Beginning of Essay
A person spends most of their developing years under the guidance of their parents or guardians. They affect how we think, how we feel, and how we act. These are among the people who hold the greatest influence. Amy Tan's "Two Kinds" and Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl" ....

Middle of Essay
.... not more so. She continually places pressure on her daughter to be some kind of prodigy. The daughter is expected to be a great beauty with unmatched dance abilities, an untapped wealth of useless information, and piano-playing skills like no other. In "Girl", the expectations are much lower, but just as stringent. The girl is expected to do a myriad of chores and to become a "lady". She is advised on how she should act and how she can avoid being a "slut". In "Two Kinds", the mother has high hopes; she believes a person can be anything they want in America and she wants a daughter who excels in some area. All of the mother's hopes lay ....