The Conflict of Generations: A Look at Smoke Signals and Two Kinds
1. Introduction
Conflict of generations is a phenomenon in human relations that has existed as long as people live on the earth. Parents and children, old and young, have always had different views on life, which has led to clashes between them. In most cases, these conflicts are caused by the fact that each generation wants to live better than the previous one and does not want to put up with the existing order of things.
In this essay, we will analyze the phenomenon of conflict of generations through the prism of two works of art – the film “Smoke Signals” and the short story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan. We will try to understand what causes these conflicts and how they can be resolved.
2. Conflict of generations in Smoke Signals
The film “Smoke Signals” tells the story of two young Native Americans – Victor and Thomas. They grew up together in a small reservation in Arizona and have been friends since childhood. However, when they reach adulthood, their relationship changes dramatically.
The cause of the conflict between them is the death of Victor’s father – Arnold Joseph. Thomas was with him when he died, but he did not tell Victor about it immediately. When Victor finds out about his father’s death, he blames Thomas for it and breaks off all relations with him.
However, after some time, Thomas decides to go to Victor’s home to tell him the truth about his father’s death and ask for forgiveness. On the way, they have a lot of adventures and learn a lot about themselves and each other. As a result, their relationship is restored and they become friends again.
The conflict between Victor and Thomas is typical for the conflicts of generations. It is caused by the fact that each of them wants to be better than the other. Victor wants to be a better son than Thomas, while Thomas wants to be a better friend than Victor. However, in the end, they realize that they are equally important to each other and resolve their differences.
3. Conflict of generations in “Two Kinds”
The short story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan tells about the conflict between a mother and her daughter – Jing-mei Woo. The mother came to America from China in search of a better life for herself and her daughter. She believes that America is a land of opportunity where anyone can become successful if they only try hard enough.
Jing-mei, on the other hand, does not share her mother’s beliefs. She does not want to become a prodigy like her mother wants her to be. She just wants to be a normal girl who lives a normal life. This difference in opinion leads to a serious conflict between Jing-mei and her mother.
Jing-mei’s mother tries to force her daughter to be a piano prodigy like she was in China. However, Jing-mei does not have any talent for music and she hates playing the piano. As a result, she rebels against her mother and refused to play the piano ever again. This only exacerbates the conflict between them.
Finally, Jing-mei’s mother realizes that she has been trying to live her own life through her daughter and she gives up on her dreams for Jing-mei. Jing-mei, in turn, also realizes that she has been trying to please her mother by becoming someone she is not. As a result, they both come to accept each other for who they are and the conflict between them is resolved.
4. Conclusion
In conclusion, we can say that the conflict of generations is a phenomenon that has always existed and will always exist. It is caused by the fact that each generation wants to be better than the previous one and does not want to put up with the existing order of things. However, in most cases, these conflicts can be resolved if the parties involved learn to accept each other for who they are.