The main idea of Amy Tan’s
“Mother Tongue”
is the limitations that imperfect English can impose in society and the richness that such English can bring to writing. Tan elaborates this idea by scrutinizing her mother’s language, her own use of English and society’s response to different people’s English usage.
What is Amy Tan’s purpose in writing this essay?
The purpose of Amy Tan’s essay, “Mother Tongue,” is
to show how challenging it can be if an individual is raised by a parent who speaks “limited English”
(36) as Tan’s mother does, partially because it can result in people being judged poorly by others.
What main kind of detail does Amy Tan use in her essay?
The main detail that Amy Tan’s constantly describes, is
the various types of english
, and how her diction differs from her mother’s. Tan’s english is very confident and speaking the language is no problem to her.
How does Amy Tan use literary techniques?
Amy Tan used rhetorical devices such as
anecdote and oxymoron
to express her embarrassed and guilt, but loving attitude toward the broken English language of her mother. Amy Tan has used a combination of rhetorcial devices to express her emotions and feelings through words.
What are the different Englishes Tan describes in this essay?
Tan describes the four different types of English
she would use at home and outside her home
. She would use “simple”, “broken”, “limited”, and “proper” English, but didn’t like to use the word broken because broken means there is something that needed to be fixed.
What is a theme of Two Kinds?
The main themes in “Two Kinds” are
parental expectations, the American Dream, and identity
. Parental expectations: The disconnect between Jing-mei’s desires and her mother’s expectations leads to conflict and resentment.
What is the theme of Two Kinds story?
The story focuses on two themes:
the American Dream and the tension between mothers and daughters
. Like many immigrants, Mrs. Woo believes in America’s promise: With hard work and a little luck, Jing-mei can be anything that she chooses to be.
What is the purpose of the Mother Tongue?
Mother tongue
develops a child’s personal, social and cultural identity
. Using mother tongue helps a child develop their critical thinking and literacy skills. Research shows that children learning in mother tongue adopt a better understanding of the curriculum.
What is the text Mother Tongue all about?
Amy Tan’s essay “Mother Tongue ”
discusses the way that language changes, and the ways it stays the same, inside contexts of immigration and generational time
. It explores these ideas through how Amy and her mother use the English language, and how Amy uses the English language differently…
What is the message in Mother Tongue?
The primary purpose of Tan’s “Mother Tongue” is
to orient the readers about the author’s intepretation of differentiating Standard English and broken English
. Another purpose of writing such book is the fact that Amy Tan has spent much of her time in America, but she was born in China.
What are the themes of The Joy Luck Club?
The main focus in The Joy Luck Club is
the complex relationship between mothers and daughters
, and the inherent bond that’s always between them despite generational and cultural conflicts.
How does Amy Tan use imagery in Fish Cheeks?
A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings so they resembled bicycle tires. Amy uses IMAGERY
to begin the RISING ACTION
and create a snapshot of the meal to develop the conflict and show WHY she is embarrassed by the food (because readers won’t just take her word for it).
What is the summary of Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan?
The autobiographical narrative, “Fish Cheeks,” by Amy Tan, is about a fourteen-year-old girl named Amy who lives in America.
The problem Amy experiences is that she is ashamed of her family
. Amy wishes that she and her family were more American so she could fit in.
Which is mother tongue?
The term “mother tongue” refers to
a person’s native language
— that is, a language learned from birth. Also called a first language, dominant language, home language, and native tongue (although these terms are not necessarily synonymous).
How would you describe the way Tan’s mother speaks English?
Tans mother speaks in
clipped, lyrical phrases
that are incomplete sentences and have a typical verb tense.
How did people react to Mrs Tan’s use of English?
People view Tan’s mother
as inferior in society
and as a less intelligent individual because in their view, she speaks English in a less cultured and proficient manner. They feel uncomfortable when she uses English, show her less respect, and even tend to be condescending.
