Two Kinds Group

Question:

aquarius241
aquarius241
Student
High School - 12th Grade

What is the meaning of the music in the end  (related with the title) in the story "Two Kinds" of Amy Tan?

Please help, thanks !!!

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Posted by aquarius241 on Saturday March 7, 2009 at 5:03 PM and tagged with conclusion, music, themes, title, two kinds.

Answers:


  1. scdaniel Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    After her mother's death, Jing Mei discovers that the name of the song she had to learn for her recital was called "Pleading Child." Right beside it is a piece entitled "Perfectly Contented." She notes that "Pleading Child" was shorter, but slower, and "Perfectly Contented" was longer but faster.  This contrast seems to illustrate the two portions, or "two kinds" of Jing Mei's life. In the first part of the story, Jing Mei was the pleading child, fighting against her mother every step of the way by refusing to practice and, finally, outright defying her mother's wishes. At the end of the story, "perfectly contented" would be more descriptive of Jing mei's life. She is older, and as she reflects on her past, she realizes how much her mother really did for her.  There is some regret for not trying to be better at so many things, but she is content at the end of the story for who she is.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/two-kinds/themes

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    Posted by scdaniel on Sunday March 8, 2009 at 3:13 AM