Gloria Anzaldua's How To Tame A Wild Tongue

Gloria Anzaldua, wrote the essay “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” communicating and describing her adolescence in a society brimming with sexism, cultural imperialism, racism, low self-esteem, and identity formation. The reason one comes to America is to finer themselves academically, and intellectually. One must learn to speak English to live among the American’s, because that is the language they speak. Though, no one has the right to deprive you of your familiar tongue. At a young age, Anzaldua was scolded, even mistreated for speaking her native “Chicano” tongue. Anzaldúa described this ignorance, cruelty, and discrimination when she states: “I remember being caught speaking Spanish at recess – that was good for three licks on the knuckles with a sharp ruler.” She overcomes this hostility throughout her life.

Anzaldua mentions a metaphor “Wild tongues can’t be tamed, they can only be cut out.” Unquestionably, this means that she overcame the many occasions in which they tried to strip her of herself, but it was unachievable.

Preceding her youth, in 1977, Anzaldua became a High School English teacher to Chicano students. She had requested to buy Chicano texts, but was rejected to do so. The principal of the school she worked for told her, in Anzaldua’s words: “He claimed that I was supposed to teach “American” and English literature.” She then taught the text at the risk of being fired. Anzaldua described, “Being Mexican is a state of soul – not on of mind.” All in all, the reprimanding she had to endure only made her stronger: “Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself.” It led to Anzaldua embracing her Mexican culture even more, contrary to shoving it aside. Anzaldua transformed her beliefs into something both cultures can applaud, and be honored

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Anzaldua in “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” is trying to communicate with emotions, through pathos. Anzaldua makes many references to her childhood that readers will sympathize with, such as, “I remember being set to the corner of the classroom for “talking back” to the Anglo teacher when all I was trying to do was tell her how to pronounce my name.” The readers are led to feel various emotions such as: range, annoyance, fury, and so many more. Why? Through the unmistakable fact that the readers take it personal. Readers can respond to this emotionally, because the readers might have different cultural background like French, Hispanic, Italian, and etc. For instance, other examples Anzaldua states “My mouth is a motherlode,” or “Wild tongue can’t be tamed, they can only be cut out,” and “If you want to be American, speak ‘American’. If you don’t like it, go back to Mexico where you belong,” these statements provoke distress to the readers. Although, now in the era that we are in things are much diverse, than how it was back then. Anzaldua once said that for some, language is like their home away from home, she declares: “For some of us, language is a homeland closer than the Southwest – for many Chicanos today live in the Midwest and the East.” Anzaldua’s essay is something anyone can relate too. This is an inspirational work, on the grounds that, reading this can generate one to stop pitying themselves, as a result of someone’s hurtful ways. All in all, in the influential words of Gwyn Smith, “Who said robbing a people of its language is less violent then war?”