Parenting Mistakes in Amy Tans Two Kinds - 663 Words

Parenting mistakes: Amy Tans Two Kinds In Amy Tans story Two Kinds, excerpted from the authors longer novel The Joy Luck Club, a Chinese-American daughter Jing-mei (June) is forced to play the piano, because her mother is determined that her daughter must become a prodigy at something. Rather than responding to her daughters needs and interests, Suyuan Woo instead imposes her own emotional needs upon her daughter. In the intensely competitive environment of the Chinese-American community where the Woos reside, Suyuan is eaten up with jealousy at Waverly Jong, a chess prodigy who is a local celebrity. Suyuan is not particularly interested in the piano, but she wants June to excel at something, and after seeing a Chinese-American girl perform on the Ed Sullivan Show, she obtains lessons for her daughter. Imposing an interest upon her daughter, regardless of her daughters aptitude or inclination is Suyuans first mistake. Her second mistake is stressing that her daughter must excel at this new endeavor. Merely trying her bes t is not enough: she wants June to be perfect. This is despite the fact that even many talented individuals were not prodigies when they first attempted their art, sport, or activity. June feels so pressured she decides to give up even before she really tries because her mothers standards are so high. Also, because music is imposed upon June like a school assignment, she derives no joy from practicing. Suyuan believes she can bully herShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Ideal Parent1070 Words   |  5 PagesThe Ideal Parent Many kids complain about their parents. I hear it all the time from all kinds of kids who come from all sorts of different backgrounds. It seems in the world today parents get all the negative attention, and it seems like all the good they do go unnoticed by the public. Two different kinds of mothers were presented in the stories Two Kinds by Amy Tan, and I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen. Sometimes children complain about their mothers, each wishing they couldRead MoreEssay about Richard Russos Dog and Amy Tans Two Kinds922 Words   |  4 Pages Richard Russos Dog and Amy Tans Two Kinds are stories that illustrate the negative impacts parents sometimes have on their children and the unintended consequences that occur as a result of their parenting. In Dog, Henry Devereaux grows into an adult who has difficulty connecting emotionally with others, a man who is not easy, and though entertaining, is not comforting. In Two Kinds, Jing-mei was a failure many times over in her m others eyes, finally dropping out of college and only