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Language Usage

Gloria Anzaldua expresses a very robust connection that she possesses to her native language. In other words, she grew up in America but during her stay in the United States, she engaged people mostly in her native Spanish language. However, she did not converse ion the Spanish language that is common to everyone but rather chose to speak a language she held dearly close to her heart; Chicano Spanish. Additionally, the textual representation in her Book “How to tame A Wild Tongue” concentrates on her on the concept of her losing her native accent which is represented by the word tongue to try and fit into the environment she is trying to conform in while growing up. In the book, while she was still young, she right away understood the fact that she is not treated in the same manner as the people she is living around. Apparently, she understood that she is always rated second to other individuals around her and in the process; her language is also rated second to other languages in the United States. As much as this is the case, she always remains true to her language by keeping it alive and ensuring that people identify her with her language as much as everyone else wants her language extinct. Moreover, she goes ahead to express herself strategically through her texts in the book that narrates her personal experiences with other languages, her experiences, narration, and structure, and how she plays her gender hero using her Chicano Spanish language. Just like Anzaldua, I have also found myself using appeals such as logos, pathos, and ethos to express my feelings to my audience most especially when narrating my experiences.

Just like in the normal life, Anzaldua begins her story by narrating her visit to the dentists. It is at this point that she introduces the theme of her book taming a wild tongue”. One thing for sure is that, this theme in our everyday life depending on how it is categorized can be classified as a rhetorical question since under normal circumstances, her tongue cannot be tamed. In other words, this phrase can be said to be metaphorically representing her Native Spanish language that she addresses the dentists with. In so doing, she frustrates the dentist because her tongue is interfering with his way of work and in fact, he goes ahead to mention how Anzaldua tongue is stubborn and strong. In everyday life, when you address someone with a language that they displease, it is normal that they may be irritated. It is for this reason that the dentists requests something to be done about the language or rather Anzaldua tongue. One funny thing is that, everything that is postulated about Anzaldua tongue is true based on her native language as well. Apparently, she knows that she cannot confront the doctor about the remarks he made about her tongue since her native language is rated second best to all other languages.

In some instances, I have used my language as a sense of self-identity and in the process; I become offended if someone talks ill about my native language. One reason for this is because I am able to employ my emotional connection with the native language to establish a strong connection with my audience and in the process, make them understand how I feel. For instance, Anzaldua employs ethos to clearly indicate her strong links with her native background. In other words, she expresses herself in her “home” tongues while conversing with her brothers, sisters, and some of her friends. In the book, there were a number of different Spanish languages but she felt at home with Tex-Mex and Chicano Spanish. In fact, she is also fluent in Pachuco the language that is believed to be of rebellion that she is comfortable only while conversing with children and other people her age. On some occasions, while I was speaking my native language, it was considered pathetic by other individuals just like Anzaldua narrates in her story. According to Anzaldua, this is something she holds deep down in her heart since her native language according to her is so important to her family and her. To prove this, she clearly employs this the structure of her book and narration. For instance, Anzaldua concludes the first section of the chapter stating that “Attacks on one’s form of expression with the intent to censor are a violation of the First Amendment…. El Anglo con Cara de Inocente nos arranco la lengua. Wild tongues can’t be tamed, they can only be cut out”. (54)

The employment of hybrid style of writing in the book by Anzaldua that is interlinked with the changes in the argument and writing coupled with the changes in the use of the language leads into a textual representation that is able to weave together a number of threads that results into a central idea. For instance, the commencement of the epigraph in Spanish is able to establish the section tone and in the process, sets an introduction of the tropes of light, dark and shadows coupled with the feeling of loneliness or rather silence. In other words, the employment of the three-line epigraph can also be argued to establish an alternative language to English usage. In fact, apart from advocating for feminism, it also counters the patriarchal traditions through confrontational and alternative language use.

Two basic elements that were exemplified in Anzaldua and Tan’s essays are style and evidence. Tan demonstrates language essence using their experiences and own life as the source of inspiration. In her essay, she is able to narrate the experience of her mother when she needed to acquire her CAT scan results owing to a diagnosis she had received and in the process, she was treated by the doctors as if she did not exist. The issue only changed when Tan intervened and requested that the CAT scan results be produced in a timely manner using perfect English. In other words, she goes ahead to support her use of language “perfect English” by indicating the fact that the society deals with you depending on the manner in which they perceive you. Apparently, her mother spoke in broken English hence making her to be treated in the same manner.

In summary, just like Anzaldua, I have also found myself using appeals such as logos, pathos, and ethos to express my feelings to my audience most especially when narrating my experiences. In most cases when I encountered Spanish words, I got embarrassed and sometimes confused since I did not have any clue on what she was trying to express. However, I believe the use of language by Tan and Anzaldua to express their feelings was a great literary strategy to show to their audience how they felt using their native language while trying to learn new language. In other words, the structure and narration they employed in textual representation is able to make the reader to connect with their story. I believe that the narration titles and the employment of language is one way of expressing their part of life. Therefore, the Narration by TAN and Anzaldua is one way that language can be used to confront stereotypes in the society or counter any negative beliefs in the society.