Two Kinds

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Two Kinds

• By Amy Tan

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• "Two Kinds", set in San Francisco, is a wonderful
  story about a young girl's coming of age in a
  family that has recently emigrated from China.
• Amy Tan tells the story from the point of view of
  an adult looking back on her own childhood
  experiences. This gives the story a rich double
  perspective, allowing both the hindsight and
  judgment of a mature woman, and also, for much of
  the story, the freshness and innocence of a young
  person trying to discover her own identity.
• The way in which Amy Tan orchestrates these
  shifting points of view is one of the pleasures
  of reading the story.

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Jing-Mei Character Analysis

• Initially, Jing-Mei doesnt have the drive to
  succeed as her mother does. Her mother has many
  ideas for her to succeed. At first, it was to be
  a Chinese Shirley Temple. Then, it was anything
  out of Ripleys Believe it or not, or Readers
  Digest. Jing-Meis mother would also give her
  testsbut she failed them all. Eventually.
  Jing-Mei began to perform listlessly and pretend
  to be bored. Then, when her mother saw a little
  Chinese girl playing the piano on the ED Sullivan
  Show, she got the same idea for Jing-Mei.
• After learning to play the piano, Jing-Mei learns
  easy ways to get out of practicing. As she took
  lessons from Mr. Chong, who was deaf, Jing-Mei
  found out that he was just like Beethoven.
  Jing-Mei discovers that she could fool him and
  make it look like she was playing and get away
  with mistakes. If she hit the wrong key, Jing-Mei
  wouldnt correct herself. She was determined not
  to try.

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Jing-Mei continued

• At the talent show, Jing-Meis practicing habits
  show, and she truly learns what her mother wants.
  She was supposed to play Pleading Child. In
  getting ready for the show, Jing-Mei would cheat
  and never really listen to what she was playing.
  When it came to the recital, Jing-Mei was so
  confident that she could pull it off that she
  started hitting wrong notes and realizing it. She
  had felt her mothers shame. As a result of the
  talent show massacre, Jing-Mei didnt want to
  play the piano anymore. Then, when her mother
  wants her to practice, she decides that she
  defiantly wont.
• As an adult, having her mother offer her the
  piano again, Jing-Mei appreciates the
  encouragement given by her mother. Instead of
  throwing the piano away, she has it tuned and
  taken care of. This shows that Jing-Mei has
  respect as one of two kinds of people. There are
  ones who try and ones who dont. Jing-Mei is a
  little of both.

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Mrs. Woo Character Analysis

• Jing-Mei Woo's mother arrives in the United
  States in 1949 after losing her entire family
  including her first husband, their infant twin
  daughters, and her parents. Once she settles in
  America, she never looks back. She thinks that if
  you live in America, you can do and be anything
  you want. Not only can you open your own
  business, but you can buy a house and become
  rich.
• She has high hopes that her daughter will be a
  great success as a prodigy. She's not precisely
  sure where her daughter's talents lie, but she is
  sure that her daughter possesses great abilityit
  is simply a matter of finding the right avenue
  for Jing-Mei's talents. First, Mrs. Woo tries to
  mold her daughter into a child actress, but that
  doesn't work. Then she tries intellectual tests
  clipped from popular magazines. Jing-Mei doesn't
  show promise in this area, either. Finally, Mrs.
  Woo hits upon the answer Jing-Mei will be a
  piano virtuoso.

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Mrs. Woo continued

• Shortly after this, Mrs. Woo meets Lindo Jong and
  her daughter, Waverly. Mrs. Jong brags about
  Waverly's success as a chess prodigy. Not to be
  outdone, Mrs. Woo brags about her daughter's
  "natural pride," which only makes her daughter
  more determined to rebel against Mrs. Woos
  ambitions.
• Mrs. Woo trades housecleaning services for
  Jing-Mei's piano lessons from Mr. Chong.
• Eventually, after a lot of hard work cleaning
  houses, Mrs. Woo scrapes together enough money to
  buy a secondhand piano. A few weeks later,
  Jing-Mei participates in a talent show in a
  church hall. Mrs. Woo is so proud of her daughter
  that she invites all the couples from the Joy
  Luck Club to come to her daughters piano debut.
• Unfortunately, the recital does not go as planned
  and Mrs. Woo is disappointed, embarrassed, and
  appears defeated.

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Mrs. Woo continued

• Much to everyones surprise, shortly after the
  recital disaster, Mrs. Woo expects her daughter
  to continue practicing. Jing Mei stands up to
  her mother and hits her where it hurts. Jing Mei
  mentions wishing she were dead like Mrs. Woos
  dead twin daughters. This upsets Mrs. Woo
  greatly.