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Rachel Morley

Professor Mannhardt

ENGL 1050

July 5, 2017

Othering and Rhetorical Analysis

Part 1. Othering

It would seem to be human nature to want to change that around us to match our

own perspectives and views. If we work to overcome this reflex, our society can only

progress. I remember as a child thinking, if America is so much better than everywhere

else, why don't we let all of the other countries join ours as a state? Why would they not

want to join ours? Throughout my childhood at home and at school, everything around

me screamed patriotism and american pride. I am still proud of my citizenship, but am

almost embarrassed by my naive past. Of course, throughout grade school all of history

and social sciences played up Americas role in the world, influence on other nations,

and the pretty parts of our history. They also downplayed the roles of other nations,

unless it was a role as an evil contender. I would submit that all nations do this to an

extent in the education of their youth. I have since grown to love many different

countries and cultures, and have developed a thirst to explore more. I think for many

people, as we age and learn, we find that other cultures and societies are fascinating,

can bring brighter perspectives, and a deeper appreciation and understanding for what

we have and who others are. I myself quickly grew to love to travel and learn of other

societies and cultures. My bucket list mainly consists of places I want to visit. I want to

leave the beaten tourist path and dive into the local cultures to see what they have to
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offer. That said, I think we quickly forget all of the tangible and intangible riches this

enlightenment brings us, and subconsciously revert to our childhood naivety when faced

with someone or something unfamiliar, much like reverting to the same home cooked

meal or tried and true item off the menu. Seeking out to try new things can be an

adventure, but there is comfort in the familiar.

As a society, we pride ourselves on a country built upon many cultures, yet we

shut out any diversity in modern day. We also are blind to the ugly parts of our past, and

have selective amnesia for only the good. We view other countries war crimes and

atrocities with horror, and ignore the ones committed on our own soil. As a whole, I

believe we are improving our treatment of each other, but there are always those who

wear blinders or are ignorant to the problems.

In From Silence to Words: Writing as a Struggle, Min-Zahn Lu felt othered at

both school and home. Both environments, peers, and teachers fought to assimilate her

thoughts and language with what they felt was correct and proper. When she was

young, she had no trouble separating the two. As she grew older and developed her

own perspectives and ideas, keeping her own voice from what others wanted to hear

was trying and almost impossible at times. It is natural to feel the urge to speak ones

mind, and unnatural to suppress that indefinitely. In adulthood, the fires from both

educational kilns shaped her language, understanding of the world, and way of thinking

in a way that just one or the other could not have done. Like all of the qualities and

things in life worth it, she suffered and struggled through to find appreciation in the end

for the refining process.

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Gloria Anzaldua also felt pressures to assimilate and imitate the main race and

culture. These pressures have lead to decades of working through the shame felt for

her own heritage. I think she has finally found pride for her heritage, and wears it

unapologetically, as she should. More than ever, there are support groups, foundations,

and gatherings built around supporting ones heritage. There are many opportunities to

learn another language. I cherish my own ability to speak Spanish. If everyone worked

to learn just one second language, it would go a long way in building bridges between

communities. I myself plan on learning at least two more languages. I am amazed at her

ability to speak eight languages and dialects. In week two, Laura Bernier made a great

point that as someone who speaks spanish as a first language, some inference from

context was necessary as the dialect was different. People can speak the same

language and still struggle to communicate. It is clear that from Glorias ability to

transition to a form that will make an acquaintance at ease means that she is more open

to other cultures than others are to her own, and all from speaking multiple languages.

Amy Tan sheds light on a piece of our American society that we do not hide, but

also many feel is not a problem. We discount ones intelligence, ability, or contributions

to society based on an accent or if one has english as a second language. I know of a

wealthy legitimate business owner from Mexico. English is his second language. He

speaks fluently but does have an accent. He buys a new truck every couple of years,

and either sells the old one or keeps it to aid in running his business. When he was due

for a new truck, he walked into a dealership ready to pay cash. The salesmen at the

dealership did not approach him, and blew him off when he tried to speak to them about

a truck purchase. He left and bought a truck at the dealership across the street. la
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Pretty Woman, he drove his new truck back to the first dealership and gave them a

wave. In this case, prejudice cost the dealership a lot of money; but how often do we

deprive ourselves of friendship and new world views based on a snap judgement? Amy

gives multiple examples of when her own mother received such treatment. It is

incredibly hurtful to be on the side of the judged.

Mary Gordon quickly asserts that the only thing connecting people from different

cultures in America is one island, Ellis Island. This thought process saddens me, as I

believe our differences is what can connect us. Celebrating and appreciating these

differences is paramount to moving forward as a society. Ellis Island has a history of

heartache and pain, but it does not have to be the end of connections.

Part 2. Rhetorical Analysis

Mother Tongue by Amy Tan was first published in 1990 by The Threepenny

Review. Amy is an american writer most known for her novel, The Joy Luck Club. One

of her main topics in Mother Tongue is how the term broken english is degrading,

misleading, and hurtful. She speaks of how intelligent her mother is in their native

language of Chinese, but how often she is brushed off or ignored when many americans

hear her accented and imperfect English. Her mother feels embarrassed and dejected

when those around her are clearly annoyed by her speech. It causes one to think of

ones own mother or father, treated poorly. The thought of it triggers rage or tears in any

protective child. Her reasoning is perfect; just because one does not speak english

fluently does not mean they are not smart, do not have great ideas or thoughts to

contribute, or are not deserving of basic respect. Her word choice is infallible; it is clear

from Amys writing that she is very comfortable using the english language. She gives
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multiple real life examples of american professionals treating her mother different from

herself. The service and answers given to her mother were much poorer and had much

less care. When Amy tried to take care of various situations, the professionals changed

their attitudes and responses quickly. After reading Amys piece, I find myself constantly

searching for a term aside from broken or fractured english. I have yet to come up with

a better term. If we stop thinking of those who speak english as a second or third

language as broken, we will change our perception of them and the communication

between both parties will be elevated. In conclusion, changing our descriptions of others

may help to change initial perceptions.

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Works Cited

Anzalda, Gloria. "How to Tame a Wild Tongue." 1987. Reading Culture Contexts for

Critical Reading and Writing. 8th ed. N.p.: Pearson, 2012. 521-29. Print.

Gordon, Mary. "More Than Just a Shrine." The New York Times 3 Nov. 1985: n. pag.

Web.

Lu, Min-Zhan. "From Silence to Words: Writing as Struggle." Reading Culture Contexts

for Critical Reading and Writing. 8th ed. N.p.: Pearson, 2012. 147-56. Print.

Tan, Amy. Mother Tongue. 1990.