Chess prodigy

“Two Kinds” by Amy Tan is a story that shows a battle that starts with the narrator and her mother, for control over the narrator’s life. Her mother wanted her to become a prodigy, but she wanted to be anything other than that. So, throughout the short story “Two Kinds” she’s determined to not quit the fight. “Two Kinds” is filled with different forms of conflict which allows for the narrator to realize that her mother’s crazy antics were to help her find what she was good at. Which leads to the

Richard Russo's "Dog" and Amy Tan's "Two Kinds" are stories that illustrate the negative impacts parents sometimes have on their children and the unintended consequences that occur as a result of their parenting. In "Dog," Henry Devereaux grows into an adult who has difficulty connecting emotionally with others, a man who is not easy, and though entertaining, is not comforting. In "Two Kinds," Jing-mei was a failure many times over in her mother's eyes, finally dropping out of college and only

Dana Karson 8-4 3/7/16 English Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club explores the role of family history in a person’s development. Tan’s subtext suggests that knowing the life story of one’s parents is paramount to gaining a whole sense of one’s self and growing up. More specifically, Jing Mei Woo, one of the main characters in the novel, is still a child at 36, her growth stunted by difficult experiences with her mother Suyuan, at a young age. In truth, Jing Mei never

smallest bit of unordinary into my life. The first thing I can recall after reawakening was a turning point in my life; it would soon change my life into one of wonder. It was then when I met Anna who was heralded as a prodigy. I remember that there was a saying, “people would call you a prodigy when you’re 10, a genius when you’re 15, but once you become 20 you’ll just be ordinary.” People probably meant it to be a lesson to kids so they never stop trying, or maybe to prevent children from becoming too

mother, for control over the narrator’s life. Her mother wanted her to become a prodigy, but she wanted to be anything other than her mother’s idea of a successful American. So, throughout the short story “Two Kinds” she’s determined to not quit the fight to no longer have her mother push for her success. Her determination leads to her rebelling against her mother’s ideas, and finally puts a stop to the idea of a prodigy. “Two Kinds” demonstrates different forms of conflict which allowed for the narrator

During the 1900’s, women had a tough time becoming their own unique beings. They had little rights, almost non-existent to be honest, and no voice. Consequentially, women were forced into becoming good housewives and value the growth and developmental impacts they had on their children. Along the way, women had the voice to say enough is enough. Women wanted change and they wanted it now. This is what sparked Women’s rights movements. When talking about a compare and contrast essay, I thought about

Club, by Amy Tan, Jing-mei’s mother believed that her daughter could become anyone that she wanted. Jing-mei only wanted to become herself. Jing-mei’s mother forced Jing-mei to become a prodigy. At first Jing-mei was excited to become a prodigy, however, as time went on Jing-mei started to hate trying to become a prodigy. It never stopped her mother from trying to make Jing-mei into a prodigy.Jing-mei’s perspective of her own cultural identity, her role as daughter, and how she sees American life was

Whether it is wholesome or tough love, the bond of a mother and daughter can never be broken. “The Joy Luck Club” is the epitome of this notion. The anthology contains a series of sixteen vignettes, four of which belonging to one of each of the four members of The Joy Luck Club. These vignettes cover the perspectives of mothers who immigrated to America from China, along with the flip side point of view, taken over by each of their daughters. In the anthology, Tan reflects on her past life and incorporates

please her mother, but an even stronger one to choose her own life. She pacifies her mother by going to piano lessons but puts in no effort. Jing-Mei is “…determined to put a stop to her blind foolishness,” (356/48) but her mother’s desire to create a prodigy to compete with Aunt Lindo’s daughter, keeps her focused on the impossible. That is, until Jing-Mei escalates this conflict to its breaking point in rebellion. Stunning her mother, she shouts “Then I wish I’d never been born! I wish I were dead! Like

written from the point of view of the character named Jing-Mei. There are three experiences which demonstrate her viewpoint. In the first experience, Jing-Mei is being told by her mom about the “American dream”. At first, she strives to pursue this prodigy. Her mom would test her every night after dinner. Through Jing-Mei’s eyes, she starts to realize that it was not the life she wanted to live. Lines in the story illustrate this when he says “I won’t let her change me, I promised myself. I won’t be