Skip to Main Content. Is it possible to change your identity? 'Fish Cheeks' by Amy Tan is about something that happened when Amy was a teenager. She describes a childhood memory that is both humorous and a very significant moment from her past. My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food. Fish cheeks by amy, 121. Principal's Message. As Amy looks back, she realizes that her mother understood how she felt that night more than she realized. She was pulling black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns. It s a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied, explained my father to our astonished guests. And even though I didn t agree with her then, I knew that she understood how much I had suffered during the evening s dinner. She is embarrassed by her family s Chinese customs, and this shame influences how she describes the food and her family s behavior.
Questions or Feedback? This story is a good example of one of the common themes of Amy Tan's writing; children of immigrants often experience strange conflicts because of their interaction with two worlds. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Why do they act so differently? Name: Class: Fish Cheeks By Amy Tan 1987 Amy Tan (born 1952) is an American writer whose work often provides insight into the experiences of Chinese Americans and mother-daughter relationships. District Information. Her mother proclaims that she made the fish cheeks because they were Amy's favorite.
On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu. In the story, Amy's mother invites the minister and his family over for Christmas Eve dinner. Explain why 'Fish Cheeks' is a personal narrative. Get answers and explanations from our Expert Tutors, in as fast as 20 minutes. Amy has a crush on the minister's son, Robert, and she is even more mortified about the idea than a typical teenager might be because of what the family might think about her family's culture. For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired boy, Robert, and a slim new American nose.
PART A: What does the word despair mean as used in paragraph 5? When this video ends, you should be prepared to: - Recall the plot of Amy Tan's short story 'Fish Cheeks'. How does the minister s family act during dinner? Stuck on something else? 1] I fell in love with the minister s son the winter I turned fourteen. Please help my little business grow! Clamor (noun): loud and confusing noise 1. Southampton Intermediate School. Classrooms Websites. What terrible disappointment would he feel upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food? The dishes her mother cooked were actually her favorite, and she appreciates the lesson she learned about being proud of her culture. When I found out that my parents had invited the minister s family over for Christmas Eve dinner, I cried. Digital Equity Survey.
Required Notifications & Important information. When the guests arrive, Amy is embarrassed by how her relatives eat noisily with chopsticks and reach across the table into different dishes instead of passing them, as the minister's family would expect to do. After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, You want to be the same as American girls on the outside. Her mother tells her that it is okay to want to fit in with her appearance, but that she should always hold on to her culture. Copyright 1987 by Amy Tan and the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. I wanted to disappear. Central Registration. 631-283-6899. facebook. A bowl soaking dried fungus back to life.
PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A? Special Education Office. Personnel Office - Employment.