Caroline Hwang, in writing The Good Daughter, explains the way it feels to be born into a distinct culture that does not correspond with the culture of her heritage. In her writing, she details the mental struggle she deals with in being Korean versus being American. Hwang uses a variety of rhetorical strategies such as metaphors, diction, and rhetorical appeals. In Hwang’s conflictions between differing cultures, she becomes aware of her forgotten Korean culture once a fellow Korean woman points out Hwang’s mispronunciation of her own last name. Hwang, adding in her emotion state post dropping out of graduate school, stating it was a “torn up map for the future,” and it was not only where she was going but who she was, creates a somber tone. Many college students, whom have graduated or dropped out, relate to the emotional distress. She sums her feelings as “staring at the bottom on the abyss.”(16) Attending college is of great importance to not only the …show more content…
She states, “Children of immigrants are living paradoxes,” and from her experience, this is proven to be true. Her parents, moving to American in hopes of creating a better life, desired Hwang to become one with American culture. However, they also desire her to stay true to what makes her herself, which is her Korean culture. Internalizing Hwang’s pain, her parents told her one thing, but expected her to do another. The emotional confusion is overwhelming. Hwang explains her parents “knew they were embarking on a rough trip,” however, if they knew the way in which Hwang feels they may not have went about the move in they way they have. “I identify with Americans, but they do not identify with me,” (13) is how Hwang feels living in America. She is split between not being Korean enough and not being American enough. She stands on the line between the two, but that line is extremely lonely and
Her father does not respond well to the move from Korea to America, and he becomes an alcoholic and abuser. Young Ju is conscious of her father’s actions, even from a young age, but she chooses to cope: “I hold my breath so I will not cry out” (Na 35). As Young Ju grows up, she is desperate to break free from her father and poor immigrant status; however, taking action requires her to step out, which will affect her image, so she does not act. For example, she lies about her parents and worries that the police will “see [her] as the daughter of the man they arrested” (119). Furthermore, Young Ju is scared of the unknown and scared of change; this fear manifests itself in Young Ju’s recurring dream, where she “[clings] to the branch,” “afraid to let go of [it]” (90). This fear keeps her from “[touching] the cloud” and liberating herself (90). Lastly, Young Ju does not take action because she follows her mother’s example of enduring abuse; Young Ju knows that “when Apa is too quiet with the squinty eye . . . hiding until he falls asleep” is the norm, “or else there will be breaking everywhere" (9). From a young age, Young Ju learns the importance of having a complete family unit; however, through her experiences in America, Young Ju
The article "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan shows firsthand instances of how Amy's mother was treated because of the way she spoke. She was disregarded, not taken seriously, and thought of as dim. The author uses logic, emotion, and reasoning to show why this way of thinking is not often true. The article’s main claim of how people perceive the intelligence of those who speak broken English is easily defined because of the authors use of writing techniques like telling personal stories, creating an appeal to emotion, and an appeal to logic.
“I was chained between two nations” Throughout the novel, chains was mention variously. Figuratively of course. Chains, in the novel, is suppose to represent her inability to choose her own opinion, whether it’s being a loyalist or a patriot. She is stuck between her two choices to choose because they both promise something that she desires; freedom. It was unclear as to which side she will choose, as her opinions changes throughout the novel. In the beginning, she was a patriot. her friend, Curzon, promised her that if she becomes a spy for them against the Locktons, (who were loyalists), then she and her sister will receive freedom. She does what she was told, and acted as a spy, and gave many important information to Patriots. But the patriots didn’t keep their own end of the deal. Isabel soon believes that even if the colonies become independent from Britain, slaves will
Ms. Amy Tan recalled in her article “Mothers Tongue” how her mother had not been treated with respect because she spoke broken English. As she looked back over the life of her mother, she realized that this had been a lifelong frustration for her. She wrote how she was frustrated with the term "broken". Her mother was an intelligent woman; therefore, she was not broken by the definition of broken. She even recalls one time where she had to pretend to be her mother on the phone because her mother was not taken seriously. Tan used people wrongfully labeled, personal experience, and intelligence was not based on vocabulary to explain that people need to be treated with respect.
To depict Hester Prynne’s inner turmoil, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many different types of rhetorical devices, such as pathos, simile, and metaphor. He also uses an abundance amount of syntax, irony and tone. Hawthorne uses metaphors and similes often in chapter five, to exaggerate Hester’s chaos inside. The arrangement of words and phrases Hawthorne uses makes the reader think and try to understand Hester’s tension.
Written by Margaret K. Pai, the Dreams of Two Yi-min narrates the story of her Korean American family with the main focus on the life journeys of her father and mother, Do In Kwon and Hee Kyung Lee. Much like the majority of the pre-World War II immigrants, the author’s family is marked and characterized by the common perception of the “typical” Asian immigrant status in the early 20th century: low class, lack of English speaking ability, lack of transferable education and skills, and lack of knowledge on the host society’s mainstream networks and institutions (Zhou and Gatewood 120, Zhou 224). Despite living in a foreign land with countless barriers and lack of capital, Kwon lead his wife and children to assimilate culturally,
“Girl Unprotected”, by Laura Robinson, was published on May 11, 2008. In this essay, the author informs the reader about the dark side of hockey culture in Canada. Serious, formal, and objective tones are used throughout this essay in order to create a negative tone without using negative forms of diction. This technique is used so that the writing shows no bias, however, has the ability to sway the reader's opinion. In doing this, the author keeps an objective, unwavering stand on the issue yet plays with the reader's sense of pathos and ethos. Pathos and Ethos are used in the essay as successful forms of rhetoric. Robinson begins with a second person point of view, connecting with the reader and enticing them to continue reading. Although, as we move forward in the text, the author takes on an objective, the first-person point of view on the court cases later described. The essay takes on an inductive form of reasoning and argumentation. This is proven in the way that the author discusses the issues of a small town hockey team and moves forward to discuss the coaches and players of the much larger NHL organization.
In the essay Mother Tongue, the daughter Amy Tan talks about how her mother was treated poorly, because of her “broken” english. It also talks about how Amy Tan was steered away from becoming an english major. To me I do not believe that intelligence should be based on how someone speaks. Amy Tans mother was treated incompetently by people, because of her “broken” english that she spoke. People at department stores, banks, and even restaurants.
Today, the availability of birth control is taken for granted. There was a time, not long passed, during which the subject was illegal (“Margaret Sanger,” 2013, p.1). That did not stop the resilient leader of the birth control movement. Margaret Sanger was a nurse and women’s activist. While working as a nurse, Sanger treated many women who had suffered from unsafe abortions or tried to self-induce abortion (p.1). Seeing this devastation and noting that it was mainly low income women suffering from these problems, she was inspired to dedicate her life to educating women on family planning—even though the discussion of which was highly illegal at the time (p.1). She was often in trouble with
Many people can confuse joy and pleasure because they are similar or the same thing but author Zadie Smith mentions the differences between joy and pleasure. She explains that sometimes joy can’t be pleasurable at all. She talks about joy as a different type of emotion.
Always “Like a Girl” commercial was not only a hit in the media world, but a hit to the hearts of many women across the nation. In this commercial Always attempts to reach out and inform Americans of the damage caused to a female’s confidence when they do finally hit that age in their lives where insecurities begin to exist. Positively using their credibility and reputation to target a worldwide issue among woman so that it gains enough awareness to hopefully get fixed. Women working their whole lives to break society’s doubt so that they aren’t classified under another demeaning stereotype when asked, “What does it mean to do something ‘Like a Girl?’’’.
In the short story, "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan, a Chinese mother and daughter are at odds with each other. The mother pushes her daughter to become a prodigy, while the daughter (like most children with immigrant parents) seeks to find herself in a world that demands her Americanization. This is the theme of the story, conflicting values. In a society that values individuality, the daughter sought to be an individual, while her mother demanded she do what was suggested. This is a conflict within itself. The daughter must deal with an internal and external conflict. Internally, she struggles to find herself. Externally, she struggles with the burden of failing to meet her mother’s expectations. Being a first-generation Asian American,
In “Mother Tongue,” Amy Tan an American writer, shares her experience growing up with the family where no one speaks perfect English, and how it affected her education and her life. As the second generation of Chinese immigrants, Tan faces more problems than her peers do. Her mother, who speaks limited English needs Tan to be her “Translator” to communicate with the native English speakers. Tan states, “I was ashamed of her English” (2). Her mother is like a burden to her, at least in Tan’s early years. But the cultural conflict she becomes the theme of her writing and it is under this situation she wrote many novels and essays including “Mother Tongue.”
Whereas Volpp’s meditation upon the charge of excess culture was a form of discrimination branding all immigrants as perpetually different, Kim realizes that ethnic ties of immigrants can be manipulated against Asian Americans upon a contradictory second level. Racial stereotyping, positive and negative, were charged upon Korean Americans to either approve nor disapprove of their cultural practice as pertaining to their ability to assimilate. Therefore, the two opposing poles are to either represent the model minority congratulated as the good immigrant or the perpetual foreigner ostracized as the bad immigrant. After the family closes ranks and comes to Touch’s aid, Don tries to begin a serious discussion with his family about how they feel
So, if I make the fried Kim-chi with the Kim-chi from a market, it is just not tasty as much as the one that my mom made. Yet, however the taste of it, every time I eat Kim-chi, it reminds me of my mom’s caring for me and the fact that I am Korean. Because when she tried to make me eat Kim-chi, she always used to say like ‘oh, Koreans should eat Kim-chi.’ By that time, however, what she said did not really come across my mind. Since all the people around me were Korean, I did not really know what being Korea means. But now I am in America, and being ‘Korean’ becomes one of the unique characteristics that represent me.