The main message of this story is that nobody should be embarrassed about their ancestry. Rather, they should work to improve their lives and the lives of others.

An embarrassed, shameful tone is created through most of the story, as the narrator is embarrassed of her Momma's poor speech.

The characters were the narrator Marguerite Johnson, her grandmother who she knows as Momma, Mrs. Bertha Flowers, and her brother Bailey. The most significant character is Mrs. Flowers, for she plays a major part in the narrator's realization that she should not shun her grandmother for her misfortune of not learning to speak properly, rather convincing her to improve herself as best as she can.

The setting is in Stamps, Arkansas, a segregated town in the South. This affects the plot greatly, for the white citizens of the town, who are literate to a greater degree than the blacks, are also more literate, leading the narrator to associate illiteracy with her misfortune.

As Angelou writes, "I was liked, and what a difference it made. I was respected not as Mrs. Henderson's grandchild or Bailey's sister but just for being Marguerite Johnson" (245). From her meeting with Mrs. Flowers, the narrator realizes that there are people in the world who wish to help her along her way to success. She reflects on her grandmother's ill-fortune, and is able to envision a better life for herself.

Dialogue is a very important part of the text. Through the dialogue between Mrs. Flowers and Mrs. Henderson, it is revealed to the reader that the narrator is embarrassed of her grandmother's poor speaking. Through the dialogue between Mrs. Flowers and the narrator at the former's home, the narrator understands to accept the less fortunate in her family and to strive towards self-betterment, a key point in this story.

The main message of this story is that one does not need to be beautiful to live a rewarding life. Although the narrator endures criticism from her mother for her "lack of beauty" (Tan 8), she understands that beauty is not as important as her mother makes it out to be.

A longing tone is created in this story. For most of the story, the narrator recounts the story of her mother and grandmother, who lived lives of sadness and sorrow but still had more natural beauty than her. The narrator longs to be as beautiful as them, even though beauty in her family brings bad luck.

The three characters in this story are the narrator, her mother, and her grandmother. The narrator's mother helps develop a concern of the narrator, for she lived a painful life despite being beautiful. The narrator fears her life will take a similar route.

As Tan was born in California, one can assume that the story in this excerpt is being told in California. The setting greatly develops the plot, for the narrator, growing up in the USA, would have greatly different morals and values from her mother and grandmother, who were born in China. Their differences contribute to the plot, as a rift is created between the narrator and her ancestry.

"If beauty is bad luck, why do I still want it? Why do I wish for reasons to be vain? Why do i long to look like my mother?" (Tan 11). The narrator takes the opportunity to reflect on why she wishes to work with her mother. The mother-daughter connection between the narrator and her mother shows through in this instance.

Imagery is a very important part of the text. Through imagery, the author is able to better explain the experiences of the narrator's mother and grandmother. From this, the reader is able to better understand how episodes from her mother and grandmother's lives affect the life of the narrator.

The main message of this story is to not be ashamed of who you are. Saeed made the decision to reveal his gayness to his mother, rather than holding in his secret and creating a potentially uncomfortable situation.

A calmed tone is created in this story, for, at its resolution, Saeed's mother acknowledges and accepts her son as a gay man, and a potential conflict is settled before it can start.

The two characters in this story are Saeed and his mother. Saeed's mother helps to develop a concern of the protagonist, for Saeed enters the story unaware of how his mother will accept his coming out.

This story takes place at Saeed's college, a stressful time for him as he transitions into adulthood. He makes the decision to reveal his gayness to his mother to relieve some of this stress. Withholding this information from his mother would only lead to the pressure growing.

As Jones writes, "In retrospect, I think I didn't feel as f a burden had been lifted because my being gay was never actually the burden" (97-98). From this, Saeed realizes that his being gay is to be accepted, and that he shouldn't see it as a burden upon himself.

Dialogue is a very important feature of the text. As Saeed and his mother speak twice in this excerpt, the reader is able to look into the dynamic forming between them. Readers first hear how Saeed is "both embarrassed and frustrated" (Jones 96) at his mother's reaction to him revealing his gayness, and then hear how Saeed and his mother make amends in a second phone call. Without these instances of dialogue, the reader's understanding of the relationship between Saeed and his mother would be incomplete.

The main message of this story is that people should not be obsessed with achieving personal perfection. Rather, they should understand imperfection and take strides to accept it in its inevitable appearances.

An isolated tone is created through most of the story, as the narrator feels out of place in Japanese society. However, by the end of the story, the tone shifts to one of hope, as the narrator realizes how to understand her imperfections.

The characters in this story were the narrator, the narrator's great-aunt, the narrator's friend, the police officer, the woman in the public bath, and the airline official. The most significant character is the airline official. When the official apologizes for a delayed flight, the narrator is quick to forgive him. This shows how the narrator's views on imperfection have changed, as she has learned to pardon those who fall short of ideal results, for everyone is subject to occasional shortcomings.

The setting of this story is Kyoto and Hiroshima, Japan. The city of Kyoto develops the plot by transporting the narrator into a foreign world, where the ideals and practices of her home are forgotten. For example, the narrator crosses her arms while listening, which, as Kingsolver writes, was "the sign for indicating brazenly that one is bored" (778). The city of Hiroshima develops the plot by revealing to the narrator that forgiveness is to be given and accepted, as the memorial in the city served as a "vast and exquisitely silent monument to forgiveness" (779).

As Kingsolver writes, "I was moved beyond words, even beyond teats, to think of all that can be lost or gained in the gulf between any act of will and its consequences. In the course of every failure and understanding, we have so much to learn" (779). In this excerpt, the narrator reflects upon her shortcomings induced by her severe culture-shock, and understands that the people of Japan will be willing to forgive her, so long as she embraces their culture and is willing to forgive others in return.

Word choice is a very noteworthy feature of the text. In the story, the narrator learns a few Japanese phrases for apology, the strongest of which states that one's embarrassment is so great that they wish their own death. Since such phrases do not exist in English, it contributes to the narrator's culture-shock as she emigrates to a new, foreign land.