Chinese Dining Etiquette and Customs
It is no grand surprise that when two cultures converge together, there are bound to be differences. It is strange to imagine another being embarrassed by their own culture. In the short story, Fish Cheeks, by Amy Tan, she starts out the plot with a very powerful sentence: “For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired boy, Robert, and a slim new American nose” (Tan 1). This line launches the foundation of her piece by explaining that not only does she long for a boy who is unlike her, but she also dearly wishes for something as simple and taken-for-granted as the slim American nose. Some Chinese dining traditions and table manners can be seen as irregular habits to those from the United States.
Chinese …show more content…
In Fish Cheeks, the main character cries at the news of her crush, an American boy- Robert, and his family coming over for Christmas Eve dinner. Amy thinks to herself in distress, “What would Robert think of our Chinese Christmas? … of our noisy relatives who lacked proper American manners? … not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?” (Tan 1) Amy fights her internal conflict silently. Her negative outlook on the event expresses her dread of the dinner because her family’s Christmas is unlike the traditional American way. When time comes for their meal, she is “thrown even deeper into despair”, she notes (Tan 2). She observes the meal as it occurs and the relatives licked ends of their chopsticks and reach across the table, dipping the chopsticks in many different dishes. Robert’s family waits respectfully and Robert grimaces at the sight of the steamed fish. Amy is most humiliated when her father plucks out the soft meat of the fish’s cheek and offers it to her. “I wanted to disappear”, she notes (Tan 2). Following the meal, her father belches loudly and thanks her mother while explaining, “It’s a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied”, to the astonished guests (Tan 2). This would not be accepted as easily and expected as it is in Chinese culture, in the United States. Belching would actually be quite a rude action, and would be seen as
It is no grand surprise that when two cultures converge together, there are bound to be differences. It is strange to imagine another being embarrassed by their own culture. In the short story, Fish Cheeks, by Amy Tan, she starts out the plot with a very powerful sentence: “For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired boy, Robert, and a slim new American nose” (Tan 1). This line launches the foundation of her piece by explaining that not only does she long for a boy who is unlike her, but she also dearly wishes for something as simple and taken-for-granted as the slim American nose. Some Chinese dining traditions and table manners can be seen as irregular habits to those from the United States.
Chinese …show more content…
In Fish Cheeks, the main character cries at the news of her crush, an American boy- Robert, and his family coming over for Christmas Eve dinner. Amy thinks to herself in distress, “What would Robert think of our Chinese Christmas? … of our noisy relatives who lacked proper American manners? … not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?” (Tan 1) Amy fights her internal conflict silently. Her negative outlook on the event expresses her dread of the dinner because her family’s Christmas is unlike the traditional American way. When time comes for their meal, she is “thrown even deeper into despair”, she notes (Tan 2). She observes the meal as it occurs and the relatives licked ends of their chopsticks and reach across the table, dipping the chopsticks in many different dishes. Robert’s family waits respectfully and Robert grimaces at the sight of the steamed fish. Amy is most humiliated when her father plucks out the soft meat of the fish’s cheek and offers it to her. “I wanted to disappear”, she notes (Tan 2). Following the meal, her father belches loudly and thanks her mother while explaining, “It’s a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied”, to the astonished guests (Tan 2). This would not be accepted as easily and expected as it is in Chinese culture, in the United States. Belching would actually be quite a rude action, and would be seen as