Jing Mei Two Kinds Analysis

As Wynonna Judd once said, “The mother daughter relationship is the most complex.” Jing-Mei and her mother’s relationship in the novel excerpt "Two Kinds," certainly represents this quote. Throughout the excerpt. Jing-Mei and her mother grow further and further apart as Jing-Mei’s perspective on cultural identity and the “American Dream” evolve, clashing with her mother’s opinion. Their contrasting opinions lead to several conflicts, each building off the previous, developing Amy Tan’s theme of generational differences. In the beginning of the excerpt, the mother’s perspective on America is revealed. She believes in the American dream, that you can become anything you want. However, the mother’s definition of the American dream focused on …show more content…
All the conflicts show how a new generation of a family can be completely different from the previous generation. Jing-Mei viewed America as a place to be yourself. In America, you did not have to pretend to be somebody else, like a genius or a prodigy. The mother viewed America as a place to become anything you wanted to be whether it be successful, rich, or famous. Jing-Mei viewed her cultural identity as an individual aspect, it was unique to each person because each person wanted to be something or someone different. The mother, on the other hand, defined her family’s cultural identity. Jing Mei’s mother believed that one was supposed to be obedient, naturally smart, a hard worker, respectful to elders, and always trying so hard, that he or she became the best. The differences in opinion stem from the different experiences Jing-Mei and her mother have gone through. Jing-Mei resented the views her mother had on her cultural and her perspective on America because they were forced onto her. Jing-Mei did not have a choice in training to be a prodigy; she did not have a choice in what she was “supposed” to be. The mother developed her fame-centered attitude based on her life in China. The mother did not have the opportunity to become successful. In reality, the mother did not even have the opportunity to be happy with her family; they had all died. Due to the different life experiences, the mother and Jing-Mei developed different opinions on cultural identity and different perspectives of America. Unfortunately, their opposing views caused conflict, due to their drastic disparities. The conflicts and differences between Jing-Mei and her mother developed the theme of generational