Annie Dillard's "The Chase" V.S. Amy Tan's "Fish Cheeks"

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In Annie Dillard’s “The Chase” and Amy Tan’s “Fish Cheeks,” both essays, through the eyes of a child, assert that it is important to embrace certain trials and tribulations with full comprehension, commitment and compassion. While “The Chase” implies that it is crucial to push one’s self to the limit, in “Fish Cheeks” Tan tries to make a connection with her mother’s dialogue to state that you must accept yourself and have no shame in your differences, despite the disturbing looks of those apposed to your nature. Both essays implement imperative flashbacks, and thought-provoking dialogue, but while “The Chase” contains widespread subjective and objective description, “Fish Cheeks” includes inquisitive rhetorical questions. Overall Amy Tan’s essay “Fish Cheeks” is more effective due to the fact that her description of her disastrous dinner and her lesson learned from her mother creates a deeper bond between the audience and the reality of the essay. At the beginning of “The Chase,” Dillard incorporates extensive description, both subjective and objective, in order to further indulge her audience into the exhilarating escapades of her youth. She shares her thrilling adventures of throwing snowballs at cars, which were “targets all but wrapped in red ribbons, cream puffs” traveling “slowly and evenly” down Reynolds street. In addition, she rarely uses breaks or pauses in her writing to depict feelings of intensity, excitement, and disbelief that she felt during the chase. One can vividly see when reading her story that it is meant to be perceived at an energetic and rapid pace by how she explains how they “ran through a gap,” “entered a scruffy backyard,” and “ran across Edgerton” with little to no periods between statements. Lastly, Dillard implements the use of dialogue to expand on the lesson she learned from her distinct feelings and emotions. Once caught by the

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