Two Kinds (Short Story)

Plot

Jing-Mei and her chinese mother immigrated to America. Her mother wants her to be successful but she feels like she does not have the potential to. She does not put in effort and learn the piano and disappointed her mother and herself.

Conflict - Mother vs Mother (Internal)

Jing Mei’s mother struggles with her past and wants her daughter to live out the dreams that were taken from her

Conflict - Girl vs Society

The typical American Dream is that you can do anything that you put your mind to with hard work.

She rejects the ideals that America shapes her in and just wants to live her life as a normal girl

Her mother is a stereotypical immigrant mother who wants a better life for her daughter and is determined, and forces her to work extra hard. She ultimately ends up being disappointed in herself due to her performance and the pressure from her mother

External Conflict: Mother vs Daughter

The mother wants her daughter to be an amazing and talented prodigy

The daughter wants to be the best for her mother but also just wants to be a normal kid

Theme

Even if you don’t think you can do something, you should not give up.

At the end of the story, Jing Mei finds her old songs that she played for piano practice. Although the songs were still complicated, she was still able to play them

Setting

San Francisco Chinatown in the 1960s is where the story takes place

Characters

Jing-Mei is the protagonist of the story, she is a daughter trying to just live her own life. She has to live with her mother who expects the absolute best out of her at everything she does.

The Mother is the antagonist of the story, she opposes her daughter all throughout the narrative and creates the story’s conflict.

Waverly is an example of the Devil Figure, she is snotty, competitive, and opposes Jing Mei during the story simply for her mother’s pride.

Piano teacher: Mr. Chong (deaf, old man)

Old lady Chong: Mr. Chong’s mom who he lives with

Motifs

The American Dream and Parental Expectations

• Pianist, ballerina, actor

Cultural Identity

• Shirley Temple, Rejection of her mothers dreams, later acceptance of her chinese silk dresses

The Piano

• Symbolizes the mothers aspirations, the daughters forced path, and the gap between them

• The daughter lacks effort 

Narrative Viewpoint

First person from perspective of the daughter/Jing Mei

Tans writing style

Metaphors/Symbolic Language: symbols like the piano and two pieces of music

Juxtaposition of Cultural Values: the narrative contrasts mothers desire for obedience (chinese cultural tradition) with the daughters desire for independence (american, individualistic perspective)

Conversational yet intense tone: The language is accessible yet deeply emotional, often shifting from excited youthful curiosity to intense, bitter conflict