“Two Kinds” By Amy Tan

“Two Kinds” How does Jing-mei react at first to her mother’s plans to make her a prodigy? Why does Jing-mei change her mind about becoming a prodigy? What does Jing-mei learn from Mr. Chong? What happens to Jing-mei at the talent show? What happens between Jing-mei and her mother when her mother insists that she practice, despite what happened at the talent show?

Personality profile A personality profile is an overview of a person – not a comprehensive list of details. Choose the distinctive traits that are most important to write about. Write a brief personality profile of either the mother or the daughter in “Two Kinds.”

Complaints What complaints does the mother have about the daughter? Are these complaints justified? What complaints does the daughter have about the mother?

“Two Kinds” In what ways are the daughter’s internal conflicts reflected in the two contrasting songs- “Pleading Child” and “Perfectly Contented”?  Why do you think the mother wants the daughter to be a prodigy? What does she hope this will achieve for her daughter? What do you think she hopes it will achieve for herself?  How does Jing-mei respond to the pressures and expectations of her community and family?

Lesson learned Do you think it is fairly common that some mothers create resentment in their children by trying to do things they feel are in their childrens' best interests? Can you think of any examples? Have you ever had an experience as embarrassing as Jing Mei's piano recital? Have you ever been asked to, forced to, or encouraged to try to do something that you just could not do? Do you believe people grow up with certain personality traits that can't be changed?

Possible Themes Identity Expectation and reality