Amy Tan's story, "Two Kinds," reveals conflicting values with a mother-daughter relationship running throughout the story. Conflicts occur owing to divergent opinions about identification. As a Chinese immigrant in America, Jing-Mei's mother puts her American dreams on the shoulder of her daughter. However, as an American born child, Jing-Mei does not want to live up to the expectations of her mother. This paper will examine what the title "two kinds" implies from different perspectives.
             "Only two kinds of daughters those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter! "(Amy 495)The lines explains the most obvious meaning of two kinds: The child who is obedient and who is rebellious. Jing-Mei's mother wants the best for Jing-Mei and arranges everything for her. Nevertheless, in Jing-Mei's opinion, she thinks that her mother wants to use her to fulfill her American dream. The conflict of two opinions is ironic. It's hard to clarify which one is wrong. As a daughter, what should she do is to obey? As the saying goes, "Do not do to others what you do not want to be done." By contrast, should we do to others what you want to be done? Parents are apt to arrange what they think of as the best for their children but they ignore their children's intentions. The same goes for children. While children struggle against their parents' arrangement, do they perceive the good intentions in disguise from their parents? Mostly, parents' good intentions are not appreciated until children grow up. The writer may want to help readers to reflect on the roles we play in relationships between parents and children. American dream may both symbolize Jing-Mei's benefits and her mother's gratification.
             "America was where all my mother's hopes lay." (Amy 489) From a culturist perspective, two kinds reveal two kinds of cultural values. As a Chinese immigrant, Jing-Mei's mother...