In amy tan’s “ fish cheeks “, Tan’s uses a motif to express her main message. The motif that is carried throughout the story is culture and a message she ties into that is that always keep culture close to who you are. In the short story tan tells us something she learned from her mom was if you are “want[ing] to be the same as american on the outside… but [on the] inside you must always be chinese.” ( tan 7 ) tan tells us this because she wants us to realize that it doesn't matter who or what we are; meaning if we are wanting to be american great but keep your culture close to and apart of you.
Joseph Lostracco in his book Analyzing short stories defines symbolism as “something that represents or suggest something else” which is what Nazarian does with the fish in “Fish Spine” (Lostracco 40). By using the fish as a symbol as shown when it says, “knife on spine, fish on eyes…” and “wrapping the fish Packing the scraps…” (Nazarian 961). Nazarian is able to show how Hau sees and feels about himself. He has very little confidence in himself and feels that the smell from his work will get in the way of him being something more with the girl. It’s not until the end when Hau is finally able to overcome his insecurity that he makes a “stainless... oragami paper fish” for the girl which Nazarian uses to represent the purity and type of person he has become (Nazarian 962).
“If you’ve ever felt the nip of vinegar on an open cut? Well, fish find these naturally irritating chemicals unpleasant too,” showing empathy in how poorly we treat fish, it is a reminder in how fish on barbed hooks feel as much pain as if humans were to be on barbed hooks. Empathy is also shown through the debate of consciousness, whether or not fish can process emotion, memory, and complex cognitive abilities. Braithwaite explains how that fish brains are not as different from humans as we once thought, testing that they have “very similar mammalian amygdala and hippocampus” that have to do with emotion, learning, and memory. The author shows her ability to help people understand and share the feelings of the fish’s
Have you ever thought about the imagery a book has? The book Tangerine is an excellent example of imagery. There are a lot of times when this book gives you a visual picture in your mind of what it looks like. Images help give descriptions to books. The book Tangerine has great examples of imagery.
Human nature causes people not to want to be an outlier and as such they try to be like other people. Culturism is a big complexity in people. Amy tan uses different literary devices to help reader understand the theme and the mood of the passage. Amy Tan uses significant contrast to compare Chinese culture and food to American culture and food by using figurative language; Amy Tan also uses nasty imagery to express feelings.
The four different environments are: “[the] plastic bag filled with water” (339), the sink, the wok, and the dining table. In addition, the different environment and the time before it was placed onto the dinner table signify the tension built within the family. When the fish was in the plastic bag and the sink, it implies the trapped Malaysian culture within the family. The narrator was able to see and touch the fish’s “gills and the soft muscled body” (339), indicating that she’s able to feel her cultural roots. When the fish was placed in the sink full of water, it fish hopelessly tries to survive.
In "Fish Cheeks" by Amy Tan, the author utilizes the symbolic beige tweed miniskirt to represent the main characters yearning to be the same as American girls. After her parents invited her crushes family over for dinner she is apprehensive as to what he will presume about her traditional relatives and culture. The text states,"What will he think of our Shabby Chinese Christmas"(2). Which reveals that she wants to be like traditional Americans and doesn 't appreciate the unique differences about her culture. She also spends too much time caring about what the boy will think of her relatives and the non-american food served, that she doesn 't fancy over the fact that all her favorite foods were served.
Water is seen a lot throughout the story of the Big Fish. Water, in the story, is a symbol that can represent purity. An example from the story, that shows the viewer the meaning of water, is when we first see Edward lying in his bed because William had come to bring Edward his extra protein. Edward asks for the water that was sitting right next to him. He says something to the effect of he needs it, water.
Some information about the author: She was born in China and studied in a local Chinese school for a few years before switching to an International school. It provided her the chance to experience first hand the real meaning behind "broken English", and understand how non-standard varieties of English have their own rules and shape a community 's sense of identity. In this article, she shares her views on Amy Tan 's "Mother Tongue" and talks about the power of language. I was reading Amy Tan 's "Mother Tongue" when I came across the idea of language being "fractured and broken". She gave examples of how her mother’s limited English caused her to be given poor service at department stores, banks and restaurants.
Also, the fish represent the obstacles that one may face while trying to reach their goal and shaping their ability to achieve it. This ultimately challenges them to decide whether to accept the task and grow or abandon their dreams by giving up. The girl’s the environment around her influenced her hard work ethic and her decision to have patience to accomplish her
The description of the fish flopping on the ground as it is breathless on the ground, shows the symbol of the story, and the purpose of the story. Get in trouble to save the fish, or not get in trouble and not save the fish. Overall, the use of rhetorical devices helps the audience understand Reynolds way of speaking, and clarifies the topic of empowerment and
Rai RosadeSharon English II Mrs.Hermanson 28th February 2023 Cultural Society in America Throughout American history other cultures have felt that they have to live up to American standards to live in America. Amy Tan, the author of Fish Cheeks, has a B.A., double major in English and Linguistics, and an M.A. in linguistics. Amy Tan directly uses Imagery and simile in her narrative essay Fish Cheeks, Imagery is a vivid language designed to appeal to the five senses, which simile gives compassion between objects.
Fish Cheeks, by Amy Tan is a story of love, culture, being different, and accepting one's differences. A young Amy falls in love with the son of a white minister and is shocked when she finds out that her mother invited the ministers family over for christmas dinner. Amy is very embarrassed because of her asian heritage, and some of the asian customs her family embraces. She explains that her mother went out of her way to prepare many traditional asian dishes that most people would find quite odd. When Christmas eve came around, she explained what her mother was preparing and used imagery to paint a picture in the reader's mind as if they were there.
When thinking about the harmonious and blessing Thanksgiving, one connects the setting and atmosphere to the painting of Freedom From Want by Norman Rockwell. Norman Rockwell, an American painter and illustrator, was best known for his depiction of everyday American life. In Rockwell’s early years, he putted the emphases of his paintings on the warm and idealistic aspect of world, treating with simplistic charm and certain degree of humor. In January 1943, during World War II, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave an emotionally moving speech, addressing his vision to the American freedom and the desperate need of concern for the real threat of war, Rockwell was greatly inspired. Thence, he painted the Four Freedoms including Freedom
Riding the Whip The theme of the story was perspective. Riding the Whip touched on how some people see things versus others. The following quote is a great example, “She just sees things differently” (Hemley, Whipped 115).
