Reading response prompts for "Two Kinds"

There is still some confusion about the reading responses, so let me see if I can clarify a bit. The guidelines for reading responses, such as how long they should be, can be found in our syllabus. During these two weeks (week 2 and week 3), you need to complete two reading responses. So if you do one about "Two Kinds," then you will have finished one of those two. For each reading response, I will post a series of prompts. Choose one of these to base your response on. When you respond in writing to one of the prompts about a given story, then you have completed one reading response. You need to hand that in on the same day that the reading is due. For example, you need to read "Two Kinds" for January 15th, so if you chose of do a reading response about "Two Kinds," you need to turn it in on the 15th. If you look, I have also put the due date above the prompts for each reading response.

So here are the set of prompts for "Two Kinds."

Reading Response for Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds” (590) 

Due: Thursday, January 15

Choose one of the prompts as the focus of your response. Use specific evidence from the story to demonstrate your opinion.

1. What factors might explain the mother’s motivation to push her daughter? Consider the mother’s own history as well as the narratives she believes.

2. What contributes to the narrator’s desire to resist her mother’s wishes? In other words, what are the motivating factors for the narrator’s rebellion? Consider setting as well as character.

3. Explain the significance of the final paragraph. How does it act as a resolution to the story?

4. Choose your own focus for analysis.