Fish Cheeks

The titular object of Tan’s essay, the fish cheek, is a poignant symbol of Tan’s cultural heritage. It also serves to explore the themes of shame and the desire to assimilate. The centerpiece of the family’s meal that evening is the steamed fish, including the fish cheeks. In Chinese culture, fish cheeks are considered a delicacy, a soft and enticing part of the fish; more than this, though, fish cheeks are one of Tan’s favorite foods at 14. Tan’s rejection of this food represents her rejection of her heritage and her shame at her Chinese identity. In this way, Tan’s focus on fish cheeks becomes a symbol for the cultural clash she experiences as she struggles to embrace her Chinese heritage while living in an American environment. It is not until the end of the essay, and at a point much later in time, that Tan recalls the food of that evening fondly, realizing that her mother had prepared all her favorite foods. Therefore, the food, and particularly the fish cheeks, act as a reminder that her cultural heritage should bring pride, rather than shame.