Question

In “Two Kinds,” how do June’s feelings about her mother change from the beginning to the end of the story? How do the interactions between June and her mother illustrate this change? Use evidence from the text to support your response. Be sure to explain how each piece of evidence supports your analysis.

Answer 1

In the story "Two Kinds" we learn about the conflicts that Jing-mei has with her mother, who wants her to become a child prodigy.

At the beginning of the story, we see that Jing-mei profoundly dislikes her mother's strategies and plans for her. She is determined to fight against what she considers is an excessive amount of control. On the other hand, Jing-mei's mother does not listen to her child and forces her to try and perfect many subjects that do not interest her and that she has no talent for. The main example of this is how determined Jing-mei's mother is to turn her into a piano virtuoso, even after realizing that she has no talent for music.

However, later in the story, we learn that Jing-mei's mother has passed away, and that Jing-mei has finally become more understanding of her mother's situation. She realizes that her mother suffered greatly in China, and that she wanted Jing-mei to have more opportunities than her in America. Jing-mei realizes that both parts of her heritage (China and America) are ultimately part of her and of her mother's experience. This is exemplified by the symbolism in the song with two titles ("Pleading Child" and "Perfectly Contented").