Amy Tan Research Paper

Amy Tan

There are only two types of authors; those whose literary works are dull and emotionless, and those whose works are filled with compelling, fiery, tear-jerking feuds and emotions. Amy Tan is an author that goes under second one. Amy Tan affected America by writing about her views of mother daughter relationships; her inspirational life, interviews, and being able to live with Lyme Disease; and she also plays apart in the entertainment industry.

“Amy Tan parents Daisy and John wanted her to become a doctor and a concert pianist, she got a master’s degree in linguistics instead”(Amy Tan Bio). In “Two Kinds” it had the same inspiration(Holt Elements of Literature). It has the mother as Mrs. Woo and the daughter as Jing-me. Jing-me
is a girl who is demanding individuality, but her mother wants her to be a prodigy. Her mother makes her take piano lessons from a deaf man named Mr. Chong. Jing-me doesn't want to take piano, so she pretends to play the piano and Mr. Chong can’t see it because he deaf. Then Jing-me’s mother puts Jing-me in the talent show at school. Finally, at the talent show Jing-me goes to the stage and she does awful. After that the next day Jing-me’s mother makes Jing-me go practice piano and Jing-me refuses to. Then Jing-me’s mother says, “Only two kind of daughters”, “those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind”.
That how the story got its title “Two Kinds”. The struggle was real for Amy Tan and her mother Daisy. They did not speak for six mouth after Amy left the Baptist college her mother selected for
her(Amy Tan Academy of Achievement). “She continued to further define her mother by abandoning a pre med course her mother urged, to pursue her study of literature and linguistics” (Amy Tan Academy of Achievement). Although her books are primarily concerned with the lives and concerns of Asian-American women, her stories have found an enthusiastic audience among Americans of all backgrounds, and have been translated into 35 languages(Amy Tan Academy of Achievement).

Amy Tan is accomplished, she has lectured at universities, including Stanford, Oxford, Jagiellonian, Beijing, Georgetown, both in Washington, D.C., and Doha, Qatar (Amy Tan Bio).
In an interview on Academy of Achievements, Amy Tan said: “ I didn’t fear failure. I expected failure. I think I’ve always been somebody, since the deaths of my father and brother, who was afraid to hope. So, I was more prepared for failure and for rejection than success”(Amy Tan Academy of Achievement). She is also a Language Development Specialist for programs serving children with developmental disabilities, later she became the Director of a demonstration project on mainstreaming multicultural children with disabilities into the public school system(Amy Tan Bio). In spite of Amy Tan getting hit with Lyme Disease and the treatment not getting for many years, she has overcome the symptoms and continued to write best selling novel, including “Saving fish from Drowning” and the “Valley of Amazement”(Amy Tan Academy of Achievement). “In 2003, also she published The Opposite of Fate: A Book of Musings, an autobiography in which she disclosed her experience with Lyme disease, a chronic bacterial infection contracted from the bite of a common tick”(Amy Tan Academy of Achievement). “Amy Tan’s case went undiagnosed for years before she received proper treatment, and she suffered intense physical pain, mental impairment and seizures”(Amy Tan Academy of Achievement). “Currently she is the literary
editor for West;Los Angeles Time sunday magazine (Amy Tan, Goodreads)”.

“She also served as co-producer and co-screenwriter for a film adaptation of “The Joy Luck Club” directed by Wayne Wang (Amy Tan Bio)”. The film was nominated for best adaptation by the British Film Academy and the Writers Guild(Amy Tan Bio). “Amy Tan was also Emmy-nominated for a television series for children, called “Sagwa”, which aired on PBS(Amy Tan Goodreads)”. Amy's fifteen years of classical piano came in handy when she wrote the libretto for the opera The Bonesetter's Daughter, composed by Stewart Wallace, which had its world premiere with sold-out performances in September 2008 with the San Francisco Opera(Amy Tan Bio). Her story in The New Yorker, "Immortal Heart,"was performed on stages throughout the United States and in France(Amy Tan Bio). “Amy Tan is also in a literary garage band called “the Rock Bottom Remainders”, whose members include Kathi Kamen Goldmark, Stephen King, Dave Barry, Matt Groening, Greg Iles, Mitch Albom, Roy Blount Jr, Ridley Pearson, Sam Barry and Scott Turow(Amy Tan Bio). “In spite of their dubious talent, their yearly gigs have managed to raise nearly two million dollars for literacy programs(Amy Tan Bio)”.

Amy Tan is incredible, she has had an impact on the world. Amy Tan affected America by writing about her views of mother daughter relationships; her inspirational life, interviews, and being able to live with Lyme Disease; and she also plays apart in the entertainment in
industry.