Final answer:
The mother in "Two Kinds" pressures her daughter through cultural expectations and academic achievements, motivated by the belief in American potential and the balancing of traditional and modern standards. This reflects the broader social issues of gender roles, class expectations, and the immigrant experience.
Step-by-step explanation:
The mother in Amy Tan's "Two Kinds," a story from The Joy Luck Club, exerts pressure on her daughter mostly through cultural expectations and academic achievements. She believes that in America, you could be anything you wanted to be, and she is determined to help her daughter find some kind of prodigy within her. This determination often leads the mother to push her daughter into various fields, expecting excellence and not settling for mediocrity. This pressure reflects broader societal and cultural standards where women struggle with the balance between traditional roles and modern aspirations, including how mothers impart these influences onto their daughters. The mother's behavior also showcases the interplay between gender norms, and class-related behaviors in a family's expectation for their children's success.
Cultural values influence the mother's mindset; she not only pushes her daughter to become a prodigy but also to assimilate into American culture, which she views as a land of opportunity. The different kinds of pressures are essentially aiming to ensure her daughter achieves some form of notable success that reflects well on the family and aligns with the success story she believes is available in America. However, it also starkly demonstrates the ways in which academic success and the fulfillment of potential can be particularly challenging for those from immigrant or working-class backgrounds, where familial responsibilities and lack of resources can impede educational achievements.