Power of language
Power of Language
"Mother Tongue", written by Amy Tan, illustrates the idea that words are more than just words. The author separates English into two categories: English used with her family and English used in public. Through her mother's language, Tan emphasizes that we are categorized by the language we use and the way we speak. Because Tan's mother expresses her thoughts in "broken" English, her thoughts become imperfect. Through examples of the ignorant stockholders and doctor, Amy Tan illustrates that it is the language we use in family that influences our public perception. Despite Tan's poor English writing skills, she chooses English as her major and becomes a writer who writes for people with "broken" English like her mom. Tan's works show that her identity is correlated and connected with her mother's use of language. Also, Tan emphasizes that the way we speak, influence by our family, sometimes cannot illustrate all of our thoughts and feelings.
Mother tongue is one of my favorite essays I have recently read. The fact that the author uses simple language to illustrate her thoughts helps me to understand the main point. I found this essay interesting because I can relate myself to Amy Tan's mother. Us an international student, my English is not perfect and this becomes a problem when I'm communicating with others. Just like Tan's mother, because I express my thoughts in "broken" English, my thoughts become imperfect to others. On the other hand, I really like the examples Tan gives in the text. I found the stockbroker examples especially engaging and I think it illustrates the main point really well. In overall, because of the simple language the author uses and the interesting examples the author gives, I found the essay easy to read and understand.
Tan, Amy. "Mother Tongue." The Norton Sampler. Ed. Thomas Cooley. Norton, 2010. 253-259. Print
"Mother Tongue", written by Amy Tan, illustrates the idea that words are more than just words. The author separates English into two categories: English used with her family and English used in public. Through her mother's language, Tan emphasizes that we are categorized by the language we use and the way we speak. Because Tan's mother expresses her thoughts in "broken" English, her thoughts become imperfect. Through examples of the ignorant stockholders and doctor, Amy Tan illustrates that it is the language we use in family that influences our public perception. Despite Tan's poor English writing skills, she chooses English as her major and becomes a writer who writes for people with "broken" English like her mom. Tan's works show that her identity is correlated and connected with her mother's use of language. Also, Tan emphasizes that the way we speak, influence by our family, sometimes cannot illustrate all of our thoughts and feelings.
Mother tongue is one of my favorite essays I have recently read. The fact that the author uses simple language to illustrate her thoughts helps me to understand the main point. I found this essay interesting because I can relate myself to Amy Tan's mother. Us an international student, my English is not perfect and this becomes a problem when I'm communicating with others. Just like Tan's mother, because I express my thoughts in "broken" English, my thoughts become imperfect to others. On the other hand, I really like the examples Tan gives in the text. I found the stockbroker examples especially engaging and I think it illustrates the main point really well. In overall, because of the simple language the author uses and the interesting examples the author gives, I found the essay easy to read and understand.
Tan, Amy. "Mother Tongue." The Norton Sampler. Ed. Thomas Cooley. Norton, 2010. 253-259. Print