“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

Introduction

Literature is meant to reflect the trends, happenings, occurrences and realities that individuals face within the society. However, literature also highlights the relationships and bonds that two or more individuals share. One of such examples is the short story called “Two Kinds “written by Amy Tan. She is a famous American writer and has written several other masterpieces in her career. However, this particular short story standouts as it explores and discusses the realities of mother-daughter relationship.

Thesis Statement

The story focuses on how important it is for every individual to stand up for himself and take pride in himself and his attributes.

Discussion

The main events of the story take place in the 1950s and 1960s in China. Although, there are some of the other minor characters, however one of the two main characters includes Amy Tan herself (Jing Mei) as a protagonist. On the other hand, the antagonist in the plot happens to be Mei's own mother. The story revolves around the two characters where Mei's mother is always pushing her to experiment with some hobbies and activities in order to discover any hidden talent she may have. In contrast, the character of Jing Mei is shown to be an uncertain, confused and rebellious child. The attempts made by her mother to teach her different skills all go to vein as she displays a rebellious and disinterested attitude. However, Amy has written the story so beautifully and explicitly that reader will not have to struggle much to find, identify and recognize Jing's hidden personality traits.

The readers will find that the biggest obstacle for Jing is not the lack of ability or potential in her. It is her low self-esteem and the fact of how low she thinks of herself. On the other hand, the character of Amy's mother can be regarded as a little intriguing. The fact that she is constantly pushing her daughter Jing to do certain acts that she finds impossible, may actually make her the stubborn and obnoxious character. However, the only reason for the persistence in her Mother's character is for Jing's own good. It will be fair to say that this element of mystery and disguise that both the characters possess make the story more interesting. Moreover, the beauty of the mother daughter relationship also makes this story much more appealing. Amy has successfully portray the reality of this motherly ...