Analyzing Gloria Anzaldua's 'Taming A Wild Tongue'

Mai Tong Xiong
Writ 1301 sec 39
Critical Paper
December 18, 2008
Taming a Wild Tongue

In “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” Gloria Anzaldua’s thesis explores the formation of her dual Mexican identity through the usage and abuse of her native language as the main guiding force; her structure leans towards a creative and prose style where the thesis or main idea is not directly given in the introduction, but appears in the conclusion. Though she highly emphasized evidence of language silencing, it is just an analogy/factor of dual Mexican identity; language is our identity. Although Anzaldua’s chosen structure does not follow the rules of academic essays devoutly, it is highly effective in presenting her argument and is a good example for further speculations on writing styles and the academic arena. Anzaldua hints
near the start that language gives people their identity, specifically Mexican(a), Anglo and Spanish languages and heritage. Anzaldua begins with her memories at the dentist and the metaphor of cutting her tongue--taming it, which iterate the concept of destroying language while assimilating a cultural group. This alludes to the Anglo-American perception of taming barbaric or uncivilized cultures which severs many cultures and its identity, creating mixed ethnic backgrounds or polycultural identities. A unifying, mixed language, becomes the mirror of one’s identity.
“For a people who are neither Spanish nor live in a country in which Spanish is the first language; for a people who live in a country in which English is the reigning tongue but who are not Anglo; for a people who cannot entirely identify with either standard (formal, Castillian) Spanish nor standard English, what recourse is left to them but to create their own language?”

Anzaldua attempts presenting this idea by giving factors of one’s (dual) identity through layers upon layers and leading into her true statement. This defies the academic approach of clear-and-concise writing. Her true statement is presented in the third section, “Linguistuc Terrorism,” where Anzalduas states, “Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity--I am my language,” (75). After introducing matter of her tongue as wild and untamable, where Anglos- the dominant and authority-wants her to assimilate, Anzaldua, shifts focus towards the male dominated Spanish language.
“Language is a male discourse,” is supported with the example of “nosotros,” (74). As soon as Anzalduas mentions language as a male discourse, she hastily shifts towards the topic of cultural traitors which are in part, just victims of a dual identity. The purpose of focusing on language as a male discourse is representing it as parallel to the dominating system, which is male and white or conquered by them. Thus this topic shifts towards dual identity because being nonwhite in a white enforcing society results in a misused, altered, chaotic language and therefore, identity also. Anzaldua elaborated on her experience as a Chicana in regards to cultural entertainment and history of her languages in between the main paragraphs on attempts to tame a wild tongue at the beginning and her identity at the end, although identity is not explicitly implied until the last ending paragraphs. Anzaldua’a style is academic, yet she makes it fit her creative
style. Academic styled papers give a clear topic sentence and thesis, giving readers the answer before the evidence, whereas Anzaldua’s approach gives the evidence leading up to the answer. This is effective in her argument because the structure stress readers’ emphasis on learning and exploring how one gets to the conclusion, instead of being given the conclusion and then underlying arguments on it. The academic structure is an easier way of understanding, does not serve as much as a learning tool but a resource. Although it is clear and concise, evidence will fall apart in the process of idea distinction. Through a chronological learning process, one becomes engaged contrary to understanding answers already laid out for them, or being told answers. Academic papers, which are of educational institutions, enforce ideas of democracy because the knowledge in the paper through its structure allows many people to understand the same concept; whereas the structure of fiction, satires, and prose allows limited common understanding. Yet, Anzalduas’ work defy this because the layout of evidence is a process and thus, anyone who reads it have an engaged understanding. The academic format is understood easier by those who are educated about its structure, whereas creative laying out such as Anzalduas’ are more similar to universal forms of gaining knowledge. In retrospect, well written creative essays provide quality of knowledge and in Anzalduas’ case, also quantity of readers who gain knowledge versus just the latter--which is a result of writers who devoutly follows academic restrictions or rules on essay writing. The latter structure works well in organizing and expressing one’s thoughts and argument, however, a writer should know which structure allows for better expression, and they should be allowed or encouraged to take on higher expectations and creativity rather than just the minimal standards and structure of an essay. Anzaldua’s structure--being flexible, unbounded by limitations or restricted boundaries-portrays her thesis on her personal, cultural identity; and also allows for various critiques of Anglo-American and Chicano/a interaction. It enforces the idea that we have to read and use language properly because the words we say represent our identity. Male, Anglo dominated world manifests itself in academia and professionalism, which manifests in both verbal and written language, whereas creative and fiction work are viewed as female, and thus minority discourse. “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” is only one example of how creative and flexible works can be more effective than the rigid format of male discourse and origins. How can our expectations and potential be optimized by encouraging flexibility? “[T]he quality of the imagination is to flow, and not to freeze,” Ralph Waldo Emerson said in his, “The Poet.”

Works Cited

Anzaldua, Gloria. “how to Tame a Wild Tongue.” The North Anthology of American Literature. 7th edition, vol E. Eds. Jerome Klinkowitz and Patricia B. Luallace. New York: Norton, 2007.