In the beginning, Tan jumps in fast grabbing our attention by introducing her crush. By telling us she fell in love with the minister’s son, we begin to make our first assumptions about how the story would unfold. She is able to manipulate our perception which is ultimately used to strengthen the intended message of the story. Her details about how she was embarrassed by her Chinese culture are vividly explained
implying she wants to deviate from her past life and begin again as an American.
She takes us through an experience that controls our understanding and perspective before throwing her ending curveball. She explains that she was too blind to her parents lesson and wasn’t able to fully comprehend it until many years later. Don’t take yourself for granted because you perceive your own story one way but one day you’ll get that curveball and understand the true importance of who you are.