Topic > Two Kinds by Amy Tan: Representation of the American Dream in a Negative Aspect

“Two Kinds” is a short story that is part of the book “The Joy Luck Club” written by Amy Tan. “The Joy Luck Club” was published in 1989. The mother-daughter relationship shown in the short story received criticism for perpetuating racist stereotypes about Asian Americans. In this analysis I would like to interpret the distinctions that exist between an Asian immigrant and an Asian-American child, how the American dream can have a negative impact on immigrants, and how Amy Tan makes great use of symbols. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The short story "Two Kinds" follows a mother and daughter, and the mothers wish for her daughter to become a prodigy. This story compares the differences between the mothers' and daughters' generations, but also compares the differences between American and Chinese cultures. In the story “Two Kinds” the daughter and her mother live in America, and her mother firmly believes in the stereotype of the American dream. He believes that in America you can become anything, and so he chooses his daughter's life path. The mother chooses everything that can make her daughter rich and famous. In China this would not have been a possibility, but being in America allows her to push her daughter into a non-servile life. Because of the difficulties in her mother's life, she has a hope of grasping the American dream. The mother in the story is both selfish and altruistic. He sacrifices a lot for his daughter in the hope that she will have a better future. "Mr. Chong was a retired piano teacher, and my mother had traded house cleaning service for weekly lessons and a piano for me to practice on every day, two hours a day from four to six." But he is also selfish. , wants to live the American dream but does so through her daughter. The main theme of the story is the cultural distinctions that exist between an Asian immigrant and an Asian-American child. The conflict and desires of both the mother and daughter are reflected in the American dream and about the way people typically they immigrate to America they focus more on acquiring the promised materialistic life. For this reason the mother raises her daughter, based on the American dream. This leads the daughter to focus only on the materialistic life rather than the life that actually makes her happy she raises her daughter in a Chinese way despite living in America. In Asian culture it is normal for parents to choose their child's path, but in America it is different. Children choose their own path in life, and that is the cultural divide between an Asian immigrant and an Asian-American child. Immigrant parents feel pressure to transform their children into individuals who are easily accepted in society, but the problem is that doing so puts a strain on their relationship with their children. This has a negative impact on their adaptation in society. This is clearly shown in the story “Two Kinds”. The external conflict in the story causes the daughter to have an internal conflict. “And after seeing, once again, my mother's disappointed face, something inside me began to die. I hated the test, the hopes raised and the expectations dashed. That night, before I went to bed, I looked in the mirror over the bathroom sink and saw only my face staring back at me – and I knew it would always be that normal face. I started crying. Such a sad and ugly girl! I was making high-pitched noises, like a mad animal trying to scratch its face in the mirror." Whatever the daughter did, to make her mother proud,.