Name___________________________________________________
“Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan
Directions: Write down your answers to the following questions in complete sentences. You may
discuss the questions as a group, but your answers should be in your own words.
1. Why does Amy Tan cry when she finds out that the boy she is in love with is coming to dinner?
2. How does the fourteen-year-old Amy Tan feel about her mother?
3. The fourteen-year-old Amy Tan is an embarrassed, image-conscious teenage girl who wants to fit in.
How does her age affect the tone of this essay? Quote two examples of language that is typical of a
fourteen-year-old.
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Refer to the following passage for questions 4-5.
After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, "You want to be the same as American girls on the outside." She
handed me an early gift. It was a miniskirt in beige tweed. "But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be
proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame."
4. The “miniskirt in beige tweed” is an example of symbolism. What does the skirt represent?
5. What does Amy Tan’s mother mean when she says, “Your only shame is to have shame?”
6. Why do you think Amy Tan wrote this story? What lessons do we learn? Choose one of the possible
answers below, circle it, then write a paragraph that explains why it is an important lesson.
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Amy Tan wants to show us what it is like to be a teenager growing up with multiple identities.
Amy Tan wants to teach us to appreciate diversity and being different.
Amy Tan wants to show us that we don’t have to fit in, that we should be proud of who we are.
Amy Tan wants to introduce us to Chinese customs in a fun and thoughtful way.