The Value of Language in 'How to Tame a Wild Tongue'
''How to tame a wild tongue'' is an essay written by Gloria Andalzùa, an American novelist, poet and activist born in South Texas in 1942-2004, her parents were farmworkers, and at a young age she began fieldwork as a migrant worker in her family's land, after her father's death, she became a schoolteacher and earned a bachelor of arts in the university of texas-pan America in 1969, she took part in a guiding force in the Chicano and Chicana movement and became a writer about feminism and Chicana culture.
The author's essay 'How To Tame A Wild Tongue' was published in 1987 and written in English with most untranslated sentences in Spanish which represents, her culture as being a Chicano, she argues for the ways in which identity was twisted with speech. In her work she highlights the immoral effects that are affecting one's identity, like the Chicano people dwelling in the border. She also shares her wisdom living on the border between different countries as well as cultures, and underline how people should not be ashamed of their ‘’native tongue’’. She illustrates how she, as a Mexican is having difficulties finding a language to speak freely without feeling guilty and fearing the consequences. She wants the audience to realise that language is known for someone identity and we are represented by our language. In her essay immigrants/Mexicans are forbidden from freedom because their identities have been removed, which were represented in their language that is now restricted in the country.
In the book Andalzua talks about growing up in the U.S, as a non-English speaker, she decides to compare the way she speaks with her accent, and starts off her book with a flashback to her visit to the dentist who had complained about her stiff/tenacious tongue, which kept on distracting him, she got frustrated, which had pushed her to think. 'how to tame a wild tongue',and realises that a 'wild tongue cannot be tamed, it can only be cut out'her reaction toward the dentist shows that she did have troubles by the way she speaks, her accents did cause her lots of problems as she is not a native speaker of both languages; Spanish and English, she also mentions the difficulties she had to surmount in her childhood because of her accent.she felt unhappy with herself but realized that she had to accept the illegitimacy of her language ,she believes that accents represent someone's identity. Whit identity, we can tell each other apart. The author's main point is that her language, is the one element that defines her, but she was persecuted from speaking Chicano by, Hispanics and her heritage. 'I am my language...Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself', she explains how she cannot take pride in herself, she needs to accept Chicano Texas Spanish as a genuine language. She talks about 'linguistic identity,' and mentions that identity, because one has spoken language and origin defines it.
The author essay was a success; she was able to appeal to our pathos, because in this society there are people that experienced the same dilemma, that connects emotionally in the feel, that these individuals tend to be left out of society because of there linguistic boundaries. We also discover her use of logos that are used in the right way, because she evaluated many languages and how their problems tend to be the same. It appeals to our emotions, because of the way she describes the Chicano people, which gives the readers the possibility to feel her pain as she explains how her language is recognized as an ''mutilation of Spanish'. She also uses diction by switching both languages, so she adds Spanish in her text, even doubt she knows that not everyone will understand her language which does bring to confusion but, the author wants the English speaking readers to feel uncomfortable, so that the audience would understand how she feels most of the time just because her native language is Spanish. Andulzua was able to prove that her essay was criticizing the public for how they have forsaken her own identity in society. She was able to achieve her purpose, that was to take the attention of the people that are struggling with their identity (people that experienced alienation because of the language they spoke) and speak out for those who do look down upon people like her because of her hometown. She basically, explains the troubles that immigrants have to go through when they are raised in the United States, and how certain people can feel ashamed of their tongue. In her essay the readers also, discover how the author started by mentioning about her experience which gives us an idea about who she is, she adds her language in her essay so that we could understand the beauty behind it. She organized her essay in a way that we would have the chance to experience her journey with her, and this also allows us to understand why her language is essential. She uses a lot of metaphors and symbolism to show the connotation of the roles of gender. Ex: when her tongue could not stop moving when the dentist was working on them, it shows how she wanted to be free from her role as a female but, she is restrained.
In the essay, Gloria Andulzua talks about injustice and describes the difficulties that immigrants have to endure because of their cultural background. The American culture wants to get rid of their accents and want them to be submissive to white society,' If you want to be American speak 'American.' If you don't like it, go back to Mexico where you belong.' But, if she changed her native language to speaking English, then she would have been criticized, and called a cultural traitor by her own people, culture takes part in someone's language, although with time our society is developing and accepting attitude toward differences, there are still minority's groups that are suffering from cultural oppression, she mentions the issues of low-self esteem that occurs from this process of acculturation. When Mexican Hispanics assimilated to the Westernized culture of the U.S, a discourse was formed. It arose to keep a native culture, to not lose one's identity.
I agree that forcing someone on speaking another language is unacceptable, and that identity is the key element that represents someone, everyone has the right to decide which language they want to speak, and the fact, she says 'I will no longer be made to feel ashamed of existing. I will have my voice: Indian, Spanish, White, I will have my serpent's tongue', shows that she is not scared to express herself, she is asking for the freedom of speech, I also agree that language, gives facts about someone's occupation, education levels ect.. As a culture, they call themselves Spanish when they are talking about themselves as a linguistic group. Chicano's are known as Mexican American's, is a blend of both cultures Spanish to southern texas Spanish, they are full of dialects but, speaks differently, and that is what makes them unique. They speak different dialects of Spanish and English, and they are more of an identity and culture than speech. Personally, I think it is useful because it permits them to communicate with each other. I will say, that the author is right on the fact that she says we should not be discouraged or ashamed of our language because it is what represents and differentiates us. I also think that her work is great because we had the chance to understand and know that is not right to disrespect an individual because of their language. And I would also recommend it as a research source because we have the information needed to get to know the author, publication, just information in general ect.. Growing up, as a bilingual speaker, did not make me experience, her difficult life, but made me understand what she had been through, and how she felt ashamed and discouraged.
To conclude, the author did well by spreading her message and main ideas, she was able to make the readers understand that they should not be ashamed of their language, and that they are the only one that can value their language, we must learn to adapt to our society. Her essay could have been better if she had limited the with the Spanish words/phrases because it got frustrating a one point, but in overall the thing that was interesting and good is that she had never given up in her language no matter others opinions.
