Amy Tan Essay

The main characters from Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall and Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai are both very similar and very different. Lupita,, the main character from Under the Mesquite, is a Mexican American girl who has to go through the struggles of her mother dying and being accused of trying to shy away from her heritage. Hà, the main character from Inside Out and Back Again, is a Vietnamese girl who has to deal with not knowing where her father is and is made fun of…

Many people would (and are) antagonizing Amy Chua for her parenting skills and her thoughts on Westerners parenting, though, one thing they don’t think about is cultural differences. Amy Chua, a professor at Yale Law School, wrote an article focusing on chinese parenting. SHe uses the term “chinese parenting” lightly, because she knows of many other parents that are of different nationalities that qualify in this parenting category as well. In this writing, Amy talks about chinese parenting and…

In the criticism, “Questioning Race and Gender Definitions”, Malini Schueller draws light to the expectations of Chinese women and how they are to be quiet and passive in nature. According to Schueller, “The initial story establishes the denial of expression women are condemned to in patriarchy and the cultural stranglehold the narrator must fight in order to express herself” (423). It is this cultural expectation that Kingston rebels against by telling her version of the unnamed woman.…

Eugenia W. Collier’s short story, “Marigolds”, and Amy Tan’s short story, “Two Kinds”, contain the common thread of loss of innocence. In Collier’s short story, Lizabeth has not lost her innocence, therefore neglects the fact that her actions may be causing harm to others. In Tan’s short story, Jing-Mei does not realize that her mother only wants her to accomplish the best. Each character progresses throughout the stories and realizes that their actions were not the best. This progression can be…

“Everyone's dream can come true if you just stick to it and work hard.” In this quote, Serena Williams says that she can accomplish anything when you put your mind to it. Serena Williams says this quote because she has struggled with many problems in her life such as losing tennis against her sister, Venus. Serena Williams is a game changer because she is so determined to face her problems and stand her ground. In 1981, Serena Jameka Williams was born in Saginaw, MI. Her parents are Oracene…

As I watching Kiki’s Delivery Service, I noticed the theme of independence as Kiki is to find her own place to live at the age of thirteen. This closely relates to Japanese culture, as in Japan, they encourage independence and self-reliance from the young age. For example, as a child, they are expected to go to school themselves, taking train or bus if necessary or even doing grocery shopping themselves. This contrasts to the Western culture as many parents disallow children to walk to school…

In the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua, Chua pushes the limits of her daughters’ happiness in order for them to be successful. Many people believe that because of this, she is risking their happiness. I, on the other hand, personally believe that Chua is raising her children without much risk. In the book, Chua tells us a story about how Lulu and Sophia made her birthday cards that were unsatisfactory and how she forced them to make better ones. She further explains, “I gave…

Amy Chua is an American lawyer and author she is a professor at Yale Law School and an author of”Day of Empire” and “World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability.” Amy Chua in her essay from her book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”, describes the differences between Chinese mothers and Western mothers. Chua’s purpose is to the difference between the mothers and also their point of views on raising their child. She adopts an harsh tone in order…

Nowadays, facing a dilemma regarding personal desires and conforming to society is inevitable. In Amy Tan's short story “Two Kinds”, Jing-Mei struggles in choosing between the two, but eventually, her struggles result in her developing a strong sense of self, therefore choosing her personal desire instead of conforming to her mother. This is evident in Jing-Mei's neglect of her piano lessons, and her declaration of preferring death, over doing something she does not want. Similarly, I have…

After the case of Maria Mendoza being fired for speaking Spanish, a conflict arose in society: should American schools offer bilingual classes for non-English speakers, both English and non-English speakers, or no bilingual education? Bilingual education creates an opportunity for all students to gain a second language, improve their chances in the work field and immerse themselves in a different culture. Some parents want their children to receive the opportunity to learn a second language…