Two Kinds - Amy Tan

Today we had to make a presentation about two short stories. The first one was written by Amy Tan and the second was written by Roald Dahl ( Lamb of the Slaughter) We had also to talk about both stories.

 I think I liked the one written by Amy Tan most, because it was really realistic story and since I'm from Poland I can imagine how hard it is to deal these big differences  between two cultures. To live in multicultural family can be really hard because each culture has different values.  The story is about a conflict between mother and daughter. Mother had a really tough past, she lost her house and family in China and she moved to America. She tries to do everything to make a big opportunity to her daughter to have a good future. But the daughter wants to find out it by herself, so they are in big conflict because her mother wants to make her famous and the daughter doesn't want to. In the end the mother dies but the daughter forgives her because she understood that mother wanted her best!

 Comparing of both stories:

( I didn’t read The Lamb of The Slaughter, but my friend www.englishkaroline.blogspot.com has written more about it, so check it out !)

Characters: Chinese family and crazy woman

Setting: In the family

Dialogue: Bad communication between people

Conflict:  As a result of poor communication

Point of view:  Main character Two kinds: Daughter , The Lamb of the Slaughter: Wife

Resolution: Killing and death as the solution

Theme: Love --> mother and daughter, wife and husband

I think it is really nice to read these kinds of stories in English because it's a good exercise without using a lot of time. I am sure I will read more of these, because I liked them really much.

Have you ever written Lamb of the Slaughter, or Two Kinds?

-Ewa