Identity In Two Kinds By W. D. Wetherell
Have you ever had a moment that could completely define your identity? For three characters, one moment did. Characters from different short stories are discovering themselves as people. All of the characters make decisions that could decide who they are. All of their identities are revealed to them in very unexpected ways. 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 from the short story, “Fish Cheeks”, understands about her identity at her family’s special holiday dinner. For example, Amy is very embarrassed when her crush and his family come over for an unusual
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She promises herself, “ I won’t be what I’m not,” (2). Jing-mei realizes that she should be herself. She knows that she will not let her mother change her. She is promising herself that she will not change for anyone. She now knows that she is not going to become a prodigy because that is not who she is or who she wants to be. To sum up, Jing-mei learns about her identity during one of her mother’s bothersome tests.
Lastly, the narrator from “The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant” learns about his identity from one significant mistake he made to impress his crush. For example, the fourteen year-old boy has to decide between Sheila Mant, his crush, and a bass, his biggest catch ever. His crush, Sheila, does not like fishing, so he has to try to hide the fish. Fishing is something he loves to do, but he also loves Sheila. The boy decides to cut the fishing line and he later learned that he had made a huge mistake and “...the memory of that lost bass haunted me [the narrator] all summer and haunts me still,” (5). The boy now knows that he should not have cut the fishing line. He realizes that he should not change himself to impress anyone, even someone as beautiful
She promises herself, “ I won’t be what I’m not,” (2). Jing-mei realizes that she should be herself. She knows that she will not let her mother change her. She is promising herself that she will not change for anyone. She now knows that she is not going to become a prodigy because that is not who she is or who she wants to be. To sum up, Jing-mei learns about her identity during one of her mother’s bothersome tests.
Lastly, the narrator from “The Bass, The River, and Sheila Mant” learns about his identity from one significant mistake he made to impress his crush. For example, the fourteen year-old boy has to decide between Sheila Mant, his crush, and a bass, his biggest catch ever. His crush, Sheila, does not like fishing, so he has to try to hide the fish. Fishing is something he loves to do, but he also loves Sheila. The boy decides to cut the fishing line and he later learned that he had made a huge mistake and “...the memory of that lost bass haunted me [the narrator] all summer and haunts me still,” (5). The boy now knows that he should not have cut the fishing line. He realizes that he should not change himself to impress anyone, even someone as beautiful