Loss Of Identity In A Short Story

Have you ever had trouble finding your identity? Has somebody ever wanted you to change? Or have you ever wanted to change? Always be yourself! In the short stories the characters are having trouble finding their identities. They are changing their ways so other people would like them better. 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.
First, Amy Tan in “Fish Cheeks” has some trouble with things at a special holiday dinner. For example, when Amy fell in love with a boy named Robert, she wished she was more American. He was not Chinese but Amy was. He came over for Christmas Eve dinner where the food served was all raw Chinese food. Amy didn’t know what Robert would think. “What terrible disappointment

would he feel upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?” (1). Amy is learning about her identity through the significant moment where they are having Chinese food for Christmas Eve dinner, which shows that they are a Chinese family. For most people a traditional Christmas dinner does not involve Chinese food. For Jing-mei this must be a traditional holiday dinner. This sculpts her identity because she is realizing that even though she wants to look American on the outside, she will always been Chinese on the inside. She realizes later on that if she wants to change her appearance she can but she will has to always stay true to herself. In conclusion, Amy is embracing her culture and learning how to just be herself.
Second, Jing-mei in “Two Kinds” has some trouble with her mother wanting her to be someone that she is not.

For instance, when Jing-mei and her mother first moved to America, Jing-mei’s mother wanted her to become a prodigy. “We didn’t immediately pick the right kind of prodigy. At first my mother thought I could be a Chinese Shirley Temple.” (1). “No! I won’t! I screamed. She snapped off the TV, yanked me by the arm and pulled me off the floor.” (5). Jing-mei is realizing she is not another Shirley Temple. She does not want to do what her mother is making her do. Her mother wants her to be a genius. Jing-mei also realizes that she is not going to be a prodigy anytime soon. In the second quote she is telling her mother that she does not want to play the piano because it is not something that she really enjoys to do. She does not want to do what her mother is forcing her to do. She wants to do what she chooses to do and nobody else! To conclude, Jing-mei finally knows that she will not be the kind of person her mother wants her to be. She will just be herself. Not a prodigy, not a genius. Just

Jing-mei.
Lastly, the boy in “The Bass, The River, And Sheila Mant” thinks he made a good life choice but he later might regret it later on in the future. For example, When the boy finally goes on a date with a girl he has a huge crush on Sheila Mant he has to make a huge decision. He has to choose between Sheila Mant, his major crush or to catch a huge bass that he won’t be able to catch ever again. “I pulled a penknife from my pocket and cut the line in half.”(4). He ends up cutting the line to the fishing pole. He realizes that night that he should have gone with the bass. He later thinks about how he should not have gone with the girl because she ended up going home with a different boy. The boy understands now that he made a huge, huge mistake and he knows he will never make the same mistake ever again. Finally, the boy knows now that he should never choose some girl over a one and a lifetime thing that is very important to him.
In conclusion, 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, show characters that are having difficulty finding their own identity. To start, Amy Tan wishes she was an American girl, but later on decides she should be true to herself. Second, Jing-mei does not want to be a prodigy causing a rebel against her mother, but she later realizes that her mother only wanted the best for her. Lastly the boy/narrator realizes that the girl of his dreams wasn’t worth cutting the line to a huge accomplishment. When other people or their own selves want to change for someone, they are having trouble with finding out who they really are as a person. Don’t let people determine who you really are, you have to make that decision by youself. You may go through different stages in your life trying to find out things. But you can’t lose sight of who you really are. People have trouble finding their identities all the time just know if you are having that problem you are not alone. If you don’t end up finding your identity then you will never really be you.