My Mother's English

Amy Tan was all about the english language. Amy had several different ways she spoke the language. The way she spoke to her chinese mother, the intimate english spoken with her husband, and the english she spoke in speaking engagements. When Amy was speaking in public in fromt of her mother, she realized she spoke different english to different people.

At an early age she became aware of the struggle her mother faced with people when they could not understand her language. Amy was embarrased and felt that her mother was not a smart woman because of her broken english. She witnessed people taking advantage of her mother because of the language barrier. Amy quickly learned her mother was an intellegent woman without the english language.

Amy struggled with her own english throughout school. Her teachers tried to get her to presue a career in accounting. Amy set out to prove her teachers wrong and became an english major. Amy realized she had finally accomplished her goal when her mother told her that her book was easy to read. For Amy's mother to speak so little english, she taught Amy how to overcome the barriers of life.