In “Two Kinds,” by Amy Tan, the relationship between a Chinese mother and her Americanized daughter, Jing-Mei, is described through the mother’s efforts to make her daughter a prodigy. At first glance, Jing-Mei’s mother appears to be controlling, uncompassionate, and disgruntle towards Jing-Mei. Although this impression is accurate at the beginning of the story, the reader begins to learn more about Jing-Mei’s mother and her past, as well as her intent with forcefully encouraging Jing-Mei artistically and academically. As the story moves forward, the reader is able to understand Jing-Mei’s mother and the reason behind her actions and develop a sense of compassion and respect for her. Jing-Mei’s mother plays a vital role in understanding the
…show more content…
Her tough love throughout the story may appear to some as violent, yet, it is her tough love that gives the reader a visual explanation of Suyuan’s love for June. In an analysis of “Two Kinds”, Cynthia Becerra expresses the overall message as, “Appearing in the novel as a chapter about the major protagonist of the entire novel, “Two Kinds” represents the central theme of the voracious love between mother and daughter and the arduous journey that one already has taken and the other will take both for herself and for her mother. It is a journey of self-discovery made through painful yet joyful connections” (Becerra Paragraph 7). Suyuan Woo, a Chinese mother, who migrated to America for a better life relates to the central message because of the effect of her past tragedies, from losing everything and everyone, she knew that she never wanted to feel that agony again and she never wanted her daughter to feel that anguish at all. The clash between the two isn’t merely a fight for power, and neither the story of an abusive mother. Instead, the intense tension between the two arose from a daughter who doesn’t know who she is yet and mother who is trying to show her daughter her value and worth. “Two Kinds”, is simply the story of a daughter’s journey of gaining self-assurance and a mother’s support and love throughout her daughter’s transgressions and disappointments while on her
Her tough love throughout the story may appear to some as violent, yet, it is her tough love that gives the reader a visual explanation of Suyuan’s love for June. In an analysis of “Two Kinds”, Cynthia Becerra expresses the overall message as, “Appearing in the novel as a chapter about the major protagonist of the entire novel, “Two Kinds” represents the central theme of the voracious love between mother and daughter and the arduous journey that one already has taken and the other will take both for herself and for her mother. It is a journey of self-discovery made through painful yet joyful connections” (Becerra Paragraph 7). Suyuan Woo, a Chinese mother, who migrated to America for a better life relates to the central message because of the effect of her past tragedies, from losing everything and everyone, she knew that she never wanted to feel that agony again and she never wanted her daughter to feel that anguish at all. The clash between the two isn’t merely a fight for power, and neither the story of an abusive mother. Instead, the intense tension between the two arose from a daughter who doesn’t know who she is yet and mother who is trying to show her daughter her value and worth. “Two Kinds”, is simply the story of a daughter’s journey of gaining self-assurance and a mother’s support and love throughout her daughter’s transgressions and disappointments while on her