Sensory imagery is the use of the appeal to the senses by the author. The author can describe sights, smells, sounds, textures, and tastes. Amy Tan is an expert at using sensory description to create a more detailed world. Here is an example from when Waverly’s mother tries to teach her to keep her thoughts to herself.
"Bite back your tongue," scolded my mother when I cried loudly, yanking her hand toward the store that sold bags of salted plums. At home, she said, "Wise guy, he not go against wind. In Chinese we say, Come from South, blow with wind-poom!-North will follow. Strongest wind cannot be seen."
The images of “salted plums” and wind create a picture in the reader’s mind to reinforce the idea. Waverly’s mother is trying to teach her to keep quiet, and when she does she rewarded her with the treat. The reader can almost taste the plums.
The images of Chinatown also create a setting that serves as a vivid backdrop for the story. The Ping Yuen Fish Market has “a tank crowded with doomed fish” and” turtles struggling to gain footing on the slimy green-tiled sides.” Hand-written signs inform tourists that everything is for food and no animals will be sold as pets.
Inside, the butchers with their bloodstained white smocks deftly gutted the fish while customers cried out their orders and shouted, "Give me your freshest," to which the butchers always protested, "All are freshest." On less crowded market days, we would inspect the crates of live frogs and crabs which we were warned not to poke …
The sensory images of the markets, the fish, the tourists, and the shops help the reader picture the backdrop to the story and the cultural setting. The same is true when the author describes Waverly’s opponents, or her outfits, in detail. Sensory details help the reader imagine the story.
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