two kinds by amy tan

How do you think other children might respond to the pressure to become a prodigy? What inferences can you make about Jing-mei's character traits from her response to her mother's pressure?

• All children thrive under pressure and find it motivating to succeed.

• Jing-mei enjoys pressure and uses it as a driving force to excel in her pursuits.

• Some children work well under pressure, and some do not. Jing-mei does not handle pressure well

• Most children feel indifferent to pressure and it does not affect their performance

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What does Jing-mei's mother want for her daughter?

• Her mother wanted her to become a famous actress with no expectations.

• o Her mother desired her to be an artist, focusing solely on creativity without any structure.

• o Her mother wished for her to live a simple and carefree life without any ambitions.

• Her mother wanted her to be a "prodigy." She did want her daughter to be successful but the expectations were so high.

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Identify the story's central conflict, and tell what causes it. What does the main character desire, and what blocks her from achieving it?

• o Jing-mei's desire to please her mother vs. her wish to be accepted for who she is

• o Mother's wishes vs. daughter's will

• Jing-mei said that she wished she (Jing-mei) would be dead like the other babies her mother lost.

• Jing-mei vs her mother. The conflict arises when the mother's expectations clash with what the child wants to do.

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How does Jing-mei feel about her mother's plans for her?

• She enthusiastically supports her mother's plans and feels empowered by them.

• She is indifferent to her mother's plans and feels no strong emotions about them.

• At first, she likes it; then she is discouraged; and finally, she resents her mother.

• She outright rejects her mother's plans from the very beginning and feels no obligation.

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Which statement is an internal conflict in "Two Kinds"?

• o The mother's desire to make her daughter a prodigy vs. her daughter's will

• o Jing-mei's desire to please her mother vs. her wish to be accepted for who she is

• o Waverly Jong's chess championships vs. Jing-mei's performance at the talent show

• o Old Chong's eyesight and poor hearing vs. Jing-mei's excellent sense of rhythm

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What does the dialogue between the characters reveal about the mother's character?

• o She'd rather have the little girl on TV as a daughter than Jing-mei.

• o She is disappointed that Jing-mei has low expectations.

• o She's going to buy a piano for Jing-mei.

• o She thinks her daughter is not good enough to play piano.

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How does Jing-mei "win" the disagreement over the piano lessons?

• o She appeals to her father, who takes Jing-mei's side.

• o She shocks her mother by mentioning the dead twin babies.

• o She agrees to play the piano in a talent show.

• o She asks her mom to give the piano to Old Chong as a thank-you present.

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What happens when the narrator performs at the talent show?

• The narrator's piano performance at the recital is terrible, and no one applauds except for Mr. Chong. The daughter expects her mother to be angry because she was so poorly prepared. Instead, the mother shows only a quiet, blank look that said she lost everything

• Ni Kan is a Chinese term, which the narrator's mother uses several times when she wants her daughter to pay attention to something. It also emphasizes that her mother is a Chinese immigrant.

• The exclamation points show strong emotions from two strong-willed people (the mother and the daughter). The conversation here is tense, emotional, and heated. They are both shouting.

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In what ways does the mother pressure her daughter to change?

• She encourages her to join a sports team and make friends.

• She tells her to focus on her social life and ignore academics.

• She makes her play the piano and take tests.

• She allows her to choose her own hobbies without any restrictions.

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How are the mother and her daughter similar and different?

• She traded housecleaning services for weekly piano lessons from Mr. Chong

• The mother and daughter are similar because they are both stubborn. They are different because the mother wants her daughter to be perfect and the daughter wants to be herself

• She practices her piece she was supposed to play for the show

• She makes her play the piano and take tests.

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