Two Halves of the Same Song: Decoding Amy Tan

One of a Kind or One of Two Kinds “I realized they were two halves of the same song” (Tan 248). By titling her work, “Two Kinds,” Amy Tan is suggesting that the reader should take the story for face value. In doing so, however, she is challenging the reader to do exactly the opposite. Essentially, Tan is inviting the reader to find how Jing-mei is one of a kind, similar to how Jing-mei found that the two songs were actually one. After reading this story a few times, one can realize that the “two kinds” of daughters are actually one in the same. Much like the song name suggests, Jing-mei is both the “Pleading Child” and “Perfectly Contented” (Tan 248). Just as “Pleading Child” was the first half of the song to catch Jing-mei’s eye, Jing-mei’s

Jing-mei’s independence soon followed her skepticism and realization of the ordinary, which stemmed from her hatred of performing tests, and the raised hopes and disappointment that subsequently ensued (Tan 241). When her mother demanded that only an obedient daughter could live in their house, Jing-mei did everything in her power to follow her own mind (Tan 247). As a first act of independence, Jing-mei began to perform lazily and inadequately on her mother’s tests. With her growing defiance, she decided to test her mother’s limits by playing a game to see how long it took before her mother gradually gave up, which did not take long. As a further act of independence, Jing-mei purposefully played the wrong notes at piano practice because she “was so determined not to try, not to be anybody different” (Tan 244). Jing-mei’s independence appears to be a plea with her mother, wondering why she wants her to change. Again, her “pleading child” characteristics pop

These attributes are shown by the love and compassion she shows towards her mother and her belongings at the end of the story. As with the second half of the song, this insight on Jing-mei is easily overlooked. Jing-mei’s first sign of gratitude is when she gets the piano reconditioned after “not play[ing] in all those years” (Tan 247). Although Jing-mei once felt contempt towards the piano lessons, through life experience she learns to be grateful for her mother’s insistent help. Although the help was unwanted at the time, Jing-mei realizes that her mother only wanted what was best for her. Her mother was, in fact, her biggest supporter. She even believed that “[Jing-mei] could [have] been [a] genius if [she] want[ed] to” (Tan 247). Another sign of Jing-mei’s gratitude is noticeable when her mother offers to give her the piano. She feared that she was a failure in her mother’s eyes, so after the offer, it was as if “a tremendous burden [had been] removed” (Tan 247). Jing-mei was so surprised that, at first, she did not take it (Tan 247-48). “After that, every time [she] saw it in [her] parents’ living room, … it made [her] feel proud, as if it were a shiny trophy [she] had won back” (Tan 248). Jing-mei’s contentment was shown at that moment too because when she “opened the lid and touched