Identity In Selfish Cheeks And Papa's Parrot

In the short stories “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan, “The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant” by W.D. Wetherell, and “Papa's Parrot” by Cynthia Rylant, the characters learn about their identities through significant moments. To begin, in “Fish Cheeks,” Amy learns about who she is when the American people come over for a holiday dinner. For example, when Amy hears that her crush, Robert, is coming over for dinner, she cries. She is worried that her parents will embarrass her or do something abnormal.

From the cause of Jamie turning in the shiny glittery earrings they turned out to be the glitter Stinker had ate. Aunt Carol was informed Angelina had put those on her desk, but later on Jamie felt bad Angelina was not allowed to go to the school dance so Jamie admitted she put the earrings on her Aunt’s desk because she thought they were earrings. Also, since everyone has been helping pitch in for Aunt Carlo’s and Uncle Dan’s wedding it was a successful day and both families were now united. To end off, it became a surprise that Stinker and Sticky Buns were going to have puppies. Jamie was happy for her dog but she was mad at Isabella for lying to her and because she was going to be grandma’s with Angelina.

She is embarrassed about her own culture. She wants to be an American girl like the others because in the story she falls in love with, Robert, an American boy in school. Amy’s mom invites Robert to Christmas dinner, Chinese style. Amy thinks that he wouldn't like Christmas that way. She wants to be like a American girl just like the others.

Different Types of Loss Great writers can impact a reader’s emotion. Short stories like “Gwilan’s Harp” by Ursula K. Le Guin, “The Washwoman” by Isaac Singer, and “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry influences the reader’s emotions due to the loss the characters of each story experience. In “Gwilan’s Harp,” Gwilan loses not only her husband, but also things that she cherishes the most. However, even if Gwilan did lose some of the things that she loves, she later learns to appreciate other things in her life. Also, in “The Washwoman,” the author reveals a loss of a faithful and persevering servant and friend.

This twisted world represents a how blinded we can become by traditions and this can ultimately lead to the loss of great relationships. After Tessie won the lottery, her family and friends turned on her and stoned her to death without having a valid reason to do so. However the event of the lottery resulted in the unity of the town as they helped one another in preparing for the lottery and during the time of the stoning. This tight grasp on tradition can give families and communities a common connection; my family always eats tamales and reads the Christmas story every Christmas Eve. This tradition is an outward act of showing others that we are a family and belong together.

The mom showed her culture when she tells her daughter how Chinese mothers show their love for their children. “... Chinese mothers show their love for the children not through hugs and kisses but with stern offerings of steamed dumplings, duck, gizzards, and crab” ( 3 Tan, 4). In China, parents show their love for their children in other ways because that is apart of their culture. It is what they are used to and have grown up knowing. There are examples of culture in the Joy Luck Club as well as the Yellow Raft in Blue Water.

Soon after Tita gets kick out by her Mama, but Dr.John allows Tita live at his house, but Tita condition is bad, Tita loses her memory because of the suffer “after tasting a spoonful of soup that Chencha had made and brought to Dr.John Brown’s house Tita had returned to her senses” (Esquivel 123). After tasting the soup Tita remembers the time that she made the Ox-tail soup in the kitchen

Wetherell and “Papa’s Parrot” by Cynthia Rylant, show significant moments when characters the realize who they really are. To begin with, when Amy’s crush Robert comes over for christmas eve diner, Amy is embarrassed because of her weird chinese cultures. But, later she realizes that no matter what she will always remain chinese. Then, the narrator in “The Bass, The River and Sheila Mant” leaves behind the biggest bass he has ever seen so that he does not embarrass himself in front of his crush, Sheila Mant. Finally in “Papa’s Parrot” Harry does not think it is as important to visit his father but he is shocked when he understands how his dad feels about him.

I watched Good Luck Charlie for my bias assignment. It is a Disney series about a family that likes to have fun but also has everyday problems. This episode was about the mother going back to work after having her fourth child and she needed help from her family to keep an eye on the baby. The second child is a girl name Teddy and she was pretty much put in charge over her dad while her older brother got to go out with his friends she also wanted to go on a date that night but her dad made the boy come to the house for the first date. The third son named Gabe felt that his family forgot about him ever since the new baby came, his older brother and sister insured him they all still love him.

Jing Mei, while portrayed as an obedient child, is only willing to listen to her mother to a certain extent. Throughout the story, it is consistently hinted that Jing Mei would eventually explode against her mother as an attempt to free herself from her mother’s chains. In addition, after the fiasco at the piano recital, she eventually derives further from her mother’s wishes as she “didn 't get straight A...didn 't become class president...didn 't get into Stanford...dropped out of college.” (54). On the flip side, Jing Mei’s mother is a stereotypical Chinese parent who is fully determined to ensure her daughter’s success in a new environment. However, this determination sometimes appears to be obsessive to the point of running her daughter’s life for her.