Mother Tongue by Amy Tan Article Analysis Paper Example

Mother tongue is about a woman struggling with identities she is living in. Being born in America by Chinese parents; the author tells of struggling with identity through both English and her mothers native Mandarin language, the author tells of her youth life as seen through the worlds perspective. The author presents herself to the audience as a writer and not as English scholar to show that one does not need to know English to be a writer. The author, Tan, refers English as the tool of her trade, and how she usually uses it to expresses herself only to be reminded recently of different types of English she uses.

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She tells of the difference in English she would speak with her mother and the type of English she would speak with other people. The challenge occurs because she cannot use the two languages concurrently. Her mother had difficulties in the way she spoke English and often faced prejudice when communicating with everyone else. She tells how the doctors and a stockbroker ignored her mothers broken English but responded to Tan when she inquired about the same in Standard English. This shows that regardless of being born or is living in America, one is seen as a non-American. People from other countries struggle speaking fluent English because of the impossibility for one to easily learn new language over a short period. It is more difficult to those accustomed to their native language and has been using it over a long period.

Tan is faced with challenges in her dialect world where she tells of speaking perfect English when she is in the outside world and using broken or fractured English with her mother for better communication. She uses personal experiences with her mother to highlight instances where she and her mother faced prejudice. Though she states that her mother had long realized the limitations of her English and would often use her in communicating with the people on her phone, Tan goes ahead to state that her mothers English. She says that she was so shameful and embarrassing that her imperfect voices were because of her imperfect thoughts, Tan discusses how her mothers disparity in English might have cost her in her childhood years especially at school where she faced problems with standardized English tests.

Throughout the text she tries to tell people how there is no right type of English and that that the language comes in many forms therefore should not be looked down upon. With usage of dialogue throughout the story, Tan brings the experience of her mother tongue to her readers for them to understand how intimately in a sense feels that her mother tongue and English is unique to her. She put emphasis throughout the story on the word English and Englishes to show how many people are misconceived and ill informed regarding different languages background and people cultures.

Her interests in future life possibilities were further placed in a frustrating positions when at school she was good at math and science but did not perform well in English usually getting Bs and BPluses compared to the former which she states as her true abilities. There are various instances of judgments based on her ethnic background and on other Chinese students who were viewed stereotypically to be affiliated with math and scientific studies. Her interest in English majors made, her look funny because of her Chinese descent since it was uncommon to see such instances. She discovers that most of the Asian students often excel in math and science. In fact she come into realization that she was pushed by her teacher into majoring in math and science and also states the at some point, her former boss told her to focus in account management and leave writing, judging her against her aspirations and hobbies.

Tan soon realizes that all along she had become something she was not, eventually relates with her mother, and therefore allowed her new knowledge affect her writing. They have a good and comfortable relationship with her mother that involved one with speaking broken English, which implies mother tongue making it mean something special. Inspired by her mother Tan becomes authentic and eventually remains true to her roots. She begins writing what common man can understand.

In her story, Tan therefore shows that identity is not something that can easily be realized and it may take years, may be more, to learn and embrace. She demonstrates that one who is in a certain environment cannot be in another to have to have balance. People should learn to adjust and fit to the settlements the have taken and remember the places they originated from despite the time it may take. Tan realize that she cannot commit to being Chinese at the same time is an American because the world can divide someones life immensely. Rewards are there despite faults being there in ones life.