Comparing Sandra Cisneros 'Only Daughter And Mother Tongue'

While the mother is speaking with her son, she says “He would either ignore my pleas or say: What do you need to know English for? You’re better off here in the kitchen.” (Engkent, 52). This demonstrates that even though the mother had asked the father if she could learn English, he would not let her in order to control her. It also highlights that she had to ask his permission before doing anything. He also commands her to stay in the kitchen instead of letting her decide what she wants to do with her life. The father constantly forbade her from gaining even the smallest of independences from their family.

Do the relationships in ones life define the individual himself or even the fate of that individual or are the relationships a reflection of the individuals characteristics, personality and choices? In the literary masterpieces, King Lear and 1984, the character relationships are the essence of the stories themselves. In each of these pieces, both Winston, the protagonist of 1984, and the major characters in King Lear are put through a series of situations, including isolation and betrayal, in which the relationships with other characters are important to their fate. In almost every instance, the connections between each character when based on love, trust and sex lead to the downfall of one of the individuals or both. Relationships that

Repetition, repetition is the key to live a life full of happiness. According to Aristotle’s definition of happiness, happiness is a life filled with virtuous activities. To live a life of virtue, one’s action must be a habit. Therefore “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit”. In Cisneros “Only Daughter” and in The Parable of the Prodigal Son, they show virtue through family love and courage.

“My mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It’s my mother’s tongue,” stated Amy Tan, while expressing her thoughts on how other people view her mother’s speaking habits (Tan 53). The author emphasizes that she was oblivious towards the unusual manner in which her mother spoke English. However, once she recognized the “watered down” edition of English her mother spoke, Tan sought out to write pieces based on what her mother could understand (Tan 56). Her thesis states, “I later decided I should envision a reader for the stories I would write.

Sandra Cisneros and Reyna Grande’s representation of their liminal identities contribute to the understanding of the formation of transnational identities. Their liminal identities are elaborated through the descriptions of their physical and emotional journeys across material and ideological borders that do not recognize transnational identities. To begin, in the jigsaw autobiography A House of My Own (2015) Cisneros mediates between her experience of growing up in Chicago, excavating into her Mexican father’s family history, being perceived as a gringa in Mexico and as working class writer. In “An Ofrenda for My Father on Day of the Dead” Cisneros stresses the fundamental contributions that her father’s Mexican lineage added to her

their elders, the reason is because when they get older you will never know when you will see them again. You need to cherish the time that you have left with them and all of the rest of your family members. Leo Tolstoy’s Russian folk tale “The Grandfather and His Little Grandson “ and Sandra Cisnero’s poem “Abuelito Who” have the same universal theme about the importance of grandchildren always loving and respecting their grandparents.

The whole essay documented the process by which the narrator attempted to gain the acceptance and acknowledgement from her father as a writer. “In a sense, everything I have ever written has been for him, to win his approval even though I know my father can’t read English words”(Cisneros, 140). From her father’s perspective, her future life was restrained to domesticity as a wife. Therefore, as a daughter, even though the narrator had the potential to become a brilliant writer, her father and cultural background continued to stifle her.

Many examples of relationships were shown throughout the whole school-year, either in term 1 or 2, it was shown in our personal lives or in lessons taught by teachers, it helped grow our understanding of them. Relationships like Brutus with Julius Ceasar, Mimisiku and Cronwell, myself with my family helped me understand that relationships are like a road-trip, it could be long or short, the roads could be rough or smooth going, it could have memorable places, and a lot of conversation and feelings shared with people in the car with you, either with friends or family. There is alot to expirience with relationships, as it is unpredictable, lovingly sweet or roughly tragic, every expirience can teach a lesson or two.

Relationships are defined as, “The interconnections, or interdependence, between two or more people that function to achieve some goal” (O’Hair, Wiemann, Mullin and

The idea of relationships discussed in this chapter is based on the concept of personal fulfillment. Taylor

What is a relationship? A relationship is a way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected. Relationships are apart of our everyday lives. There are professional relationships, intimate relationships, family relationships, etc. Overtime some relationships grow stronger and some fall apart. In order to maintain or create a strong relationship, you need communication, commonalities, respect, and trust.

Human Relations is the foundation for the world we live in. The relationships we have with our family and those around us affect our behavior. Our relationships and interactions with people develop a persons character. We as humans don't just learn from our parents, we learn from the environment we live in. From my own personal relationships I have had with family, friends, teacher and coaches throughout adolescence, that instilled in me values and beliefs of a Christian Worldview, ultimately causing me to uphold them as well.

Novelist Amy Tan, in her essay “Mother Tongue,” addresses the language barrier that her mother had that limited her prosperity. we are informed about the difficulties her mother experienced because of the way she spoke english and the prejudice she faced although,She did not think her mother’s language was a problem but to others it somewhat hinders her ability to excel in her everyday life. Throughout out the story, Tan explains the different Englishes that she comes across. First, when she is at home with her family she approaches that “limited english” then there’s the “standard english” that she was taught. Tan’s purpose is to share with others the experience that she had growing up with her mother that did not speak English precisely, and how her mother was treated in a different manner. All through the story Tan mother stayed true to herself as Tan described the different views her mother apprehend. Tan executed her message in “Mother Tongue” by adopting an informal and nostalgic tone to those who have families with a second language that creates difficulty for them to succeed. Her effectiveness in the essay includes the use of symbolism, pathos, and logos to illustrate her mother’s experiences throughout her life.

A relationship is the way in which two or more people, groups, "countries, talk to, behave toward, and deal with each other or the way in which two or more people or things are connected" (Merriam-Webster, 2015). Relationships are a very important thing in our lives, be it professional or just social you must maintain them and learn how to work with people. The relationships formed at university are no different, they can help you either succeed or fail in life. so of course there is a major role that they play in a persons in life. One is affected depending on how good or bad the relationship is. Yes, most of the time the relationships formed are good one, but what if it’s a bad one?

In “Mother Tongue”, Amy Tan reflects on her childhood to describe how her mother contributed to her understanding of language. Tan encountered numerous situations when she felt like she was being judged based on how her mother spoke “broken” language. I have a similar experience because I have lived in a different country for a long time, and I speak a different language with my family at home. Although my experience is similar, there are several aspects that makes us different: Tan was born in the USA, I was not.