"A Pair of Tickets" by Amy Tan

Summary: Jing-mei travels to China with her father following her mother's death. While there, she begins to "feel Chinese." She reconnects with her abandoned, older twin sisters and her extended family. Even though Jing-mei has never met this family, the reunions are emotional. Once in China, her father tells her the story of her mother's struggle during the war. She was alone because Jing-mei's father was fighting in the war. When their village was attacked, she was forced to carry her twin daughters alone to refuge. However, they are heavy and she is forced to drop food and supplies in order to continue carrying them. Eventually, she must leave her children in order to survive. She leaves them with jewels and money in hopes that someone will care for the children, which is what happens. The mother returned to find her daughters later, but with no luck. Meeting her sisters for the first time, Jing-mei believes they look just like her mother. On a second look, they appear nothing like her mother. She realizes that the resemblance comes from deep inside their shared Chinese blood.

Problems: I do not predict any problems with this story. It is devoid of inappropriate language and explicit material. 

Purpose and Educational Significance: Based on a true story, "A Pair of Tickets" doesn't immediately strike a reader as a feminist work. However, the abandonment of the twin girls forces the reader to empathize with the mother and reconsider the struggles of women in war & foreign countries.  This is especially true considering that this story is based on Tan's life. When the story is examined through this frame, it makes for an interesting discussion on the importance of family history. I think it would be interesting to hear the perspective of young readers on if family history actually is important to them. Do they think visiting their families’ homelands is important? Do any of the students feel a strong connection to their heritages? Do they think that connection would strengthen after visiting their homelands, much like June May found?  

If examined through race theory, this short story has interesting implications. The struggles faced by the mother transcend race and time. I would hope my students could recognize this tragedy as not race related, but certainly a struggle faced for nearly exclusively women.

Amy Tan

 To read about Tan’s personal story, click here and here. To hear her own words about her relationship with her mother and her trip to China, click here. I think the students will really be able to connect to Tan’s biography because they will likely feel the same disconnect to her heritage that she does.

To see an extensive Prezi presentation on characters, themes, and analysis, click here. 

   The novel this story is derived from