be!”

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In this case, Jing Mei submits to her mother unwillingly until the argument she has with her mother two days after the talent show, which Jing Mei then falls into a limbo and “asserted… my right to fall short of expectations… I did not believe anything I could be anything I wanted to be. I could only be me” (153, 154). Even though Jing Mei is finally released from her mother’s restricting grasp and allowed to be whoever she finally wants, she feels inadequate and the disappointment her mother felt in her. Quitting piano ended her misery and despair, and also liberated her, but she effectively alienates herself and severs the ties she has with her mother.

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In the beginning of the novel Jing-mei is accepting and even proud of what her mother has her do. The novel states,“ in the beginning I was just as excited as my mother, maybe even more so. I pictured this prodigy part of me as many different images, and I tried each one

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Regardless, her mother still is persistent on Jing Mei becoming a prodigy, despite her passionless performance and her family’s negative reaction. In return, Jing Mei becomes angry at her mother, and will do anything to change her mind. Screaming, “I wish I were dead! Like them.”, her mother freezes, disappointed in her daughter, and quits Jing Mei’s piano classes. On Page 28-29, Jing Mei’s perspective on the world becomes more apparent: “For unlike my mother, I didn’t believe I could be anything I wanted to be, I could only be me.”

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My mother and father would adore me.” However this creates great tension between mother and daughter as Jing-mei is privileged to have always known the safety of the American culture and so with the constant disappointment on her mother’s face after every raised hope and failed expectation she undauntedly begins to resent her own identity because she doesn’t understand her mother’s dream for her/their future. Who is Jing-mei? Chinese? American?

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First of Jing-Mei’s mother is a bad parent because she is verbally and physically abusive to her. In the story she takes multiple actions towards Jing-Mei that are abusive. These actions could hurt the way that Jing-Mei acts in the future. In the story it states “She yanked me by the arm, pulled me off the floor, snapped off the TV”. (Tan 10).

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At this point Jing Mei had decided she was not going to conform to her mothers ideas. She was not going to become what her mother wanted and was not going to be her little puppet anymore. Jing Mei decided she did not want to be a little fine-tuned Chinese girl and that she wanted to be a version of herself which she liked. Jing Mei Too’s rebellious actions followed this epiphany she had in the bathroom when it came to the next task her mother would set forth for

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Soon enough Jing mei and her mother's relationship changed for the worst. All of a sudden Jing mei started to hate what her mom was doing, trying to find a prodigy, so she stop trying. After this incident Jing mei and her mother would never be

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Throughout the story, Jing-mei’s feeling toward her mother change in critical ways. As a young child, Jing-mei wants constant attention from her mother, going so far as agreeing to become a child prodigy. In the story, Jing-mei commented, “In fact, in the beginning, I was just as excited as my mother, maybe even more so” (Tan 221). This was before her mother becomes highly adamant about wanting her child to become a prodigy. As time went on, she wanted Jing-mei to become the epitome of a child star.

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Jing Mei, while portrayed as an obedient child, is only willing to listen to her mother to a certain extent. Throughout the story, it is consistently hinted that Jing Mei would eventually explode against her mother as an attempt to free herself from her mother’s chains. In addition, after the fiasco at the piano recital, she eventually derives further from her mother’s wishes as she “didn 't get straight A...didn 't become class president...didn 't get into Stanford...dropped out of college.” (54). On the flip side, Jing Mei’s mother is a stereotypical Chinese parent who is fully determined to ensure her daughter’s success in a new environment.

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“For unlike my mother, I did not believe I could be anything I wanted to be, I could only be me.” (Tan 24). With this statement you can see that she does not agree with her mother. Jing-Mei’s Mother was raised in Chinese culture, therefore she is very strict and demanding to Jing-Mei to do what she wants. From doing a chore, to hobbies or even Jing-Mei’s passion.

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