Not all people whose English as a second language speak it in the same way. This argument made by Amy Tan in the story “Mother Tongue”. In the essay, she successfully uses all three of rhetorical styles such as logos, ethos, and pathos. Tan also balances each part of the rhetorical triangle very effective and thoughtful essay. First of all, the author uses logos and reasoning in her essay. An example is when she explains how her mother would have her call to ask for information, and people in department stores, banks, and restaurants would not take her mother seriously. This essay might well be aimed at people who have to take care of their parents as if they are exchanging roles with parents. At a young age, Amy had to handle situations. …show more content…
She thinks the standardized tests are not able to accurately determine a person’s intelligence. It is unfair because people have different ways of thinking and different types of intelligence. As Tan was growing up, her speech and what she was taught by her family affected her life. Throughout the story, she describes her relationship with her mother, who speaks “broken” English. Furthermore, family environment affected her results at school. Many other Asians in the U.S are also have suffered the similar problem, and have teachers "who are steering them away from writing and into math and science". Overall, Amy Tan wants to say that just because someone cannot speak English perfectly, it does not mean in anyways else would make them less intelligent than other people who are born in this country, who understand and speak English fluently. It is like a quote "We are like a snowflake, all different in our own beautiful way." We all have similarities but our differences help define us. However, the author's mother was judged by her language. She also saw her mother was disrespected because of her incorrect grammar and wrong use of words. Through the essay, Tan wanted to send a powerful message of how we ought to view people by their beautiful side and not by their shortcomings. Everyone has a message to say, it may be different from yours and it