“Mothers Tongue”
“It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than “broken”” This has significance in the “Mother’s Tongue” as even though the author is enthusiastic about english, it shows a level of satisfaction that has not been met by using a word as it partially does not show respect but also Is foreshadowing later in the story that she won’t be satisfied with falling into a stereotype. To elaborate, as it does not show a level of respect for her mother as using the word “Broken” indicates that her mother’s thoughts are incomplete, and her mother has not reached the capacity to fully express herself. As well as it foreshadows that she is not satisfied for something she is passionate about, as later in the text she says that Asian typically go for studying and not necessarily English as they may be pressured to go into the math field. Her being pressured into going into math and her not finding a word falls into the category of a challenge. In being pressured into math she still while having trouble goes into English, finding a new word has provided her to continue to find an alternate word as later in the text she uses a new phrase “watered down”.
“Wrought” – “a speech filled with carefully wrought grammatical phrases, burdened, it suddenly seemed to me, with nominalized forms, past perfect tenses, conditional phrases, all the forms of standard English that I had learned in school and through books, the forms of English I did not use at home with my mother.” The word alongside with the context is suppose and successfully further emphasis the contrast of English she uses with her family (specifically her mother) and without her family. As it also enforces that her Husband uses word that she wouldn’t use around her mother. Thus showing the differences around the environment.
“Empirical” – “And I had plenty of empirical evidence to support me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.” This will be further elaborated upon as she in the next paragraph has a experience she describes from when she needed to help her mother to communicate to others. This further elaborates on the point that her mother has “broken” English.
“Quandary” “That was my mental quandary in its nascent state.” A terrible line, which I can barely pronounce.” This is to further exercise the idea that she has nearly mastered her english skills as in the previous sentence she says she Is trying to prove it, however also it’s still difficult for her to pronounce.
“When I was puerto Rican”
“”I have A’s in school Puerto Rico. I learn good. I no seven gray girl.”” This was marked as the beginning of the arch of the Author, to prove that she not only belongs in a higher grade, in which she is successful. As she spends a lot of her time studying from the ground up, from letters to chapters. Even though she is put in the class for students that are not encouraged enough to continue their studies, she does not let that energy get to her and she embarks herself into completing the opposite and only focusing on her school.
Uproaringly “What have I done?” I kicked myself with the back of my right shoe, much to the surprise of the fellow walking behind me, who laughed uproariously, as if I had meant it as a joke”. It shows that there are two types of different people in the school, the “fellow” walking behind the author laughing at her has demonstrated the relaxed energy they give meanwhile the author is is stressed on what may happen next which will then lead to concentration on her work.
“Unruly”. “They were an unruly group. Those who came to class, anyway. Half of them never showed up, or, when they did, they slept through the lesson or nodded off in the middle of Miss Brown’s carefully parsed sentences.” This was again suppose to have a contrast on the characters presented in the environment. As the author is going to concentrate on their work, there are people who are not enoucraged enough to do so
“Subsequent” “We were outcasts in a school where the smartest eighth graders were in the 8–1 homeroom, each subsequent drop in number indicating one notch less smart.” This was suppose to emphasis that they were in a classroom that were for the “dumbest” or at least with more context, those who are not trying in their studies. Which will provide more of a uplifting story as the author gets good grades to proivde they don’t belong there
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