Sometimes we have preconceived judgments about people without even realizing it. As shallow as it may sound, most of us have a hard time accepting people that are different from us. Amy Tan conveys this clearly in her work “Mother Tongue” in which she talks about how her mother’s poor English skills affected people’s treatment of her. Amy Tan’s message is pretty simple: the fact that someone may not speak our language doesn’t make them any less intelligent. Thinking of someone differently because they cannot speak our language is something we do without even realizing it. In a touching manner, “Mother Tongue” attempts to prove to us that we are all the same. Amy Tan states that a person can have their rough areas -things that are not exactly considered their talents- and be just as bright and creative as someone who excels in those same areas. Where we come from, what we’re good at, what we’re not good at, our past, our culture, or our language should not define a person.
Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing it is stupid. –Albert Einstein
This was a great way to sum up the article! I also read "Mother Tongue" and gathered more or less the same conclusions; the Judge not, lest ye be judged viewpoint. I feel like you're paragraph flowed very smoothly from one topic to another. You covered all the points without being laborous. Also, that quote from Albert Einstein is one of my all time favorites. The more we can learn to embrace our differences, the better off we will be.
ReplyDeleteI chose to read a different story but this is an excellent summarization of what I missed. You convey the message within the story clearly and decisively. I can relate as someone who has lived abroad for three years and the spouse of a German native, it is difficult to overcome the boundaries of dialogue when you are not confident in speaking a foreign language, and we must all be more understanding of those who did not learn English as a first language.
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