Tan’s structures her essay around a specific Christmas Eve dinner when she was 14. Why do you think Tan chose this particular event from her life to explore ideas of shame, assimilation, and self-acceptance? How does the setting inform the essay?

Food plays an integral role in this essay. How does Tan use the symbol of food to develop her themes?

Explore the conflict between Tan’s cultural shame and her desire for acceptance within American culture. How does this conflict present itself in the story?