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Essay / 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 featured in the short story was criticized 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 negatively impact immigrants, and how Amy Tan makes heavy use of symbols. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original EssayThe short story “Two Kinds” follows a mother and her daughter, and the mothers wish for her daughter to become a prodigy. This short story compares the differences between the generations of mothers and daughters, but also compares the differences between American and Chinese cultures. In the short story "Two Kinds", the girl and her mother live in America, and her mother firmly believes in the stereotype of the American dream. She believes that in America you can become anything and so she chooses her daughter's life path. The mother chooses anything that could make her daughter rich and famous. In China this would not have been possible, but being in America allows him to push his daughter into a life that is not servile. Due to the difficulties of the mother's life, she has a hopeful vision of the American dream. The mother in the story is both selfish and selfless. She sacrifices a lot for her daughter in hopes of giving her a better future. "Mr. Chong was a retired piano teacher and my mother had traded his housekeeping services for weekly lessons and a piano that I could practice on every day, two hours a day, from four to six hours. But she is also selfish, she wants to live the American dream but she does so through her daughter The main theme of the story is the cultural distinctions existing between an Asian immigrant and an Asian-American child The conflict and desires of the. mother and daughter reflect the American dream and how people who usually immigrate to America focus more on acquiring the promised materialistic life. It is for this reason that the mother raises her daughter according to the American dream. This leads the daughter to focus only on the materialistic life rather than the life that actually makes her happy The mother raises her daughter the Chinese way even though she lives in America She raises her, as if she had been raised. . In Asian culture, it's common for parents to choose which path their children should follow, but in America it's different. Children choose their own path in life, and that's the cultural divide between an Asian immigrant and an Asian-American child. Immigrant parents feel pressure to mold their children into individuals who are easily accepted into society, but the problem is that in doing so they strain their relationship with their child. Which has a negative impact on their adaptation in society. This is clearly demonstrated in the short story “Two Kinds”. The external conflict in the short story causes an internal conflict in the girl. “And after seeing my mother's disappointed face once again, something inside me began to die. I hated the test, the hopes raised and the expectations dashed. Before I went to bed that night, I looked in the mirror above the bathroom sink and saw only my face staring back at me – and I realized it would always be that face ordinary. I started to cry. Such a sad and ugly girl! I made high pitched noises like a crazy animal trying to.