PLOT ANALYSIS OF TWO KINDS BY AMY TAN

PRESENTED BY:

NUR SYAMIMI MOHD SAUFI

NATALIE SERANI ANAK RAPHAEL

CINDY CHRISTOPHER

DHARISINI

ASPASIA ROBIN

EDDY ALAN

EXPOSITION

The protagonist of the story is a girl named Jing-Mei. Her mother becomes the antagonist because

of her insistence that Jing-Mei find a hidden talent.

Her mother wants Jing-Mei to be a successful and stand out in some respect. Initially, Jing-Mei was excited about this idea as well. The conflict arises when Jing-Mei tires of her mother’s insistence on

testing her every night on various subjects.

RISING ACTION

Jing-Mei decides that her mother will not change her. She is constantly disappointing her

mother. Jing-Mei confronts her mother and asks her why does she not like her just as she

is. Her mother slaps her.Her mother decides that Jing-Mei could be a piano prodigy. An old man in the apartment

complex is a retired piano teacher. The mother will clean his apartment for lessons for Jing-Mei. But Jing-Mei quickly learns that the old

man cannot hear. She pretends to practice and play. However, since the teacher cannot hear,

she really just plays whatever she wants to.

CLIMAX

The music teacher and her mother decide to enter Jing-Mei in a talent show. She has played it but has

never really memorized or even listened to herself as she played it. Despite her lack of practice, Jing-Mei is overconfident. Since she did not know the music, her performance was a disaster. She makes a fool of

herself and embarrasses her mother.Her mother does not give up and expects her to

continue practicing, but Jing-Mei refuses to continue with the piano practice or lessons.

She tells her mother that she wishes that she were dead. Jing-Mei knew exactly what to say to hurt her

mother. Jing-Mei’s mother had other babies that died. After this confrontation, her mother gives up

on her having a special talent.

FALLING ACTION

Jing-Mei goes forward through the years. She explains that she often disappointed her mother. Unlike her mother, she

did not believe that a person could do anything that he wanted to. She and her mother never discussed the piano

fiasco again. To spite her mother, she never did her best in anything. Psychologically, the thing that hurt Jing-Mei the

most was that her mother gave up on her.On her thirtieth birthday, the mother gives the piano to her

daughter. Jing-Mei asks if she would miss it.

‘ no, this your piano, she said firmly. Always your piano. Only one can play. You pick up fast. You have natural talent.

You could have been genius if you want to. You just not trying,’ said my mother.

RESOLUTION

When her mother dies, Jing-Mei has the piano tuned. She goes to the parents’ apartment to help her

father go through her mother’s things. She finds herself very sentimental about her mother and the

things that she valued.Finally, Jing-Mei sits down at the piano and looks at the piece that she was supposed to play at the talent show. She noticed that the piece on the right side of the page was called “Perfectly Contented”. On the

other side was the piece that she attempted: “Pleading Child”. She realizes that the two pieces

are two parts of the same piece. The song symbolically represents Jing-Mei’s life. If only her

mother were there, she would tell her what she had learned.

THANK YOU