Parenting in "Two Kinds"

Paper Summary:

The paper highlights the parental control in Amy Tan's "Two Kinds" and shows how the character of Jing-Mei reacts negatively to her mother's insistence that she become a prodigy after the mother becomes obsessive about it. The paper illustrates how destructive parental control can be when a child is forced to do something that he or she does not want, or cannot, do.

From the Paper:

"Parental control exists in almost any parent-child relationship and almost leads to disappointment. Parents generally want to control their children so that they can see them grow into successful, productive human beings. While intentions may be good, parental control is generally a bad idea because individuals can only be who they were born to be. Amy Tan's short story, "Two Kinds," illustrates this point through the relationship with Jing-Mei and her mother. These two characters are strong willed and neither wants to give in to the other, which places an incredible amount of stress on the relationship that does not mend until decades later. The story teaches us that parental control needs to be tempered with the wisdom of knowing that one's children are people, too, and cannot be forced to live a particular life."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Tan, Amy. "Two Kinds." The Joy Luck Club. New York: Ivy Books. 1989.

More papers on Parenting in "Two Kinds":

• Comparison Essay # 113914 : "A Raisin in the Sun" and "Two Kinds"
• Film Review # 147854 : "Parenting Styles: "Big Daddy"
• Book Review # 117826 : "Amy Tan's "The Joy Luck Club"

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