Two Kinds Questions on Jing-mei

Two Kinds

The last paragraph of Amy Tan's "Two Kinds" is significant because it symbolizes reconciliation and understanding between Jing-mei and her mother. Jing-mei realizes that the two piano pieces,...

2 educator answers

Two Kinds

In "Two Kinds," Jing-mei's talent show performance was a disaster due to her lack of preparation and belief in her supposed prodigy status. Despite not learning the piece well and daydreaming during...

5 educator answers

Two Kinds

In Amy Tan's "Two Kinds," Jing-mei's character evolves from an obedient child eager to please her ambitious mother, who dreams of her becoming a prodigy, to a willful individual asserting her own...

12 educator answers

Two Kinds

Jing-mei is described as stubborn, frustrated, and intelligent. She resists her mother's ambitions for her and struggles with her mother's expectations. Jing-mei's mother is persistent, lonely, and...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

Jing-Mei's performance at the talent show in "Two Kinds" is disastrous. Despite her mother's high expectations and her own initial confidence, she plays the piano poorly, hitting many wrong notes....

2 educator answers

Two Kinds

In the last three paragraphs of the short story "Two Kinds," the author uses literary devices such as imagery, figurative language, and tone to reveal Jing-mei’s complex relationship with her mother...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

The daughter's evolving personality drives the plot of "Two Kinds." Initially compliant, she grows increasingly defiant against her mother's high expectations. This tension culminates in a heated...

3 educator answers

Two Kinds

The conclusion of "Two Kinds" effectively captures the unresolved tension and mutual misunderstanding between mother and daughter. The story ends with a symbolic gesture—the mother giving the piano...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

In Amy Tan's "Two Kinds," the first-person point of view from Jing-mei's perspective significantly shapes the reader's perception, fostering empathy with her struggles against her mother's...

6 educator answers

Two Kinds

The song "Pleading Child" symbolizes Jing-mei's internal conflict and strained relationship with her mother. It represents the emotional struggle she faced in her youth, marked by misunderstanding...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

In "Two Kinds," Suyuan's motivations include wanting her daughter, Jing-mei, to be a prodigy to compete with her friend's child and to take advantage of American opportunities. Jing-mei initially...

7 educator answers

Two Kinds

In "Two Kinds," Jing-mei planned to and expected to give a solid performance at the recital. This makes her surprise and shock at playing a wrong note all the more powerful.

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

I most sympathize with the mother, Suyuan, near the end of the story. As a parent, I understand the desire to see my children perform well. I understand the desire to see my kids pursue similar...

2 educator answers

Two Kinds

Jing-Mei is a dynamic character in Amy Tan's "Two Kinds." Initially, she believes she must obey her mother to fulfill the American dream and avoid being the "wrong kind of daughter." However, she...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

To create a thesis statement and conclusion for an essay on Amy Tan's "Two Kinds," focus on the cultural and generational conflict between Jing-Mei and her mother. A good thesis might be: "While...

3 educator answers

Two Kinds

The ending of "Two Kinds" signifies Jing-Mei's resolution of conflict with her mother and her self-acceptance. Receiving the piano as a "shiny trophy" symbolizes winning her independence. Discovering...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

The prodigy in Jing-mei dies when she decides "to give up pleasing" her mother. It is this death that ultimately leads to her becoming her own person and finding a girl who is "angry, powerful."

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

After a failed prodigy training session, Jing-mei sees two faces in the mirror. The first is her familiar, ordinary face, which makes her feel sad and inadequate, as she believes she lacks the...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

During their final piano lesson argument, Jing-Mei tells her mother, "I wish I wasn't your daughter. I wish you weren't my mother...I wish I were dead! Like them." This hurtful remark refers to the...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

Jing-Mei learns fundamental piano skills from Mr. Chong, such as reading music, playing scales, and understanding musical terms like bass and treble. However, because Mr. Chong is deaf, Jing-Mei can...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

The story is heartbreaking in a way, but there is actually a lot of humor in “Two Kinds.

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

When Jing-mei plays the piano at the talent show, her lack of preparation for the performance becomes clear. She looks lovely and curtsies beautifully, but her piano playing is abysmal. It is a...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

In Amy Tan's "Two Kinds," the setting of San Francisco's Chinatown deeply influences both the plot and character actions. Jing-mei's mother, an immigrant, sees America as a land of endless...

5 educator answers

Two Kinds

Yes, the narrator of "Two Kinds" is a round and dynamic character. The roundness of her character is portrayed in her strong feelings related to being a "prodigy" and in her relationship with her...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

In "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan, the main character, Jing-mei, desires acceptance from her mother while wanting to remain true to herself. Her obstacle is her mother's relentless push for her to become a...

3 educator answers

Two Kinds

A possible thesis statement for an essay on conformity and rebellion in "Two Kinds" is: "Although conforming to Suyuan's wishes would have been difficult for Jing-mei, rebelling against her mother...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

Jing-mei's experience with Mr. Chong teaches her accountability. Once she discovers that his old eyes are "too slow to keep up with the wrong notes" she plays, she learns to be "lazy" and that she...

2 educator answers

Two Kinds

The final two songs, "Pleading Child" and "Perfectly Contented," symbolize Jing-mei's character progression. Initially, she seeks her mother's unconditional love, represented by "Pleading Child," but...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

In Amy Tan's "Two Kinds," the narrator, Jing-mei, undergoes significant character development as she navigates her relationship with her immigrant mother. Initially eager to fulfill her mother's...

3 educator answers

Two Kinds

In "Two Kinds," the narrator, Jing-mei, sees an ordinary, sad, and ugly girl in the mirror, reflecting her feelings of failure and inadequacy. Despite her mother's aspirations for her to be a...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

The setting in "Two Kinds" highlights the challenges and cultural clashes faced by early Asian immigrants in the United States. It underscores the struggle between maintaining traditional values and...

4 educator answers

Two Kinds

Misunderstandings of "Two Kinds" can arise from focusing solely on the mother-daughter conflict as a cultural stereotype of Chinese American relationships. The story's deeper message reveals that...

2 educator answers

Two Kinds

In "Two Kinds," Jing-mei defies her mother by expressing a wish to be dead like her mother's lost daughters, a hurtful statement that leaves her mother stunned. This climactic moment reflects the...

2 educator answers

Two Kinds

The Shirley Temple incident symbolizes both Jing-mei's assertion of independence and the fracture in her relationship with her mother, Suyuan. Jing-mei resists her mother's attempts to mold her into...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

In Amy Tan's "Two Kinds," Jing-mei's mother pressures her to develop various talents to gain prestige, including performing arts, academics, and piano playing. Jing-mei tries tap dancing,...

2 educator answers

Two Kinds

Jing-mei is initially excited by the idea of becoming a prodigy, but she becomes disillusioned when she fails to find her talent. Over time, Jing-mei finds that her mother's expectations have become...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

After dinner each day, Jing-Mei's mother tests her on various subjects, inspired by magazines like Good Housekeeping and Reader's Digest, to emulate child prodigies. These tests involve recalling...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

The girl on the Ed Sullivan show in "Two Kinds" is playing a piano, as described in the story. However, the specific instrument is not crucial to the story's theme. The narrative focuses on the...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

"Two Kinds" by Amy Tan explores the loss of innocence and aging through Jing-mei's journey from childhood compliance to adult independence. Initially, Jing-mei naively embraces her mother's dreams of...

2 educator answers

Two Kinds

In "Two Kinds," Suyuan gives Jing-mei the piano as a birthday present, symbolizing reconciliation and acceptance. Initially, Jing-mei's mother pushes her to become a prodigy, causing tension and a...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

Reactions to Jing-Mei's conflict with her mother vary among readers. Initially, some may empathize with Jing-Mei, especially if they relate to her youthful rebellion and desire for independence....

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

"Two Kinds" is a short story by Amy Tan that tells the story of an angry Chinese-American girl named June. At the beginning of the story, June, who is about twelve years old, is arguing with her...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

The story represents the idea of transformation or change in the main character, Jing-Mei. First, Jing-Mei welcomes her mother’s dreams for her to become a child prodigy. Then, Jing-Mei resists her...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

Even if Jing-mei had become a prodigy, she would not have been beyond reproach in her mother's eyes. Her mother, Suyuan, valued obedience over achievement, declaring that only obedient daughters...

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

"Two Kinds" says that the parents did not leave due to pride and honor. Their daughter performed poorly, but it would have dishonored other audience members to have left.

1 educator answer

Two Kinds

"Two Kinds" highlights the complexity and significance of relationships, showing that conflict often arises from differing expectations and a lack of understanding. Jing-Mei and her mother experience...

1 educator answer