Mom Likes to Eat Fish Heads by Chen Yun-song

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

In the story, why does the mother say she eats the fish head?

She finds it to be the most delicious part of the fish
She wants to give the best parts of the fish, like the fish belly, to her family members (correct)
She is trying to trick the narrator by keeping the best part for herself
She is allergic to the fish belly but not the head

The narrator always enjoyed eating the fish head as much as the fish belly.

False (B)

What did the narrator's wife do with the fish belly when their daughter also wanted the fish head?

She painstakingly picked out the bones and gave it to her daughter.

The narrator's family was ______ when he was a child, making fish a rare treat.

poor Signup and view all the answers

Match each character with their demonstrated action or feeling towards the fish head:

Mother = Claims to enjoy the fish head while giving the better parts to her child Narrator = Initially curious about but ultimately disliking the fish head Daughter = Initially insists on eating the fish head, then refuses it after tasting it Wife = Eventually gives the dish to her daughter Signup and view all the answers

What does the sentence '女人作了母親,便喜歡吃魚頭了' suggest in the context of the story?

Motherhood entails self-sacrifice, with mothers often giving the best to their children (C) Signup and view all the answers

The grandmother gave the fish belly to the narrator’s mother.

False (B) Signup and view all the answers

What specific type of fish did the mother buy when the narrator's grandmother came to visit?

salmon Signup and view all the answers

The daughter refused the wife's specially prepared boneless fish because it's not ______

delicious Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary theme explored in this passage?

The sacrifices mothers make for their families (A) Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Mom's love for fish head

In times of poverty, the mother would give the best parts of the fish to her child, claiming to enjoy the fish head herself.

The Grandmother's observation

Even when the narrator's maternal grandmother came and the mother still tried to give the narrator food, the grandmother gave the food back to the narrator, claiming that her daughter (the narrator's mother) likes the head

Daughter's Preference

The narrator's daughter refused to eat the fish head when her mother tried to give it to her, showing a contrast in preference.

Wife imitates Mother

The narrator's wife starts giving the best parts of the fish to their daughter, now sacrificing for her daughter, showing that she loves being being a mother.

Signup and view all the flashcards

The Lesson

The narrator realizes that women tend to self-sacrifice once they become mothers.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Study Notes

The story "Mom Likes to Eat Fish Heads" is written by Chen Yun-song.

The family in the story was poor when the author was young and could only afford fish once a month.
Mom would take the fish head for herself, carefully remove the bones from the fish belly, and give the meat to the author and the rest of the famly.
When the author asked for the fish head, he was told that mom loves to eat fish heads.
The author once tried a fish head on his own but did not enjoy it as much as the fish belly.
The author's maternal grandmother came to stay with family, and mom gave her the fish belly portion.
The maternal grandmother insisted that Mom should have the fish head because Mom loves fish heads, but then passed the portion to the author after removing the bones..
The maternal grandmother ate the fish head with relish, spitting out small bones.
The author wondered if Mom's mom also liked fish heads.

The Next Generation and Fish

In the modern day, the author started his own family at 29 years old and was able to purchase food and fish regularly along with his wife.
At meals, the author and his wife ended up with multiple untouched fish heads as the meal was divided.
When the author's daughter was old enough to eat on her own, the author's wife gave her the fish belly after removing the bones and took the fish head for herself.
The author's daughter insisted on having the fish head and refused to taste the boneless fish.
From then on, the author's wife gave the fish belly to their daughter.
Their daughter diligently cut the fish head and placed it in her mother's bowl.

Motherly Love

From that point on, the author realized that women love to eat fish heads once they become mothers.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Description

This story explores childhood memories of a family sharing fish. Every month, the mother would eat the fish head, giving the fish meat to her children. The author later realizes the sacrifices his mother and grandmother made for him and his siblings.