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I love how you mention the "tension" between Tan and her mother! I didn't realize how that barrier between the two of them might cause Tan's mother distress as well as Tan.

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I absolutely agree with your statement that Tan "was more so a personal assistant to her [mother]," because it really helps illustrate the unique relationship they share.

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Tan and her mother have a very unique relationship, but not necessarily an unhealthy one. Tan sees her mother's English as a unique way of communicating with the world, but still feels "ashamed of her [mother's] English" because she knows the world perceives her mother as less intelligent and less important. As Tan matures, she realizes that her mother's English is actually "a language of intimacy," something that only her loved ones could understand. I believe that this ties into the main idea of the piece, which is that "broken" English is just another way of communicating, and that it in no way devalues the words being spoken or the person speaking them. Tan writes that "[her] mother's limited English limited [her] perception of her [mother]," leading the reader to understand that even Tan herself made the same misjudgment about language.

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Well, I didn't expect that. Although I agree with you, I couldn't easily see past the horrible situations Tan's mother encountered. Somehow, you managed to put a positive, motivational spin on an otherwise depressing essay. Well played, madame.

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I must say, that's an amazing version of the main idea. I didn't realize Tan's mother's English might be on equal ground to my own. Thank you for pointing out that, just maybe, it's simply meant for a different audience.

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I would describe Tan's relationship with her mother as strained, to say the least. Tan seems to simultaneously feel pity and respect for her mother. She obviously pities her mother, as she spends a few paragraphs speaking about how others judge her mother's form of English, saying ""People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously." Tan sees her mother's language as a problem, one her mother can't truly fix. Despite this, she also respects her mother, mentioning that her mother understands stocks, something Tan "Can't begin to understand." These two emotions dominate her relationship with her mother, causing Tan to act as her mother's savior in some circumstances, and her student in others. This weird, somewhat contradictory relationship heavily reinforces the main theme; Don't judge a book by its cover. It's an extremely well-known theme, but the examples provided in the essay were amazing. The impossible-to-quote missing CAT scan story told in paragraph 13 is my personal favorite. Simply put, the relationship Tan has with her mother shows just how utterly ridiculous it is to judge someone solely on the way the speak, as their relationship shows that Tan's mother is extremely intelligent, but simply lacks speaking skills. The judgment she faces, coupled with Tan's resulting pity, shows just who unjustified the judgement is.

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My understanding of Tans relationship with her mother is one of sole understanding. She has been influenced by her mother more than by her peers, the situation she has faced because of the language barrier has made her feel uncomfortable and embarrassed but she was able to prevail because of the innate ability to clearly understand her mom.Tan sees it as an opportunity to help her mother further understand and speak the language . With the struggles that her and her mother have faced with the barrier, she sees a chance to understand more together with her mom.                                                           

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I agree with Lanie that Tan connect with her mother through language like most can't.

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I agree with Chloe that Tans relationship was not always perfect with her mother due to her embarrassment from their English.

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I agree with you that Tan used to be embarrassed of her mother and later not mind it as much to now being prideful of it. I enjoy that she made this article to shed light to families who maybe can't speak perfect English.

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While I think it may be beneficial for non-native speakers to not speak broken English, I don't believe this is the main idea of the essay. I think the main idea was trying to focus more on educating others on how challenging speaking English can be when it isn't your first language, and to remove some of the stigma being how people who speak "broken english" aren't intelligent.

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My perception of Tan's relationship with her mother is it being strong but also weak in some aspects. By just how Tan speaks of her mother, you can tell they have a close bond and that she knows very well of her mother. "She reads the Forbes report, listens to Wall Street Week converses daily with her stockbroker, reads all of Shirley MacLaine's books with ease-" She knows the daily routines of her mothers life, showing how they have a heartfelt relationship. Then their are moments when the relationship can be dependent as in how Tan's mother relies on her daughter for phone calls and situations where Tan's perfect english is favorable. I believe the author wrote this essay to shed light on how challenging speaking english as a non-native speaker can be and to educate others on how even though a person's english may be "broken," that doesn't mean their intelligence is also; a way of saying to not judge a book by its cover.

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I agree with you on Tan having a close relationship. I also liked how you said they relied on each other which I agree all the way. Great job!

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Everyone has their own opinions how to interpret this piece, but I disagree with you on how Tan's relationship with her mother is unhealthy. I disagree because Tan is inspired to continue writing and having her mom as her reader of her drafts, "it counted when my mother finished reading my book and gave me her verdict.." Thatquote shows how she wants to impress and get approval from a very important person, her mother.

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I feel like Tan has a very close bond with her mother. The reason being is that I actually connect to this article since my own mother has "broken" English like Tan's mother. And to me that makes my relationship close to my mother, so I feel like Tan's relationship is close. Just because Tan is put into situations that can frustrate her, she respects her mother's English and how she is trying the best she can. She even writes books thinking about her mother, "it counted when my mother finished reading my book." Now that shows how much she cares for her and how close she is with her. The overall main idea of this essay is that "broken" English is beautiful. And the author captures that by saying how she uses, "all Englishes."

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I disagree that Tan has to work through barriers to communicate with her mother. Communication with her mother is natrual for Tan. I agree, however, that Tan ends the essay proud of her mother. I believe it is because her mother faces difficulties because of her English often and Tan admires her because of that.

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I agree especially with the way you describe the way that Tan views her mother's language, and the way you describe her mother's language as unusual yet worthy of being heard, is inspiring.

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I agree that Tan having to help her mother communicate has given her a special sympathy for her mother and a special relationship. Therefore, language strengthened their relationship. That is a main idea in the essay.

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I think that your perspective on the bonding effects of language, no matter how broken, is quite interesting and beautiful

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Tan’s relationship with her mother isn’t conventional; it’s complicated, but it’s a strong relationship. Her mother “has long realized the limitations of her English,” and it has gotten Tan into some uncomfortable situations. She has to talk to people for her mother because people don’t understand her mother’s “broken English,” and has through these experiences truly come to understand the language barrier her mother is so familiar with. When Tan decided to write, she ended up “envision[ing] a reader for [her] stories.” This reader she “decided upon was was [her] mother” because the stories she wrote “usuing all the Englishes [she] grew up with.” This and how proud she is of her mother who made her feel as though she “had succeeded where it counted,” help to support the main idea of language strengthening a relationship.

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Tan has a loving relationship with her mother. She thinks highly of her mother’s thoughts and opinions. Tan was once “ashamed of her English,” but she no longer believes it is lacking. She now views the version of English her mother speaks as a special connection the two of them share, and as something she shares with those very close to her. She is well aware that her mother’s English has made her and her mother’s lives somewhat more difficult. However, it is just one of the many traits her mother has that she loves. The author wrote the essay to explain that unusual language is not a flaw, and does not change the value of a person or their ideas. This is revealed when she criticizes the idea that “her English reflect[s] the quality of what she had to say.” She separates intent and meaning from the language used to convey it. Even though people not used to hearing her mother have trouble understanding it, her words are still worth hearing.

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I I agree that the language barrier has caused tension between the two. Tan had to grow up fast and she blames her mom for that with all the phone calls she had to make or answer to.

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I completely agree that Tan connects with her mother through her "broken" language. I see it as their own special language because hardly anyone can understand her mother.

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Your writing throughout this is great. I love the connection that you made with language being powerful and a connector of people.

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I agree completely with your last statement. Tan and her mother's close bond allows them to care and support each other constantly.

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Tan and her mother's relationship is strong due to her mother's "Broken English" and how Tan must work through barriers to communicate to her mother. Tan is proud of her mother at the end of the essay , but was originally ashamed of her mother's lack of ability to speak English. Words are more than just words, and Tan uses the fact that you must read between the lines to understand what the point they're trying to get across is.

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I like that you gave a two sided story with the "complex relationship".

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I was glad to see that I was not the only one who saw a good relationship there

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I agree with your statements on the subjects and you explained the entire essay in-depth with good points on language and its power effectively.

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The relationship between Tan and her mother was rocky mostly because Tan was "ashamed" of her mother's English. Their roles were reversed in a way. When her mother had trouble speaking, Tan stepped in. Tan would defend her from the people who would criticize her. I believe that the "language barrier" between them, would separate them while also bringing them closer together.

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I agree that their relationship is strong (in the end) and that their roles were flipped in a way, and they were able to bond better, because they needed each other.

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I agree that Tan works hard to improve something most people think she’d be bad at simply because of where she is from and you brought that point out well.

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Tan and her mother, it seemed, had a close relationship and relied on one another for support and helped each other such as when "[her mother] had crashed out her small portfolio" and Tan had to "get on the phone and say in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing" that she was her mother. Their reliance on each other because of their broken English made their bond even stronger. This ties in to Tan's main idea that language is powerful because you can see that the commonness of a language, even a broken one, can connect people in a more intimate way than they could be without it. "It has become our language of intimacy, a different sort of English that relates to family."

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I agree that Tan was almost like an personal assistant than a loving child. It is easy to see their mother daughter relationship to grow through the difficulties they faced together.

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I agree with the idea of the pair having their own special language. It is a very unique perspective on the mother daughter duo. I also agree with your idea of the main idea that language connects individuals, it is definitely true.

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Tan's relationship with her mother was difficult, Tan was "ashamed of her english" and her mother could not help with her "broken english." Tan and her mother were in between and rock and a hard place when it comes to their knowledge of english. Although Tan feels as though this has "[limited her] possibilities in life," her mother is always there to support and lover her. Though their relationship has rough spots, they are always going to be there to support one another, just as a mother and a daughter should.

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In Tan's early childhood years she did not have a normal relationship with her mom. She was more so a personal assistant to her, always making phone calls sorting out issues. She was always there to clean up her moms messes. In a way Tan was embarrassed when it came to her mother. I mean how would you feel if your mother's doctor called you? Or having to call people to "complain and yell" for your mother. It wouldn't be easy or normal. However, when Tan becomes older she begins to appreciate her mothers English and how the language is normal. It also helped her when she became a writer. She is no longer bothered or embarrassed about her mothers English because it has become a normal speech. I believe Tan's main idea is to show that English is a strange language and everyone has there own form of it. Just like her mothers "broken English" was a normal language for Tan and her mother to understand. It shows the readers that English is not a perfect language.

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Their relationship is difficult, but Tan connects with her mother in a special way through language. It is as if they have their own special language, for the way they speak is nontraditional and seen as "broken" or "simple." Tan sees the way her mother speaks as a "limitation" to everyday activities. The main idea of "Mother Tongue" is language connects individuals. As an author, Tan is able to write in a way that is "easy to read" by all and connect with people of all ethnicities.

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I can see how Tan and her mother seem close despite the "language barrier." I like how you describe Tan as her mothers translator.

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I agree that Tan and her mother have a complex relationship and the fact that the mother was not treated with the respect that she deserved as she spoke.

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I believe Tan and her mother struggle and have tension between them both because Amy has goals to achieve speaking proper English rather than the English that her mother speaks. Tan is the daughter of a native Chinese speaking family who can not speak "proper English." Tan seems to be raised correct and mature as the relationship with her mother strengthens but the language acts as a wall. At the start of the essay, she explains how she uses different types of English that she would use with her mother and other people. I love how she states that she is "not a scholar of English" but she is a writer. This compares a writer from a scholar and how you don't have to know everything about English to write. I feel like the main idea of the essay is to emphasize that there is no right or wrong way to speak English even though there are different variations of speaking it.

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I agree that Tan and her mother have a very close relationship, and their bond has been strengthened through the many obstacles the have faced through language differences.

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I agree that both Tan and her mother are devoted in their relationship and that difficulties are often mistaken as limitations. Tan does not let such difficulties hold her back.

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I agree with your claim that as both get older, Tan learns to appreciate and be proud of her mother more. The author realizes how strong her mother is while maturing with age and grows wiser to all of it.

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I agree wholeheartedly that their relationship is strong. The bond that they have is being constantly tested due to the never ending struggle to find acceptance.  Both depend on one enough for strength getting through the good and bad times.

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The relationship between Tan and her mother is very devoted on both fronts.  Tan’s mother has trouble speaking clear English which results in her daughter always being there to help her out and get her words out.  Meanwhile, her mother, who is smarter and much more capable than she lets on, supports and loves Tan and will do anything for her daughter no matter what struggles she has.  Tan’s determination to spite all those who doubt her while still remaining loyal to her mother expresses her commitment to family roots and hope for a better future. The main idea is to not let problems turn into limitation. Her struggle does not hold her down as she writes, ”Fortunately, I happen to be rebellious in nature and enjoy the challenge of disproving assumptions made about me.” It makes Tan work that much harder for a better life and career all while loving her “broken” mother. The author does not let her mother and family history hold her back, she lets it inspire her.  She does not let her family’s issues determine her story because she figures out she is the one who writes it.

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I disagree with your idea as well that Tan and her mother had a normal relationship. Kids do not normally talk on the phone for their moms and "complain and yell at people." Both sides were not necessarilly happy at this point, somewhat due to people in stores, banks, and restaurants. The people there would 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." Later on, Tan writes about her mom going to the hospital and how the hospital "did not show any sympathy when she told them she was anxious to know the exact diagnosis, since her husband and son had both died of brain tumors."

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I agree with you that the English brought Tan and and her mother closer together as she matured. Tan ends up writing a book about her and talks about her "broken" English as a positive sign for her mother that helped reveal her "intent, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her speech and nature of her thoughts."

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I agree that the relationship between Tan and her mother is weak at first and then strengthens as Tan matures, but I think that Tan treasures their "broken" language and relationship more than we are able to understand in the essay she wrote because she specifically writes her stories for her mother to be able to read.

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I agree with the points you make in your answer. People should not have limited opportunities in their life due to shortcomings in their imperfect English and faulty grammar.

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Tan’s relationship with her mother is complicated. Language affects the relationship Tan has with her mother in many ways. Tan can fully understand her mother’s “broken” English” even when other people do not; consequently, Tan has to translate and talk for her mother most of the time. When Tan was a child, she saw her “mother’s tongue” as disgrace and was “ashamed” of her mother because she thought that her mother’s English reflected the “quality” of her thoughts. But now Tan sees her mother’s English as “family talk,” and she even uses it with her husband. The main idea of the essay is language is a blessing people have that influences on the possibilities and the hardships within people’s lives.

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I agree the relationship was weak at first, but because of the problems they were able to become closer because they needed each other. Her mother might have had "limitations" but Tan was able to help her and strengthen their bond.

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Tan’s relationship with her mother seemed shallow or lacking in depth at first especially the way they talked to each other made Tan think her mother did not understand as much as she thought. Made known to the reader clearly what she thinks about her mother and “when I was growing up, my mother’s ‘limited’ English limited my perception of her”, thinking that way Tan was unable to see that her mother understood much more than she originally thought. The mother even knew that her English wasn’t the best and Tan had to use her voice to do stuff for her mother so people might take her seriously, this of course affected their relationship too. Later on Tan comes to the realization that her mother understands a lot of things and it helps to deepen that relationship they have together.

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I think that Tan was mostly embarrassed of her mother when she was younger, but she was proud of her as she got older. Tan explains that she would have to call people on the phone and pretend to be her mom so people would clearly understand what she was saying. She was "forced to ask for information or even to complain and yell at people who had been rude to her." Many people did not understand Tan's mother's "broken" or "fractured" English, and Tan describes that her mother's English limited her "perception of her." Later in the story, Tan feels like her mom speaks good English and she does not mind what people think of her mom. She feels like her mom speaks with a "passion." Tan's overall main idea is that her mom was treated wrong because of her poor English. She feels that people who have amazing English should be able to understand people who have "fractured" English and not treat them different.

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I completely agree with you that people have their own way of speaking and that can bring people together, we’re all different and that can give others a glimpse of other people’s culture.

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I love the way you worded your answer, also I agree with you on how it strengthen their relationship with one another, although I had never experienced it, I heard much about the impact it can do with relationships with others.

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I believe Tan has a strong relationship with her mother, even though they have some troubling times. Her mother’s english is “limited” as she uses in her essay, so she learns to speak it different ways, one way for her mother and the other for important business stuff, English to her is a variety of “tongues” since we all speak it a different way. Later on she says she wants to “ Capture what language ability tests can never reveal: her intent, her passion,her imagery, the rhythms of her speech, and the nature of her thoughts.” Leading to show that language isn’t really that big of a deal from the way she thought of it when she was younger.
I believe the main idea of the essay is equal rights, when her mother wasn’t able to speak english correctly she was looked down on by other people around her, sometimes “ acted as if they did not hear her.” In my opinion we all have problems, some more difficult than others, but people should show kindness to those around others no matter what.

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I agree with you, and you bring up interesting points too. There's so much slang and multiple meanings to words these days that someone from Texas can sound like they're speaking another language to someone in California.

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I agree with you but I don't think taking over phone calls necessarily meant that she was the mother in the relationship; however, it could definitely take away respect in a relationship.

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I perceived Tan's relationship with her mother as very close due to the language barrier her mother has. It seems that Tan acts as a translator for her mother frequently given that she is able to understand "the language [she] grew up with" as if it is "perfectly clear, perfectly natural." It drew them closer together because it is "a different sort of English" most people are used to; conversely, I also feel like Tan also had a very difficult relationship with her mother when she was younger because of her "limited English." Even Tan admits that due to the "standard English" she was surrounded by, it "limited her perception of her" mother until she matured to who she is today. The main idea of "Mother Tongue" is to address the "English language and its variations" between different people. Tan's writing emphasizes how "different Englishes" or any "language of intimacy" can act as a barrier or a bond between people.

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I agree that too often people with "broken" dialects are not treated with the same respect and tolerance as native speakers. It is unfair that people would "not treat her as an adult" simply because she spoke differently.

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I disagree with the idea that Tan and her mother share a "normal" mother/daughter relationship. Their relationship is much more complex- their special English has given them a much closer bond and their "barriers" have only served to further strengthen this bond.

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Tan has a very special, intimate bond with her mother. This relationship is founded on and strengthened by this "special English" the two communicate with. Early on, Tan saw this English as a crutch, an inconvenience, and even "was ashamed of her English"; however, as Tan matured, she discovered that this special language only serves to bring the two closer together. Furthermore,  it serves as "a different sort of English that" not only "relates to family talk," but also can be used to convey ideas in an entirely different fashion. In the same way, many English-speakers have their own unique ways of speaking English. These different ways of speaking English can be used to reach different audiences, convey different emotions, and most importantly, bring people closer together through their own "language of intimacy."

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From my experience with 'broken English', I agree with you. It is no easy feat to speak another language. Language should not constrict like you said, but rather bring people together.

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I agree with your point. Even reading this you made points that I didn't even know existed- Tan has come by major obstacles, and her relationship with her mother is indeed close.

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Tans relationship with her mother is a normal mother daughter relationship, both sides are happy and of course a couple of barriers. Tans relationship with her mother was "ashamed of her English", which most will call 'broken English'. Tan's of experience in English is influenced by years of schooling and college education in English and Literature majors despite the "disapproving assumptions" that she was given. The main idea for this essay is that there is no right English. There is the out of book English and then there is English everyone uses every day. From the slang to the small phrases we use every day- English can bend at the speakers choosing, rather than be given a set of rules to speak it.

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I don't believe that the main idea in Tan's essay was to convey that imperfect English speakers should try to talk in a was that is easier for others around them to understand. Many "limited" English speakers realize that their English is difficult to understand and have already put in as much effort as they can, but due to circumstances like the reversed grammar in Asian languages that people like Tan's mother has grown accustomed to, it's difficult for them to make the switch. I feel like the main idea is for the environment and community around them to adjust to understand those people better.

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Although I agree that the relationship Amy had with her mother was previously unwholesome, I do not believe that it stayed that way through the years. As someone who also grows up around family that doesn't speak perfect English, I have come to realize (as I'm sure Amy did too) that despite their imperfect English, our parents understand much, MUCH more than we like to believe. That realization helps people like us see that our parents thoughts are not imperfect; they're just worded differently than our own.

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The relationship that Tan has with her mother is a boundless one. While Tan has shown past embarrassment due to her mother's "broken" English, there has never been any complications in their relationship for said reason. In fact, her mother's communication barriers have only strengthened their relationship through the use of their special English, "[their] language of intimacy." This use of their "different sort of English" proves that children can flexibly adjust themselves to their parents to be able to communicate and understand easily. As Tan has matured, she does not view her mother's English as "limited" nor as a barrier but as a gateway for her to "shape the way she saw things" and "[make] sense of the world." Tan's main idea in writing "Mother Tongue" is to portray how language barriers do not restrict the relationship between people unless they chose to turn it into a restriction. Like the hospital that claimed to have "lost the CAT scan" due to her mother's English, there are many others that will discriminate without realizing that English does not make up one's intelligence; however, people can still make the decision to appreciate the efforts that those whose mother tongue is not English put into their everyday speech.

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I agree that both Tan and her mother had to face obstacles, but I don't necessarily think that Tan had to take on the mother role to help her mother get what she wanted. Tan was forced to speak on the phone with the hospital because they wouldn't take her mother seriously and refused to try to find the CAT Scan results, which is something that she needed. If anyone had a brain tumor, it could have possibly meant death.

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While I agree that Tan was once ashamed of her mother's "broken English," I don't think that she still carries that feeling with her. As she has grown it seems to appear that she's learned from her mother's English and had instead replaced her embarrassment with pride -as you said at the beginning. I do, however, agree completely with your interpretation of the main idea.

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I believe that Tan has an extremely close relationship with her mother. While the differences between the many "Englishes" Tan spoke and the "broken" or "fractured" English her mother speaks might have made life difficult for them both, I feel as if this has only strengthened the bond between the two. Although she grew up with her mother's limited English and had trouble with English as a child, Tan chose to prove people wrong and teach those around her a different lesson. Tan's main idea seems to be that all people, regardless of their language prowess, deserve to be shown the same respect because each person is capable of thought and expressing themselves. Lack of grammatical perfection and jumbled words are not equivalent to stupidity and certainly don't give others permission to look down on anyone.

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Tan and her mom need each other, as her mom also helped Tan realize a problem regarding Asian Americans and education, how they are pushed towards Math and Science rather than English because of their parent’s english skills being lackluster. All of this well said!

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Well said, the bond between her and her mother is indeed strong. For so long the mother was reliant on her daughter for help with speaking clear english to those who attempted to take advantage of her because she could not convey the correct words to fight back. The daughter decided to try writing a book in the same kind of broken english her mother used to prove that speaking broken english does not mean you have inferior thoughts to those who speak perfect english.

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I see Tan’s relationship with her mother as loving but also very necessary for her mom. Her mom speaks this “broken” english that makes her get taken advantage of and not taken seriously, as if her thoughts are the same as the words she puts out. This is an example Tan uses in her full idea that Asian Americans are pushed more towards math rather than english because of this home life where their parents speak broken english, therefore creating a pattern of pushing Asian Americans towards engineering jobs rather than something in literature or language. Her main idea implies that these people with broken english have the same quality of thought as a normal english speaking person, and that, while expressing it in words might be harder for the former, it reveals how much effort they put into trying.

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I agree that Tan has a little bit of an ashamed feeling towards her moms incapability to speak English.

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I agree that Tan's mother can rely on her to help when she is in need of help speaking in public.

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The relationship between Tan and her mother is strong. Unlike most people Tan is her mothers voice because, "they understood none of it," making both of their lives different. Tan has to be the one that is more relied on due to her mother speaking "broken English" and in some cases their roles are flipped. The relationship they have with each other is special and helps them to bond on a different level.

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I agree about their relationship and I also agree about the main point. I did not see this in the essay at first but after reading yours I do. I also believe that along with her saying that the connection is important I believe that she is trying to show the reader that it is okay to be proud of where you came from.

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I agree completely that the roles in the relationship are reversed because Tan's mother has to rely on her in some situations but I disagree with what you said is the main point. I do agree that this is important but I believe that here Tan is trying to show the reader that they need to accept who they are and not just try to change to fit the standards of how the world thinks they should be speaking English.

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I believe that in the very beginning Tan and her mother had a lot of struggles because Tan viewed her mothers way of talking as if it were "broken." Another obstacle that I believe came in between them was that because at times Tan had to take over the "mother role." What I mean by this is that Tan had to call the people for her mother just so that she could get what she wanted. An example of this is when her mother went to the hospital and couldn't get them to work with her so she had to have Tan come up and sort out the problems. I think that their relationship started to grow and get better once Tan started seeing it as their "intimate language" rather than her mothers "broken language." I believe that this change in Tan's perspective completely turned around their relationship and actually allowed them to connect on a mother daughter relationship. You can see the change in the relationship from how she starts off the essay by saying, "I was ashamed of her English." Tan later goes on to tell us that she basically wrote her book "The Joy Luck Club" so that her mother could understand it and then finishes her essay by saying, "I knew I had succeeded where it counted when my mother finished reading my book and gave me her verdict: "So easy to read."" Although I believe that Tan and her mother did struggle because of the roles that Tan had to play, they were always very close because of this, and this also helped them be able to make it through this and acknowledge their own language without having any shame. I believe that Tan wrote this essay to show the reader to not be embarrassed of what you come from. My reason for thinking this is that the entire essay Tan takes the time to explain to the reader how everything became better when she acknowledged their version of the English language as their "intimate language," and when Tan did this, she was able to truly accept where and who she came from.

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I agree that the mother is dependent on tan when it comes to her "broken English"

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I agree that tan is embarrassed that her mom can't speak professionally. I also agree with the main idea is seeing people's different point of views

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There was definitely dependence in Tan’s relationship with her mother. Since Tan spoke “perfect English,” she had to “call people on the phone” for her mother; I agree that this flipped the roles in the mother-daughter relationship. I also agree that the main idea is about understanding one’s words. Although Tan’s mother wasn’t well spoken, it doesn’t mean that her words were meaningless.

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I agree with you on the fact that she acted as her mothers voice in man situations, however I do not agree on the fact that she was "ashamed" of her mother. Tan did not act as if she resented her moms broken english, she had just hoped it would improve so the mother wouldn't be so dependent on her.

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I feel like the relationship between Tan and her mother is more dependable than independent. In social situations, Tan's mother depends on her to help her express herself through the english language. Tan's mothers way of english is referred to as "broken", mainly because it is so difficult for others to understand and put together. Because of the mothers "broken" form of english, her relationship with her daughter is almost flipped. Instead of Tan depending on her mother in social situations, the mother depends on Tan. I think the main idea for this essay was to convey that even if english isn't ones first language, they should try and understand and talk in a form of english that is understandable for the sake of others, and family members.

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I agree and I think the reason at this point that she was easily adapted to seamlessly switch between the different tongues is because at this point she is a young woman and she has done so for many years now.

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I agree wholeheartedly. I thought it was very interesting how Tan acted as a sort of translator between the "different Englishes" from the "broken English" of her mother to the proper English of the person on the phone.

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Tan and her mother are extremely close. Her mother almost treats her in more of an equal-equal way instead of adult-child. Her mother asks for her to take important business calls for her in order to fool the person calling into thinking of her as more intelligent. Also, later Tan asks her mother to read the first drafts of her novels. At the same time, Tan is in a state of awe for her mother; she captures "her intent, her passion, her imagery, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts." In the beginning, she writes stories about the sort of barrier that forms between her and her mother because she is embarrassed by her mother's speech, but later this barrier crumbles as she looks further and realizes why her mother speaks this way and how it affects her too. This now makes Tan and her mother more intimate as they share this sort of "different English" which leads to Tan to take great joy in the different tongues spoken between different people. This leads to the main idea of how you should appreciate all the oddities of each person you love in the same way that Tan no longer hates and blames her mother's "broken English" for some of her failures.

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I agree that Tan has a complex relationship, since sometimes she acts as her mother interpreter. She turns her mothers not as understandable thoughts into something professional like when she took the business call for her mother. I also agree that her mother was not treated with the respect she deserved.

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I dont agree that Tan and her mother had difficulty understanding each other, since she was able to seamlessly translate her mothers english into something more understandable. Also the fact that she felt proud when her mother said her book was "easy to read" proves that their relationship wasn't strained.

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Tan's relationship with her mom is dependable, her mother knows that she can count on her daughter when her "broken english" is failing her which was proven when her mom "wouldn't leave until they called her daughter." The relationship was in fact made stronger because her mother's english wasn't up to par with her own. Tan would speak "a different kind of english" to her mother to accommodate. They shared a special bond in which they could understand each other like no one else could. When Tan had to translate her mothers heated words into professional thoughts she appeared equipped handle it seamlessly. Throughout Tan's own inner struggle with feeling slight animosity, thinking that her mother's "watered down" english may be holding her back, she still proved to be dependable. She later realized that her mother in fact was not holding her back, but was fueling her interest in the english language. This leads into Tan's main idea that there is nothing stronger than the bond between a mother and a daughter.

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I agree that Tan is very aware of how her mother is treated, but I disagree that their relationship is intimate, especially when Tan was growing up. She was embarrassed and ashamed, and due to this, often translated more softly than her mother wished.

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I agree that Tan is ashamed of her mother's English, as she is only human and can not help her embarrassment.

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I agree with you and understand where you are coming from. I like how you connected it to how the world would see her vs how her family and everyone that is close to her sees her.

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I don't agree with you with your main idea, I don't think that neither the mom or Tan envy each other because they both help each other in there own ways. The way the mom talks is how Tan and the rest of the family learned to talk and I wouldn't be envious how my family talked if I were in Tans position.

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I would say that Tan and her mothers relationship could be both proud of who her mother is but at the same time she doesn't agree with her "broken english" and she is kinda ashamed of it. She would be proud of the english her mom uses in my opinion because it was the "language [she] grew up with" and it reminds her of her family. While at the same time, she is ashamed of it because her mom can't talk professionally to other adults and even though her mom "realized the limitations". The relationship between them makes the main idea of the essay more a overall view of how we see different things and how we see the perspective of the situtaion.