Fish Cheeks and Amy Tan

I. Introduction 1. Thesis statement and opening thoughts: Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan is a story about internal struggle and overcoming personal insecurities. II. Amy’s culture and the significance  1. Discuss the cultural practices and traditions of Amy’s family.  2. How does fourteen-year-old Amy feel about her Chinese background? 3. Why does Amy dedicate an entire paragraph to the “Strange food” that her mother makes? What implications is the author making?  III. How unique or unusual is young Amy’s experience? 1. Discuss why Amy is embarrassed by her culture and how she perceives Robert’s culture as more desirable. 2. What are the implications of thinking this way? How does this ultimately shape Amy’s perspective about herself?  3. Discuss Amy’s internal struggle with her identity. IV. What can be learned from Amy’s culture? 1. Discuss the importance of pride and honor of one’s culture. 2. Discuss the sentiment, never forget where you came from, and embrace what makes you different. 3. Why is it important to be proud of all the aspects of who you are?  V. What similarities can we see from Amy’s culture.  1. Discuss how self-doubt and insecurities are universal among cultures.  VI. Conclusion  1. Restatement of Thesis statement 2. Closing thought(s) What is Amy’s culture? Explain the reason for your response. What does the reader learn about Amy’s culture and culture in general? How unique or unusual is young Amy’s experience? What might you have in common with Amy? Be sure to respond to all parts of the prompt. Strong responses will incorporate Full ID and specific references to the text as supporting detail.