Both authors Amy Tan who wrote Mother Tongue and Andrew Lam who wrote Show and Tell focus on language. These authors bring up the fact that those who do not speak English “fluently” are placed at a disadvantage in the US. In the American society, if English is not your first language people do not take you seriously. I will argue that Amy Tan and Andrew Lam are trying to prove those who do not speak English fluently are at a disadvantage through expanding on the idea of English speakers bullying those who are considered “foreign”, not being able to receive the same benefits as English speaking people and they have a harder time communicating with others. Bullying happens all around us and sometimes we do not even realize it is occurring. …show more content…
Having the ability to communicate with one another can be considered a privilege. This is a privilege because those who are communicating with each other in English must have received some type of education outside of their home, it allows them to feel some sense of belongingness to the community of English speakers and they have the ability to express how they are feeling. In Mother Tongue, Amy’s mom allowed her daughter to pretend she was Mrs. Tan. For the reason being, people would not take her seriously. Amy Tan called her mothers banker and was asking where their check was because it had been two weeks since she had taken out the cash out. When Amy Tan was on the phone she said, “I can’t tolerate any more excuses. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager…” (Tan 3). Amy Tan speaks “perfect” English, she was able to communicate with the banker easily versus her mother speaking the “broken” English she does. Because Amy Tan’s mothers vocabulary was limited she did not have the ability to speak for herself, even though the ideas she had were similar to Amy Tan’s herself. Speaking English is a privilege because you can communicate with others and you are able to get your point across. When you speak English, people then realize you are educated and they cannot walk over you. In the story, Show and Tell Cao was getting bullied by Billy except; Cao could not possibly defend himself because the “lack” of English he had. But that did not matter because Robert was there to defend him. Billy was making fun of Cao’s shoes and Robert told him to leave him alone, Billy does not like the fact that Robert told him basically to shut up. Billy quickly responded with “‘Bobby’s protecting his new boyfriend. Everybody look, Bobby’s got a new boyfriend and he’s gonna suck his VC’s dick after lunch’” (Lam 26). Robert quickly responded with, “‘You know what, Billy
The author demonstrates a personal example of how communication became a barrier because of the way Tan had to assist when her mother would speak. Tan would often have to relay the meaning of her mother’s message, because her mother’s “broken English” was difficult for others to comprehend. When Amy was younger, she remembers having to act as her mother on the phone, so that people on the other end would treat her mother with the respect she deserved. On one occasion, when her mother went to the doctor to get her CAT scan results on a benign brain tumor, her mother claimed that “the hospital did not apologize when they said they had lost the CAT scan and she had come for nothing” (Tan, 544 ). It was not until Tan had talked to the doctor that the medical staff seemed to care about any of her mother’s complications. Tan seems to come to the conclusion that a language barrier affects both sides. Not only does it affect Tan, but it also appears to affect the people around her. For instance, this happens when Tan changes her major from the stereotypical “Asian’s become doctors” to an English teacher. She eventually learns to write fiction and other writings that she was constantly told she would never be successful at.
Both the brains and the hearts of the audience have been convinced. She also used many rhetorical strategies, like emotional appeal to convey her rough childhood to the reader. She gave numerous examples of being discriminated, and stereotyped because of their race. Tan’s audience reaches out to family members who speak broken English. Amy Tan also comprehends that although people may not be able to speak perfect English, they can comprehend what others are saying, and that you shouldn't discriminate others because of their race. A persons understanding of someone who speaks “broken-English” could be very limited, but the wisdom of the “broken English” speaker is
In the work of Amy Tan’s “Mother’s Tongue” she provides a look into how she adapted her language to assimilate into American culture. She made changes to her language because her mother heavily relied on her for translation. She was the voice of her mother, relaying information in standard English to those who were unable to understand her mother’s broken english. She tells about her mother’s broken english and its impact on her communication to those outside their culture. Her mothers broken english limited others’ perception of her intelligence, and even her own perception of her mother was scewed: Tan said, “I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mothers ‘limited’ English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say.” (419) The use of standard english was a critical component to Tan’s assimilation into American culture. Standard English was an element she acquired to help her mother but more importantly is was an element that helped in her gain success as a writer. Tan changed her ‘Englishes’ (family talk) to include standard English that she had learnt in school and through books, the forms of English that she did not use at home with her mother. (417-418) Tan realized the ch...
In her article “ Mother Tongue,” Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club, argues that she speaks many “Englishes,” and although some people may not understand Tan’s mother’s limited English, but Tan thinks that her mother’s informal language is the most intimate and expressive language in Tan’s life.
Despite growing up amidst a language deemed as “broken” and “fractured”, Amy Tan’s love for language allowed her to embrace the variations of English that surrounded her. In her short essay “Mother Tongue”, Tan discusses the internal conflict she had with the English learned from her mother to that of the English in her education. Sharing her experiences as an adolescent posing to be her mother for respect, Tan develops a frustration at the difficulty of not being taken seriously due to one’s inability to speak the way society expects. Disallowing others to prove their misconceptions of her, Tan exerted herself in excelling at English throughout school. She felt a need to rebel against the proverbial view that writing is not a strong suit of someone who grew up learning English in an immigrant family. Attempting to prove her mastery of the English language, Tan discovered her writing did not show who she truly was. She was an Asian-American, not just Asian, not just American, but that she belonged in both demographics. Disregarding the idea that her mother’s English could be something of a social deficit, a learning limitation, Tan expanded and cultivated her writing style to incorporate both the language she learned in school, as well as the variation of it spoken by her mother. Tan learned that in order to satisfy herself, she needed to acknowledge both of her “Englishes” (Tan 128).
If you are not fluent in a language, you probably don 't give much thought to your ability to make your personality attractive, to be in touch with the people and be understood in your world, that doesn’t mean you are an underestimated person. Every person has something special to make them more unique, remarkable, and gorgeous between people. The opinions could lead towards success, or those opinions could be one that is losing, and have a negative impact on how people connect with you. In Amy Tan 's “Mother Tongue” she made this book for several reasons. She had started her life by learning language, and she always loved to spend her time to learn language, but this story focuses about Amy Tan 's mother with her terrible English,
In the essay, “How To Tame A Wild Tongue”, by Gloria Anzaldua and the essay, Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan, the ignorance shown by many people is highlighted. Amy Tan’s essay focuses on how some people look down on others who do not speak English without an accent. Anzaldua’s essay focuses on how people do not have a broad view of language and often look down upon others who do not speak the language that they speak. Both of the essays address language, but the broader topic that they acknowledge is more important. The essays both acknowledge how humans feel uncomfortable around people that are different from them, and often demean others. People demean others due to people wanting to look more powerful by giving their views correctness while discrediting
My mother would occasionally take me to work with her at the nail salon while sitting at her station I would notice how rudely customers would treat her due to her lack of English. At that point, I realized that my mother did not sacrifice everything to be ridiculed all because she could not speak English. A sense of determination washed over me. With the aid of my ESL class, in addition, to listening to other people’s discourse of the language, I gradually became fluent in the glorious English language. While learning English, it sent me on an unforgettable journey each step I took felt like I was paving my own pathway to success. After years of feeling un-American, I was committed to teaching and changing myself with knowledge, soon enough, learning the English language allowed me to adapt to my environment. Growing up as an immigrant kid, I lusted for eloquence and fluency after discovering the significance and strength of communication.
The Essay written by Amy Tan titled 'Mother Tongue' concludes with her saying, 'I knew I had succeeded where I counted when my mother finished my book and gave her understandable verdict' (39). The essay focuses on the prejudices of Amy and her mother. All her life, Amy's mother has been looked down upon due to the fact that she did not speak proper English. Amy defends her mother's 'Broken' English by the fact that she is Chinese and that the 'Simple' English spoken in her family 'Has become a language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk' (36). Little did she know that she was actually speaking more than one type of English. Amy Tan was successful in providing resourceful information in every aspect. This gave the reader a full understanding of the disadvantages Amy and her mother had with reading and writing. The Essay 'Mother Tongue' truly represents Amy Tan's love and passion for her mother as well as her writing. Finally getting the respect of her critics and lucratively connecting with the reaction her mother had to her book, 'So easy to read' (39). Was writing a book the best way to bond with your own mother? Is it a struggle to always have the urge to fit in? Was it healthy for her to take care of family situations all her life because her mother is unable to speak clear English?
In Amy Tan’s essay, “Mother Tongue”, she uses anecdotes and selection of details to convey her empathy and respect towards her mother’s language and identity. As a Chinese immigrant, Amy Tan’s mother experiences language barriers in her everyday life. Overcoming these obstacles pose challenges for her, as well as Tan. By the use of anecdotes, Tan is able to illustrate to the reader ways in which her mother and she surmount the various barriers between “broken” english and societies. Tan comes to the realization that her use of rhetoric is way past her mother’s comprehension and decides to do something about it. In addition, Tan uses selection of detail to enhance the expression of her empathy and respect towards her mother. Tan realizes the everyday
English is an invisible gate. Immigrants are the outsiders. And native speakers are the gatekeepers. Whether the gate is wide open to welcome the broken English speakers depends on their perceptions. Sadly, most of the times, the gate is shut tight, like the case of Tan’s mother as she discusses in her essay, "the mother tongue." People treat her mother with attitudes because of her improper English before they get to know her. Tan sympathizes for her mother as well as other immigrants. Tan, once embarrassed by her mother, now begins her writing journal through a brand-new kaleidoscope. She sees the beauty behind the "broken" English, even though it is different. Tan combines repetition, cause and effect, and exemplification to emphasize her belief that there are more than one proper way (proper English) to communicate with each other. Tan hopes her audience to understand that the power of language- “the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth”- purposes to connect societies, cultures, and individuals, rather than to rank our intelligence.
Society judges civilians based on looks, social status, class and many other ways. One way society places judgment on civilians is by criticizing how they speak or write. This judgment has consequences on individuals who have not mastered the English language, such as limited opportunities and being socially awkward. In “Mother Tongue,” Amy Tan discusses the struggles of speaking “Broken” English, consequently leading to judgment.
In the essay “Mother Tongue” Amy Tan, the author, gives a different, a more upbeat outlook on the various forms of English that immigrants speak as they adapt to the American culture. Using simple language to develop her argument, she casually communicates to the audience rather than informing which helps the audience understand what is being presented at ease. Her mother plays an important role in her outlook of language, because she helps her realize that language not only allows one to be a part of a culture but create one’s identity in society. Amy Tan shares her real life stories about cultural racism and the struggle to survive in America as an immigrant without showing any emotions, which is a wonderful epiphany for the audience in realizing
In the story "Mother Tongue" the author Amy Tan talks about the "languages" that she uses to communicate with her mother and also to the people. Tan is adore by the language and she said that she loves language and she enjoys it. "I am someone who always loved language, I am fascinated by language in daily life" (Tan, 358). In the story Tan talks about her mother 's English which she calls "broken". Her mother is Chinese immigrant who doesn 't speak English very well. That was one reason when Tan was young she used to make a phone calls for her mother to avoid misunderstanding and solve some problems. Although Tan speaks perfect English, with her mother she speaks only "simple" English. But the language she uses with her husband and her audience is different.
Amy Tan is the author of the essay Mother Tongue. In this essay, she explains how the power of language has influenced her life through her mother and the experiences they have had together concerning her mother's English-speaking ability, or lack there of. She was born into a Chinese family where both Chinese and English were spoken. She is sensitive to and accepting of people's lingual differences. She talks about how the inability to speak English well in America gives others the wrong impression: "...everything is limited, including people's perceptions of the limited English speaker" (Tan 13). She is saying here that prolific English speakers place limitations on people who have limited English-speak...