Deanna Holmes
ENGL 1301
King
Word count: 637
Fish Cheeks The passage “Fish Cheeks” written by Amy Tan is a short based on Amy Tan’s personal experience as a typical Asian girl growing up in an American culture. Amy’s only wishes that her and her family were more American so that she could fit the modern American world. She has a huge crush on a boy named Robert, who is the minister’s son and she gets terrified when she finds out Roberts family gets invited her to a traditional Chinese Christmas Eve dinner. Just when Amy thought it couldn’t get any worse, her fears became true, her mother brought out the steamed fish, eyeballs with everything still intact, her father then added to her discomfort by poking its cheeks and announcing that it was her favorite dish on Christmas. After everyone had gone, Amy’s mother had implied that she could looked like an “American girl on the outside but must remain a Chinese girl on the inside”. The author uses details to reveal that an embarrassing experience is about to change how she felt about her family’s heritage making her realize that her feelings of “shame” were based on other people’s reactions more than her own feelings.
The author’s main purpose for writing “Fish Cheeks” was to show her description of her embarrassment throughout the short story. This is definitely something that everyone can completely relate to. This is greatly expressed when she describes her family’s manners at the dinner table. I felt her humiliation; I also have had people come over to my house who I’ve wanted to impress but didn’t because I knew I was going to get humiliate by my family. There have also been multiple occasions where my mother has said and done things that I never would tell or show my friends. What people should enjoy most in this short story is the way in which she understands her mother’s words and realized that everything was done in her favor, and that she shouldn’t feel bad about being herself in front of others. “She is
King
Word count: 637
Fish Cheeks The passage “Fish Cheeks” written by Amy Tan is a short based on Amy Tan’s personal experience as a typical Asian girl growing up in an American culture. Amy’s only wishes that her and her family were more American so that she could fit the modern American world. She has a huge crush on a boy named Robert, who is the minister’s son and she gets terrified when she finds out Roberts family gets invited her to a traditional Chinese Christmas Eve dinner. Just when Amy thought it couldn’t get any worse, her fears became true, her mother brought out the steamed fish, eyeballs with everything still intact, her father then added to her discomfort by poking its cheeks and announcing that it was her favorite dish on Christmas. After everyone had gone, Amy’s mother had implied that she could looked like an “American girl on the outside but must remain a Chinese girl on the inside”. The author uses details to reveal that an embarrassing experience is about to change how she felt about her family’s heritage making her realize that her feelings of “shame” were based on other people’s reactions more than her own feelings.
The author’s main purpose for writing “Fish Cheeks” was to show her description of her embarrassment throughout the short story. This is definitely something that everyone can completely relate to. This is greatly expressed when she describes her family’s manners at the dinner table. I felt her humiliation; I also have had people come over to my house who I’ve wanted to impress but didn’t because I knew I was going to get humiliate by my family. There have also been multiple occasions where my mother has said and done things that I never would tell or show my friends. What people should enjoy most in this short story is the way in which she understands her mother’s words and realized that everything was done in her favor, and that she shouldn’t feel bad about being herself in front of others. “She is