Fish Cheeks Commonlit Answer Key Pdf (2024)

FAQs

What is the central idea of the Fish Cheeks? ›

The main idea of Fish Cheeks is to be proud of one's identity. Throughout the entire story, Amy tries to deny her Chinese heritage but learns over time that she does not need to discard her background for the sake of others.

How does the narrator's point of view affect how the events are described in the passage? She is nervous to have the boy she likes over for Christmas dinner, and so the text focuses entirely on the boy's reactions.

In "Fish Cheeks", an autobiographical narrative by Amy Tan, fourteen-year-old Amy is thrown into a humiliating dinner with her Chinese family and the American boy on whom she has a crush. Years later, Amy reflects back on this embarrassing meal and realizes something about her parents and her heritage.

2. What occurred during Christmas Eve dinner that caused Amy's despair? Her family observed Chinese customs.

The climax of Fish Cheeks, is when the families are having a meal and belching. For Amy, the situation is described as her most embarrassing moment. The reason is that the customs of her family and Robert's family clashed.

"Fish Cheeks is named for the lean, tender cheek meat that is considered the tastiest part of a fish and a delicacy in Asia."

Novelist Amy Tan narrates and records a past experience of clashing cultures in her narrative essay "Fish Cheeks" to illustrate how we should not be ashamed of our cultural background but rather accept and embrace it.

The autobiographical narrative, "Fish Cheeks," by Amy Tan, is about a fourteen-year-old girl named Amy who lives in America. The problem Amy experiences is that she is ashamed of her family.

Tan cried when she found out that the boy she is in love with is coming to dinner because she doesn't want him to think that the way her family celebrates Christmas is disappointing. 2. Why does Tan's mother go out of her way to prepare a disturbingly traditional Chinese dinner for her daughter and guests?

Explanation: The fish cheeks and beige tweed mini skirt are used as symbols by Tan in her writing. The fish cheeks symbolize her Chinese culture, while the mini skirt symbolizes her desire to assimilate into American culture.

What embarrasses Amy at dinner Fish Cheeks? ›

Amy is embarrassed by her family and by the food (including fish cheeks) served to the guests, and again by her father's belching after dinner, although he explains that it's a polite Chinese custom that shows satisfaction.

What did Tan's mother mean when she said to Amy, “Your only shame is to have shame”? Her mother is attempting to point out that Amy should not be embarrassed about her culture. Amy's actions at dinner were embarrassing to her mother. Amy embarrassed the entire family by taking the fish cheeks.

What is the purpose of Amy Tan's "Fish Cheeks"? The purpose of Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan is to teach people not to be ashamed of their true heritage; it is who they are inside that makes them who they are. This message is communicated in the short narrative about Amy, a fourteen-year-old Chinese girl who lives in America.

The theme of resilience emerges as the speaker marvels at the fish's ability to survive despite its battered condition. The fish becomes a symbol of strength and endurance, showcasing the beauty found in imperfection and the ability to adapt and persevere in the face of adversity.

It describes the back-and-forth dynamic of fishermen, who are the original environmentalists, and scientists, who not that long ago considered fish an endless resource. It explains why fish farming is not the answer—and why sustainable fishing is, and how to help return the oceans to their natural ecological balance.

The tone of the story is reflective as well as somewhat light hearted. She is reflects on this experience and about how her thoughts and feelings as a younger person about her Chinese identity have evolved as she has grown older.