Jing-mei’s mother chose the type of prodigy she would be. This is the theme of the story, conflicting values. Jing-mei <br> <br>Smith 2 <br>wanted to be an individual, while her mother demanded she do what was suggested. <br> <br>There were many reasons why Jing-mei’s mother demanded so much from her. She had invested the time trying to make Jing-mei a prodigy because she was her last hope.
In the film you catch how Ana and her mother believe in different roles that women should have and this is where most of the problems and differences come upon. One of the female roles that Ana strongly believes in is that she aspires to advance in life and attend college is something that is very important to her. On the other hand her mother Carmen opposes to college and moving from home is not an option for Ana unless is for marriage. In the eyes of Ana's mother, a college education is not the top priority and she is determined to make this clear to her daughter. With this said, there is a part in the film where Carmen is talking to her husband about the fact of Ana attending college and she tells him that there is no need for their daughter to attend college, that it’s a waste of time that she herself will teach and educate Ana with everything she needs to know so she finds herself a husband and gets married.
Dylan LeVine Professor Amber Day LCS 121A February 9, 2012 Yin and Yang Identity is an aspect of one’s life that must be formed on one’s own and not solely on the words or actions of others. The people around us can help build our identity, but is us who have to truly find ourselves. Two Kinds is narrated by Jing Mei Woo, a young girl whose mother pushes her to become a “prodigy child”. At first she liked the idea because she would be able to make her mother happy, but later gets locked in a struggle over her identity. People rely heavily on the way others perceive them; however your true identity is formed primarily on how you perceive yourself.
Now that’s growing up without a childhood. Jane Smiley seems like a great parent who cares about her children but to allow her daughters to put on makeup even entering their teenage years just isn’t right. Her girls where prematurely growing up, where behaving beyond their age, and with their only priority being beautiful at all times it seem to help them in the long run. As they burned off the “Barbie stage” and grew into more important things down their lives. Like for example Smiley talks about her older daughter, “Now she is planning to graduate school and law school and become an expert on woman’s health issues, perhaps adolescent health issues like anorexia and bulimia” (377).
The values of heritage seem to have been lost with the gain of knowledge when Dee has gone to college. Her actions she displays when she comes home for a visit are shocking to her family. It is almost as if Dee is using them for a show, rather than a visit that has been well overdue. It’s one thing to know what heritage is but another to understand what your heritage is. Mama was always one who could not say “no” to her daughter and she always tried to please her regardless if her daughter appreciated it or not.
ADITI MAJITHIA ID-0903145 “Girl” 1. The mother of a preadolescent daughter sees herself as the only person who can save her daughter from living a life of disrespect and promiscuity. She imparts advice to her daughter to both help her and admonish her at the same time. She admonishes her and uses words of wisdom but often repeats herself, especially to warn her daughter against becoming a “slut”. The mother dispenses much practical and helpful advice that will help her daughter keep a house of her own someday.
In Alice’s case, her characteristics and values have been drastically influenced by what her family has been through in the past. An example of the influence of past lives on the behaviors of family members is the relationship between Alice’s mother and her grandmother. There is great conflict between the two of them during Alice’s childhood because her grandmother has such high expectations of Alice’s mother that she finds difficult to fulfill. Alice’s grandmother is an old fashioned Chinese woman, who believes that the wife of the house must bring honor to her family by perfecting all domestic duties. Juggling four children, cooking, cleaning and adjusting to a new society puts pressure on Alice’s mother.
In "Two Kinds," by Amy Tan, the narrator’s mother is from China, which affects the way she looks at the world. To her, America is the land of opportunity: “My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America.” She has an unrealisic expectation that her daughter can be a musical prodigy. Because of this, she pushes and forces her daughter into piano lessons. The girl’s first act of rebellion is when she purposefully fails at piano. It is her way to reject her mother and her mother's strict Chinese rules.
I was confused, terrified, upset, and depressed” (Duval). All she could think about was how impossible it would be to raise a child. Harley’s choices of having a baby would be changed if it was in her control. Abortion was never in her mind, adoption was a possibility; but when she saw the first ultrasound of her baby, her mind changed about the pregnancy situation. It was her mistake, so she is going to take on her responsibility, and be a great parent for her unborn child.
Daniel Poleshchuk 10/3/12 E1FC Assignment: Writing About Literature Final Draft In “Rules of the Game,” by Amy Tan, Waverly’s mother is more of an adversary than an ally. Waverly’s mother acts as an adversary to Waverly because she doesn’t allow her daughter to embrace American culture. Waverly has been raised in America and has been living here for a long time, experiencing the ways of the country; her mother, however, has little respect to the American way of life and work ethic and depicts this when she says, “Chinese people do many things…Not lazy like American people” (3). Her condescending outburst makes it clear that she does not intend for Waverly to be at all like American children, who are