Written topic
“Mother Tongue,” Any Tan pp. 697-703.
Guidelines answer the following questions. (250 word minimum). Pose a question for your classmates to grapple with at the end.
1. What is thesis or main idea?
2.Describe the plot in one or two sentences by identifying the conflict, climax and resolution.
3. Select a specific part, passage, or phrase from the story; quote it and identify which rhetorical strategy it represents
I decided to write on the thesis on Mother Tongue for the written portion of the paper. “I spend a great lot of my time thinking about the power of language — the way it can elicit an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a basic truth,” according to my understanding of the thesis statement. Tan (1997, p. 697). During my reading, Amy Tan goes to a speech her mother attended and uses it to communicate her own emotions to the reader. During a conversation with her mother, Tan described how her speech was improper because her English isn’t flawless at the time. Tan goes on to describe the difficulties she and her mother had with the English language in the following paragraphs. Finally, the thesis is summarized when Tan says, “I wanted to capture what language ability exams can never show; her aim, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her speech, and the substance of her thinking.” “I wanted to capture what language ability tests can never reveal,” Tan says. Tan (2003, p.703) This is a tex
After reading Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue,” I was inspired to write my own (pp. 697- 703)
Please respond to THREE of the five questions that follow after reading Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” (pages 697-703) in its entirety. Provide 150 words per response, for a total of 450 words for the assignment. Provide 150 words per response. 1. Dialogue is the dialogue between two or more individuals that takes place within a written work. As a result, what influence does Tan’s use of dialogue have on her article is worth considering. Would the story be as effective if the dialogue were not present? What is the reason for this or why is it not? 2. Describe an instance when you made a conscious decision to tailor your language to the needs of a particular audience. What made you decide to change your speech? What modifications did you make? What exactly was your planned outcome? ‘Developing language abilities,’ according to experts, are more impacted by peers; nevertheless, Tan believes that family is more significant, ‘especially in immigrant homes,’ in terms of language development. Family members or peers, in your opinion, have greater impact over a person’s linguistic development. Please provide an explanation for your response. In his opening statement, Tan declares: “…I do not consider myself a scholar… There isn’t much more I can say about the English language except my personal ideas on it and how it differs in this country and other countries.” What kind of expectations do you have for the body of the essay based on this introduction? What do you believe motivated Tan’s decision to begin by challenging her own authority? 5. Tan discusses the underrepresentation of Asian-Americans in American literature, particularly in fiction. If you can, think of another group that you believe is underrepresented in a certain field. It can be based on color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, or any combination of these factors. Groups X and Y, for example, may be underrepresented in the field of chemistry, whereas Group Z may be underrepresented in the field of mathematics, and so on. Group Z may also be underrepresented in the field of professional bowling, among other things. Once you have identified your specific group and your specific field, discuss why you think this underrepresentation exists. *** Also available on the internet is a full-text version of this essay, which may be found at the following address: http://www.umsl.edu/alexanderjm/Mother Tongue Tongue Tongue by Tan.pdf.
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Written Options:
1. “Mother Tongue,’ Any Tan pp. 697-703 2. “The Clinic.” by Jeff Gremmels (PDF) A’ I
Sample of Written Response (based on “Rebel Music,” p. 81)
in Rebel Music, Daniel Felsenfeld shares his coming of age as a musician and composer. The story is his journey as a rebel and surprising discovery and passion for classical music. The main idea or thesis is what is means to be different. Unlike other teenagers who listened to punk, goth. heavy metal music, he finds something that really sets him apart. The climax comes when he heard “something really wild- that changes his life”: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Felsenfeld, 2019. p. 81). The resolution was his decision to become a composer of contemporary classical music. He describes how his life in Orange Country. California takes an unexpected turn by using compare and contrast. He compares the lush landscape of his childhood neighborhood to the arid or desert-like life without high art and culture. Felsenfeld (2019) wrote. “The O.C. was billed as the ideal suburban community, but when you are raised in to palm-tree lined Shangri-La…. it is hard to grasp what is missing. Now. I realize: even though we had enough water to keep the manicured leans just so. I was experiencing a personal drought, an arid lack of culture of all kinds. especially music” (p. 81). This passage helps to show where we grow up makes a large difference in our viewpoints. including what we may not include in our viewpoint.
References
Felsenfeld, D. (2019). Rebel music. In R. Bullock, M. Daly Goggin. & F. Weinberg (Eds.) The Norton field guide to writing with readings (5th ed.) (pp. 81-84). WW Norton.