Critical Analysis: Comparison/Contrast Of Amy Tan's "Two Kinds" And Flannery O'Connor's "Everything That Rises Must Converge"

Essay by mrdevensmomCollege, UndergraduateA-, November 2006

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Most children rebel against their mothers at some point in time.

The characters in Amy Tan's "Two kinds" and Flannery O'Conner's "Everything That Rises Must Converge" were similar in this aspect. Although the way felt about their mothers, the reasons they rebelled, and the way they went about it are very different. On the other hand, in the end of the stories, both characters had similar feeling towards their mothers.

How Ni-Kan in "Two kinds" and Julian in "Everything That Rises Must Converge" felt about their mothers was completely different. Even though Ni-Kan rebelled, she still loved her mother. This was proven after the piano recital when she said "But my mother's expression is what devastated me." If she didn't love her mother the look wouldn't have bothered her. Julian, on the other hand, didn't care for his mother.

The proof of this comes when he viciously grabs her arm and then tells her to shut up.

He even says that he resents her, and feels "completely detached".

The reasons Ni-Kan and Julian rebelled are also very different.

Ni-Kan rebelled because after seeing her mother's disappointed face over and over she said she felt "something inside begin to die." She thought that by rebelling her mother wouldn't expect that much from her and wouldn't be disappointed as often. She also thought her mother was trying to change her into something she wasn't so she said, "I won't let her change me... I won't be what I'm not." Julian rebelled because he resented his mother and all the sacrifices she made for him. He also resented the fact that she was raised in a mansion that he felt should have been his. He says, "It occurred to him that it was he, not...