In the story "Two Kinds‚" the narrator is a Chinese-American girl who is locked in a struggle over her identity with her Chinese immigrant mother‚ who believes "that you could be anything you wanted to be in America." This particular struggle invokes the mother’s attempt to mold her daughter‚ Jing-mei‚ into a musical prodigy so that she will be able to brag to her friend Lindo Jong‚ whose daughter is a precocious chess champion. The idea for piano lessons comes from television and popular magazines
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“Overview of ‘Two Kinds’” In Elisabeth Piedmont-Marton’s “Overview of ‘Two Kinds’” Jing-Mei’s mother longs for power in the local domestic sphere. Jing-Mei ‚ the daughter‚ has other ideas about culture and power and the role that is played in both. Jing-Mei begins to learn the distinction of Chinese culture and American culture‚ and which gender holds the power in each. Piedmont-Marton explores the role of the daughter struggling to find an individual identity and the mother who has dreams of power
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at recess. He started to cry and told the teacher. I got in trouble for biting him so I didn’t win. He didn’t win because he got hurt and didn’t play at recess for the rest of the day. In that situation neither of us win and we both lose. In "Two Kinds" Amy is forced to play the piano by her mother. Later she plays in a talent show
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This is my assignment for the short story “Two Kinds” 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
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Patricia Rosario English 126 AB1 Professor Milanes November 24‚ 2014 Formal Paper #3 draft Pressure for Success Children of immigrant parents are put under immense pressure to succeed in life. Success is expected in these children as a form of reward to their parents for their many physical and financial sacrifices. Because of these expectations‚ children begin to feel as disappointments and failures if they have not met the high goals set by their parents. Putting high standards and limitations
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(1) “America was where all my mother’s hopes lay.” (2) In these words from “Two Kinds‚” the narrator describes her mother’s belief that you can be anything you want to be in America even famous. (3) In her search for a better life than the one she left in China‚ the narrator’s mother pushes her daughter to become a child prodigy. (4) The narrator tries to fulfill her mother’s expectations at first. (5) Eventually‚ she does not want to be a prodigy. (6) The differing values between mother and daughter
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Two kinds This story shows the struggling relationship between mother and daughter. Although the mother wants the daughter to be a great prodigy‚ the daughter wants to be her own person with her own personality. I see this‚ not exact‚ but similar situation‚ in many families around me. In my opinion‚ as long as the child is doing great something useful and enjoyable with themselves then they are doing the right thing. I understand a parent wanting the best for their child but
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A person spends most of their developing years under the guidance of their parents or guardians. They affect how we think‚ how we feel‚ and how we act. These are among the people who hold the greatest influence. Amy Tan’s ’Two Kinds’ and Jamaica Kincaid’s ’Girl’ both deal with the relationship between a young girl and the guiding force in her life. Amy Tan tells of a mother’s expectation for her daughter to be a child prodigy. Jamaica Kincaid tells of an unknown person describing to a girl how
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Clive Thompson on Why the Next Civil Rights Battle Will Be Over the Mind By Clive Thompson 03.24.08 Illustration: Paula Scher/Pentagram START Previous: A State-By-State Look at Where Cell Phones and Driving Don’t Mix Trolling down the street in Manhattan‚ I suddenly hear a woman’s voice. "Who’s there? Who’s there?" she whispers. I look around but can’t figure out where it’s coming from. It seems to emanate from inside my skull. Was I going nuts? Nope. I had simply encountered a
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“The Lottery” and “Two Kinds” will demonstrate how both short stories share similar themes‚ literary devices and writing styles. According to Richard Abcarian and Marvin Klotz (2007)‚ editors of Literature: The Human Experience‚ works with a theme of conformity and rebellion often "feature a clash between two well-articulated positions‚ in which a rebel‚ on principle‚ confronts and struggles with established authority" (p. 312). “The Lottery” and “Two Kinds” equally share the theme of conformity and
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