Summary/Analysis paper - Essay Example

Summary/Analysis paper Amy Tan shows exemplary literary skills as she addresses the critical role of language in the society. By talking about mother tongue, she explores various aspects of the discrimination in the society in which knowledge of language takes a center stage. She explains how her mother has in many occasions received bad treatment from people in the society due to her limited and imperfect English. The major theme in this literary work can be noted as cultural racism which is evidently carried out by the Native English speakers.

The case of Tan’s mother is a reflection of real life situation in which language mastery is a critical cultural identity factor. Inability to speak a given language fluently is a clear indication of missing mother tongue which renders one cultureless (Williford and Michael 513-5). It is important to realize that mother tongue is the most important aspect of cognitive skills development and language acquisition process. It is referred to as mother tongue as the mother is the first person that interacts verbally with the child.

In regard to assertions of Tan, it can be seen that she acknowledges understanding the imagery and in-depth meaning of what her mother communicates with her imperfect and sketchy English.The simple reason behind this claim is that Tan was brought up with the same English although she went ahead through school to fine-tune hers. Tan tries to explain that her mother’s inability to speak fluent English significantly affected her confidence to speak in any social setting hence need for an intermediate.

This is true in real life as Tan put it because poor language mastery reduces one’s confidence to address various issues under fear of being despised. She however goes on to say that there is a long standing misconception that limited knowledge of English is a sign of low thinking ability. Taking the case of United States community, English is considered a superior language among the bilingual immigrants and minority communities. This is the basis of discrimination as failure to know English is likely to spell doom for one in everyday interactive experiences.

The audience of Tan is the general community when it comes to the significance of mother tongue and reality of language as a tool of interaction. She proves the society that despite her Asian background and imperfect English upbringing by the mother, she can make it big (Williford and Michael 515-6). The society needs to realize that failure to understand or master a given language say English is not a death sentence and does not show mental incompetence. An example is the cultural diversity of European nations and Asian with high technological advancement.

As she addresses the significance of mother tongue and communication barriers presented by scanty knowledge of English, she uses rhetoric tools to capture the attention of the general society. Her arguments evoke emotions especially when she narrates her mother’s ordeal in the hospital when her CAT scan result disappears. She says in (pg. 517) ….Still, she said, the hospital did not apologize when they said they had lost the CAT scan and she had come for nothing”. This is typical case of uncaring behavior with evokes the emotional appeal in readers on how language can ruin one even in critical moments of need.

Work citedWilliford, Lex, and Michael Martone. The Scribner anthology of contemporary short fiction: 50 North American short stories since 1970. Touchstone trade paperback ed., rev. and updated 2nd ed. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007. Print.