Analysis

The analysis of the short story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan shows that it follows a linear, chronological plot structure. The main conflicts in the story are the external conflict between Jing-mei and her mother, and Jing-mei’s internal conflict, as she is torn between her wish to please her mother and her unwillingness to change.

The two main characters of the story are Jing-mei and her mother. They have an external conflict while Jing-mei is a child, but which appears to gradually resolve once Jing-mei grows up.

The physical setting is San Francisco, the United States of America. The time setting appears to be sometime in the late 1950s, while the last scene takes place some years later, when Jing-mei is an adult. The social setting centers on parent-child relationships, but also explores immigration and the American Dream, as well as cultural differences. 

The story is told from the point of view of a first-person narrator who appears to have a new insight regarding her own past actions. The narrator is explicit about the events in her childhood and her conflict with her mother.

The language is informal, using contractions and common words. The style is casual and conversational.