Two Kinds By Amy Tan Symbolism

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In the short story, “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, Jing-mei learns to play a song that symbolizes the character change that she experiences. After pestering Jing-mei with many opportunities to become famous, her mother finally decides that Jing-mei’s best career option is to become a pianist. Jing-mei, desperately wanting to quit, challenged her mother: “‘Why don’t you like me the way I am?’ I cried. ‘I’m not a genius! I can’t play the piano’” (35). Jing-mei’s unwillingness to play the piano is a result of conflict between Jing-mei and her mother. Despite Jing-mei’s begging, her mother refuses to let her quit piano. Jing-mei’s pleads characterize her as lazy. Furthermore, when Jing-mei enters her thirties, she realises that her laziness cost her her

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