Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan

Question

Amy Tan is an American writer whose work often provides insight into the experiences of Chinese Americans and family relationships. While her parents emigrated from China, Tan herself was born in Oakland, California.

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(1) I fell in love with the minister’s son the winter I turned fourteen. (2) He was not Chinese, but as white as Mary in the manger. (3) For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired boy, Robert, and a slim new American nose.

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(4)When I found out that my parents had invited the minister’s family over for Christmas Eve dinner, I cried. (5)What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? (6)What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners? (7)What terrible disappointment would he feel upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?

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(8)On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu. (9)She was pulling black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns. (10)The kitchen was littered with appalling mounds of raw food. (11)A slimy rock cod with bulging eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of hot oil sat on the counter. (12)Tofu, which looked like stacked wedges of rubbery white sponges. (13)Christmas lights glistened all throughout our kitchen, their bright lights twinkling and making everything look merry. (14) A bowl soaking dried fungus back to life. (15)A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings so they resembled bicycle tires.

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(16) They arrived — the minister’s family and all my relatives in a clamor3 of doorbells and rumpled Christmas packages. (17)Robert grunted hello, and I pretended he was not worthy of existence.

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(18)Dinner threw me deeper into despair. (19)My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food. (20)Robert and his family waited patiently for platters to be passed to them. (21)My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish. (22)Robert grimaced. (23)Then my father poked his chopsticks just below the fish eye and plucked out the soft meat. (24)“Amy, your favorite,” he said, offering me the tender fish cheek. (25)I wanted to disappear.

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(26)At the end of the meal my father leaned back and belched loudly, thanking my mother for her fine cooking. (27)“It’s a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied,” explained my father to our astonished guests. (28)Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddened face. (29)The minister managed to muster up a quiet burp. (30)I was stunned into silence for the rest of the night. (31)I did not speak another word to anyone for the entire time Robert’s family was at our home.

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(32)After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, “You want to be the same as American girls on the outside.” (33)She handed me an early gift. (34)It was a miniskirt in beige tweed. (35)“But inside you must always be Chinese. (36)You must be proud you are different. (37)Your only shame is to have shame.”

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(38)And even though I didn’t agree with her then, I knew that she understood how much I had suffered during the evening’s dinner. (39)It wasn’t until many years later — long after I had gotten over my crush on Robert — that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the true purpose behind our particular menu. (40)For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen all my favorite foods.

1. Prawn is a common name for shrimp, used particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland. 2. Appalling (adjective) causing shock, disgust, or alarm. 3. Clamor (noun) loud and confusing noise

Question 1 (1 point)
What sentence can be added after sentence 1 to help develop the introduction to this story?

Question 1 options:

My brother and sister attend church too.

Although I had never spoken with him in person, I saw him every time my family and I attended church.

I am boy crazy, and I like a lot of boys at my church and school.

When I was eleven years old, I asked for lot of toys for Christmas.

Question 2 (1 point)
What is the BEST transition to add to the beginning of sentence 16?

Question 2 options:

Obviously

Likewise

Suddenly

However

Question 3 (1 point)
Amy has included a sentence that does not belong in the third paragraph (sentences 8-15). Which sentence should she remove?

Question 3 options:

Tofu, which looked like stacked wedges of rubbery white sponges.

Christmas lights glistened all throughout our kitchen, their bright lights twinkling and making everything look merry.

A bowl soaking dried fungus back to life.

A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings so they resembled bicycle tires.

Question 4 (1 point)
Amy included a redundant sentence in her sixth paragraph (sentences 26-31). Which sentence should be deleted from the paragraph?

Question 4 options:

At the end of the meal my father leaned back and belched loudly, thanking my mother for her fine cooking.

"It's a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied," explained my father to our astonished guests.

Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddened face.

I did not speak another word to anyone for the entire time Robert's family was at our home.

Answer 1

Question 1: What sentence can be added after sentence 1 to help develop the introduction to this story?

Best option: Although I had never spoken with him in person, I saw him every time my family and I attended church.

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Question 2: What is the BEST transition to add to the beginning of sentence 16?

Best option: Suddenly

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Question 3: Amy has included a sentence that does not belong in the third paragraph (sentences 8-15). Which sentence should she remove?

Best option: Christmas lights glistened all throughout our kitchen, their bright lights twinkling and making everything look merry.

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Question 4: Amy included a redundant sentence in her sixth paragraph (sentences 26-31). Which sentence should be deleted from the paragraph?

Best option: Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddened face.