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Logos, or logic, involves looking for arguments that make sense in a piece. Amy Tan’s essay is very logical. It makes complete sense, and is simple to understand. Being that it is a narrative, she uses examples to back up her statements about English. She tells the stories of her mother dealing with the stockbroker and the hospital as means to make her point clearer. Ethos looks at the author’s credibility. Tan is a well-known writer, and does a lot of public speaking. We can trust her qualifications as a writer and an English speaking American. When she shares her stories we can be sure that she is someone we can believe. Lastly, pathos, or emotion, is an appeal in writing. Especially with this type of writing, it is easy to find. “Mother Tongue” evokes many emotions. Readers in a way can empathize with Tan, when she shares the fact that she believes her mother’s broken English has limited her possibilities in life. It is appealing to all those who have experienced difficulty with
