1. YOUR RESPONSES TO THESE QUESTIONS ARE ENTRY #5.1 IN YOUR JOURNAL
FISH CHEEKS
YOUR RESPONSES TO THESE QUESTIONS ARE ENTRY #5.1 IN YOUR JOURNAL

2. #1
How does the 14-year-old Tan feel about her Chinese background? About her mother? How do you know?
How does the adult narrator Tan feel about her Chinese background? About her mother? How do you know?

3. #2
Why does Tan’s mother go out of her way to prepare a disturbingly traditional Chinese dinner for her daughter and guests? What one sentence best sums up the lesson Tan was not able to understand until years later?

4. #3
What is Tan’s purpose in writing this essay? What message about life does Tan want the reader to understand? How do you know?

5. #4
Paragraph 3 is pure description. Why does Tan linger over the food? What is the effect of this paragraph?

6. #5
How does the narrator’s age affect the tone of the essay? Find examples of language particularly appropriate to a 14-year-old.