Conflicting Points of View in Two Kinds by Amy Tan Essay -- Two Kinds,

The drool Two Kinds by Amy Tan is close a become and girlfriend who impart strong conflicting conceits ab out what it means to have a sense of self. This may be partly due to the mother growing up in China, which is a very diametric culture than the American culture where endless opportunities are available to anyone who wants to pursue them. Jing-meis mother wants her daughter to be the best, a prodigy of sorts, and to have the kind of life, safe of hopes and dreams that she did non have. In the beginning of the story Jing-mei liked the idea of becoming a prodigy however, the prodigy in her became impatient. If you dont hurry up and get me out of here, Im disappearing for good. It warned. And then youll always be nothing (500). After disappointing her mother several times Jing-mei started to detest the idea of becoming a prodigy. The idea Jing-meis mother had for her to become a prodigy was too much pressure for a small child and was something that Jing-mei was clear ly not ready to be. As a result the pressure that her mother laid upon her only made Jing-mei rebel against her mother and she resisted in giving her best. Jing-mei did this because she only wanted her mothers love and acceptance for who she was not only what she could become. Furthermore, Jing-meis point of view of being the kind of person that one can be proud of was very different from her mothers point of view.Jing-mei and her mother have conflicting values of how Jing-mei should live her life. She tries to see what becoming a prodigy would be like from her mothers point of view and the perks that it would bring her as she states in the story In all my imaginings, I was filled with a sense that I would soon become perfect. My mother and f... ... her own person and wanting only to be accepted for who she is and not who she could be. Even though the argument was never discussed it still haunted Jing-mei. That is why Jing-mei was surprised when her mother offered her the p iano for her thirtieth birthday, she took it as a sign of forgiveness. The theme that comes to mind for me when I read this story is conflicting values. While growing up it was an important value to Jing-mei to be accepted for the daughter that she was. Unlike the value of her mother which was to not only become the best you can be but a prodigy, someone famous. In the way that Jing-meis mother pushes so hard for her to become something bigger than she was it seems that Jing-mei tried her hardest not to. Works CitedTan, Amy. Two Kinds. Literature An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Longman. Boston. 10th ed. 2011