Differences Of Amy Tan's Mother Tongue And Mother Tongue

In America do we have to speak English to be American? Does not speaking English make you uneducated? Even though people categorize others based solely from the way they speak, your language does not necessarily define who you are as a person. You have to learn to embrace your language and your ethnicity. In both of these essays, "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan and "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzaldua, we learn that without our native language we would have a hard time embracing our ethnicity. First, both essays are written in first person perspectives by first generation of English speakers living in America, their parents came to America and have yet to perfect the English language. Even though these women were both living in America

This is the writers attitude towards growing up in America as first generation English speakers and the everyday struggle they faced. Throughout the essay, "Mother Tongue", Amy Tan sets a negative tone, often frustrated when reflecting on past experiences in regards to her mother and towards those people who underestimated her mother solely based on her poor English. Often times Amy had to speak on behalf of her mother because Amy spoke proper English. When she grew up she finally realized that at the end of the day it didn 't matter what anyone had to say about her writings "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]." (Tan). She became aware of how her mother influenced her writings and helped shape who she has become, this set a positive tone for the

I 've never seen anything as strong or as stubborn." (Anzaldua). She also has a casual tone, this makes the audience relate with her, as though she is speaking to the reader like a friend. She reaches out to the reader by relating with people who have felt oppressed in society. There is negative tones throughout the essay, but its out of frustration for the injustice she is personally faced with throughout her life. Similarly these essays set the same tone, there 's a mixture of emotions throughout the essays, in the end we find language affects the point of view that people have on you, this all depends on who, what, when where and why you are