In her article mother tongue, tan shows that english, like other languages is a form of expression and communication, and that it can evoke an emotion, a. In mother tongue by amy tan, tan explores the connection between ones language and their identity, she examines not only how language affects the development of ones identity, but also the role it has in the way one is perceived by society. All of it starts from her desired and her motivation to learn, make all of things around her become something that can be learned and take a positive side of it. Summary in the essay mother tongue, amy tan talked about her love and fascination of language, and how language can evoke an emotion, a visual image, and how its a tool she uses everyday in writing. Tans other two books, the kitchen gods wife 1991 and the hundred secret senses 1995, have also appeared on the new york. In the beginning of amy tan s narrative, mother tongue she states, i am someone who has always loved language. When amy tan starts to write her novel she tries to use big words to prove she is successful at english, why does she change and write in simpler english. In mother tongue amy tan literacy, learning, and life. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Amy tans a mothers tongue the purpose of amy tans essay, mother tongue, is to show how challenging it can be if an individual is raised by a parent who speaks limited english 36 as tans mother does, partially because it can result in people being judged poorly by others. Oct 27, 20 amy tans article mother tongue really spoke to me in several different ways. She has to tell people her mothers english is broken or fractured. And by that definition, i am someone who has always loved languagetan 76. Mother tongue an article by an author named amy tan is about the many different forms of the english language that she has used and continues to use throughout her life.
Tan was also a coproducer and coscreenwriter of the film version of the. Analysis of mother tongue by amy tan in the narrative essay, mother tongue by amy tan, the author sets out the story between her mother, whose english is her second language, and tan herself can speak native english very well. Structure in mother tongue by amy tan every piece of literature, whether its an epic novel or a haiku, has some sort of structure which is simply the organization of the material. Discuss why tan opens with an explanation of what she is not. Sep 12, 2011 amy tans article called mother tongue the new world reader is very enlightening and opened my eyes to the struggles that asian american families go through on a day to day basis. The origin is dictates their first language or mother tongue and is the main reason why they do not express themselves in english remarkably well. The cunning willfulness of memory is a powerful refrain in this book. Tan speculates that because asian americans score so much higher on math achievement tests than on english tests, they are encouraged to pursue math and science in college. Feb 12, 20 as i was reading mother tongue i picked up on the reflective tone amy tan was using to convey the message to her readers. Amy lives in california with her husband, louis, who she met on a blind date. Mother tongue is a personal essay by the american novelist amy tan. How stories written for mother became amy tans best seller the.
And by that definition, i am someone who has always loved language. In the essay tan explores the different englishes that she has come into contact with in her everyday life. Amy tans mother tongue is an eyeopening story on how people are mistreated and over looked because of the dialect and language style they use. Mother tongue by amy tan purpose essay example graduateway.
She grew up taking phone and making phone calls for her mother. When it came to the subject itself i felt confident enough i had the necessary skills. Amy tan born february 19, 1952 is an american writer whose works explore motherdaughter relationships and the chineseamerican experience. Tan has written several other novels, including the kitchen gods wife, the hundred secret senses, the bonesetters. The purpose of amy tan writing this essay was to explain to people her love for language in and of. Mother tongue amy tan thesis mother tongue is a term that can refer to another persons native language.
She is at work on another novel, the memory of desire. As i was reading mother tongue i picked up on the reflective tone amy tan was using to convey the message to her readers. In the essay, mother tongue by amy tan, we are asked to consider how the language we grow up with affects us throughout our lives. Reflections on amy tans mother tongue, essay sample. The essay looks at themes of shame, education, and living in two. Here are links to our lists for the joy luck club by amy tan. What she is hears is her mothers english coming out of her mouth.
In tans essay she quotes her mothers speech to demonstrate her mothers broken english, it was a very trivial story but the thing that is worth looking at was her mothers grammar. From childhood, amy tan has had a close acquaintance with death and. Amy describes how we speak differently to family compared to how we speak to people out in public. Amy tan explains in her story about her love of literature and how her mothers broken english has inspired her to write. She also grew up to be ashamed of her mothers poor speaking skills. She was reflecting on her past experiences with her mother and those that interacted with her. Fifteen writers reflect on their mother tongues mint first edition by wendy lesser editor luc sante, amy tan, ariel dorfman, leonard michaels, etc. I believe tan wrote this article not only toward her critics, but also towards herself as a reflection of her relationship with her mother and how it has led. Tan shares a few anecdotes illustrating the role language played in shaping her own personal. Amy tan born february 19, 1952 is an american writer whose works explore mother daughter relationships and the chineseamerican experience. A summary of amy tans mother tongue freebooksummary. However, after further analysis, i see she could have been targeting specific groups. What one says may sometimes vary based on the person, situation, or event as.
Summary 1 january 2018 according to the phrase where amy tan says,i think my mothers english almost had an effect on limiting my possibilities in life. After reading this narrative people will become more aware of their perception and treatment of others based on their language style and dialect. She addresses the realization that she speaks different types of english. Both of them were right off the boat from sicily, italy. Amy tan is an asianamerican writer whose works focus a lot on relationships between mothers and daughters. To do this, you can use intext citations which point your reader to the exact source on your works cited list, as well as the location within that source. Reflecting on amy tans essay mother tongue in amy tans work mother tongue, the author explains that in some situations, she hears herself say things like not waster money that way 54.
I thought by just reading the first paragraph that i was able to make a strong connection with amy tan and her essay. It almost felt as though, as long as i kept writing the book, theyd both stay alive. Amy tan is the author of the valley of amazement, the joy luck club, the kitchen gods wife, the hundred secret senses, the bonesetters daughter, the opposite of fate, saving fish from drowning, and two childrens books, the moon lady and sagwa the chinese siamese cat. A writers memoir, will be published by eccoharpercollins in october 2017. In tans essay she quotes her mothers speech to demonstrate her mothers broken english, it was a very trivial story but the.
I have not read any of her novels although i have a couple. Her mother had a brain tumor and her father and brother both died of brain tumors. Essay on amy tans a mothers tongue 973 words bartleby. Thoughts on mother tongue by amy tan happinessequalsoutlook. The resulting book, the joy luck club, was hailed as a novel and became a. Amy tan turned ouijaboard thug at 15, sabotaging its responses in order to.
Tan has remarked that she once tried to distance herself from her ethnicity, but writing her. This handout describes an assignment in which students write a literacy narrative exploring their use of different language in different settings. Amy tan s purpose of writing mother tongue is to remind the native english speakers to respect the broken english speakers and to find out the worthy thoughts concealed by the imperfect languages. Aug 20, 2015 after reading this passage, i feel like i can definitely relate this essay. Amy served as coproducer and coscreenwriter with ron bass for the film adaptation of the joy luck club, for which they received wga and bafta nominations. She was a highly successful freelance business writer in 1987 when she took her chinese immigrant mother to revisit china. The nature of the talk was about my writing, my life, and my book, the joy luck club. Essay mother tongue by amy tan amy tan a wellknown english author, grew up experiencing language barriers. Mother tongue by amy tan essay 1070 words bartleby. Mother tongue p397p402 when i moved to seychelles in 2006 to work for the local government there, my biggest concern was that my knowledge of the english language would not be adequate to be a successful teacher. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of mother tongue by amy tan.
Amy tans mother tongue language is a powerful tool that can either bring people together or set them apart from each other. In essence, this paper seeks to analyze the essay mother tongue by amy tan, in which various aspects of language and rhetorical evaluation are detailed. We use language to communicate with others, convey our emotions, solve everyday problems, prevent the outbreak of war, and educate us in such ways that require communication. Amy tan has ethos on the subject of english and how it is used in a variety of tongues because her mother is chinese and immigrated to california. Mother tongue, written by amy tan provides a description of the forms of english languages adapted by different individuals during their migration to the united states of america and their adjustment to the american culture. Mother tongue is an essay by amy tan describing her life with her mother in america. Apr, 2017 in the essay mother tongue by amy tan shows how english does not have only one type, but a variety of ways to be used and understood. Mother tongue by amy tan this essay, titled mother tongue and written by amy tan, deals with the matter of divers english or the issue of speaking variant english along with the cultural. Mother tongue by amy tan tell us how the writer can developed her english well even though she lives in the middle of family who speak broken english. Tans latest book is a memoir entitled where the past begins. Reflection on mother tongue by amy tan premium essay help. If students have access to the internet, introduce amy tan by sharing audio and video clips of her talking and reading. It is an invitation to see english as a variety of ideas and expressions of oneself.
Nicole recenello diana amaya kevin driscoll nimra ali karina arjona keneth blazo amy tanmother tongue summary what i am not in the article mother tongue, amy tan emphasizes the idea that we all speak different languages unconsciously and that we are categorized by the way we. English 101 mother tongue amy tan makes a valid point about the use of different englishes that are spoken in different places and to certain people. It is important to note that amy tan not only uses the article to give us an insight into her world of writing and the continuous commitments she made to better her mastery of the english language, but she also expresses different rhetorical. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language the way it can evoke an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth tan 299. She talks about how she can only give personal opinions and what she is not. Analysis of mother tongue by amy tan 9 words 4 pages. Jan 25, 20 after reading amy tans essay mother tongue, i have come to several conclusions.
One is the group of asian americans who might have felt the same way as she had, that is, who might have thought that their asian parents use broken or fractured english and felt ashamed of. Mother tongue by amy tan key points and summary emmanuel. In the essay mother tongue by amy tan shows how english does not have only one type, but a variety of ways to be used and understood. Amy tan explains how culture may effect what you do and enjoy in life. Amy tan became a published author in 1989 with the novel the joy luck club. I had been teaching science for 6 years and was familiar. How did amy tan feel about her mothers english as a child. Amidst the essay, tan reveals the reader that racial profiling still exists, even in a time where every person is. Amy tan born february 19, 1952 is an american writer whose works explore motherdaughter. One can see the many proofs for this fact in the treatment tans mother received from a stockbroker, the medical staff in a hospital, etc. The short story mother tongue by amy tan addresses the reality that the inability to communicate effectively and see the different perspectives of those around us can hinder the flow of society and often block us from new ideas and potential.
Her novel the joy luck club was adapted into a film in 1993 by director wayne wang tan has written several other novels, including the kitchen gods wife, the hundred secret senses, the bonesetters daughter, saving fish from drowning, and the valley. That was something exceeded fluency, vocabularies and grammar. For the following example, this usually means citing the author and page tan 40. She is raised by her mother who speaks broken english, and the outside world where perfect english is spoken. Mother tongue amy tan born in 1952 in oakland, california, amy tan is the daughter of immigrants who fled chinas cultural revolu tion in the late 1940s. Its said amy thought her mothers english was a burden. Amy tan is an accomplished fictional writer with five books in her name among other literary works. Mother tongue by amy tan great art takes inspiration, and inspiration comes from many different sources. Amy had a hard time as a child because of the different englishes that were spoken. Praised for its authentic dialogue and its rich portrayal. Hand out copies of mother tongue, and read the first two paragraphs aloud.
Amy tan tells the story of how she becomes to have a strong natural love for language. She holds a bachelors degree in english and a masters degree in linguistics 1973 from san jose state university. Amy tans short story, mother tongue is an admirable tale that discusses the implied meaning of languages and how language is not only a device of communication, but a social tool of measuring an individuals worth. Reflection on mother tongue by amy tan mother tongue, prepared by amy tan is about a woman who comes from a household of asian americans who traveled to america later in their lives. She has written several other books, including the kitchen gods wife, the hundred secret senses, and the bonesetters daughter, and a collection of nonfiction essays entitled the opposite of fate. How the broken speech of her mother has had an influence on her life. The piece has a strong depiction of the asian american struggles through the adaptation of the. She worked as a language development specialist for countywide programs. Have students discuss amy tan s essay in small groups, using these discussion questions. However, her mothers seemed educated reading forbes and other books as well. Amidst the essay, tan shows the reader that racial profiling still exists, even in a time where every person is promised freedom and equality.
Its said amy thought her mother s english was a burden. In the summary of mother tongue by amy tan it is clearly seen that in case the language is not pure, is broken or limited, the feeling of dominance comes to americans only on a linguistic basis. There tan, for the first time, met two of her half sisters, a journey and a meeting that. In mother tongue amy tan the joy luck club brings up an issue which i never thought about. In mother tongue, amy tan wrote about broken english. Biographical information about amy tan can be found at. Jose state university alumni speech and language pathologists university of california, santa cruz alumni university of california. Different forms of language and their different roles in daily life always fascinate her. The talk was going along well enough, until i remembered one major. According to tan, why are so many asian americans encouraged to study math and science in college. Amy tanmother tongue by nicole lianna recenello on prezi. I know most have to deal with the relationship between chineseamerican daughters and their mothers.
I grew up in the states around lots of immigrants from countries in asia and since i was very little, i have heard people speaking in different types of englishes some are perfect and others are limited. A vocabulary list featuring mother tongue by amy tan. Throughout most of my life, my great grandparents were around. In amy tans mother tongue, tan describes how language has changed her life in so. 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. In mother tongue, tan writes about the awareness and discrimination about unbroken english compared to standard english. Tan grew up in california and in switzerland and studied english and linguistics at san jose state university b. In mother tongue by amy tan, tan discusses her mothers way of speaking through broken english. Amy tans mother tongue amy tans\mother tongue language. Her novel the joy luck club was adapted into a film in 1993 by director wayne wang. A few examples of this was with amys friends, the stock broker, and the doctor. Below is a list of amy tans books in order of when they were originally published. Mother tongue amy tan summary essay custom essay writing. First of all, i thoroughly enjoyed reading about her relationship with her mother, and she really did everything in her power to connect with her mom and help her get her messages across.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. In this essay, novelist amy traces her development as a writer by reflecting on the ways she and her mother use english differently. People having difficult to understand, what her mother trying to say. How stories written for mother became amy tans best seller. Sep 10, 2011 amy tan, mother tongue by jiinlee in my personal opinion, the audiences of tans essay mother tongue are two groups of people. Rodney dangerfield at his best on the tonight show starring johnny carson 1983 duration. I cannot give you much more than personal opinions on the english language and its variations in this country or others. Her chinese name, anmei, means blessing from america. Mother tongue, by amy tan home is where the heart dwells. Even though mother tongue is a short story, analyze its plot or progression. Amy tan s mother tongue language is a powerful tool that can either bring people together or set them apart from each other.