Research
Fish Cheeks Analysis by kwaib
Mary Pat Underhill
Ms. Underhill 11 AP Period 6
September 25, 2011
Assignment: Narrative Style Analysis
Fish Cheeks Analysis
If acceptance is achieved through similarity, then is the road to acceptance worth getting lost on; is acceptance worth losing ourselves? A person’s individuality is what makes them who they are, but what about those who aren’t happy with who they are? If a transition between permanent happiness and cheap bursts of it exists, then what compels people to sacrifice their identity for the identity of someone, or something they’re not? Amy Tan’s essay “Fish Cheeks” explains the difficulty of deciphering where the determinant lies between fitting in and forgetting who we are. The main question is: “Is fitting in worth it?”
Fish Cheeks explains Tan’s experience as a young lady of both Chinese and American ethnicity. Tan’s background is what inhibits the acceptance of herself through the eyes of her crush Robert, the son of the pastor of her church. In Tan’s mind, the slim “American nose” and miniskirt are more appealing to Robert than her ordinary appearance. Tan acknowledges the event as being a “shabby Chinese Christmas,” stressing her newfound disgust in her family’s traditions, invoked by her perception of what Robert may perceive. At that point, Tan was unhappy and even embarrassed by her family and their traditions, stating: “On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu.” Tan’s description of the menu was a complete contradiction to what would have been her untainted thoughts. Tan herself had realized that her actions were not determined by Robert’s presence, but blurred by her determination to impress Robert. Tan stated near the end of the piece: “It wasn’t until many years later—long after I had gotten over my crush on Robert—that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the true purpose behind our particular menu. For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen
Mary Pat Underhill
Ms. Underhill 11 AP Period 6
September 25, 2011
Assignment: Narrative Style Analysis
Fish Cheeks Analysis
If acceptance is achieved through similarity, then is the road to acceptance worth getting lost on; is acceptance worth losing ourselves? A person’s individuality is what makes them who they are, but what about those who aren’t happy with who they are? If a transition between permanent happiness and cheap bursts of it exists, then what compels people to sacrifice their identity for the identity of someone, or something they’re not? Amy Tan’s essay “Fish Cheeks” explains the difficulty of deciphering where the determinant lies between fitting in and forgetting who we are. The main question is: “Is fitting in worth it?”
Fish Cheeks explains Tan’s experience as a young lady of both Chinese and American ethnicity. Tan’s background is what inhibits the acceptance of herself through the eyes of her crush Robert, the son of the pastor of her church. In Tan’s mind, the slim “American nose” and miniskirt are more appealing to Robert than her ordinary appearance. Tan acknowledges the event as being a “shabby Chinese Christmas,” stressing her newfound disgust in her family’s traditions, invoked by her perception of what Robert may perceive. At that point, Tan was unhappy and even embarrassed by her family and their traditions, stating: “On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu.” Tan’s description of the menu was a complete contradiction to what would have been her untainted thoughts. Tan herself had realized that her actions were not determined by Robert’s presence, but blurred by her determination to impress Robert. Tan stated near the end of the piece: “It wasn’t until many years later—long after I had gotten over my crush on Robert—that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the true purpose behind our particular menu. For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen