Amy Tan explores the complex meanings of language in her celebrated short story, “Mother Tongue.” She emphasizes that language is not solely a means of communication but also a tool used by society to judge individuals. Tan aims to challenge the belief that differences in language diminish a person’s value by demonstrating how deviations from the norm can both divide and unite people. Through her mother’s struggles with English, Tan reveals the challenges and discrimination she faced, which led to inadequate treatment and neglect.
As a child, Amy recalls pretending to be her mother during phone conversations as a way to gain respect and credibility. On one occasion, she even called a stockbroker on behalf of her mother and demanded payment for an outstanding claim. However, when her mother personally met the stockbroker in New York, he was taken aback by their striking language barrier. To outsiders, her mother’s limited language skills appeared futile and unlikely to contribute to any progress.
Tan reveals that her mother was diagnosed with a non-cancerous brain tumor later in the story. However, when they went to the doctor’s office, the CAT scan disappeared and there was little concern for her mother’s need to understand her prognosis. This was particularly upsetting because Tan had already lost her husband and son to brain tumors. When Tan stepped in to translate for her mother, she received much better treatment than her mother did. They made promises and sincerely apologized. In both cases, Amy’s mother was judged based on her limited English skills, assuming she lacked intelligence and didn’t deserve their attention.
The sociological aspect of language deals with how people judge others based on their speech. However, the author highlights that her mother’s language is different from American English, but it is deceptive because her mother comprehends more than what might be perceived at first glance: “You should know that my mother’s expressive command of English belies how much she actually understands. She reads the Forbes report, listens to Wall Street Week, converses daily with her stockbroker, reads all of Shirley MacLaine’s books with ease—all kinds of things I can’t begin to understand” (Tan 7).
The daughter believes her mother is intelligent even though others think she is useless because her mother understands things that she cannot. Amy Tan demonstrates that lacking certain qualities does not diminish one’s worth as a person, as individuals possess unique qualities that others may not have. According to Jane E. Aaron, a stipulative definition expands the meaning of a concept to encompass a larger purpose or idea, often reaching beyond common knowledge (235). Tan exemplifies this by portraying language in a manner that distinguishes us based on our manner of speech.
The doctors and the stockbroker struggled to understand her mother’s unique form of English, leading them to dismiss her. The title “Mother Tongue” cleverly plays on the concept of both one’s first language and her mother’s unconventional English. Despite its difficulty, this language is an important aspect of her identity and does not diminish her mother’s value. Regardless of the specific language or manner in which she communicates, she remains an exceptional individual.
