The relationship between a parent and a child can be complex. The short story “Catch The Moon” suggest that love changes a person and can make themselves want to improve. However, in “Two Kinds” she interprets that love can make a person be someone they are not, which leads to disappointment and regret. Although Tan and Ortiz mainly focus on the topic of love, they are different in many ways, like their conflicts between the parent and child and their themes. In both short stories, the parent’s dream for the child starts a conflict between them.
“Of course, you can be prodigy too.” (Tan 90) In “Two Kinds” Jing Mei’s mother wants her to become a child prodigy. However, in “Catch the Moon” Luis’s dad wants him to take over his junkyard. In both stories, the child rebels and tells the parent that they do not want to exceed the parents dream.
Whenever their rebellious act occurs, their relationships began to get worse.
