Blog Post #3 Division and Analysis

Makayla Harvey

M. Schroeder

English Comp 101

October 21, 2016

     "Fish Cheeks" by Amy Tan is a short story that holds great weight. The story is a young Chinese girl, who has an uncanny crush on blond-haired, very white American. As the story proceeds, her family invites this boy's family over for a Christmas Eve dinner. Much to the girl's horror her family's traditions were appalling to this young man. After the course of dinner ended, the young girl is presented with an early gift from her mother. Her mother says, "You want to be the same as the American girls on the outside. But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame." (quoted in Bedford Reader pg 111) During this dialogue, the mother hands the girl a miniskirt, same as the Americans. The author, Amy Tan, masterfully designed an all too common issue in the perfect way. All too often people are readily embarrassed of who they are, because they want to be accepted by others. This short story makes the point that no matter how much we change our outside for acceptance, we can never change who we are on the inside. As the young girls mother put it, "Your only shame is to have shame." You should never be ashamed of who you are, and it's to your shame if you are ashamed.

     "Superman and Me" by Sherman Alexie is also a beautifully written piece that shows the importance of reading. The short story begins with a young Indian boy, who's father loves books. Because of this boy's love for his father he is determined to read. As the boy grows older, he begins to read everything he can, unlike his other Indian friends. Because he is a reading Indian boy, he is ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike, but he doesn't stop. As the boy grows up he becomes a writer, and teaches others the power of reading. Why? As he so powerfully states at the end of the story, "'Books,' I say. I throw my weight against their locked doors. The door holds. I am smart. I am arrogant. I am lucky. I am trying to save our lives." (quoted in the Bedford Reader pg 585) The purpose of this text is showing the freedom that reading brings. Reading brings new ideas. Reading is the ability to express yourself. Reading is the ability to learn many things. Reading is freedom. The author pushes the importance of reading by telling the story of how it saved a boy's life.

     Choosing between these two essays for my analysis essay is difficult because both messages have such a strong message. Personally, I can relate to one over the other, which is why I am choosing the "Fish Cheeks". I can personally relate to the message that this story tells, because I've lived it. As a writer, I cannot write about something that I do not feel passionate about. Being yourself and not changing who you are for other people is something that I feel very strongly about, and I believe is a topic that needs to be discussed. It's a downfall for so many people to live their lives this way. We bow our lives to someone else when we need to be who we are. Therefore, I am choosing "Fish Cheeks" as my article for my Division and Analysis Essay. 

I commented on Jordan and Starlena's blogs.