Amy Tan Mother Tongue Analysis

Mothers Tongue

Amy Tans "Mother Tongue" is a look into the way some people, look to language as a way as a sign of how educated you are. According to Amy she did not realize how we use different languages or different tones when we are engaging in conversation with others. When you are talking with friends or close family you would use different dialect or slang, then if you were talking to your boss or teacher. The tone of your voice can also show's that if you are louder this might mean you are confident in your answer or opinion. If you speak softly and don't make eye contact or talk towards the desk you are less confident. In the beginning she was embarrassed by her mother not being able to speak English. Amy did not think her mother was ignorant because her intelligent thoughts and answers were there. Her mother just could not relay her thoughts into understandable words like the time when talking to the stockbroker. Amy's mother just closed her stock portfolio and she was suppose to receive a check that she never received, her mother wanted her to call the stockbroker and act like her. Her mother knew in her head what she wanted to say she just could not convey them into understandable sentences. This is where Amy came in she would take her mothers jumbled sentences and make them more understandable to the
stockbroker. When they took a trip to New York to meet the stockbroker Amy was embarrassed by how her mother shouted and was being so loud with her broken English. The same situation was used again in the hospital, when her mother went for a doctor's appointment to discuss her results from the CAT scan that showed a tumor on her brain.
Amy's mother became very frustrated when she was told her CAT scan was lost according to Amy's mother the hospital workers acted like they didn't even care they showed no sympathy and no remorse for what happened. Amy's mom would not leave until the doctor called her daughter and when that finally happened Amy spoke perfect English to the doctor and because of that she got some answers. The doctor told her he would find the CAT scan and he would be in touch by
Monday. In today's society we look down upon people who cannot speak the English language proper, we sometimes treat that person as uneducated. We make it seem like it's a waste of time to engage in a conversation with them, sometimes we even act like they are not even in there. Society influences a big part in what carrier path you will go to. In Amy's case she was pushed towards math and science and she had enough courage to go against the grain and pursue her weakest subject English. This gamble worked very well for her because she became a well know author. Amy finally realized there are different dialects to the English language. When you are writing a story you should try to envision the reader and in Amy's case it was her mother. She used simply English's or broken English so her mother could understand it better. Her main goal was to write a book that individuals like her mother could understand. She knew that she has meet her goal when her mother could read her entire book and said ‘'so easy to read.''(231