10/28/2020

Abstract

In Phase two we begin on our Rhetorical Analysis Essay where we decipher certain texts on what they are doing any why. I selected Amy Tan’s memoir called “Mother Tongue” since it was a story where I was able to understand and relate to her more easily than the other stories listed. Furthermore, I allowed me a writer to further understand how to break down the text and its meaning.

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Rhetorical Analysis Essay

            When humans communicate, we often understand what they are speaking or when they are trying to make a point. But language has standards that are written in stone meaning if one does not speak well, they lose the benefits of communication. This idea of communication is illustrated by Amy Tan in her short memoir “Mother Tongue”, which is her experience of language as a young child to an adult with her mother. Amy discusses this idea of communication at the start of her memoir how the way that she talks to others in the pubic compared to how she talks to her mother or with relatives have differences. She further goes on explaining the hardships of how her mother’s English was limited, how it had negative a impact when interacting with the public.

To further understand the perspective of Amy Tan we must understand how one’s fluency of a language impacts how others interact and cooperate in modern society. This can come in the form of when one speaks a language and its is only limited to certain phrases or there are many grammatical errors when they speak. From this we will see and observe the differences of how people are treated base on their fluency. Amy and her mother show the differences of how people are treated when they are limited to what they only know. Furthermore, we see in Amy’s memoir the major differences that draw the reader or the audience to understand how she feels.

            In the beginning of Amy’s memoir, she states the key difference of her language by stating “…my writing, my life, and my book, The Joy Luck Club. The talk was going along well enough, until I remembered one major difference that made the whole talk sound wrong. My mother was in the room. And it was perhaps the first time she had heard me give a lengthy speech, using the kind of English I have never used with her. I was saying things like, The intersection of memory upon imagination…” (Tan 1). In this piece, from the beginning of her memoir she illustrates the moment she notices the difference of her language. She does this to create an image of her perspective of what it felt like talking in front of her mother in a different way of communication. This appeals to the reader since they can somewhat form a connection to what it must feel to make a mistake in speaking or changing the way you speak in front of your parents or friends. This sentence is to allow the reader to visualize and relate how Amy feels in this scenario.

            Secondly, she goes on to state that when people are limited to a certain language, they often change the perspective of how others treat them. For example, “I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. And I had plenty of empirical evidence to support me: the fact that people in 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”(Tan 2). We see that Amy is ashamed that her mother’s English was not perfect and how people in stores and public areas denied them access like they were not human. Amy projects her feelings to evoke the emotion of embarrassment to the reader which leads to the feeling of nothingness. Amy does this to show how language negatively affects how people are seen and this relates back to how fluency affects how others interact with people in modern society. Amy purposely gives this statement to explain the reader her emotions and thoughts on how people see her and her mother. Therefore, this fluency of language has people to expect others to understand the guidelines or standards that are in place of how one speaks.

            However, we must understand that there are two sides of a coin and each one has different outcomes or results. Amy shows the two sides by stating, “And my mother was standing in the back whispering loudly, “Why he don’t send me check, already two weeks late. So mad he lie to me, losing me money. And then I said in perfect English, “Yes, I’m getting rather concerned. You had agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.” Then she began to talk more loudly. “What he want, I come to New York tell him front of his boss, you cheating me?” And I was trying to calm her down, make her be quiet, while telling the stockbroker” (Tan 2). What we see is Amy illustrates the scene first of the conversation of her, her mother, and the stockbroker. Then she gives dialogue of how her mother spoke and how she spoke to compare the two major differences of fluency of their English. If her mother had spoken to the stockbroker, we would have received a different response compared to Amy’s fluency. This also appeals to the audience who can relate to this experience of frustration of not being able to obtain what they want due to their lack of English. This connects back to my thesis of how fluency can impact how people are treated in modern society. You see, when people are unable to properly communicate in English, they are most likely either denied service or are just completely ignored. While for people that fit the standard of proper English, they are given service or are acknowledged. This relates to Amy’s memoir since she compares the two different sides which is her perspective and her mother’s perspective of the conversation with the stockbroker.

            Overall, Amy Tan’s memoir had a strong connection to how fluency affects how they are treated in modern society. She does this by illustrating her point of view of the language of English for the audience to have something that they can relate too. This targets people who have trouble speaking English or have trouble communicating with others in modern society. We see that throughout her memoir there are rhetorical concepts that are used, and some examples are ethos, logos, and pathos. To break it down further we see that the author illustrates her identity and background to show who and where she came from as a person. This can allow the audience to sympathize with her since this can be something that they can relate to like how her mother had problems to get public service to only be ignored. This can also be a connection for children who had to translate what their parents said to English like how Amy did for her mother. Furthermore, we see a different perspective of how language can affect the way other interact or perform in society whether it is a positive or negative outcome.

References

Tan, Amy. Mother Tongue. bbhosted.cuny.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-51065394-dt-content-rid-398267210_1/xid-398267210_1.