Question

At the end of Two Kinds, when Jing-mei looks at her old music book, she sees the two songs, "Pleading Child" and "Perfectly Contented. How do these two songs represent the character, Jing-mei?

a) The songs represent Jing-mei as a talented musician.
b) The songs represent Jing-mei's conflicting emotions and identity.
c) The songs represent Jing-mei as a content and obedient child.
d) The songs don't represent Jing-mei in any way.

Answer 1

The songs "Pleading Child" and "Perfectly Contented" in 'Two Kinds' symbolize the internal conflict and dual identity of Jing-mei, representing her struggle between her own desires and her mother's expectations.

Step-by-step explanation:

At the end of Two Kinds, when Jing-mei looks at her old music book and sees the two songs, "Pleading Child" and "Perfectly Contented," these songs represent her conflicting emotions and identity. The titles themselves symbolize the dual nature of Jing-mei's experiences and her struggle to balance her mother's expectations with her own desires. The song "Pleading Child" correlates with the part of her that resists her mother's pressures, while "Perfectly Contented" reflects the ideal of satisfaction and acceptance that her mother wishes for her. This juxtaposition of the two songs illustrates the central conflict of the story and underscores the theme of the individual's search for self amidst family expectations.