Cultural Expectations in Amy Tan’s ‘Two Kinds’
Amy Tan’s short story Two Kinds portrays the strained relationship between Jing-Mei and her mother, Suyuan Woo, as they navigate conflicting cultural and generational values. While Mrs. Woo believes in the American Dream and pushes her daughter to become a prodigy, Jing-Mei resists, seeking independence and self-identity. Through dialogue and contrast, Tan captures the struggles of immigrant families, the clash between tradition and freedom, and the complex journey of balancing parental expectations with personal fulfillment.
References
Ewaidat, Hala. “Reconstructing the Mother-Daughter Relationship: Lydia Davis and Amy Tan.” AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, vol. 5, no. 1, 2021, pp. 324-335.
Tan, Amy. “Two Kinds.” Arguing About Literature: A Guide and Reader¸ edited by Schilb John and John Clifford, Macmillan Higher Education, 2019, pp. 304-312.
Reference
StudyCorgi. (2025, September 19). Cultural Expectations in Amy Tan’s ‘Two Kinds’. https://studycorgi.video/cultural-expectations-in-amy-tans-two-kinds/