Mother Tongue

story “Mother Tongue”, Amy Tan tries to distinguish the difference between two different cultures as a child. She is raised by her mother who speaks “broken” English, and the outside world where perfect English is spoken. Amy had a hard time as a child because of the different Englishes that were spoken. Tan as an adult continues to find the difference between the languages that are spoken, even though she knows that the one spoken by her mother will never improve. Tan’s attitude towards mother…

The story of the, "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan, expresses a unique perspective on the English language in various people's perspectives of English. As a daughter of a Chinese immigrant, Tan writes about situations where she saw limitations imposed upon her mother because of her language skills. She also discusses the perceptions and judgments that people make when spoken to with imperfect English. Tan stresses in her essay the huge effect that her mother’s language had on her identity as a person…

In the short story Mother Tongue by Amy Tan, the author, Tan, has a positive attitude towards her mother’s identity and language. We meet an author who, while being ashamed of her mother’s abilities in speaking the English language, is very proud to be her daughter. Tan’s mother’s limited English is humiliating for her during certain parts in the story. She learns to appreciate it more however, as she grows up. Her mother’s different use of the English language, is what shaped her into who she…

struggle of “fitting in” and accepting the cultural background is a major point in both essays, Mother Tongue by Amy Tan and How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzaldua. Their experiences with the discrimination in the United States have given them they reason to stand against social inequality. They refuse to feel like they are any less than an American. Although people tried to “tame” their tongues, their identifies remained untouched.…

At a young age, children are exposed to different environments which can ultimately affect their character. Where and who they live with might determine how one grows up. For example, Amy Tan was embarrassed of the lack of English her mother knew because of how people treated her. She faced discrimination since everyone taught she should’ve majored in Math and not in English or creative writing. Ben Carson encountered racism and self-doubt. When he was young he felt stupid compared to other…

The essay “Mother Tongue” written by Amy Tan tells readers that she had two different types of languages that she speaks. One is used for the public and the second used at home with her mother. During a large conference she was telling about a book she had written and was using Standard English. Suddenly she remembers that her mother was there and never heard Ms. Tan speak this way. When Ms. Tan was at home with her mother they spoke in the same way and fashion. Many times, in the writer’s…

Grounded by Language In Mother Tongue, Amy Tan begins her short story by giving the audience prior knowledge that Tan is not a scholar of English and she is not able to give much more than her past knowledge on the English language. She then proceeds to give the readers an idea of how much she is fascinated by language itself and gives it a grading scale from complex english to simple English. Tan presents her short story by giving the readers a recent experience that made her rethink the…

Hidden Gem in an Alley Imagine… You are going to meet some friends out to have dinner. “No big deal!”, you’re thinking- not the first time. Now Imagine… The GPS on your phone, that is directing you to the restaurant is taking you down a back alley of the town. GPS showing you that in 200 feet, you have reached your destination. What would be your thoughts and feelings about going to eat at a restaurant in a back alley? About five years ago, that same situation happened to me. Myself and a…

Though Valerie was lost in her own pleasure she could feel the distinctive signs of her brother nearing his peak. Valerie could have done with out her brother wrapping his fingers around her throat, as she already felt as though he was roughing her up quite a bit, but she guessed he just wanted to try and keep her quiet, which wasn’t really fair since he continued to grunt and moan in her ear. Choking and gasping for air Valerie continued to climb up an invisible peak and continuing to soak…

Amy Tan "Mother Tongue" What rhetorical strategies are used in the essay to depict the notion of time? In Amy Tan’s essay titled "Mother Tongue" the specific general point is the limitations that imperfect English can impose in society and the richness that such English can bring to writing. Tan give details that this idea by analyzing her mother's language, her own use of English and society's response to unlike people's English usage. Describes both the nonstandard English that Tan's mother, a…