Ideas for Group Discussions
In "Two Kinds," Tan delves into the intricate and often challenging relationships between mothers and daughters. She particularly examines the issues faced by different generations of Chinese-American women: mothers who have been separated from their native culture for many years and their American-born daughters who navigate between two cultures.
1. What does Jing-mei anticipate will occur at the recital? Does she intend to deliver the kind of performance that she ultimately gives? Why or why not?
2. Why is the narrator's mother so fixated on transforming her daughter into a prodigy? Beyond her rivalry with Lindo Jong, what broader cultural influences might be driving her to think this way?
3. At the conclusion of the story, the narrator observes that the piece of music she struggled with as a child, "Pleading Child," has a companion piece called "Contented Child." She realizes they are "two halves of the same song." Discuss how this can be interpreted as a metaphor for the story.
4. A recurring theme in Tan's work is the struggle many immigrants face in assimilating into American society. Research your own family history and, if possible, collect anecdotes from your relatives. What challenges did your family face as they integrated into American culture? What traditions have endured through the assimilation process?
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