Amy Tan Mother Tongue Analysis

Leslie Marmon Silko's essay, "Language and Literature from a Pueblo Indian Perspective," and Amy Tan's essay, "Mother Tongue," share similarities and differences. Both authors discuss the challenge of language, each from their own perspective.

I have chosen “Mother Tongue” for the subject of my essay. I chose this essay because Amy Tan has a unique writing style which has tone that is clear and identifiable. Tan makes her arguments in a way that is easily understood. While her tone is sometimes humorous and captivating, it still clarifies some serious issues. These qualities among others leave Tan’s work to be desired by almost any reader because her tone and style are both genuine and upfront. This essay will talk about how Tan’s work in her essay “Mother Tongue” uses several different styles and tones to make her point of regarding the differences of her communications with her

Tan also mentions the embarrassment she felt of her mother’s “limited English” when she was growing up. She had to disguise as her mom when making

Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” As I read Amy Tan’s narrative essay of “Mother Tongue”, it seemed to me that as her mother spoke up to other people they found her irrelevant to talk to. It was as if they were brushing off an annoying fly that landed on their shoulder. I felt empathy for her mother as I read on in to Amy Tan

In “Mother Tongue” the author Amy Tan wrote about her experiences with the English language and how it, depending on how it’s used, can signify one’s “worth” in the eyes of others. Throughout the essay, Tan highlights her mother’s use of language, how people and she herself, as the daughter, perceived her mother to be based on her “limited” English.

She wants the audience to know right away that even though she is about to tell you the story of a difficult childhood, she did reach her goal in the end. After making this statement, Tan dives into her past and how she came to be where she is today. Her mother is the next most important point of discussion. Her mother influenced her writing style as well as her beliefs about her culture and heritage. ?Just last week, I was walking down the street with my mother, and I again found myself conscious of the English I was using, the English I do use with her? (Tan, 2002, p. 36). The broken up English her mother uses is the next issue Tan focuses on. ??everything is limited, including people?s perceptions of the limited English speaker? (Tan, 2002, p. 36). Lastly, she talks about her education and the role it had on her deciding what she wanted to do with her life. ?Fortunately, I happen to be rebellious in nature and enjoy the challenge of disproving assumptions made about me? (Tan, 2002, p. 39). By structuring the essay in order of importance, Tan reinforces her message that you can be anything you desire even with a different culture than the norm.

Language is key in order to communicate vast complex “Englishes” we picked up during our youth and benefited from it by broadcasting our ideas to speak amongst our family, friends, and peers. Language is defined as, “ the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way,” by Merriam-Webster. From my perspective, I believe that our language can convey our “Englishes” to speak with many types of characters on certain types of situations. Knowing that we as humans, has a certain adaptation of picking up things we hear, can be beneficial due to the fact, that we use those components in order to communicate. In the article, “Mother Tongue,” by Amy Tan, discusses a time, where she had to deal with learning three types of “Englishes” from her mother which includes simple, broken and watered-down English. Having to deal many struggles and worrying about being criticized can be agitating due to the fact, that she wanted to be seen as speaking and writing proper academic English. But through thick and thin, Tan believes that the “Englishes” she learned from her mother is very important and shouldn’t be concealed with only them two but, should be shown towards everyone reading her stories. Having a vast amount of “Englishes” is great, however I specifically speak three types of English which consist of Taglish, texting, and academic English.

Tan goes on to explain what sociological impacts she experienced based on her upbringing. She concludes that her mother should not be judged based on her “watered down” English, and that people should be more accepting to those who cannot express their feelings in English.

Not all people whose English as a second language speak it in the same way. This argument made by Amy Tan in her story, “Mother Tongue”. In this essay, she successfully uses all three of Aristotle’s rhetorical styles such as ethos, logos, and pathos. Tan also notably balances each part of the rhetorical triangle and ultimately led to creating a very effective and thought provoking essay.

Being a bilingual student means you are able to communicate in more than one language, which allows you to be flexible and versatile. Bilingual students however have a difficult time in learning a different language they have been taught their entire life, which causes most of them to have a tough time growing up. In Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” she claims that most bilingual people are considered to have “broken” English. Even if someone has spoken English their entire life, their English is considered “broken” because they do not have an American accent. People often tend to misunderstand when a person with an accent talks in English, even if they have perfect English.

Tan is able to show how important the English and Chinese languages are important to her life and her mother’s life. Tan uses her qualifications as a writer to let us know what she is talking about but using her experience to tell us her reason for the love of writing. Tan shows that language her influenced her to take English as a major in college because it’s what she fell in love

Amy Tan’s literacy narrative “Mother Tongue” is about the different dialects of English, she is familiar with. She explains that her intelligence is judged by the way she speaks. Amy Tan, explains memories from her life where she encounters many forms of English. Her mother, a Chinese immigrant spoke “broken English.” She describes her mother as someone who was able to understand English, well the mother claims that she understands everything, but when it came to speaking, she spoke without the correct grammar. Due to her mothers broken English, Amy Tan has adapted to the type of English her mother speaks, their own type of English language. Tan feels as if the English she is speaking with it outside world is more complex than the English she

Language is a system of communication which consists of a set of sounds and written symbols which are used by the people of a particular country or region for talking or writing. It is considered as an art because when used it able to help a person develop or create a certain picture in the mind. Language being an artifact of culture means that it is an interesting thing that is created by the people. It is an aspect of their way of life of the people. It also helps in development of the people as writers and intellects. As a culture it is a people’s way of life and therefore the impact it has to human beings cannot be under looked.

What is the meaning of language? How big the role of language in your life? Have you ever realize the impact of language in your life? In my opinion, language is not as simple as people seen in general. Usually the way people see language just as a tool for communicating with others. For me, behind the general usage of language, it also has a big role in our life because a language has the power to stand and show each person’s identity. Inside the Gloria Anzaldua’s essay “How To Tame A Wild Tongue” and Amy Tan’s essay “Mother Tongue” claim that language is an identity. Because they show that language which they commonly use to communicate since the day they were born, showing who are they really are. Language as identity is very arguing phrases, it can be approach from a different perspective. This thing is exactly what are both of these essays are trying to do by approaching differently and using a different tone. Their life and experience give an impact to the way they interpret that language is an identity, and it also seen in each of their essays.

“Her language, as I hear it, vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery. That was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed things, made sense of the world” (7). The author talked about her personal experiences with the different kinds of English. She talked about how her