How to Tame a Wild Tongue
"So if you want
to really hurt me, talk badly about my language"
This quote from How
to Tame a Wild Tongue offers valuable insight into how the author views her
language. The author goes on to elaborate on just how close her language and
identity are linked. She says that she can not take pride in herself when she can not
also take pride in her language and this is due to the fact that in her life
when she is surrounded by so many linguistic influences, her language really is
a key part of her identity and who she is. Previously the author felt ashamed
of her language and its seemingly illegitimate nature however she comes to
realize firstly that if she cant accept her language then she cant accept
herself but also she realizes that she needs to accept herself before others
will accept her and her language. I found this concept quite interesting as it discusses a sense of self-empowerment through language. By accepting her language the author in turn empowers herself which shows the link between language and power on a more personal and smaller scale than what we have previously looked at.
Woman Warrior
What I found most
interesting in this excerpt was the stark contrast that the author presents
when she describes the two different schools that the children attend. In the
English school the Chinese girls were always silent except for when they had to
speak. However, after English school is finished the scene drastically changes
as they switch to the Chinese school. The girls who were silent in the American
school became quite vocal when placed in familiar surroundings. The sense of
order belonging to the American school gives way to the slightly chaotic world
of the Chinese school. This contrast serves to show the power can shift based on the context. In the American school, the Chinese girls are the outsiders who are often excluded due to their quite nature. However, when it comes time for Chinese school these girls are no longer outsiders but instead are placed in an environment in which they feel a sense of belonging. This is an example of the link between language, power, and context.