Usually authors use setting to portray certain feelings caused by the character's environment. The setting of a story gives us a better understanding of the characters involved in the story. The setting also gives us knowledge of why characters behave in a certain way. The setting of Amy Tan's “A Pair of Tickets” and Judith Cofer's “Volar” explores themes of culture and ethnic identity, to give us a better understanding of the characters' feelings and actions. We have a better understanding of the character's relationship to the setting. Both of these stories have many similarities and many differences. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. These stories use symbolism and particular settings to portray the lives and feelings of two young girls who come from different cultural backgrounds. The stories use similar setting styles to depict two different problems these girls face based on who they are and what they face. “A Pair of Tickets” by Amy Tan explores the relationship between setting, place, heritage and ethnic identity. The protagonist Jing-Mei has difficulty accepting that she is Chinese, despite her origins. Growing up in California, she became accustomed to American culture and their way of life. The author states, "When I was fifteen and vigorously denied having any Chinese under my skin," even her Caucasian friends agreed that she "was as Chinese as they were." Jing-Mei finally realizes that she has never truly known what it means to be Chinese because she was born and lived in America her whole life and travels to China for the first time. While she can understand the language, she can't speak it very well, further separating her from her heritage. However, “Volar” is about an immigrant family living in America. The little girl whose name is not mentioned in the story has her own version of the American dream. Unlike “A Pair of Tickets,” the little girl in this story wants to fit in. The main character has trouble fitting in and struggles to seem different from everyone else. To escape reality, the little girl dreamed of being “Supergirl,” she says “My legs would grow long, my arms would harden into steel and my hair would magically become straight and turn a golden color. Of course, I would and the breast bonus, but not too big.” The young girl would also mention that she remembers waking up in her small bedroom, she also states that she would find herself in the body “My tight curls are still stuck to my head, the thin arms and legs and flat chest unchanged". The detailed setting of this story helps to better understand why the narrator wants to escape and go to the place he knows. Both “A Pair of Tickets” and “Volar” show the main character's struggles with what it means to live in America and not be fully American. In “Volar” the daughter always wishes she could “fly.” Flying is the fastest way to get where you need to go, so flying in “Volar” represents a escape where the little girl wants to return to Puerto Rico, the place she knows where she would fit in. In “A Pair of Tickets” ” When Jing-Mei arrives in Guangzhou the landscape is described as gray but as the story continues the scenery slowly changes, as does the narrator. “A Pair of Tickets” represents Jing-Mei's journey of self-discovery. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay.