Mother Tongue

In Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan, the author talks in detail about one of the aspects of the rhetorical triangle. Through her years as a writer and as the daughter of someone who didn’t speak English very well, she learned that she uses different types of English depending on the audience. When one is writing anything you have to think about who it’s being written for because you don’t speak the same way to every person. In Tan’s case, she speaks very differently depending on if she is talking to her mother or if she’s talking to a group of students. Part of the rhetorical triangle is analyzing who you’re writing to and Tan decided she was going to write everything as if it was meant for her mother. She learned that the English she speaks with her mom is one that is full of imagery and vivid observation. I think she decided to write in this way because she recognized that the way she talks to her mother works well as a captivating writing style, one that can draw the reader in with its simple tone and rich imagery. Reading this has taught me the importance of realizing what “English” you use and writing in a style that achieves the purpose of your writing while keeping your reader interested.