Email in essay format about the relationship between mother and daughter in "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan

Hello all,

The following is an essay assignment. Included are the instructions and then my answer. Any feedback would be appreciated!

Instructions:

Write an email to both the mother and daughter in the story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan

Pretend you are a counselor who is helping the two characters come together and reconcile their differences. Give them advice: tell them how each person is right and how each person is wrong, and tell them what you think they should do to better their situation. Try to be as sympathetic as possible to each person's situation.

Should be at least 4 paragraphs long and include an introduction and conclusion.

Answer:

Dear Sandra and Jessica,

I write this email in the hopes of fostering reconciliation between both of you. I know after the car crash that you had a difficult time. Sandra, It must have been awful to see your own daughter in the hospital, receiving heart surgery. And Jessica, I'm so glad you're back, but I'm so sorry for your dog Spot.

Spot was the bond between you. He came in the room and both of you were happy! Living in Switzerland, life can get pretty hard, but Spot could always brighten up your day! Jessica, it's time you let go of Spot, and you can't blame your mother for his death. And Sandra, you have to stop beating yourself up over what happened!

About the trip to South Africa, I think it was a terrible idea. You both were still in mourning, and your relationship was in a terrible position. And Jessica, when your mother got sick, why did you run out of the hotel? She was lying in bed for two days; she almost died! And Sandra, you should apologize for the horrible things you said while you were in a fever; it's the first step to redemption.

I hope you will both consider my advice. You should come home to Alaska and think about how you acted at the baseball game. Jessica, you can't be a professional football player, and Sandra, you have to stop encouraging her to be so skinny. Think about how much you love each other, and maybe you can get through this closer together instead of further apart.

Sincerely,

Josh

Okay, this a modified opinion paper based on a novel. That means, you still need to follow the rules regarding writing novel reviews. Which means, your presentation is a bit off base in its presentation. You will need to revise the presentation based on my observations of your writing, if you want to that is.

For starters, the opening paragraph needs to give a better synopsis presentation. As a person who has not read the novel yet, I did not really get a clear picture of who these characters are, the importance of the dog, and why I should care about reconciling the main characters. You should assume that the mother and daughter need to be reminded of what they went through, just in case they have chosen to ignore certain instances in the story as most people are prone to do after going through a horrible situation.

Spot seems to be the central character in the story. So explain more about the dog. What did he represent for each woman and why? What sort of relationship did the dog have with each character? How does that explain how each person dealt with the loss of the dog? Do not use exclamation points. A doctor would never shout at his patients.

As a professional, never say something was a terrible idea. Frame it in a professional manner. It is not a terrible idea, it was instead, ill-timed or, not well planned. A professional tone should always be in in plan since the letter should be coming from a counselor. Do not order any character to do something. Imply it, suggest it. Never command it. A counselor knows how to use encouraging words to help mend relationships. You cannot mend a relationship just by ordering that they do so.