Amy Tan Confessions Summary

Marissa Woo
Ms. Barwise
ENG 111
10 November 2016
Acknowledgement of the Unknown: A Delve into Amy Tan’s “Confessions” Amy Tan’s “Confessions” initially appears to stand as a story of verbal and physical abuse, but later is uncovered to be a tale of the complexity of truth and unknown. The narrator describes a moment in her life when she was confronted by anger, fear, and isolation, in the face of young adulthood. She must deal with her threatening and unstable mother, who is slowly losing her memory. By the end of the story, the narrator emphasizes her mother’s Alzheimer's diagnosis and the effect is has on her, as her mother no longer remembers the past, or the abuse she inflicted on her.
During the abusive encounter with her mother, Tan is threatened by her mom, who is angered enough to “push [Tan]

As student Brianna Woo puts it,
“It’s quite hurtful to hear. It could be in her favor that her mother no longer remembers retorting the harmful words at her, but unfortunately she herself does. It’s an event that is quite symbolic to her; it’s not too often that children must face death in the hands of a parent. Sadly, Tan had somehow prompted her mother to act in such a way, and she now must live remembering that she did. Her emotions are heightened because of this traumatic event and since her mom cannot remember, all Tan can do is ponder whether or not her mother’s words were intentional.”
Realizing that she will never know her mother’s true intentions, Tan is left with knowing that there was a truth, which was lost with