The main character is Jing-mei that is forced to play piano by her mother. The mother wants her daughter to be a prodigy. The mother is fascinated by the American dream. She thinks that you need to work your way up. However, Jing-mei do not want to be someone else. She cannot play piano. She says that it would not happen. She only wants to be herself. The mother hire a professional pianist that should teach her daughter to play piano.
Some examples of the American dream from the text:
“My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America. You could open a restaurant…. You could become rich. You could become famous easily.”
The mother had a set of ideals of that you easily could become anything you want in America. That you could start from the bottom, and easily become rich. If you just work determined. She realized it then she came to San Francisco in 1949 after losing everything in China. She lost her mother and father, her home, her first husband, and two daughters, twin baby girls. However, she never looked back with regret. She understood that she had the opportunity to start a new life. …show more content…
Jing-mei doesn’t want to do what everyone is doing.
Her mother says that she do have to play piano. However, she can’t play it. She felt it like her mother doesn’t like her, by the person she is. Her mother just want her to be something special. She get angry at herself, because she can’t anything. However, later she realized that she is unique. That she doesn’t need to be something, other people wants her to be. She agree a little with the American dream. She just want to be herself. However, she finds a solution. She said so her mother, that she doesn’t want to be, that her mother want her to be. She wants to make prosperity with her own life, by her
own.
At the end of the story, Jing-mei realized that the song “Pleading Child” is only half of the song. In addition, that the other half is called “Perfectly Contented” They was not 100% equal, but still they are the same song. I think it’s a metaphor for that we all can be different, but still participate in the community.
I think the short story is called “Two kinds” because Jing-mei is different from her mother. In addition, maybe because the mother came from another country, and started from the bottom, and worked her way up. Also that the all are not the same. That it’s not good all people are the same. That no people are the same. In addition, that we all have the rights to become who we are, without anyone can say it is a bad idea. That if you met some foreign people, you can accept them, for who they are. Moreover, you should participate in making the world a good place to live. Then we all could feel comfortable with each other.
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