Critical Essay on Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan

Introduction

Amy Tan's "Fish Cheeks" is a story about a young girl who learns to be proud of her heritage. As she recounts the story of a Christmas celebration, the author uses vivid imagery and strong symbols to illustrate this theme. The main conflict between the cultures is represented by the contents of the dinner. Tan was not content to sit through the humiliating dinner. The main course of fish cheeks represented Tan's mother's love, as she had selected all her favorite food. Tan also used the "miniskirt" in beige tweed to represent her mother's acceptance and understanding of their differences. The Christmas prayer, "For Christmas, I prayed for Robert, a blonde-haired boy and a slim, new American nose," helps readers understand her thoughts about Robert and his American ways.

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Tan uses this phrase to describe an American boy she has a crush on. She wants to be like him, rather than being a part of her culture. "My relatives reached across the table and licked their chopsticks, then dipped them in the dozen or so plates." This is another quote that vividly describes how the dinner began and how her family quickly became embarrassing her. Tan uses metaphors and similes to describe her "Tofu" which looked like stacks of sponges made of rubbery white sponges. She also used a bowl of dried fungus to bring the food back to life. A plate of squid. Their backs were crisscrossed by knife marks so that they looked like bicycle tires." She also shows how she compares food she prepares to strange things, as if she doesn't like them. Tan's attitude is that she is ashamed of her heritage and who she is. Tan's reaction to the revelation that her parents had invited the minister's family to Christmas Eve dinner was a clear example of how ashamed she is of her culture. Never be ashamed of your heritage and who you are.

Conclusion

Amy Tan's effective use of imagery, symbolism, and tone has helped her readers see the conflict that cultural differences can cause. She realized that she should always be proud of her cultural heritage in retrospect.