Review Of Namioka's Short Story 'The All-American Slurp'

Theme Essay Friendship empowers the main character (the narrator) in the short story “The All-American Slurp” by Lensey Namioka. The narrator and her family have just moved to America from China when they begin trying American customs and fail each time. Then the main character’s family, the Lin family, hosts a dinner party and invites Meg, a friend of the main character, and her family. They don’t understand how to properly eat like Chinese just like how the Lin family doesn’t know how to properly act American. The main character learns that the people who really care about you embrace your differences and don’t make you hide them.
In the beginning of the story the narrator tries to hide from her differences. For example, she wants to get jeans, because the girls in her school wear them instead of skirts. Then she tries on Meg’s clothing she hopes to look American and normal. The main character doesn’t think that she could look good unless she looks American like everyone else, but she should realize that being different and unique is a
For example Meg wants to hang out with the main character after she acts strange at a dinner party. Meg could ignore the narrator or stop being her friend, but instead Meg stays by the main character’s side. Also Meg gave the main character a chance to be her friend even though she was teased. It is selfless how Meg stands with the narrator and not against her. Another example is how Meg never joins the kids at school in bullying the main character, but instead she befriends her. Meg doesn’t give being teased along with the narrator a second thought, but is only concerned about her friendship with the narrator. Believing in the main character shows Meg puts others first before herself. Meg truly puts the narrator's differences aside when she chooses to give her a chance for a normal American