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not willing to obey her mother’s orders, but she has no other choice. She decides to go for the
lessons from their deaf neighbor “Old Chong.”
The piano lessons continued for some time, and Jing-mei finally went to the talent
show. It was at this time that she completely transformed and now became independent and
would no longer obey what her mother said and she decided that she was perfectly contented
with her life. In the talent show, Jing-mei started well, but she ended up messing the whole
music by playing the wrong notes. She says that “I played this strange jumble through to the
end, the sour notes staying with me all the way.”
The fact that “Old Chong” who was deaf
was the only one applauding shows the extent of how her music was disappointing. In fact,
the way Jing-mei describes her ordeal makes the reader realize that it was a very
embarrassing moment with people who had good hearing, even if they were not conversant
with music theory, would realize that what she was playing could not be categorized as
music. It was simply noise to the ear after she started playing the wrong notes. This ordeal
changed Jing-mei completely, and when her mother told her that she should continue
practicing, she refused to do so. In fact, she rejects traditional behavior and goals, and she
brings embarrassment upon her mother.
She now had her own mind.
The transformation of Jing-mei from being obedient to whatever her mother told her
to become independent and accepting herself the way she was shown the reader that it is
important for people to realize their own interests and potential instead of focusing on things
that they cannot achieve. Though Jing-mei's mother had good intentions for her daughter,
deciding the things that she should do was not a good option to take. Instead, she should have
. e-notes. "In "Two Kinds," What Happens When Jing-Mei Plays The Piano In Front
Of An Audience? | Enotes". Enotes. Accessed March 8, 2018.
https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-happens-when-jing-mei-plays-piano-front-an-
469913.
