Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan
Summary:
The main character, Amy Tan, is a Asian American writer who talks about her relationship with her mother. She grew up with her Chinese mom who spoke "broken" or "fractured" English that is difficult to understand. She talks about the difference between her mother's broken English and Standard English and adds how people can be rude and take advantage of her mother for not speaking clear English. She was ashamed of her English. In school, Amy wasn't good at writing because her mother's English had an effect on developing English language skills. Teachers have tried to turn her down and made her do something else but she is rebellious in nature and enjoys challenges. After she mastered the English language, she decided to write storied about her mother, to her mother with all the Englishes that she grew with her.
Quotes:
"When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on the phone to pretend I was she." pg.2
Amy's mother speaks a different kind of English. When she calls people on phone, people tend to take her seriously and start to be rude to her. While Amy Tan speaks on the phone, he mom tells her what to say on the phone, using "Standard English".
"I was ashamed of her English"pg.2
When people ask Amy why her mother speaks like that, she didn't know what to say. She hated to say that her mother had a "broken" or "fractured" English because that makes her seemed she isn't intelligent.
"I knew I had succeeded where it counted when my mother finished reading my book and gave me her verdict: "So easy to read." pg.4
Even though, Amy was shamed of her mother's English, this quote shows that she still loved her and understood what she was saying.
Questions:
1) What did Amy Tan felt after her mom said "So easy to read" at the end of her essay?
2) Which English is more understandable for Amy?
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