Synthesis-Response: Amy Tan, Sherman Alexie and Eric Liu - Essay Example

Synthesis-Response: Amy Tan, Sherman Alexie and Eric Liu Introduction A thought that is ‘seeded’ into an author’s mind is outputted in his or hers work. That ‘seeding’ of thought could be initiated by the environment, in which the author is leading his/her life. When that happens, he/she will be able to bring the real life happenings to fiction. Normally, human’s lives are composed of situations which will be interesting, inspirational, ‘injuring’ etc. And, there is a proportion among writers who translate these situations into fictions. The works “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan, “The Joy of Reading and Writing” by Sherman Alexie, “The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker” by Eric Liu are based on the real happenings in the lives of the authors. Amy Tan and Eric Liu belong to Chinese immigrant families, living in America. Sherman Alexie is a Spokane who grew up in an area reserved for the members of Spokane community. All three of them grew in an environment influenced by a culture which was far different from their own culture. In an alien culture, they struggle to preserve their individuality and cultural identity. Initially they try to assimilate themselves with the American culture but later they realize that they are not comfortable with their new identity. Their struggle is a reflection of their desire to preserve their cultural identity while living in a multicultural society. Amy Tan In her short novel “Mother Tongue”, Amy presents her thoughts with reference to her mother’s English and her realization, regarding the richness of her mother’s language. Being born in a Chinese immigrant family in America, Amy used different types of English. Her English while speaking with her mother was far different from the one she used for conversing with others. During her adolescence, Amy Tan was ashamed of her mother’s English, for she thought that it limited her mother’s ability to express her thoughts perfectly. But later she realized that her mother’s English was rich than the English used by her. “Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, full of observation and imagery.” (Tan, 2006). When Amy Tan takes up to writing fiction, she integrates her English, which is influenced by her mother’s language, in her works. Instead of writing for readers who were fluent in English, Amy chooses to write for her mother. “Apart from what any critic had to say about my writing, I knew I had succeeded where it counted when my mother finished reading my book and gave me her verdict: "So easy to read.” (Tan, 2006). Amy Tan is proud of her mother tongue and she wants to preserve it through her writings. So she incorporates her English and her mother’s English while writing fiction. Using her mother tongue was an attempt by Amy Tan to maintain her individuality amidst people with different cultures. Sherman Alexie Sherman grew up in an area which was reserved for Spokane, also known as Indians. He narrates his childhood experiences in his essay “The Joy of Reading and Writing”. As an Indian child, Sherman had to bear with the attitude of non-Indians who thought that Indian children were stupid. But instead of succumbing to his circumstances, Sherman belies the thoughts of non-Indians by becoming a successful writer. And the reason for his success was his love for reading. He acquired immense knowledge from reading books incessantly. Sherman wanted to prove his individuality and defy the notion that Indians were intellectually weaker than American people. The society, in which Sherman grew up, thought that Indians were inept in writing skills. “I was certainly never taught that Indians wrote poetry, short stories and novels. Writing was something beyond Indians.” (Alexie, 2006). He assimilates into the American society by succeeding in a profession which was considered to be unattainable for an Indian. At the same he stays connected with his culture by teaching writing skills to Indian children. Eric Liu In his novel “The Accidental Asian: Notes of a Native Speaker”, Eric Liu presents his cultural conflicts. Eric Liu is a Chinese-American, who is incompetent in reading Chinese. Due to his limited knowledge of Chinese language, Eric is unable to read the book which includes memoirs about his father, written by his father’s childhood friends and Eric’s mother. His failure to understand the meaning of the text in the book makes him to realize his cultural loss. He has no knowledge about his father’s life in his native country, China. Eric Liu feels that in absence of the knowledge of his inheritance, he is unaware about his cultural roots and the true identity of his own self. “I sense how difficult it is to be literate in another man’s life, how opaque an inheritance one’s identity truly is. I begin to perceive my own ignorance of self.” (Liu, 2006). He has succeeded in assimilating with the American society but at the expense of his own culture and heritage. But Eric Liu is not comfortable with his new identity nor is he able to connect with his own culture. Responses Amy Tan, Sherman Alexie and Eric Liu want to assimilate with the American society but at the same time they want to preserve their individuality. Amy Tan learns and speaks English which is accepted and understood by the American people. But she also feels that her mother’s language was better at expressing one’s feelings. So Amy decided to include her mother’s English in her writing. “I 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. (Tan, 2006). Although Amy was living in America, she wanted to preserve her mother tongue through her writings. She wants to protect her cultural identity from being influenced by the American culture. Sherman also wants to maintain his ties with the Indian community even after becoming a successful writer. He has assimilated with the American society by gaining the writing skills which were considered to be unachievable for an Indian. Eric has also succeeded in assimilating into the American society but he has lost his cultural identity. He is unable to read Chinese, a language which could have aided him in understanding his culture, family and native place. The realization of his loss pains him and he feels uncomfortable with his new identity. He was so consumed with his assimilation in the American society that his desire to preserve his individuality remains unfulfilled. Works Cited Cohen, S. (2006). 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. Bedford/St. Martin's. Read More