Fish Cheeks

“Fish Cheeks” is a personal essay, which relies on the author’s unique experience in order to expound and examine a meaningful event in the author’s life. This essay’s rhetorical structure immerses the reader in the perspective of her 14-year-old self to explore the relationships between the desire to assimilate, shame regarding one’s cultural heritage, and pride in one’s roots. The essay follows Tan’s experience of a particular Christmas Eve meal and, in the last two paragraphs, provides a different perspective than the one experienced at the time of the event. The tone of the essay is conversational, rather than formal, which is a common technique when relating a personal narrative. This easy tone allows the author to establish an intimate rapport with the reader, immersing the reader in a sense of storytelling. Tan is also relaying the story from the perspective of a 14-year-old, so the tone also reflects the anxieties and insecurities of a young girl. The essay was published in Seventeen, which implies that the intended audience was most likely teenage girls. Tan may have hoped to reach girls who would relate to her experiences as a teenager.