Amy Tan's Argumentative Analysis

Not knowing how to speak English can be the worst possible thing a person can experience in his or her lifetime. Not being able to understand and speak makes very difficult for a person to express his or her thoughts and feelings. Some individuals might think that these individuals are uneducated because of the way they pronounce certain words, but that is not true. They are treated differently; they are not appreciated because of the way they speak. Some people do not even take the time of their day to try to understand these individuals. They do not know how it feels to not being able to speak another language properly because they never tried. Individuals that are trying to speak English should not penalize by others, for not learning how

to speak English properly. This country is a diverse country and everyone should be treated equally, no matter how the person speaks. In the story “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan, People were treating her mother poorly because of the way her mother spoke. At one point, she even felt embarrassed of the way her mother spoke. Tan provides proof/logical reasoning to define her mother’s intelligence, flashbacks of her mother's experiences to show how her mother is mistreated, and a defensive and caring tone to illuminate the fact that just because someone does not pronounce any words right and it is difficult for him or her to speak a language, that does not mean he or she does not have value as a person.
Tan uses logical reasoning to show that even though her mother might not speak proper English, she is still an educated woman.

Her mother cannot pronounce and structure a sentence correctly in English, but that does not mean she cannot understand, and do other things. the fact that her mother is able to read and understand Wall Street Journals and the Forbes Magazine's indicates that her mother is intelligent. In the text Tan states, “You should know that my mother’s expressive command of English beliefs how much she actually understand. She read the Forbes report, listen to Wall Street's Week, conversed daily with her stockbroker, reads all of Shirley MacLaine's books with ease” (Tan 31). How can someone be considered uneducated but yet is still able to converse and read in the English language? These things are very difficult to read and understand, and she is able to do all of that. Moreover, Tan recalls herself being successful when her mother had criticized a book she wrote in perfect English. Tan states, “Apart from what any critic had to say about my writing, I knew I had succeeded where it counted when my mother finishes reading my book and gave me her verdict: “So easy to read” (34). As one can see, she may speak a broken English, but she understands perfect English. The mother said “So easy to read” now people will think she has no type of education, but she does, and she is able to read full perfect English. Furthermore, her mother’s actions seem to prove Tan

right. Tan had proof to show that her mother is an educated woman therefore, should not be considered any less because of the way she speaks.
Tan uses flashbacks of her mother's experiences, to show how individuals do not take her seriously; even though her mother is still considered smart, others do not see her potential. One of the experiences her mother faced was when she was at the doctor's office, the doctor was not taking her problems into considerations because she was not speaking proper English. She tried explaining to the doctor why him finding the CAT scan is important to her, but the doctor did not want to listen to her. Her difficulty of not speaking the right way, have stopped her from getting what she wants. The doctor did not respond to her service because he thought that she was not educated. Tan states, “ they did not seem to have any sympathy when she told them she was anxious to know the exact diagnosis since her husband and son both died of brain tumors” (32). They did not show her any sign of sympathy, she probably was not making any sense to them. Even though she probably was speaking the best English she can. They did not take the time of day to listen to her and understand her. Tan states, “she said she had spoken very good English, her English, no mistakes” (32). This shows that her mother is at least trying to speak English. Even though she does not speak it perfectly, she is trying. She should not be treated any differently. Tan also states, “The fact that the people in department stores, at the banks, and at a restaurant did not take her seriously did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her” (32). This shows that people do not show any sympathy towards her mother’s way of speaking. The way Some people incorrectly assume they way a person speaks is related to their educational level. They view things are different from the way American view things. Moreover, her mother should not look down upon or automatically considered uneducated because of her broken English. No one knows where she came from and what she has had to deal with. The mother experiences have proven that even though people do not see her potential, she is still trying her best.
Tan’s tone towards her mother’s way of speaking of who perceive her incorrectly are missing out.

Tan believes her mother is very smart, that is why she always comes to her mother’s defense. She is the only person that can understand her, therefore she has to be there for her at all times. Tan states, “And my mother was standing in the back whispering loudly, “Why he don’t send me check, already two weeks late. So mad he lies to me, losing me money. And then I said in perfect English, “Yes, I’m getting rather concerned, you had agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived” (32). This shows that she had her mother’s back. She was there for her mom when she needed her, she is her mother’s supporter. Also show that her mother gets directly to the point, instead of going around the bush like people do with fancy English. Tan also states, “But to me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It’s my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is 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” (31). She is proud of her mother’s speaks. It is the way she makes sense of things around her. To Tan, her mother’s language is perfect. There is nothing wrong with it. She feels as if it is a shame that people think that she is not smart. To her mom is an educated woman, and her mother’s way of speaking and culture have brought her where she is now. That

is why she appreciates her mother so much. One can see how she feels defensive and caring towards her mother, by the ways she is always protecting her. Plus she does not care what others say or think about her mother’s ways of speaking, she still thinks that her mother is intelligent.
Tan uses flashbacks of her mother's experience, logical reasoning to show how smart her mother is, and feelings towards her mother, to illustrate that her mom is still an educated woman even though she speaks a “broken” English. Tan is trying to show is that most individuals do not pay attention to a person that does not speak perfect English. They quickly assume that just because their English is not where it is supposed to be, they are not educated enough. In reality, that is not the truth. People come from all different backgrounds, therefore, is difficult for some to adapt to a perfect English. That does not mean they are not smart. Tan’s mother proves that just because she speak a “broken” English that does not mean she is not bright There are many individuals out there that does not speak perfect English, but that do not mean they are not educated. The way a person speak does not define their education level, and they are worth as a person.