"Two Kinds" is a short story from Amy Tan's bestselling 1989 book, The Joy Luck Club. The story centers on Jing-mei, a Chinese-American girl, and her relationship with her mother, Suyuan, who immigrated to the United States from China.
At the beginning of the story, Jing-mei is struggling with her identity as a Chinese-American. She feels caught between two cultures and unsure of where she belongs. Suyuan, on the other hand, is determined to assimilate into American culture and raise Jing-mei to be a "prodigy," believing that this will bring her success and fulfillment.
The central conflict of the story revolves around Jing-mei's resistance to her mother's expectations and the tension that arises between the two as a result. Suyuan pushes Jing-mei to excel at various activities, including piano lessons and beauty pageants, but Jing-mei consistently fails to meet her mother's expectations. This creates a rift between them and ultimately leads to a heated confrontation, in which Jing-mei refuses to be molded into the prodigy her mother wants her to be.
One of the key themes in "Two Kinds" is the relationship between mothers and daughters and the expectations that mothers have for their children. Suyuan's desire for Jing-mei to be a prodigy is rooted in her own experiences and struggles as an immigrant in the United States. She sees her daughter's potential as a way to achieve the success and fulfillment that she herself has been unable to attain.
However, Jing-mei's resistance to her mother's expectations also highlights the theme of individuality and the importance of finding one's own path in life. Jing-mei's refusal to be molded into the prodigy her mother wants her to be is ultimately a assertion of her own identity and agency.
Another theme in the story is the concept of cultural identity and the challenges that immigrants and their children face in trying to navigate between two cultures. Jing-mei feels torn between her Chinese heritage and her American upbringing, and this conflict is reflected in her relationship with her mother, who is also struggling to find her place in a new culture.
Overall, "Two Kinds" is a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of the relationship between mothers and daughters, cultural identity, and the search for one's own place in the world. It offers a nuanced and complex portrayal of the experiences of immigrants and their children, and the struggles they face in trying to find their place in a new culture.