The proposal of Amy Tan when writing "Fish Cheeks" is never be ashamed that you are different. You can be different in many ways which some are through culture or your own customs. Amy learned this by looking back at a Christmas that her crush (and his family) came to celebrate with her family. Every time her family did something that they usually did like when they licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table and dipped them into the plates of food, she was so ashamed. Even when her dad gave her, her favorite part of the fish she wanted to disappear. She wanted to be so Americanized that she was ashamed of a polite Chinese tradition which was belching loudly after a meal to show you are satisfied. That Christmas she even wanted a slim new American nose, which proofs that she did not like her culture. She was too busy focusing on all her family’s faults (according to her) that she did not notice that her mom made her all of her favorite food. Even though you might not have the same customs like everybody else never be ashamed of yourself, because of you are you will never be satisfied with anything, and the people you are trying to impress might be like you when they are at home.
I remember when I first invited my girlfriend to one of my family’s parties. I was so ashamed because my family drinks heavily. During the time she was there, I tried hard so that she would not notice my family drinking. It was working until my mom called me over to tell me to take drinks to everybody. She noticed all the empty cans of beer that were on the floor, but did not say anything. The empty cans were everywhere around the adults. So the rest of the day I still tried to hide how much they drink from her. So at the end of the day when I took her home she asked me “Your family likes to drink beer a lot?” I said “Yes, but I tried to hide it from you.” She responded “Ha, my family is the same but with tequila.” I thinking to myself “Are you serious, I was so ashamed of my family all day that I did not get to enjoy the day the most I could have.” After that she invited my family to one of her family’s parties and both our families got along and still get along to this very day. So don not to ashamed who you are or where you came from, because you the people you are trying to impress might end up being the same as you. -Edwin Caztaneda posted 10/18/2010 at 11:24 pm
That's good that everything went well with your family and her family. I agree with what you are saying for Tan's purpose "never be ashamed that you are different." No one is perfect basically.
ReplyDeleteI've been in a situation like yours my friend. isn't it nice when you find out the differences you were scared about can sometimes bring you closer together.
ReplyDeletethere has been situations where i had brought my friend to stuff like that, and now i am just use to the whole i am not ashamed for who i am, and you are right about the impressing thing that they will become the same as you if that situation happened
ReplyDeleteI liked what you said at the end. Not to be ashamed because people may think or do the same as you. It's very true to because a lot my friends and I have similar families that do the exact same as yours.
ReplyDeleteyea i agree with you because while your trying to hide something from someone, that person is going through the same thing you are!
ReplyDeleteEdwin, I like that you said "(according to her)" because is true: sometimes we are just focus on what WE think, what WE want...the whole world goes around us. We often forget that many times when people make "mistakes", they are just trying to do a good thing but not the way we think they supposed to do.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you wrote about hiding who you are never is good it always ends up making you feel like you cant be yourself and aren't as accepted for who you truly are.
ReplyDeleteI liked your thesis statment about not being ashamed about who you are. And how hiding yourself makes you feel like you are truely not except.
ReplyDeleteThe interesting thing about your response is that you recognized that your moment of shame ruined what could have been a perfectly happy day. I need to take note of that. I believe it will help me in my future with my own emotional struggles.
ReplyDeleteI think every single person on this earth have some embarrassing moments. Amy from “Fish Cheeks” was embarrassed of her culture and the things that her family did and you were embarrassed because your family likes to have a good time and drink. My family was very strict and I was the one who embarrassed my family a lot. What I have seen in my life time is that everyone has weakness’ then strengths. Everyone need to accept people as they are.
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