Amy Tan Ethos Pathos Logos

As a country that was built by immigrants from around the world, America is a melting pot of abundant cultures and languages. However, it seems as though “proper English” is the only appropriate dialect considered to be civilized, neglecting the presence of other native tongues. Amy Tan describes life with her Chinese, immigrant mother who tries adapting to life in America. Tan uses the rhetorical methods of ethos, pathos, and logos to convey a different perspective on accepting the various types of English and how her mother should not be isolated from society while coping with learning a new language.
Although Tan clarifies in the beginning that she is not an English scholar, she informs the audience that “I am a writer”(178). Tan mentions

Instead of initially stating her race, gender, or other aspects that can possibly make others biased of her character, she immediately asserts her credibility while revealing to be at par with the general audience. Furthermore, she utilizes ethos by making a connection with the audience. She addresses the reader, “So you’ll have some idea what this talk I heard sounds like, I’ll quote what my mother said during a recent conversation”(179). Tan establishes a common ground with the audience, using second person to make her story seem more personal. Not only does this capture the audience’s attention more, but it also engages us in a welcoming conversation on accepting broken English rather than presenting a simple persuasive essay. She illustrates her story vividly with her accomplishments and personal references to her mother’s daily life as an immigrant. She recalls the time when “the doctor finally called her daughter, me, who spoke in perfect English… we had assurances the CAT scan would be found” (180). This instance further

When her mother has to interact with others in public,“people in department stores , at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service.” As a person who speaks fractured English, Tan’s mother is looked down upon compared to those who speak properly. The cruel intolerance from the public towards her mother evokes not only emotions of sympathy, but also awareness, among the audience as a scrutiny upon someone who has done no harm should not be condemned out of close-minded ignorance. Tan uses emotional appeal in order to make the audience observe in compassion of the realities that their family has to go through while clearly demonstrating the way language is critical for how society perceives a person. Readers can observe how pitiful and unaccepted her mother is, appealing especially to those who experiences the same