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Mother Tongue Article by Amy Tan Paper

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Writing

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Discussion

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After re-reading "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan and looking over my initial

interpretation, I do still have the same conclusion which was to convey the difficulties that

can come from having a parent who doesn't speak very good or "broken" English. The author

explains situations where she would have to speak for her mother when she was a child. The

different "Englishes" she discussed she grew up with ultimately helped establish her writing

style. But I also concluded that the author was trying to send a message to not put people in a

category or box. Amy Tan was able to write despite being told she shouldn't. The author used

what she knew and wrote for people who could understand her.

One key point I identified is when the author discusses the different types of

English she spoke growing up. She explained the English she spoke with her mother and the

English she spoke with everybody else. Another key point is when the author discussed how

she would have to speak and make phone calls for her mother when she was growing up. She

spoke specifically about a time she had to make a phone call for her mother about a check

that had not arrived when it was supposed to. She explained how she was talking in clear

English and about when her mother talked them in person. She explained how this made her

feel when her mother was yelling at the boss with her broken English. The last key point is

when the author explains about how the author had a difficult time writing nonfiction but

when she envisioned a reader for her stories, she envisioned her mother. She started using all

the "Englishes" she grew up with, and she knew she had succeeded in writing when her

mother finished her book. I have not identified new key points because the key points I

identified originally helped point out the goal Amy Tan had when she was writing this article.

I believe that my analysis of “Mother Tongue” would benefit an audience that is

like Amy Tan’s mother. It would be beneficial for people that have a language barrier

because they can relate to it and the struggles having a language barrier can bring on. I think

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an audience that has not had any issues with a language barrier would benefit also. It will

benefit the people that do not have a language barrier because it can help them to have a little

more understanding and not get frustrated with a person that they cannot fully understand.

However, I do think that my critical analysis will benefit the students in this course and my

professor. It will benefit the students in this course and my professor by having an

understanding of what “Mother Tongue” was intended to portray.

My goal would be to try and relay the message that the author was trying to relay.

Amy Tan explained a couple situations from when she was growing up that were hard on her

and her mother with a language barrier. She explained how she would have to speak for her

mother and then pretend to be her mother over the phone. She explained the embarrassment

she felt when her mother was yelling at the boss in broken English, when that was not what

they had heard on the phone. I would use my essay as a way for my audience to understand

the importance of Amy Tan’s goal. Which I believe was to send a message that, people are

people, no matter what language they speak or how weak or broken its spoken.

A piece of evidence would be in the middle of the article, when Amy Tan

explains many personal experiences to try and make you understand what she went through

when she was younger with her mother. Another piece of evidence that shows that Amy Tan

wrote for her mother was when she stated, "Apart from what any critic had to say about my

writing, I knew I had succeeded where it counted when my mother finished reading my book

and gave me her verdict: So easy to read."

I can always use feedback for my writing. I have never been very good at doing

assignments when it comes to writing. I am ok at writing on my own or writing about things

that I am passionate about, but assignment writing always stumps me. My writing would

improve from receiving feedback by listening to the feedback and applying any new tools or

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After re-reading "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan and looking over my initial interpretation, I do still have the same conclusion which was to convey the difficulties that can come from having a parent who doesn't speak very good or "broken" English. The author explains situations where she would have to speak for her mother when she was a child. The different "Englishes" she discussed she grew up with ultimately helped establish her writing style. But I also concluded that the author was trying to send a message to not put people in a category or box. Amy Tan was able to write despite being told she shouldn't. The author used what she knew and wrote for people who could understand her. One key point I identified is when the author discusses the different types of English she spoke growing up. She explained the English she spoke with her mother and the English she spoke with everybody else. A ...
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Tags: broken English Amy Tan Mother Tongue Article language barrier revision strategy