It is very common for young kids to be embarrassed about their family and their heritage. As kids go on and view the world, they may witness racism towards those who aren’t completely Americanized. This can inflict a sense of shame and bitterness to whatever holds them back from changing their aesthetic features on the outside, and their moral behaviors on the inside. Children don’t have the ability to fully identify themselves, and scorn their un-American culture. In the short story “Fish Cheeks,” written by Amy Tan, the narrator struggles to accept her birth given Chinese culture. Her family invites her crush and his family for a Christmas Eve dinner, and Amy is worried about how their American guests will react with her traditional Chinese
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In addition, not only is she embarrassed, but is worried about what her guests will think. She ponders to herself, “What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners?” Amy is worried that her guests will be disappointed and not impressed upon arrival at the Chinese Christmas dinner. Her rude description and choice of wording of her relatives who are accustomed to their own Chinese ways, describe how humiliated she is to call her Chinese relatives, family. She uses words such as “shabby”, and “noisy”, and also claims that they lack proper social skills and behavior. In contrast, she describes her dinner guests in a positive way, describing them as poise, and proper. As well, she repeats the question, “what will they think?” She is perturbed by her “pathetic dinner” and is anxious of what her American guests will think. Her relatives actions worry her greatly, and arise a conflict of embarrassment. Amy’s presence at the dinner was an endeavor in itself. As she watched the different cultures disharmonize, she claims that …show more content…
At the dinner, the relatives greatly enjoy the food, and act in the traditional Chinese ways. As they eat the traditional foods, the “relatives licked the end of their chopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into dozens or so plates of food.” The imagery in their actions suggest an indication of enjoyment and satisfaction. The enjoyment of the cultural foods reveal a sense of pride in their culture, and show that they are accustomed to those ways. In addition, the father is culturally-oriented and shows contentment at the meal. As they finished up the dinner, the “father leaned back and belched loudly, thanking [the] mother for her fine cooking. ‘It’s a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied,’ explained [the] father to [their] astonished guests.” The detailed words declare the manners of the culture, and the father’s comfort within it. As the father explains, the burp is a sign of gratitude. The father is accustomed to the traditional ways and acts in those conventional ways of the Chinese culture. Another sense of pride, is within the mother. The mother is understanding, of Amy’s choices, but proclaims that one’s culture, is what makes up the foundation of a person. The mother says to Amy, “You want to be the same as American girls on the outside… but inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different.
In addition, not only is she embarrassed, but is worried about what her guests will think. She ponders to herself, “What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners?” Amy is worried that her guests will be disappointed and not impressed upon arrival at the Chinese Christmas dinner. Her rude description and choice of wording of her relatives who are accustomed to their own Chinese ways, describe how humiliated she is to call her Chinese relatives, family. She uses words such as “shabby”, and “noisy”, and also claims that they lack proper social skills and behavior. In contrast, she describes her dinner guests in a positive way, describing them as poise, and proper. As well, she repeats the question, “what will they think?” She is perturbed by her “pathetic dinner” and is anxious of what her American guests will think. Her relatives actions worry her greatly, and arise a conflict of embarrassment. Amy’s presence at the dinner was an endeavor in itself. As she watched the different cultures disharmonize, she claims that …show more content…
At the dinner, the relatives greatly enjoy the food, and act in the traditional Chinese ways. As they eat the traditional foods, the “relatives licked the end of their chopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into dozens or so plates of food.” The imagery in their actions suggest an indication of enjoyment and satisfaction. The enjoyment of the cultural foods reveal a sense of pride in their culture, and show that they are accustomed to those ways. In addition, the father is culturally-oriented and shows contentment at the meal. As they finished up the dinner, the “father leaned back and belched loudly, thanking [the] mother for her fine cooking. ‘It’s a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied,’ explained [the] father to [their] astonished guests.” The detailed words declare the manners of the culture, and the father’s comfort within it. As the father explains, the burp is a sign of gratitude. The father is accustomed to the traditional ways and acts in those conventional ways of the Chinese culture. Another sense of pride, is within the mother. The mother is understanding, of Amy’s choices, but proclaims that one’s culture, is what makes up the foundation of a person. The mother says to Amy, “You want to be the same as American girls on the outside… but inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different.