Rhetorical Strategies used by Amy Tan in "Mother Tongue". Her mother was raised in China and spoke Mandarin her English always came across as broken to everyone outside the family, which made it hard for her to understand when someone spoke proper English. Rhetorical analysis of Amy Tan’s “mother tongue” Name: Course title: Instructor: Institution: Date Due: Introduction Amy Tan, the author of “my mother tongue” was born in 1952 in California. Mother tongue is usually referred to the first language a person is taught, however I think Tans use of the word mother tongue is much more intimate in a sense that she feels that ere English or her mother tongue is unique to her, and that the variation of English she speaks to her mother is her mother tongue. Overall, Tan excelled in using rhetorical devices. For example, she says “I am not a scholar of English or literature…..I am a writer” to earn the readers’ respect. “I think my mother’s English almost affected limiting my possibilities in life. For the Comparative Analysis Essay I am considering using “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” by Gloria Anzaldua and “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan because I feel that the titles are similar in that they both use the word tongue and I feel that the word tongue can refer to language and/or to a culture that the authors are trying to represent and/or inform people about. Paper format: APA Style. From enhancing simple things like general communication to creating a viable environment for social, economic, political and economic growth, language and literature have become very crucial tools in the growth of human life through constant progress. This nonfiction narrative essay was originally given as a talk during the 1989 State of the Language Symposium; it was later published by The Threepenny Review in 1990. In her piece of Mother’s Tongue, she tells us the experiences she went through, and what her mom had to go through because of her mom’s broken English, and that affected her. In the essay, Mother Tongue, Amy Tan goes to great length to persuade the readers of her experiences being multicultural family that the effectiveness and the price an individual pays by insuring that their ideas and intents do not change due to the way they speak, whether they use “perfect” or “broken” English. Our services include term papers, research papers, book reviews, homework assignments, dissertations, assignments, business papers, and thesis papers. The story tells the struggles Tan and her mother faced to live normal lives. In conclusion after reading Mother Tongue, it became very apparent that her mother played an important part in the author’s life. We will occasionally send you account related emails. Mother Tongue- -Amy Tan After I browsed the table of contents and saw an essay by Amy Tan, I knew I had to read it. Rhetorical analysis of “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan In “Mother Tongue,” Amy Tan an American writer, shares her experience growing up with the family where no one speaks perfect English, and how it affected her education and her life. Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan I am not a scholar of English or literature. 2020 Dec 10 [cited 2020 Dec 6]. August 31, 2007 at 9:36 PM 275-280. Students who find writing to be a difficult task. … She does this to reflect on how the encounter played out and to show how her mother’s English affected the situation. As a matter of fact, only particular people are gifted with a talent for writing. Title: Comparative Analysis Essay Assignment Thesis: Despite that fact that both Amy Tan’s "Mother Tongue" and Alice Walker’s "In Search of our Mothers' Gardens" discusses prejudice and discrimination, "Mother Tongue" is more effective because of its use of rhetorical strategies, including diction, tone, and point of view. If you’d like this or any other sample, we’ll happily email it to you. For instance in her experience, she notices that Asian students actually do better in math tests than in language tests, and she questions whether or not other Asian students are discouraged from writing or directed in the direction of math and science. this essay is not unique. Tan also provides examples of her use of “perfect” English in the story about her mother and the doctors, and her lecture near the beginning. Read “Mother’s Tongue” by Amy Tan (Links to an external site.) She uses many examples to take readers into her life experiences to discover this truth. Attention! So mad he lie to me, losing me money”(284). Amy describes how we speak differently to family compared to how we speak to people out in public. In Amy Tan’s essay, “Mother Tongue” Tan tries to convince readers of the fact that the validity and value of a person’s ideas and intents do not change due to the way they speak, whether they use “perfect” or “broken” English. Although she does not explicitly say it, Tan is also trying to convey the importance of staying true to yourself and going back to your roots even if the world doesn’t see things the same way or even looks down upon it. In Amy Tan’s essay, Mother Tongue, Tan discusses her struggles growing up as an Asian-American born to Chinese immigrants. In Amy Tan’s essay, “Mother Tongue” Tan tries to convince readers of the fact that the validity and value of a person’s ideas and intents do not change due to the way they speak, whether they use “perfect” or “broken” English. She became aware of how she spoke was when giving a lecture about her book The Joy Club and realized her mother who was in the audience did not understand what was being discussed. You can order Unique paper and our professionals Rewrite it for you. Page length: 3-5 pages, minimum. Tan also attempts to explain that her “mother’s expressive command of English belies how much she actually understands” (283). Amy insured everyone that met her mother’s that even though her English seem “broken” it does not reflect her intelligence. Analysis of "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan Essay by EJY345 , High School, 12th grade , A+ , May 2006 download word file , 1 pages download word file , 1 pages 5.0 1 votes She eventually went on to write fiction, she celebrates the fact that she did not follow the expectations that people had of her because of her struggle with writing and language. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site. Tan also clarifies to the readers that her “mother’s expressive command of English belies how much she actually understands”. Tan uses all three of Aristotle’s rhetorical styles (ethos, logos, and pathos) in her essay “Mother Tongue.” First of all, she uses ethos in the first couple of paragraphs to establish her identity as a writer. The author interested by how language is utilized in our daily life” and uses language as a daily part of her work as a writer. Rhetorical Analysis Of Mother Tongue. She is also explaining her story to people who read her works, since so much of her literature seems to be influenced by how she views of the English language. By doing this, Tan prepares readers for a more personal essay and shares her qualifications for writing about language. Mother Tongue is an essay by Amy Tan describing her life with her mother in America. It is her belief utilizing proper English and broken English is essential in communication depending who you are talking to. About the Author Amy Tan, born on February 19, 1952 in Oakland, California. This is not an example of the work written by professional essay writers. The fact that this story was written by an immigrant, and provides real life stories about her mom and herself struggling in America, … Tan ends the essay by telling about going back to her roots and seeing the beauty of her mother’s English; at the end she tells about trying to capture that English in her writing and says, “I knew I had succeeded where it counted when my mother finished reading my book and gave me her verdict: ‘so easy to read.’”(286). Many people in college looked at her funny for being an English major instead of Math as a major. In other words, mother tongue is called first language or the dominant language an individual can have over other he has had to learn over time. Tan is also emotional and somewhat angry at certain points of her essay and that makes the essay relatable and shows her passion for her topic. Amy Tan did this to give the readers an idea on how this particular situation played out and how her mother’s English affected outcome. Amy Tan, the Author of “Mother Tongue” very well makes the point across about cultural racism without showing any anger or specifically pointing out racism; Amy makes the reader realize how really not being American can affect how well you could handle everyday situations. Available from: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/rhetorical-analysis-of-amy-tans-mother-tongue/, Recieve 100% plagiarism-Free paper just for 4.99$ on email, *Public papers are open and may contain not unique content. She observes experiences that made her realized the different types of "Englishes" she uses. From the 1500’s where people started migrating to the thirteen colonies to today where America is surrounded by immigration. Even though people placed this label on her mother of the way she spoke she rejected the idea that her mother English is “limited”. Throughout her life she recognizes her struggles applying proper English instead of the broken used in her home. This essay has been submitted by a student. 1990. Mother Tongue Amy Tan Thesis Mother tongue is a term that can refer to another person’s native language; this is the language that he or she was brought up knowing from birth. One of the two rhetorical strategies I notices that Tan used in her essay is pathos, or emotional appeals. Mother Tongue: Textual Rhetorical Analysis. 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