In the story,“Fish Cheeks”, Amy Tan teaches that other people’s expectations should not influence you to change your opinions or true self. During this story, Amy’s family invites the minister’s family for Christmas Eve dinner. Amy wants to please their family because she happens to have a crush on Robert, the minister’s son. This causes Amy to worry about how Robert will perceive the unique behaviors and customs of her large family. Tan writes, “Then my father poked his chopsticks just below the fish eye and plucked out the soft meat. ‘Amy your favorite,’ he said … I wanted to disappear” (2). This quote demonstrates Amy’s newfound disgust and embarrassment with her family’s customs. Amy implies that she is embarrassed when her dad offers
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However, it is not normal for Amy to be embarrassed of her love for fish cheeks because her dad offers them to her casually, as if it is a normal occurrence. The only factor that changed between Amy’s normal dinners and then, was Robert’s presence. Therefore, one can infer that Amy changed her opinion of the fish cheeks because she wanted to adhere to Robert’s standards. Although Robert did not plainly state it, Amy assumed that he expected her to act like every other American girl. Due to this, after Amy noticed that Robert “grimaced”, when the fish was brought out, she rearranged her views to fit Robert's expectations. Later in the story, Amy’s mother explains why Amy should not feel pressured to fit to anyone’s standards except for herself. After Robert’s family leaves, Amy’s mother tells her , “‘… inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame’” (2). In this quote, Amy’s mother tells Amy that she should be proud of who she is, regardless of what anyone else expects. The author’s repetition of the word “must”, reiterates the importance of staying true to
However, it is not normal for Amy to be embarrassed of her love for fish cheeks because her dad offers them to her casually, as if it is a normal occurrence. The only factor that changed between Amy’s normal dinners and then, was Robert’s presence. Therefore, one can infer that Amy changed her opinion of the fish cheeks because she wanted to adhere to Robert’s standards. Although Robert did not plainly state it, Amy assumed that he expected her to act like every other American girl. Due to this, after Amy noticed that Robert “grimaced”, when the fish was brought out, she rearranged her views to fit Robert's expectations. Later in the story, Amy’s mother explains why Amy should not feel pressured to fit to anyone’s standards except for herself. After Robert’s family leaves, Amy’s mother tells her , “‘… inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame’” (2). In this quote, Amy’s mother tells Amy that she should be proud of who she is, regardless of what anyone else expects. The author’s repetition of the word “must”, reiterates the importance of staying true to