From the day one is born, parents expect certain types of actions and foresee who they want their kids to be. These expectations are not so easily filled and parents often do not take into consideration what their kids want to accomplish. Due to past experiences, parents believe they know what is best for their children. This often creates tension between kids and their parents, as they do not usually agree on the same things. Kids become stressed if they do not want to accomplish the same goals their parents want them to. James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” and Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds” explore the idea of parental/familial expectations and the troubles that come along with them. Both of these stories take a look into the experiences of two individuals
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Sonny goes through a lot at his age, and when he is out of jail and living with his brother’s family he is living under the expectations of his brother and their family. They do not support him in his dreams of becoming a jazz musician, as they want Sonny to get his education and eventually be able to support himself. When they found out that Sonny had been skipping school in order to hang out with musicians, the family reacted furiously. After Sonny admitted what he had done, the narrator’s mother in law (Isabell) was furious the narrator states “And this scared her and she started screaming at him and what came up, once she began-though she denies it to this day-was what sacrifices they were making to give Sonny a decent home and how little he appreciated it” (Baldwin 249). This type of reaction can have a huge impact on one’s mind and perception of one’s self. Sonny feels some sort of disappointment, he was bringing suffering to this family. After this he joins the navy and leaves his dreams behind him for a while. His dreams were on pause, he knows what he wants to do in his life but he does not want to dismiss the support his brother’s family is providing him. Sonny cannot accomplish his own goals, his family does not support him and he needs their support in order to live, if he can gain their trust and support Sonny will be able to follow his dreams. This is very tough for someone, how can one …show more content…
Although parents and family members have expectations they wish for their kids to accomplish, they will adapt to the change if the child disagrees with those expectations. Growing up many of us had been involved in certain activities we were put into even though we do not enjoy them. Our parents may have got tutoring or extra help for us to become smarter and learn the most we can, but some of us did not want to go that route in life. In both stories we learn that it is important that we quickly express our feelings and tell our parents and family members who we are and what we want to accomplish. Sonny showed us that even throughout all of the trouble and suffering he was able to show his brother who he truly was, and in the end we see his brother accept him and respect his decisions. Jing-mei broke her mother’s dreams by saying she was not going to be a child prodigy but they were able to get over it and Jing-mei is happy being
Sonny goes through a lot at his age, and when he is out of jail and living with his brother’s family he is living under the expectations of his brother and their family. They do not support him in his dreams of becoming a jazz musician, as they want Sonny to get his education and eventually be able to support himself. When they found out that Sonny had been skipping school in order to hang out with musicians, the family reacted furiously. After Sonny admitted what he had done, the narrator’s mother in law (Isabell) was furious the narrator states “And this scared her and she started screaming at him and what came up, once she began-though she denies it to this day-was what sacrifices they were making to give Sonny a decent home and how little he appreciated it” (Baldwin 249). This type of reaction can have a huge impact on one’s mind and perception of one’s self. Sonny feels some sort of disappointment, he was bringing suffering to this family. After this he joins the navy and leaves his dreams behind him for a while. His dreams were on pause, he knows what he wants to do in his life but he does not want to dismiss the support his brother’s family is providing him. Sonny cannot accomplish his own goals, his family does not support him and he needs their support in order to live, if he can gain their trust and support Sonny will be able to follow his dreams. This is very tough for someone, how can one …show more content…
Although parents and family members have expectations they wish for their kids to accomplish, they will adapt to the change if the child disagrees with those expectations. Growing up many of us had been involved in certain activities we were put into even though we do not enjoy them. Our parents may have got tutoring or extra help for us to become smarter and learn the most we can, but some of us did not want to go that route in life. In both stories we learn that it is important that we quickly express our feelings and tell our parents and family members who we are and what we want to accomplish. Sonny showed us that even throughout all of the trouble and suffering he was able to show his brother who he truly was, and in the end we see his brother accept him and respect his decisions. Jing-mei broke her mother’s dreams by saying she was not going to be a child prodigy but they were able to get over it and Jing-mei is happy being