The Analysis of the Lesson and Two Kinds - Essay Example

Amy Tan in her story Two Kinds narrates the life of Jing-Mei, who is an American girl born to Chinese parents. As a child of immigrants, she is torn between two countries and also her parent’s high expectations of her. Cultural differences have a tendency of causing conflicts between parents and second-generation American children. In complicated settings such as these, one finds it challenging to do justice with everyday chores and concentrate on personal success. There is always a fear of being denounced by the community or family and friends.

In The Lesson, Toni Cade Bambara recounts the life of Sylvia and others who go on a field trip with Miss Moore to understand the 1960 economic imbalance in America, in New York City. Miss Moore is an African American who speaks proper English and dresses differently. Sylvia, among all other children, finds it very hard to digest the fact that she and other blacks are poor. She is infuriated because she had to witness the wealth that whites have. The trip is a journey of evolution for Sylvia and the reader alike. Miss Moore believes that blacks or poor must raise their voice against such inequity (Madden 2012). Sylvia finds this disrespectful and remains stubbornly irritated till the end of the story. Placing oneself in a situation like Sylvia's is equally disturbing as in the case of Jing-Mei. One, however, learns to calculate and become more careful regarding one's daily budget. It requires a lot of contemplation and courage to face the world knowing the level of poverty one is confronted with.

These two stories generate a sense of motivation and deliberation to excel in life and achieve the desired goals. The notion of living away from one's homeland and struggling with life in a new culture is indeed a difficult task. Jing-Mei was surrounded by expectations and experiences, and a decline in her zeal to prove herself to her parents with the passage of time. Sylvia needs a peaceful home to go to and think about her day on the field with Miss Moore (Madden 2012). Both stories are a realization of the worth of one’s life and he or she can improve it to survive in the growing tough times.