“Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan: Summary

According to the phrase where Amy Tan says,“I think my mother’s English almost had an effect on limiting my possibilities in life”.

She means that her mother’s language could have affected her life, but why or how? It was because of how people reacted to it, the way they distinguish or see regardless of her ethnicity. As well, she illustrates some life examples on how her mother’s English language takes part in forming her own identity. The writer states, that the perception she had for her mother was limited English. Especially on achievement tests, such as IQ tests, and the SAT.

Also hearing her mother spoken “ limited English” at home conduct her to do bad on English courses at school too, rather than her science and math courses in where she got an excellent grade. Consequently taking her away of pursuing her objective in life.But when Tan’s mother speak, she was not reflecting how she really thinks instead of expressing the perfect, vivid, and imaginary thoughts she had.

The fact that people try to avoid her mother in order to save time talking to her. The writer states, that the perception she had for her mother was limited English. But not reflecting how she really thinks instead of expressing the perfect, vivid, and imaginary thoughts she had. The fact that people try to avoid her mother in order to save time talking to her. As a matter of fact, her love to literature and her rebellious being did not stop her to pursue her dream on becoming a writer.

Even Though, people’s opinions on her mother’s English or the results on Tan’s English tests. Like she says that her mother’s English’s “ALMOST” had an effect on limiting her possibilities in life but it did not. By all means, her phrase has a lot of to say with all her examples and how living in a house with a broken English affected part of her life and how she did not cease on having a master on the English Language.