Tan divides the essay into three sections. Tan talks about a few different types of English and in what situations she uses them, but each English form symbolizes something different to her. Some visitors on a search for new healing substances (looks, look) at medicinal plants. What organizational pattern does Tan use in "Mother Tongue," and how does she control her tone? Award-winning novelist, short story writer, and essayist. Unlike most of the other literature youve read for class, Mother Tongue by Amy Tan is short and pretty easy to breeze through. Her mother attends her lectures. Tan refers to how much language impacts/changes our lives. Amy Tan, in full Amy Ruth Tan, (born February 19, 1952, Oakland, California, U.S.), American author of novels about Chinese American women and the immigrant experience. Works have been adapted for film, opera, and TV mother tongue first language Whom does the author focus on in this narrative? Indeed, her mother read drafts of her work. In the essay, Tan discusses her relationship with language, and how her mothers influence has shaped her use of English, as well as her attitude to it. The local people call putong, the river east side, he belong to that side local people. /AIS false 3. taylor_garrett36. stream Here is the text: http://www.umsl.edu/~alexanderjm/Mother%20Tongue%20by%20. 5) How did Tans teachers identify her when she was in high school? Review terms and definitions. Who is the intended audience for "Mother Tongue"? Tan grew up in Northern California, but when her father and older brother both died from brain tumors in 1966, she moved with her. -the piece is about how Amy's mom speaks (original language); Amy's mother had a different language then her own. I've heard other terms used, "limited English," for example. And then I said in perfect English, "Yes, I'm getting rather concerned. That man want to ask Du Zong father take him in like become own family. In this connection, it is noteworthy that Tan chooses to focus on the school tests she undertook before concluding that her mothers broken style of English has been misunderstood not just literally (by some people whove known her), but in terms of the misleading perceptions of her it has led others to formulate. She had more difficulty answering questions presented in English class due to the nature of language, being able to be interpreted in more than one way. "And the correct answer always seemed to be the most bland combinations of thoughts, for example, "Even though Tom was shy, Mary thought he was charming:' with the grammatical structure "even though" limiting the correct answer to some sort of semantic opposites, so you wouldn't get answers like, "Even though Tom was foolish, Mary thought he was ridiculous:' Well, according to my mother, there were very few limitations as to what Tom could have been and what Mary might have thought of him. Tan uses it with this definition, but also utilizes it to refer to the language her mom spoke (Chinese). What is Amy Tans primary identity according to what she says in paragraphs 1-3 of "Mother Tongue"? All of these questions will help you pinpoint the essays effectiveness. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. eNotes Editorial, 28 June 2020, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-argument-is-tan-making-here-about-language-2353688. How do they differ? In Amy Tan's short story "Mother Tongue," explain the essence of what "mother tongue" signifies in the story. /SA true 4. The same was true with word analogies, pairs of words in which you were supposed to find some sort of logical, semantic relationship -- for example, "Sunset is to nightfall as is to ." 10th ed. This was understandable. During this conversation, my mother was talking about a political gangster in Shanghai who had the same last name as her family's, Du, and how the gangster in his early years wanted to be adopted by her family, which was rich by comparison. -influenced Amy's writing (four Englishes) Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. The "different Englishes" talked about in the essay range from perfect to broken english. Answers will vary but should include points similar to the following: a. Tan includes the story to give readers an example of just how her mother's English sounds and how expressive it is. b. Tan grew up speaking the formal acrolect of English she learned at school and the more vivid, less correct variety her mother used. Tan wrote 'Mother Tongue' in 1990, a year after her novel The Joy Luck Club was a runaway success. What incident in "Mother Tongue" makes Tan aware of the different Englishes that she speaks? [/Pattern /DeviceRGB] Other Quizlet sets. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The phrase "mother tongue" refers to the language people learn to speak first. Amy Tan also believes her mothers English affected her daughters school results. The mother tongue shapes. Just because there are several tones throughout Mother Tongue doesnt mean that there isnt one overarching tone. Tan identify the different categories she discusses in "Mother Tongue" almost in the last paragraph, where she named all the kind of English she uses. Tan, by contrast, used standard English what used to be referred to, in loaded phrases, as correct or proper English and was thus able to succeed in getting herself, and by extension her mother, taken seriously by others. Log in here. I selected the article Mother Tongue by Amy Tan. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008. 2. eNotes Editorial, 10 Nov. 2019, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/in-amy-tan-s-short-story-mother-tongue-explain-258339. At the CAT scan, Tan's mother wasn't taken seriously due to her not being able to speak fluently. When Amy first decided she wanted to be a writer, she was not encouraged to do so: English was her second language, and the peculiarities of the language (which confuse native English speakers, such as analogies) often confused her. "Mother tongue," as it is used in the title of this piece, is a pun on the traditional idea. We used a similar routine just five days ago, for a situation that was far less humorous. When Amy Tan recalls growing up, her mother would have Amy speak on the phone, pretending to be her mother, so that people would take her more seriously. This is the sociological aspect of language. So you'll have some idea of what this family talk I heard sounds like, I'11 quote what my mother said during a recent conversation which I videotaped and then transcribed. In literature, tone is the feeling an author conveys to the audience. Discuss the way stereotypes or bias affect how we see ourselves and others. 5. How do you think Kemal Ataturk would have responded to later Islamic modernists such as Sheikh Kabir and perhaps Saira Khan? What argument is Tan making here about language and its connection to our identity in "Mother Tongue"? If you believe she is guilty of some stereotyping, discuss examples. . /Creator ( w k h t m l t o p d f 0 . 3. What is Amy Tans primary identity according to what she says in paragraphs 1-3 of "Mother Tongue"? And all of the ethnic and regional accents in between. Tan acknowledges that, whilst she did well in maths and science, subjects with a single correct answer, she was less adept at English. When her mother told her that what she had written was easy to read, Tan knew that she had succeeded in her aims as a writer. At one point, Tan writes about being embarrassed about her mother. /Type /XObject endobj Here, Tan alludes to the concept of the "mother tongue": a child's earliest language, often used with a primary caregiver, who in many instances is the mother. /Type /ExtGState But I do think that the language spoken in the family, especially in immigrant families which are more insular, plays a large role in shaping the language of the child. How could I go about writing four pages about the essay "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan, citing two or more different authors to support my claims? This text is a great starting point for discussions on culture, language and more. Mother Tongue. The McGraw Hill Reader: Issues Across the Disciplines. Economics Semester 2 SG 40-60. On what were these descriptions and perceptions based according to paragraphs 15-16 of "Mother Tongue"? 4 0 obj Explain the meaning of Tans title and how it relates to her own identity as both a Chinese American, a daughter, and a writer. It helps us to understand the way Tan approaches and uses language within the stories that make up The Joy Luck Club. (para. A good literary analysis might explain these transitions, and how they affect the structure of the piece. Do you agree or disagree with Amy Tan's conclusions about standardized tests? When writing about becoming an English major in college, Tan said that she had always been rebellious. They resemble chapters in a book as they each have a different focus, while still relating all to each other and being interconnected. More recent to this story, her mother had been diagnosed with a benign brain tumor, but when she went to the doctor's office, the CAT scan was lost and no one was remotely concerned with her need to understand her prognosishaving lost a husband and son, both to brain tumors. In one or two paragraphs, describe the personal experience that the writer had in "Mother Tongue", and the understanding she gained through her reflection about the experience. -however, later she decided that she wanted to capture what language ability tests can never reveal "her intent, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts. You can read Mother Tongue here before proceeding to our summary and analysis of Amy Tans essay below. endobj The only way I would have gotten that answer right would have been to imagine an associative situation, for example, my being disobedient and staying out past sunset, catching a chill at night, which turns into feverish pneumonia as punishment, which indeed did happen to me. 5. Language is thus more than just a cultural marker: Tan reveals, in Mother Tongue, the extent to which it is a tool of power (or, depending on the use, powerlessness), particularly for those from migrant backgrounds. Give at least three details from the essay to support your opinion. Write the correct word in the space next to given definition. 3) Tan describes in this essay? On what were these descriptions and perceptions based according to paragraphs 15-16 of "Mother Tongue"? Tan, author of "Mother Tongue," explains that her mother's language had the greatest influence on her understanding of English. Her first novel, The Joy Luck Club, is a collection of related stories told by four mothers and four daughters and was later turned into a film. ", how did amy describe her mother's english, math and science (precise and exact answers). And I believe that it affected my results on achievement tests, I.Q. When Amy gave this talk to an audience that included her mother, it caused her to reflect on the distance between the language that she uses in the world of her career and the language that she grew up with at home and still uses with her husband in the present day. $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? C q" -she uses four types of English (the English she grew up with) I believe that there is a play on words with the title, "Mother Tongue." Log in here. Include in your discussion examples and observations from your own experience or Amy Tans Mother Tongue.. 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. Students are most likely to conclude that Tan and her mother do have a close relationship and should support their opinion with at least three of the following examples: a. When she began to write fiction, she made a conscious decision to write to a specific audience: she decided to write to her mother; as she was writing about relationships between mothers and daughters in her stories. And here you would be presented with a list of four possible pairs, one of which showed the same kind of relationship: red is to stoplight, bus is to arrival, chills is to fever, yawn is to boring: Well, I could never think that way. There can be one tone throughout the entire piece or many different tones. Whereas, for me at least, the answers on English tests were always a judgment call, a matter of opinion and personal experience. tests, and the SAT. Why does Tan believe that envisioning a reader specifically, her mother enabled her to write more authentically? Mother Tongue by Amy Tan - Essay Summary, Analysis, Review 742 views May 19, 2022 25 Dislike The CodeX Cantina 17.6K subscribers Welcome to the CodeX Cantina where our mission is to get. What is similar between Tan's more contemporary version of the American Dream and the novel Of Mice and Men? Her mother's language is colorful, powerful, and direct. Genius is the ultimate source of music knowledge, created by scholars like you who share facts and insight about the songs and artists they love. What is the "associative situation" (para. Amy Tan born in 1952 in California to Chinese immigrants. Be sure to consider the anecdotes regarding Tan giving a speech, the stockbroker, the CAT scan, and Tan's experience with the SATs. Writer discussed: Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue" (Link to story) Amy Tan is speaking of writing her book "Joy Luck Club" (there's a scene below), so in that sense it works as a good example of a literacy narrative in that Tan writes about writing something. It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than "broken," as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. Mean gives lots of respect. 11th Grade - Poems by Emily Dickinson: "How Poetry Comes to Me" TPCASTT // Gary Snyd, "Common Ground" TPCASTT // Judith Ortiz Cofer, SpringBoard English Language Arts: Grade 10, myPerspectives: English Language Arts, California (Grade 9, Volume 1), Glencoe Literature Course 4: The Readers Choice. It has always bothered me that I can think of no other way to describe it other than "broken," as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness and soundness. Consider the story "Mother Tongue." Chinese way, came only to show respect, don't stay for dinner. /Height 155 Why does Tan open her essay by stating, "I am not a scholar of English or literature" but then state, in the next paragraph, "I am a writer"? The difference is in the application of the phrase, which is between general and specific. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. If all the words in a numbered word group are correct, write C above it. She said they did not seem to have any sympathy when she told them she was anxious to know the exact diagnosis, since her husband and son had both died of brain tumors. In paragraph 18, she talks about how she's seen (in surveys) how most Asian students as a whole do significantly better on math tests than English ones. Because of her broken English, Amy's mother was told by the doctors that they lost her scan and did not apologize nor care about it. But Tans interest in language, both as a cultural marker and as a way of expressing thought and personality, is also a prevailing theme of the novel. This progression is typical of many stories, both long and short, but in this case you can apply it to tone as well. Theyll help you make Amy Tan proud by assisting with proper language and other editing. -allows Amy to go in to saying how she was effected by her mother's tongue. Tan is making the argument in "Mother Tongue" that she became a better writer when she began to use both the types of English she spoke to write books her mother could understand. department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her. 7. In Amy Tan's essay "Mother Tongue", Tan reveals how she was sculpted into the successful writer she is from the struggles of language speaking her mother had to face. How does she establish ethos by this juxtaposition? Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use. Tan talks about growing up with different forms of English and how that affected both her childhood and adult life. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB You had agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived.". Why or why not? 15)? She talks about the challenges her mother faced with her limited English. She then contrasts this with a moment when she was walking down the street with her mother and she used the more clipped, informal English she naturally uses with her mother, and her husband. Use Tan's ideas about different kinds of English from "Mother Tongue" as a basis to consider the kinds of English you encounter every day. My mother had gone to the hospital for an appointment, to find out about a benign brain tumor a CAT scan had revealed a month ago. How did Tans teachers identify her when she was in high school? She goes from being ashamed of her mothers speakingfeeling that other people will judge her familyto being proud of the rich culture behind her mothers English. However, Tans mothers English also symbolizes the limitations of immigrants in America and the challenges they have to face to be accepted. Multiple-choice 30 seconds 1 pt Where was the author born? Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery. Spend some time evaluating the essays structure, and analyze whether it is right for Mother Tongue. Would it have been better as a novel or a poem, or is a short narrative the way to go? "What argument is Tan making here about language and its connection to our identity in "Mother Tongue"? But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people's perceptions of the limited English speaker. First, she points out that she uses the same language with her mother and her husband. I am going to show you a few of these devices and give you some awesome tips on how to incorporate them into your analysis of Mother Tongue.. This point leads on to Tan's presentation of the virtues of her mother's way of speaking. 7) She mentions the figure that most Asian students in schools are not enrolled in artistic courses, such as creative writing. 62-67. Omitting one of these stories would get rid of one of her key points in the way language can affect a person's life. In the following sentence, underline each misspelled or misused word and write the correct spelling or word above the incorrect word. /SMask /None>> In "Mother Tongue," Amy Tan explains that she uses multiple "Englishes" in her daily life. What does Tan mean by "the power of language" (para. Eden Meirow is a full-time copywriter and part-time freelance writer. I cannot give you much more than personal opinions on the English language and its variations in this country or others. Focus your studying with a path. Discuss how and why parents identities and personalities are often a source of embarrassment or tension when people are young. She says even her husband started speaking this kind of English together and that it has come to represent intimacy. But I wince when I say that. Find examples of peopleincluding Tan herselftreating her mother disrespectfully. After youve written your literary analysis, and you dont feel very confident in it, pass it along to one of the Kibin editors. How do each of these shifts in tone help move the reader along in the story? In a short essay "Mother Tongue," Amy Tan reveals her background and describes different kinds of English that she had to speak in her childhood and adolescence. Answers will vary widely, depending on students' personal experiences, situations, and viewpoints. Do you agree that family members have the greatest effect on a child's intellectual development? When Tan was growing up, how did her mother's use of English affect Tan's perception of her? Latest answer posted March 28, 2020 at 6:52:46 PM. /Length 7 0 R What does Tan mean when she says, "I think my mother's English almost had an effect on limiting my possibilities in life as well" (para. What Tan is classifying in this essay is the different kinds of English she uses. Why? eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. Multiple-choice 30 seconds 1 pt Who's the author of the story? With the stockbroker, Tan was the one who would step in for her mother over the phone in order to express her mother's thoughts for her. My mother was in the room. So mad he lie to me, losing me money. Even though the focus of the essay is the author's experiences with languages and her mother's influence on her writing, an underlying theme of the essay is the identity of a first-generation American. How is Amy Tan's use of the phrase "mother tongue" ambiguous? Although Amy Tan was born in the United States, her writing is shaped to a great degree by the immigrant experience. 2)? How would you describe Tan's attitude toward her mother? One time Amy did this with her mother's stockbroker. Where "mother tongue" usually refers euphemistically to someone's first language, here it refers. But where Tan really gets to something deep, is this idea how we acquire language. Like other children of immigrants to America, the perceptions of her language abilities almost limited her career path in math or science, yet Tan eventually realized her own American Dream of becoming a full-time writer. Tans autobiographical revelations in Mother Tongue show us that her own mother struggled to be taken seriously among Americans, and Tan diagnoses this struggle as a result of her mothers different way of speaking. ACCTG 205: CH 1 Vocabulary. Here's what she said in part: "Du Yusong having business like fruit stand. What motivates her to make such an argument? Tan calls this clipped informal language her mother tongue, because it was the first language she learned and it helped to shape the way she saw the world and made sense of it. 8. And my mother was standing in the back whispering loudly, "Why he don't send me check, already two weeks late. >> Amy sets up this comparison by describing a talk that she gave about a book and had given so many times before that it was entirely familiar to her. Yet some of my friends tell me they understand 50 percent of what my mother says. Write a journal entry from the perspective of Richard the Lion-Hearted during the Crusades. Why? Underline the verb in parentheses that correctly completes the sentence by agreeing with the subject. Accessed 2 May 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. How does she use language in the rest of her story to portray this rebelliousness? Because there are quite a few different tones in this short story, they transition from one to the other. (Hint: Think about how she defies modern language standards and refuses to call her mothers language broken or limited without putting those terms in quotation marks.).
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