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A Pair of Tickets: Identity and Self-Awareness - Term Papers

A Pair of Tickets: Identity and Self-Awareness

In the short story "A Pair of Tickets," author Amy Tan explores the details of an issue that most people never completely grasp: that of identity and self-awareness. Presented as a story about a young Chinese-American student's first journey to China for the purpose of meeting her half-sisters for the first time, Tan uses the prevalence of stereotypes and internal conflict to present her theme effectively. As the protagonist and narrator, June May, and her father begin their train ride, the author establishes both the physical setting and the symbolic setting of the story. Certainly, the two riders are in China on an early October morning, but more importantly, June May provides a glimpse ...

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is exploring different aspects of China, she is forced to deal with the internal conflict of misconceptions about her homeland. Upon leaving the train, she has to remark: "I am in China, I remind myself." Twice in her regal hotel she inquires, "China is Communist?" American culture tends to instill in its citizens a mindset about other cultures particularly those to which we are antagonistic and June May is an example of how we sometimes think that we are the only ones who have certain things or certain experiences. In a moment of brief humor, June May thinks about what their meal for the night will be. At the time, she has been "looking forward to my first real Chinese feast for many days already, a big banquet with one of those soups steaming out of a carved winter melon, chicken wrapped in clay, Peking duck, the works." When she discovers what her Chinese family desires, however, it is ironically "hamburgers, French fries, and apple pie la mode the typical American ...

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A Pair of Tickets: Identity and Self-Awareness. (2011, April 11). Retrieved February 12, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/A-Pair-Tickets-Identity-Self-Awareness/97877

"A Pair of Tickets: Identity and Self-Awareness." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 11 Apr. 2011. Web. 12 Feb. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/A-Pair-Tickets-Identity-Self-Awareness/97877>

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 4/11/2011 12:50:21 AM
Submitted By: treyhill12
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 805
Pages: 3

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