Both Maya Angelou of "Champion of the World", and Amy Tan of "Fish Cheeks" write short stories which express their isolation from the dominant Anglo culture, and delve into deeper detail as to why they feel alienated. Although these stories take place in different time periods and the settings are drastically different, they both share a commonality within the isolation they feel as minorities within the larger communities. While both authors expertly import literary devices such as narration and description within their writing to express the message of their anecdotes, placing emphasis on the descriptive aspects more often seems to be what bring more motion to a story while also vividly presenting a setting. In Tan's case, objects of familiarity
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Firstly, she describes her crush, Robert, as being "white as Mary from the manger." Although a quality narrative style, the descriptive terms are what Tan could've just as easily described Robert as being "white as snow", or "white as a sheet", Mary in the manger is the purest in Christianity; it is immaculate conception, free of sin. Therefore, Tan's choice of diction in this case presents the idealization of her crush's Anglo features, an expression of ethnocentrism. Afterwards, as her cultural conflict arises from the visit of her Anglo neighbors (including her crush, Robert), familiar dishes and routines suddenly become foreign and unappealing. Even the process of preparation becomes grotesque through the descriptive terms by Amy, as squids posses "...criss-cross markings made to look like bicycle tires." Not only that, but she describes inanimate items as having human-like qualities. "A slimy rock cod with bulging eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of hot oil." By describing otherwise not noteworthy items as having human-like qualities, the audience can clearly see that this is Tan projecting her own feelings onto the fish; a metaphor for the unwilling exposure of her "different" and therefore "shameful" culture. Finally, she connects this to the time period and setting of her story by
Firstly, she describes her crush, Robert, as being "white as Mary from the manger." Although a quality narrative style, the descriptive terms are what Tan could've just as easily described Robert as being "white as snow", or "white as a sheet", Mary in the manger is the purest in Christianity; it is immaculate conception, free of sin. Therefore, Tan's choice of diction in this case presents the idealization of her crush's Anglo features, an expression of ethnocentrism. Afterwards, as her cultural conflict arises from the visit of her Anglo neighbors (including her crush, Robert), familiar dishes and routines suddenly become foreign and unappealing. Even the process of preparation becomes grotesque through the descriptive terms by Amy, as squids posses "...criss-cross markings made to look like bicycle tires." Not only that, but she describes inanimate items as having human-like qualities. "A slimy rock cod with bulging eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of hot oil." By describing otherwise not noteworthy items as having human-like qualities, the audience can clearly see that this is Tan projecting her own feelings onto the fish; a metaphor for the unwilling exposure of her "different" and therefore "shameful" culture. Finally, she connects this to the time period and setting of her story by