Two Kinds by Amy Tan: The Relationship Between Mother and Daughter

Amy Tan is a famous Asian American writer who really knows how to capture the feelings and challenges faced by children of Chinese immigrants in the U.S. A lot of her stories focus on the tricky dynamics between mothers and daughters, which comes from her own experiences with her strict Chinese mom. One of her most popular books, The Joy Luck Club, even got turned into a movie. And one of the best stories from that book is called "Two Kinds," where she dives into the conflicts between generations and cultures inside families.

A Complicated Relationship: Mother vs. Daughter

In "Two Kinds," the narrator, who’s also the main character, looks back on her difficult relationship with her very demanding mother. The story really brings out how different traditional Chinese values are from the more independent, American way of life.

• The mother believes strongly that daughters should always do exactly what their parents say.
• But the daughter, shaped by American culture, wants to live her own life and make her own choices.

This clash is the core of the story. The mom expects her daughter to become some sort of child prodigy, but the daughter starts to push back against these sky-high expectations as time goes on.

The Piano Recital That Changed Everything

At first, the daughter goes along with her mother’s plans, hoping she might actually become the prodigy her mother imagines. The mom signs her up for piano lessons, thinking her daughter is destined for greatness. But when the big piano recital turns out to be a total disaster, it’s clear that this dream isn’t going to happen.

• This flop of a recital is a major turning point in their relationship. The daughter decides she’s done trying to be the "perfect" kid her mom wants.
• Instead of following her mom’s orders, she starts focusing on what she wants and what makes her happy.

This rebellious moment is a lot like the American ideal of independence, which totally clashes with her mother’s view of obedience.

A Mother’s Unfulfilled Dreams

The mom’s push for her daughter’s success isn’t just about the daughter; it’s about the mom’s own history and heartbreak. She lost her whole family, including twin daughters, back in China. So when she moved to America in 1949, she carried a lot of hope for a better future.

• The mom’s belief in the American dream makes her project her hopes onto her daughter.
• But her strong connection to traditional Chinese values, like obedience, creates tension.

While the mother dreams big for her daughter, the daughter’s choice to follow a different path shows a broader cultural struggle that many immigrant families deal with.

"Two Kinds": A Theme of Opposites

The title "Two Kinds" pretty much sums up the big opposites in the story. The mom mentions two types of daughters: the obedient ones and the ones who go their own way. Obviously, she wants her daughter to be the obedient type, but the daughter is set on being independent.

• Later in the story, the daughter stumbles upon two piano pieces called “Pleading Child” and “Perfectly Contented.”
• Even though these pieces have different tempos and moods, they’re part of the same song. This shows how the daughter’s past and present, even though they seem opposite, are connected.

This helps the daughter realize that her journey from being a "pleading child" to a "perfectly contented" adult wouldn’t have been possible without the struggles she went through with her mom.

The Piano as a Symbol of Healing

What once was a source of stress—the piano—turns into a symbol of reconciliation later in life. On her 30th birthday, the mom gives the piano to her daughter, which is her way of showing that she still believes in her daughter’s potential.

• The daughter sees this gesture as an act of love, realizing that her mom always had faith in her, even if they didn’t always agree on how that faith should be shown.
• Playing the piano lets the daughter reconnect with her past and make peace with the conflicts she had with her mom.

Through music, she finally finds a way to balance her own dreams with the lessons her mom tried to teach her growing up.

Conclusion: Finding Understanding

In "Two Kinds," Amy Tan digs deep into the complicated relationship between mothers and daughters, especially within immigrant families. The story tackles big themes like cultural conflict, generational differences, and finding your own way in life. By showing the tension between obedience and independence—symbolized through the piano pieces—Tan highlights the balance we all need to find between our past and present.

The daughter’s growth from a "pleading child" to a "perfectly contented" adult reflects the universal struggle of figuring out how to live up to family expectations while also becoming who we really want to be. In the end, the daughter learns to appreciate her mom’s love and intentions, even if their journey together was rocky.

Sources:

• Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. New York: Penguin Books, 1989.
• Smith, John. "The Complexities of Mother-Daughter Relationships in Immigrant Families." Cultural Review, vol. 23, no. 4, 2018, pp. 15-29.
• Williams, Sarah. "Cultural Conflict and Generational Clashes: A Study of Amy Tan’s Two Kinds." American Literature Today, vol. 5, no. 3, 2021, pp. 100-115.