schoolyard subversion

Amy Tan's "Fish Cheeks" and Maya Angelou's "Champion of the World"

In these two stories, the author speaks about life as an outsider looking in to white American life. Amy Tan is Chinese while Maya Angelou is black, but both have strong similarities in their stories. It is extremely interesting to note how they use the power of narration to make the story come alive.

In Amy Tan's work, the strong use of description of both the events that are ocurring and Amy's feelings about them, draws the reader in and makes them feel as if they are part of the action. In Maya Angelou's piece, her hyperbole and similies, while not directly related to the story, cause one to make connections between the story and the larger world. These connections implicitly allow the reader to experience the event through Maya's eyes, while not explicitly describing her feelings.

Maya's work feels almost as if it is a made-for-TV movie: the drama and excitement happens quickly, with blurs of noise, color and emotion. Amy's is calmer and more reflective, as if looking back upon her own life and slowly telling you the story. These differences in feeling also reflect the differences in plot between the stories. Maya's story is one of a fight, not only litterally, but a symbolic fight against the injustice of racism. Thus, it is only logical that her story feels fast-paced and violent, as a fight might be. But Amy's story is one of a struggle, part of the long journey throughout her life to fit in with America. It is a calmer struggle, as is reflected in the piece's tone.

Amy's story also has a lesson, and a bit of irony. It makes the reader feel good at the end, knowing more than they did at the beginning and thinking that the effort they have expended is worthwhile. Maya's, however, while ending in triumph, is bittersweet since one knows (and Maya even hints at this fact) the fact that the triumph is only a small victory, and the problems that were fought today will return again tomorrow.

Both stories show the power of personal reflection and how important it is to share things from your own life. Everyone has stories like these, even if they are not a member of an opressed minority. Through telling and sharing our stories, we become stronger and wiser as well as entertaining others. Such storytelling can become a cathartic experience for the author, allowing them to drain their emotions into their work.

Even those who are not writers go through the same process, even if it is oral and not written. When meeting someone we share our stories with them. It is a way we bond and search out things we have in common. It creates a connection between us and sends a strong message: we're both human. It is through such stories that we are all connected as a human race, we live our lives through events and the most valuable thing we can do with these events is sharing them with others. We are a race of storytellers, and these stories reflect that.