MOTHER TONGUE BY AMY TAN Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MOTHER TONGUE BY AMY TAN - Essay Example From the essay, we learn about the initial encounters of Amy as a young girl. Her life was widely dependant of her knowledge in different languages that constituted of English. In the first part of the book, there is a clear explanation about her learning and use of the language. We get a clear picture about her school life from the second part along with the liabilities she experienced as a due to her mother’s inability to speak correct English. English as a second lingo and a school subject to her made her life in school a living hell. Nonetheless, through the same problems and technicalities, she managed to grasp the language with immense vigor. In fact, her success in the latter, depicted by her writing capabilities, was a source of surprise both to her family and to friends. Her career in writing was geared by the unknown ability that she came to realize in herself years later. Her struggles in grasping correct English for communication with her peers synchronized with th e mastery of broken English for easier communication with her mother enabled the sharing and practice of many different cultures, which gave an ample source to writing materials. Amy came to discover how rich she was in mastering different languages. She was capable of communicating with very many different people: from the different types of English, to her mother tongue. This phenomenon came to her attention, when she inquired from her friends on their opinion about her mother’s mannerism of speaking English. The responses made her realize that it was not a mere normality, to grasp and use different languages effectively. From this perspective, it became easier for Amy to adapt to any changes; blending into different languages with a passion. She knew it was her secret; one that she achieved through struggling and could now interact normally with everyone years later; regards to her childhood efforts. With reference to the latter, she was always good in all other subjects o ther than English. She recalls how her professor discovered her degree in brightness and emphasized on concentration to the subjects she could deliver best. This was in the context of having a strong base in education with a promising future. Contrary to her instincts, Amy never wanted to foster on what she could do. She had zeal and a strong notion on trying what was considered impossible. She then reduced her concentration on latter subjects and focused on English, regardless of the pieces of advises from different entities. At one time, she almost gave up on the subject and even blamed her failure on the poor English her mother spoke. She never came to consensus with the fact behind, other children coming from strong English speaking families, while she came from a family characterized by pitiable English. As a child, English was an unexplained aspect of unfairness. Despite the fact that communication between her mum and the outside world was next to impossible, Amy never gave up . Instead, she listened and practiced quietly until she was sure of herself. In her mother’s case, she countered any problems by assisting different people in communicating with her. She even recalls the kind of difficulties she underwent in instances where they encountered influential people with a notion of taking advantage of her mother. Amy might have been an Asian American, but this aspect never countered her standing out in class. Through her efforts, she finally achieved her long-term quest, becoming a writer and a savior to her mother in the process. Apparently, the author uses hidden language to point out aspects of cultural racism without signifying anger or clearly mentioning out