Question

Read the passage from "Two Kinds.”

"You want me to be something that I’m not!” I sobbed. "I’ll never be the kind of daughter you want me to be!” "Only two kinds of daughters,” she shouted in Chinese. "Those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind! Only one kind of daughter can live in this house. Obedient daughter!”
What cultural value is revealed through the mother’s words?
A) the Chinese value that children should obey their parents
B) the American value that children should be what their parents choose
C) the Chinese value that parents should encourage independence in children
D) the American value that parents should allow their children to lead independent lives

Answer 1

The answer is: A) the Chinese value that children should obey their parents.

In the passage from "Two Kinds," by Amy Tan, Jing-mei and her mother struggle between American freedom and Chinese obedience. The mother tells Jing-mei that only obedient daughters can live in her house. As a consequence, the mother's concept of an ideal daughter is that the latter submits to the authority of her parents, listens to her mother's viewpoints, and respects the elderly and their advice.