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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This is a 3 page paper that provides an overview of Tan's "Two Kinds". The theme of generational strife is explored. Bibliography lists 1 source.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: KW60_KFlit039.doc
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
themes of inter-generational division that characterize the novel, but the narrative of "Two Kinds" is essentially self-contained, such that it can be read in isolation from the novel without detracting
from the whole. The two main characters, Jing-Mei and Suyuan, are daughter and mother. Their disparate cultural backgrounds, with Suyuan coming from pre-Revolution China and Jing-Mei growing up in contemporary
San Francisco, and the clashes between them form the crux of the narrative. In doing so, Tan presents an important theme: the cultural division between generations forms a significant obstacle
to their relationships, sometimes even placing strain on familial bonds. This paragraph helps the student provide a simple summary of the story to provide context for the reaction. The
story opens with Jing-Mei recalling her life as a young girl and her mother Suyuans efforts to turn her into a child prodigy in order to satisfy her own desire
to compete with a friends daughter who is a chess prodigy. Efforts to transform Jing-Mei into a child prodigy include dyeing her hair blond like Shirley Temple and taking various
other aesthetic cues from a collection of American housewife magazines. Ultimately, Suyuan decides that Jing-Mei will be a piano prodigy and sends her to learn to play the piano from
a neighbor, Mr. Chong. Jing-Mei resents the lessons but tolerates them because Mr. Chong turns out to be deaf, and she doesnt actually have to put effort into learning. Suyuan
then forces Jing-Mei to play in a recital, where Jing-Mei breaks down when she is unable to play. After this point, the lessons end, but later in life, when Jing
Mei is thirty, Suyuan still holds onto the misguided notion that her daughter was meant to be a piano prodigy. Jing Mei doesnt understand the source of her mothers desires.
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