“Broken Chain” Alfonso sat on the porch trying to push his crooked teeth to where he thought they belonged. He hated the way he looked. Last week he did fifty sit-ups a day, thinking that he would burn those already apparent ripples on his stomach to even deeper ripples, dark ones, so when he went swimming at the canal next summer, girls in cut-offs would notice. And the guys would think he was tough, someone who could take a punch and give it back.

“Fish Cheeks”

When I found out that my parents had invited the minister’s family over for Christmas Eve dinner, I cried. What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners? What terrible disappointment would he feel upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?

How do both the essay and short story convey the theme that people often care about what others think of them?

Alfonso doesn’t like the way he looks, and Amy is embarrassed by her family’s traditions.
Alfonso wants others to notice him, and Amy is worried about what Robert will think.
Alfonso isn’t confident in himself, and Amy constantly questions her family’s ways.
Alfonso must worry about what he looks like during the summer, and Amy has to deal with the holidays.