Anna Quindlen

With And Without Mother Sometimes I wonder what kind of reaction a daughter would get in the absence or presence of her mother. The relationship of a daughter and mother who is kindhearted and caring towards her daughter or a mother who bickers non-stop? Through the short stories Mothers by Anna Quindlen and Amy Tan’s, Two kinds, the author displays the positive and negative relationship revealed through the presence of a mother.
There are different emotions felt when a mother is absent in a daughters life. She strays to wonder how life would be like with her mother. As displayed in Anna Quindlen short story, Mothers, it is revealed that a daughter struggles to find the actuality of fantasy and reality. The daughter that narrates the story envy’s others mother and daughter relationships. The narrator describes her life situation as if her mother was still alive, mentioning, “ take[ing] care of the wedding arrangements, or come and stay for a
week after the children were born.” Yet through societies norms she is conflicted over the thought of “ fantasies…and reality “, realizing if her mother was not absent would she have a strongly bonded love or crumbling bickering? It comes to attention that if the narrator’s mother was still to be alive would she behave as through her fantasies or rather upon a reality based mother. The reader understands the true meaning of the mother and daughter relationships, as displayed by the actions and thoughts of the daughter. When the narrator sees a mother and her daughter having lunch at a restaurant, she “ stare[s] a little more than is polite “, hoping that she could retrieve flashbacks of the times she spent with her mother. She mentions how the true relationship would be; that, “ The mystery is whether the fantasy has within it a nugget of fact”. Although a mother continues to scold, argue and criticize her daughter, Quindlen displays through her short story that a mother is still a mother and through anything would be truly loved by her daughter, and would have any type of relationship as to have the presence of her around.
The daughter in the short story, Mothers, reveals her love towards her mother even if she is not alive, and urges her presence without regards to the arguments and criticism that she may give.
As for in Amy Tan’s, Two Kinds, the presence of motherhood is revealed to be less appreciated. In the short story, Two Kinds, Ni Kan’s mother came to America in 1949, from China leaving behind her mother and father, her family home, her first husband, and her twin daughter in search for hope for a better future, moving along and never looking back with regrets. At first her mother was trying to send Ni Kan to Chinese Shirley Temple to learn dancing and singing. As soon as she got this idea, she took her to this beauty training school to cut her hair off. They cut her hair similar to the famous character named “Peter Pan” who appears in the story Little White Bird. By looking at her hair she try to thinks that her future is going to be better. She thinks that she will be perfect soon and her mother and father would adore
her. Ni Kan’s mother used to clean people houses and from there she used to collect magazines. In those magazines she looks for the story of remarkable children’s so that she can tell this story to her daughter and by listening this stories may be her daughter get inspired to learn something remarkable. She used to try different things to make Ni Kan’s memory sharp such as give her to solve multiplication, ask her to read one bible page for three minutes and then tell her what she could remember from them. But her mother was facing disappointment in her daughter every time because Ni Kan was not performing well on her test. Ni Kan was so disappointed at herself that she took the decision of not changing herself in what her mother is trying to change in. After a while her mother loses hope because she was still the same, no progress. Her failed attempt to passing her mother’s personal examination encouraged her mother to seek another interest for her. Through the Ed Sullivan’s TV show Ni Kan’s mother was inspired to teach her daughter the beauty of the piano. Being forced into piano lessons with Mr.Chong, Ni Khan yet again failed her mother when performing in front of her parents. The negative aspect of personal affection toward ones mother is displayed through Ni Kan’s actions and words as for she does not show appreciation for her thoughtful mother. Unlike the daughter in Anna Quindlen’s, Mothers, Ni Kan has her mother with her yet shows so much hate and neglect towards her, as for the value of a mother is much stronger in Mothers, displayed through the daughter’s urge for the presence of her mother, and great appreciation for a strong relationship. The daughter in Quindlen’s mother had only the faded thoughts and memories of her mother and wished for the presences of her, yet Ni Kan had her mother by her side to care and love her but she refused to appreciate her , as for her mother was only trying to do what was best for her, showing such disrespect through her words and actions, yelling, “I’m not a genius! I can’t play the piano. And even if I could I wouldn’t go on TV if you paid me a million dollars!...”So ungrateful”, I heard her [mother] mutter” (266). Through this short story it is displayed that one whom does not have, appreciates the greater and smaller aspects of life. By comparing both short stories it is revealed that both stories, individually, have their own personal scenarios, which comply with themselves. The presence of motherhood is displayed in different aspects between both stories through the daughter’s regards to her mother. In Mothers by Anna Quindlen and Amy Tan’s, Two Kind, the author is urged to seek the mother and daughter relationship found between the two. It is shown how an individual acts with and without her mother, the emotions and greater meaning are altered when one has and does not have their mother. As portrayed through both short stories, Anna Quindlen, Mothers, and Amy Tan’s, Two Kind, the true meaning and relationship found through motherhood is deeply shown as two daughter live with and without their mothers. And you see the difference in life by having mother with you or by not having mother with you.

Work Cited

Quindlen, Anna. “Mothers” Exploring Literature Ed. Frank Madden 5th ed. New York: Longman, 2012. 13. Print.

Tan, Amy. “Two Kinds” Exploring Literature Ed. Frank Madden 5th ed. New York: Longman, 2012. 13. Print.