The main theme of Amy Tan's Two Kinds is best exemplified as the fine line between stubbornness and pride, and the influence these factors possess over a parent-child relationship. And then we must ask the question, "Who crosses that line?" Is it the overzealous mother who won't concede to her child's frequent whining to quit? Is it the daughter who, blinded by her adolescent ignorance, intentionally harms her mother emotionally? Are they both wrong? These are all very important questions that will be answered in the next few paragraphs.
             The search for the truth begins at, well, the beginning of the story. Right off the bat, Tan reveals her mother's pressure on her daughter to become something she's not, when she says nonchalantly "Of course you could be a prodigy too." The problem here is that at a mere nine years of age, the daughter will likely interpret that statement as more of a probability than a possibility. In fact, in the beginning, that's exactly what she thinks. Although it is not yet conveyed in the story, this is the first moment we notice the mother attempting to use her daughter as a second chance at a life she never had. I mention this only because this is the reason the mother acts the way she does. It is the answer to the "Why?" question. So in honor of the family name, thus preserving "pride," the mother introduces her daughter to new things.
             First, it starts with haircuts, questions and singing, padded with an otherwise overly optimistic atmosphere. Eventually, the daughter realizes she's not interested in this whole falsely portrayed prodigy concept, after all. And when the mother introduces piano lessons into the mix, she decides that now is the time to get out. So she rather emotionally lashes out "Why don't you like me the way I am? I'm not a genius! I can't play the piano. And even if I could
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