Question

In 100 words describe Two Kinds “by Amy Tan. Please Type

1. Why do you think the narrator’s mother wanted to live the “American Dream” and leave her family and home in China?

2 Why is so much pressure put on the narrator? 3 Do we also put to much pressure on our kids?

Answer 1

The narrator’s mother wanted to live the American dream because the lifestyle in America seemed better to her than the lifestyle in China. She lists so many benefits like opening a restaurant, working for the government and getting a good pension, buying a house with very less down payment, higher possibility or chances of becoming rich and famous, making her child into a prodigy etc. She was hopeful that America can provide her with all of it while living in China may not provide the same kind of opportunities.

In the story, the mother is a house cleaner, she imagines their lives would get better if her daughter becomes something big like a child prodigy who gets rich and famous. She wants her daughter to achieve success, fame and money so they may not have to stay poor and also she thinks it is doable. It seems like there is similar kind of pressure on the children in the community, where the parents are hoping and waiting on their children to make them proud.

Yes, there is lots of pressure on the kids, the ways and methods on how it is implemented may be different, but nonetheless there is always a high expectation on kids to perform more and become praiseworthy by accomplishing great things.