Growing Up In Fish Cheeks, By Amy Tan

In the novel, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, the theme of growing up is prevalent throughout the book. Throughout the novel, a young mexican girl named Esperanza goes through experiences as she matures that involve her friends, society, dangers that expose her to the outside world and help her to realize what the real world is like.

Mother Tongue is a story that describes how Amy Tan’s mother was treated unfairly because of her “broken English”. As the second generation of Chinese immigrants, Tan faces more problems than her peers do. Her mom, who speaks “limited” English, needs Tan to be her “translator” in order to communicate with the native English speakers. Tan has felt ashamed of her mother “broken” language at first. She then contemplates her background affected her life and her study. However, she changes her thought at the end since she realizes things behind language might be more valuable than language itself sometimes. Through the various different literary devices and rhetorical strategies such as the ethos, pathos, and logos appeals, as well as a

English is an invisible gate. Immigrants are the outsiders. And native speakers are the gatekeepers. Whether the gate is wide open to welcome the broken English speakers depends on their perceptions. Sadly, most of the times, the gate is shut tight, like the case of Tan’s mother as she discusses in her essay, "the mother tongue." People treat her mother with attitudes because of her improper English before they get to know her. Tan sympathizes for her mother as well as other immigrants. Tan, once embarrassed by her mother, now begins her writing journal through a brand-new kaleidoscope. She sees the beauty behind the "broken" English, even though it is different. Tan combines repetition, cause and effect, and exemplification to emphasize

It is the 20th century and Ellen Key wrote a book called “The Century of the Child” and this speech made Margaret think about that book. The author of The Children’s Ear is Margaret Sanger, the date of the speech was March of 1925, and the location of the speech was in New York, NY.

A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer is an interesting but awfully truthful story of growing up in an abusive childhood. This story is about the author life as a child. He gives first hand experiences of how he felt growing up. Dave was the outsider in his family and was the main victim of his parent’s abuse. This book will have you on the edge of your seat in suspense as you wait and hope for the end of a little boys struggle to live. This book does a wonderful job giving the first hand experiences of what it is truly like to be an abused child. Not all of the book is negative and the story can be viewed as an inspiring journey of how strong one child can be and what he will do to survive.

The book American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, had three distinct main characters, but each plot line held the same message: be yourself. This message is one that resonates due to the pressures that everyone faces to conform to societal norms. I, as an introverted female, feel pressured often to go and be around many people and be outgoing to fit in and find friends. It took years to learn this lesson, which the book conveys in a few hundred pages. This is an important not just for myself, but for anyone experiencing pressure to belong.

“In 2009, 33 million people in the United States were second generation immigrants, representing 11% of the national population. The children of such immigrants in the U.S., also known as "second generation immigrants," experience a cultural conflict between that of their parents and that of mainstream U.S. society” (Wikipedia 1). Amy Tan the author of “Two Kinds”, and the young character in the story both are a second generation immigrants, who have struggled in their life with parents, about the culture they assimilating and their real culture.

In the short story, “Eleven”, by Sandra Cisnero, Rachel demonstrates her multiple “years” of her eleven-year-old self two important times. One time Rachel represents being a different age than eleven is when she cried in front of the class because she was forced to put an ugly red sweater on. Another time when Rachel acted ten when her birthday first started she felt ten because she did not know the knowledge of what she thought an eleven-year-old had. She said that when you are eleven you don’t feel eleven you still feel ten. Also, she said she wanted to be one hundred and two so that she can be right in having the red sweater, not hers.

In the book American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang gives us an entertaining story of a common simple goal to fit in. The book being intended for a middle school audience; it does an outstanding job of relating to adults as well in many ways. Reading the book has taught and reminded me of many things. Such as; accepting yourself, being who you are, and not changing for others. These goals are helpful when you’re getting situated in a new environment. Not only does Yang relate to middle school students, but to a variety of readers in many age levels and not just one in particular.

Crying, getting mad, and being excited are all parts of being a little kid but also being an adult. Sandra Cisneros talks about always being the age you were the year before. She gives an anecdote about getting embarrassed in school and having a little kid moment, just like everyone does. She also talks about how and why she did not want to be just eleven and what lessons she learned from this experience. In “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, she uses simile and internal dialogue to reinforce the theme that we never truly leave our past behind.

“Don't change so people will like you. Be yourself & the right person will love the real you” ~ Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi was a peace fighter in the struggle between the British and the Indians. He using non-violence eventually won the fight for India. He says that you should not change for people but change for yourself and that you should accept who you are and the right people will love you for the real you. Gandhi also means that you should strive for individuality and not blend in with others and do what other people do. In the short stories “Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan, “Two Kinds by Amy Tan and “The Bass, the River, and Sheila Mant” by W.D Wetherell the characters learn about their identities through significant moments.

When I walk past the sea of White, I speak English louder to prove that I can speak the normal language without an accent. If I know I’m going to be with a group of normals, I put more effort and thought into what I should wear. I stray away from being too out there with fashion and follow the normal trends to prove that I like what’s normal too. The pressure and desire to be normal has gotten so far into my head that I have begun distancing myself from who I am. When people ask me what my race is, I always say, “Chinese, but I hate it.” I then proceed to disassociate myself with all aspect of being Chinese.

Have you ever felt unwanted that you don't fit in and tried to be something you're not, just to fit in. In the novel, the characters learn the valuable lesson to not pretend to be someone or something you are not. This story is also very stereotypical. A lot of it is some of the things that happen today because of someone's background. The graphic novel American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang, is a more effective way of learning about the struggle of racism and changing physically and mentally to be accepted in society, because it uses three plot lines to explain the different, but similar stories and how the protagonists’ first learned the lesson of identity that they have to accept themselves before they expect others to accept their

Even when you grow old, you are still young. When you turn an age, you do not always feel that age, comparable to when your eleven you might still feel ten. You are allowed to feel younger and so many people do not understand that even when you get older, you will act younger at times. Being eleven also means you are one through ten. Meaning that at sometimes you will act almost like a younger version of yourself.

One of the hardest things in life to do is trying to accept yourself for who you are. Unfortunately most people don’t get to the accepting themselves stage until they are older. Even at childhood itself, you wouldn 't feel much comfortable in your academics when comparing with a brilliant pal in your class. There comes a certain time in your life when you just say ‘I can’t please everybody, so I am going to be myself’ and you accept yourself. It’s a very powerful thing to be able to do this, it’s just a pity we couldn’t do it when we were younger or elder.