Mother Tongue by Amy Tan

1012 Words3 Pages

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. Growing up in a bilingual family, Tan can hardly escape from encountering phrases such as “limited English” and “broken English” for countless times. She dislikes the phrases as she mentions, “it has always bothered me that I can think of no other way to describe it other than ‘broken,’ as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as it lacked of certain wholeness and soundness. I’ve heard other terms, ‘limited English,’ for example. However, they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people’s perceptions of limited English speaker” (634). People raise and teach their children the definition of “limited” as imperfect, “damaged and nee... ... middle of paper ... ...determine a person’s creativity and intelligence. Here comes the dichotomy of reactions. As for bilingual speakers, they sympathize for Tan and become agreeable with her argument because they have walked miles in her shoes. As for the scholars, professors, teachers, and the people who do not speak multiple languages, they might find it hard to relate to Tan because the education system values the standard tests’ results as they determine whether one will get into a good college, a great university and a dream job. Through of rhetorical devices Tan uses her experiences to educate those who do not speak multiple languages. Therefore, they can loosen up their gate and let the non-native speakers in. Tan wants us to give non-native speakers a chance to prove they are more than the “broken” English they speak. From there, we can become united socially and culturally.

Analysis Of Lisa Kanae's 'Voices Merged To One Tongue'
1078 Words | 3 Pages
“Standard English was imposed on children of immigrant parents, then the children were separated from native English speakers, then the children were labeled “inferior” and “ignorant” (Hughes 70) because they could not speak Standard English. In addition to feeling inferior about their second language skills, these students also felt inadequate in regard to speaking their own mother tongues” (qtd in Kanae)
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Mother Tongue By Amy Tan And Richard Rodriguez
740 Words | 2 Pages
The writings of Amy Tan and Richard Rodriguez’s depicts a bilingual story based on two differing culture. On Mother Tongue, “Tan explores the effect of her mother’s “broken” English on her life and writing” (506). On the other hand, Richard Rodriguez “recounts the origin of his complex views of bilingual education through Public and Private Language” (512). From a child’s eyes, Tan and Rodriguez describe each joys and pain growing up in a non-English speaking family. Hence, may be viewed that cultural differences plays a major role on how one handles adversities.
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Amy Tan's Summary
255 Words | 1 Pages
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.
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A Rhetorical Analysis Of Mother Tongue By Amy Tan
1022 Words | 3 Pages
First, I will be discussing Tan’s purpose in writing her story. I believe her purpose is to educate those who are ignorant to other cultures and languages and clear up the stigma about those who speak “broken” English. A great example of her purpose is when she discusses her major in college. Tan is expected as an Asian student in society to study medicine or math. But
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The Mother Tongue by Demetria Martinez
2546 Words | 6 Pages
Demetria Martínez’s Mother Tongue is divided into five sections and an epilogue. The first three parts of the text present Mary/ María’s, the narrator, recollection of the time when she was nineteen and met José Luis, a refuge from El Salvador, for the first time. The forth and fifth parts, chronologically, go back to her tragic experience when she was seven years old and then her trip to El Salvador with her son, the fruit of her romance with José Luis, twenty years after she met José Luis. And finally the epilogue consists a letter from José Luis to Mary/ María after her trip to El Salvador. The essay traces the development of Mother Tongue’s principal protagonists, María/ Mary. With a close reading of the text, I argue how the forth chapter, namely the domestic abuse scene, functions as a pivotal point in the Mother Tongue as it helps her to define herself.
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Amy Tan's Mother Tongue
1115 Words | 3 Pages
The audience Tan is reaching are people who are very ignorant to the fact that others who speak broken English, regardless of race, know that they are taken advantage of and are not given the respect that a fluent English speaking person would get. The essay is also aimed toward people who can relate to the ?language of intimacy? (36), which is a different sort of English ...
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Amy Tan's View Of Language By Amy Tan
1017 Words | 3 Pages
Tan makes an appeal to emotion with the connections she describes. A connection between a mother and daughter that is wrought with emotion is as relatable as humaneness is to a human. There is a soft declaration to be found in Tan’s statement, “I knew I had succeeded where it counted when my mother finished reading my book and gave me her verdict: “So easy to read.” Tan gains trust by appealing to emotion with something as understandable as the loving and more often than not tension riddled connection between a mother and her daughter. Tan incorporates the intimacy of the “broken” language in correlation to her husband with these words, “It has become our language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family talk, the language I grew up with” (Tan 1). Under the assumption that Louis DeMattei (Tan’s husband) has no prior history with the Chinese Language Tan makes an important point of the use of the “broken” language she learned from her mother. Demattei doesn’t inquire or correct Tan when she switches between the English she acquired from the vast expanses of English literature and the English she acquired from her mother. Tan says, “he even uses it with me,” there is an implied level of comfort within the relationship she has with her husband. Tan shares what is viewed as “broken” and in need of fixing with Demattei and he reciprocates, leaving them
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How To Tame A Wild Tongue By Amy Tan
842 Words | 2 Pages
The biggest difficulties Tan described in her reading are the ones related to her mother’s “broken English,” Tan felt ashamed of her mother’s English. She believed that “[her mother’s] English reflected the quality of what [her mother] had to say.” Native English speaker pretended not to understand nor even one word from Tan’s mother. In her reading, Tan describes a situation where her mom went to the doctor to pick up some test results and the doctors told Tan’s mother they lost her results, the doctors didn’t even apologize to Tan’s mother. After a while asking the doctors to call her daughter, Tan’s mother made Tan ask for the results, and magically the doctors apologize and told Tan they were going to do their best to find the results. If Anzaldua would have a chance to read Tan’s essay, Anzaldua would described Tan’s mother situation as a “linguistic terrorism.” According to Anzaldua “linguistic terrorism” is the “repeated attacks on our native language diminish our sense of self.” Again, tolerance and immigrants seem not to fit in the same sentence, but what is interesting is that Domenico Maceri, a U.S writer, in his essay “America’s Languages: Tower of Babel or Asset?” he claims that “Learning English is important
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Mother Tongue by Amy Tan
1081 Words | 3 Pages
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...
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Anzaldua How To Tame A Wild Tongue Analysis
1286 Words | 3 Pages
“She used to have me call people on the phone…I was forced to ask for information” (Tan, 78). This is something I can personally relate to. For example, when my mother’s English wouldn’t suffice, I had to step in and request for information. Tan Included this experience to set the stage, she was showing us that her mother’s English was “limited” or “broken” and because of that, she wasn’t acknowledged. Tan stated “My mother’s ‘limited’ English, limited my perception of her” (Tan, 78). Because everyone was saying her mother’s English was “limited”, see started believing it, doubting her mother of capabilities, by thinking that she would be no different than anybody else. However, although not said, Tan must have disregarded that thought as she continued aging. After examining Tan, Anzaldua and Brandt’s respective case, I’ve noted that Tan and Anzaldua seem to focus primarily towards speech and language unlike Brandt who seems to be drawn to literacy especially writing. Tan and Anzaldua focus on language; Anzaldua explores and reveals the unofficial languages spoken by people. Tan supports Anzaldua by introducing us her mother – who is one of those sub-language speakers – while it’s said to be “limited”, who is to say it is not just a variant language that shortens
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Mother Tongue And How To Tame A Wild Tongue
738 Words | 2 Pages
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
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Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan
829 Words | 2 Pages
Tan’s essay does more than just illuminate the trouble with language variations; her essay features a story of perseverance, a story of making a “problem” harmonize into a “normal” life. Almost like a how-to, Tan’s essay describes an obstacle and what it takes to go above and beyond. Mirroring Tan, I have been able to assimilate “the [world] that helped shape the way I saw things” and the world that I had to conform to (Tan 129). Life is a struggle, but what makes it worth it is the climb, not what is on the other side.
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Amy Tan’s A Mother’s Tongue
979 Words | 2 Pages
Tan was born to a pair of Chinese immigrants. Her mother understood English extremely well, but the English she spoke was “broken.”(36) Many people not familiar with her way of speaking found it very difficult to understand her. As a result of this, Tan would have to pretend to be her mother, and she called people up to yell at them while her mother stood behind her and prompted her. This caused Tan to be ashamed of her mother throughout her youth, but as she grew, she realized that the language she shares with her mother is a “language of intimacy” (36) that she even uses when speaking with her husband.
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An Analysis Of Mother Tongue By Amy Tan
1154 Words | 3 Pages
In the article, Tan furthers her point when she states that her mother, someone who uses a "broken" dialect, can do several things that the author herself struggles with, and does so despite what people
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The Power of Language in American Culture
1496 Words | 3 Pages
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...
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Mother Tongue by Amy Tan

Analysis Of Lisa Kanae's 'Voices Merged To One Tongue'