Rhetorical analysiis part 2 PDF

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RUNNING HEAD: RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF “Mother Tongue”

Rhetorical Analysis of “Mother Tongue”

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RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF “Mother Tongue” 2

Rhetorical Analysis of “Mother Tongue” Asian migrants, like all other migrants, have always faced several problems in understanding and learning English language. Whereas some of them succeed in acquiring the standard American English, others end up with faulty language. As a result, the former are considered worthy of giving attention while the latter are deprived of any consideration and deemed stupid. This problem is discussed in a short story, “Mother Tongue," by Amy Tan. The writer recounts the story of her mother and how she cannot speak the standard American English. She also mentions how her mother's lack of language skills shapes her writing style when she starts off writing her book, “The Joy Luck Club”. Using various narrative techniques, the author has been partially successful in convincing her audience because at the start of the story, she herself asserts that she is not an authority on either linguistics or literature. The author is wary of using a proper tone, style and mood. She never forgets considering her audience as she pens this short story. She keeps her words and sentences simple instead of jumping into jargons and long sentences. Furthermore, in order not to appear too much of a pusher, she maintains her tone throughout the story as humorous, light, sympathetic, and persuasive as possible. As for the style, the author writes this short story in both short and long paragraphs depending on the various ideas and anecdotes she draws on. She conveys the entire tale in a comic yet intellectual mood. Amy Tan also utilizes a number of rhetorical devices in this short story in order to explain her thoughts and ideas effectively. She uses pathos in a bid to arouse the readers to feel sympathetic towards migrants with incorrect language in general her mother in particular. She draws her mother's image in such a way that audience cannot help but feel for her. She admits

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that she has been “ashamed” of her mother's language, but she also tells us how perfectly her mother reads books and watches news. Words such as broken or fractured, and limited English infuse the audience with sympathy. Besides, the author quotes the actual words of her mother which in turn bring about pathos in readers. For instance, “Why he don’t send me check, already two weeks late. So mad he lie to me, losing me money.” (Tan, 1990, p. 702) Here, her mother disrupts the inversion required for making interrogative sentences, disregards the use of correct auxiliary verb (doesn’t), and uses plural verb with singular subject (lie). Similarly, she also says, “What he want, I come to New York tell him front of his boss, you cheating me?” (Tan, 1990, p. 702) Here, her mother also repeats the same mistake besides mixing three sentences and omitting words such as “to,” “in,” and “are.” Besides, the author employs logos in her essay. She narrates the story in a logical sequence. In the beginning, she asserts how her mother's language is incorrect and then goes about giving examples of the said fact. These examples, though funny in nature, strengthen author's standpoint on the influence of the mother tongue. Likewise, the author mentions her struggle in learning English at school and overcoming problems of standard American English language which have been caused by her mother’s language. She tells the audience about how she could not understand simple analogies in English language on account of confusion wrought by her mother tongue. In the same way, the author uses another element of rhetoric, which is ethos, by recounting her stories from school and married life. She informs the audience about how she herself sometimes uses incorrect language with her husband at home. In addition, the author reveals her occupation in the beginning of the story so as to assert her love and understanding for

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the language as well as invoking her authority, competence and expertise in an attempt to persuade readers that her views are valid. To sum it all up, Amy Tan is partially successful in explaining how native languages influence the learning of Asian migrants. She skillfully puts to use various rhetorical tools which include ethos, pathos, logos, anecdotes etc. to show how she wrote a book that her mother comprehended.

References 1. Tan, A. (1990). Mother Tongue. In R. Aufses, R. Shea, & L. Scanlon (Authors), The Language of Composition Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. (2nd ed., pp. 700-705). Boston, New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s....