This course will explore the unique experience of the woman writer. Studying works written by women from a variety of cultures, races and classes will reveal how being a woman has influenced the woman writer's creative interpretation of the human condition.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Blog #8: "How to Tame a Wild Tongue"
Gloria Anzaldua’s essay is suitably titled “How to Tame a
Wild Tongue.”Find a quote (or two) from
the essay and discuss how it reflects this tongue
taming, that is so central to her discussion of language, gender and
identity.
Gloria Anzaldua’s essay “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” reveals stereotypical views on how the language one may speak is associated with their identity. In the very beginning the dentist comments that her tongue is “strong and stubborn” (67). With that remark she quickly thinks to herself, “How do you tame a wild tongue, train it to be quiet” (67). Though the dentist wasn’t referring to her accent, but rather the reaction the tongue was making while he worked, she quickly associates the comment with the problems she has faced with the way in which she speaks, her accent. She is constantly aware of the fact of how other people see her. Anzaldua’s felt that her accent is something that defines unless it had been ridden of. In her defense, she explains that, “Chicano Spanish is a border tongue which developed naturally” (69). Those who speak Spanish or English don’t accept her as a native Spanish speaker, but rather considers her language “a mutilation of Spanish” (69). However, Anzaldua’s does not identify herself with their social standard or their groups. She states, “Chicano Spanish sprang out of the Chicano’s need to identify ourselves as a distinct people” (69). Nothing was left but for them to create their own language that allowed them to connect with their identity. Enabling them to communicate realities and values true to themselves. A person’s language will always be a part of their identity and where they come from. No matter the opposition and struggles one may face, it is up us as individual to value our languages no matter what they might be. It is up to us to not allow the dictation of what people say to control the language in which we speak. It is the language that makes us and defines us. It is the tongue in which many try to tame.
In "How to Tame a Wild Tongue", Anzaldua expresses her confusion in standing between two variant cultures, never completely belonging to the either. "For people who are neither Spanish nor live in a country in which Spanish is the first language; for a people who live in a country in which English is the reigning tongue but who are not Anglo; for a people who cannot entirely identify with either standard Spanish nor standard English, what recourse is left to them but to create their own language?" (69). Anzaldua, having expressed the need for a creation of a new language due to feeling like a pariah in both the cultures, goes on elaborate on how the Chicano Spanish had "tamed their tongue" and had many languages corresponding to different situations. "From school, the media and job situations, I've picked up standard and working class English. From Mamagrande Locha and from reading Spanish and Mexican literature, I've picked up Standard Spanish and Standard Mexican Spanish. From los recien llegados , Mexican immigrants and braceros, I learned the North Mexican dialect."(70)
In "How to tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzaldúa the quote "I tried to supplement the required texts with works by Chicanos, only to be reprimanded and forbidden to do so by the principal."(74)Shows exactly how the education system wanted to make Chicano students more "American". The English class was to diminish the Chicano language in the students.She expresses the time when she was young and the teacher would hit her for speaking Spanish because the teacher did not understand (causing nervousness) and ultimately accepted the idea of Spanish as a language that should not be spoken. When taming a wild animal, rules are enforced and when the wild animal breaks the rule of man; the wild animal is punished. This is exactly how the Anglo dominated education system tames a Chicano Wild Tongue!
The author talks about her Spanish and how she has to mind her "tongue" depending on the people she is surrounded by. She gives examples that she speaks different types of Spanish to various people and the most judgmental of them all are females.
The author talks about how much she has to tame her tongue and language just to satisfy the needs of society and to fit in in some way. There are different languages that she knows at hand and uses them in different instances and situations dependent where and with whom she is with. However, she feels strongly about the fact that she has to tame her language just to be accepted and is against it. She believes she should have the right to speak freely in her mother tongue and unite the different people by a culture instead of segregating them and pulling down the use of their language. As seen when she says, "I tried to supplement the required texts with works by Chicanos, only to be reprimanded and forbidden to do so by the principal." This was her way of engaging her students in their culture and letting them know it is okay to be apart of you culture and not be suppressed to only the American culture and language.
The author in " How to Tame a Wild Tongue" she has to tame her tongue and language and she knows Spanish but she speaks it different to many different people surrounded by her. Well she gets judged by the way she speaks but she has to tame her tongue in order for her to be accepted in her society. She believes that she has the right to speak freely so the people could come together and also learn know languages and culture.
There a few quotes that come too mind reading Anzaldua's essay "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" when talking about taming a tongue. The first quote that came to my mind was when she was at school and she said '' I remember being caught speaking Spanish at recess- that was good for three licks on the knuckles with a sharp ruler". Then after which the teacher says "If you want to be American, speak 'American'. If you don't like it, go back to Mexico where you belong." In both instances, the school did nit encourage her to speak her language but rather discouraged her and whenever she spoke her native tongue, she was reprimanded.
The next quote that stood out to me was "I want you to speak English. Pa' hallar buen trabajo tienes que saber hablar el ingles bien. Que vale toda tu educacion si todavia hablas ingles con un accent.," my mother would say, mortifies that I spoke English like a Mexican." Here, you can see the mother is trying to tame her tongue too because she told her to find a good job you need to speak good English. Then she told her what good is an education if you still speak English with an accent. The mother doesn't want her daughter speaking Spanish nor does she want her to speak with an accent. She wants her to be Americanized and speak without a hint of her native tongue
I would use the beginning quote on the first page of How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzualdua (67) "we are going to have to control your control your tongue" the dentist says. I use this quote because its a direct relationship to what she has been going through growing up with people trying to control her tongue from the way she speak to the way she acts.
In "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzualdua, she speaks about tongue-taming; meaning she has to hold back the way she really speaks or else she will be judged. On page 67, Gloria says, “How do you tame a wild tongue, train it to be quiet." In this quote you can see she is upset that she has to keep the way she speaks and her language "quiet" and she refers to her language (Chicano) as a wild tongue. She also argues that Chicano is actually a language rather than a dialect. The school she was in did not allow her to be herself, she could not speak Spanish or "Chicano" or she would get in trouble and be discriminated against. People try to control the way she speaks and they try to make her become someone she is not, and by this story I feel that she is putting her foot down and trying to make her "language" accepted in American society.
In Gloria Anzaldua’s essay “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, I would describe the "tongue taming" as taking one's language away. She starts the essay with a little story in a dentist office.The dentist says "we are going to have to control your control your tongue" (67). This can be seen as the dentist taming the mix tongues, language, that Anzualdua knows and speaks. Throughout the story she examples how she was enforced to speak the standard English Language and not her Chicano language. Her Latino culture, while posing conflicting and challenging beliefs on Anzaldua at the same time filled her up with pride.Pride because she was able to be different from the rest and express her self differently. She considered Chicano a language because it was an identity. She was able to identify herself differently than the usual.
In "How to tame a wild tongue" the author talks about her conflict with language and identity, she talks about how she feels out of place with English speakers and also with Spanish speakers, which is why she argues that Chicano Spanish is more of an identity than just a way of speaking. "Chicano Spanish sprang out of the Chicanos' need to identify ourselves as distinct people. We need language with which we could communicate ourselves, a secret language."
In "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzualdua, she explains a lot about the her perspective on the Spanish culture. “For a people who are neither Spanish nor live in a country in which Spanish is the first language; for a people who live in a country in which English is the reigning tongue but who are not Anglo; for a people who cannot entirely identify with either standard Spanish nor standard English, what recourse is left to them but to create their own language?” This quote talks about her life being difficult, how she wasn’t accepted by her Spanish friends because she was Chicano, but she also has to deal with hiding her Spanish origins entirely in order to make it in America.
In " How to Tame a Wild Tongue" she has to tame her tongue and language. She knows both English and Spanish but the way she speaks is different to people which considers chicano. The quote I want to use is "We are going to have to control your control your tongue" the dentist says. (67) She is constantly getting judged on due to the way she speaks her Spanish but she has to tame and control her tongue in order for her to be accepted.
"tongue taming" means having control of a person's tongue.The story's title is used to represent opression, to speak Standard English and to neglect someone's native tongue. Anzualdua's tongue never gets tamed and she also creates a secret language and identity against Standard English expectations However, Anzaldua’s does not identify herself with their social standard or their groups. She states, “Chicano Spanish sprang out of the Chicano’s need to identify ourselves as a distinct people”
If you want to improve your writing skills, writing on a regular basis will not only diminish your fear of the blank page (or blinking cursor), it will also help you develop a unique style. So, even if nobody reads it, keep writing. Practice makes perfect. More help with essays here www.essay-helper.co.uk.
Gloria Anzaldua’s essay “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” reveals stereotypical views on how the language one may speak is associated with their identity. In the very beginning the dentist comments that her tongue is “strong and stubborn” (67). With that remark she quickly thinks to herself, “How do you tame a wild tongue, train it to be quiet” (67). Though the dentist wasn’t referring to her accent, but rather the reaction the tongue was making while he worked, she quickly associates the comment with the problems she has faced with the way in which she speaks, her accent. She is constantly aware of the fact of how other people see her. Anzaldua’s felt that her accent is something that defines unless it had been ridden of. In her defense, she explains that, “Chicano Spanish is a border tongue which developed naturally” (69). Those who speak Spanish or English don’t accept her as a native Spanish speaker, but rather considers her language “a mutilation of Spanish” (69). However, Anzaldua’s does not identify herself with their social standard or their groups. She states, “Chicano Spanish sprang out of the Chicano’s need to identify ourselves as a distinct people” (69). Nothing was left but for them to create their own language that allowed them to connect with their identity. Enabling them to communicate realities and values true to themselves. A person’s language will always be a part of their identity and where they come from. No matter the opposition and struggles one may face, it is up us as individual to value our languages no matter what they might be. It is up to us to not allow the dictation of what people say to control the language in which we speak. It is the language that makes us and defines us. It is the tongue in which many try to tame.
ReplyDeleteIn "How to Tame a Wild Tongue", Anzaldua expresses her confusion in standing between two variant cultures, never completely belonging to the either. "For people who are neither Spanish nor live in a country in which Spanish is the first language; for a people who live in a country in which English is the reigning tongue but who are not Anglo; for a people who cannot entirely identify with either standard Spanish nor standard English, what recourse is left to them but to create their own language?" (69). Anzaldua, having expressed the need for a creation of a new language due to feeling like a pariah in both the cultures, goes on elaborate on how the Chicano Spanish had "tamed their tongue" and had many languages corresponding to different situations. "From school, the media and job situations, I've picked up standard and working class English. From Mamagrande Locha and from reading Spanish and Mexican literature, I've picked up Standard Spanish and Standard Mexican Spanish. From los recien llegados , Mexican immigrants and braceros, I learned the North Mexican dialect."(70)
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how she says North Mexican dialect, but calls Chicano a language. Nice response.
DeleteIn "How to tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzaldúa the quote "I tried to supplement the required texts with works by Chicanos, only to be reprimanded and forbidden to do so by the principal."(74)Shows exactly how the education system wanted to make Chicano students more "American". The English class was to diminish the Chicano language in the students.She expresses the time when she was young and the teacher would hit her for speaking Spanish because the teacher did not understand (causing nervousness) and ultimately accepted the idea of Spanish as a language that should not be spoken. When taming a wild animal, rules are enforced and when the wild animal breaks the rule of man; the wild animal is punished. This is exactly how the Anglo dominated education system tames a Chicano Wild Tongue!
ReplyDeleteThe author talks about her Spanish and how she has to mind her "tongue" depending on the people she is surrounded by. She gives examples that she speaks different types of Spanish to various people and the most judgmental of them all are females.
ReplyDeleteCould you cite a specific example from the essay?
DeleteThe author talks about how much she has to tame her tongue and language just to satisfy the needs of society and to fit in in some way. There are different languages that she knows at hand and uses them in different instances and situations dependent where and with whom she is with. However, she feels strongly about the fact that she has to tame her language just to be accepted and is against it. She believes she should have the right to speak freely in her mother tongue and unite the different people by a culture instead of segregating them and pulling down the use of their language. As seen when she says, "I tried to supplement the required texts with works by Chicanos, only to be reprimanded and forbidden to do so by the principal." This was her way of engaging her students in their culture and letting them know it is okay to be apart of you culture and not be suppressed to only the American culture and language.
ReplyDeleteThe author in " How to Tame a Wild Tongue" she has to tame her tongue and language and she knows Spanish but she speaks it different to many different people surrounded by her. Well she gets judged by the way she speaks but she has to tame her tongue in order for her to be accepted in her society. She believes that she has the right to speak freely so the people could come together and also learn know languages and culture.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThere a few quotes that come too mind reading Anzaldua's essay "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" when talking about taming a tongue. The first quote that came to my mind was when she was at school and she said '' I remember being caught speaking Spanish at recess- that was good for three licks on the knuckles with a sharp ruler". Then after which the teacher says "If you want to be American, speak 'American'. If you don't like it, go back to Mexico where you belong." In both instances, the school did nit encourage her to speak her language but rather discouraged her and whenever she spoke her native tongue, she was reprimanded.
ReplyDeleteThe next quote that stood out to me was "I want you to speak English. Pa' hallar buen trabajo tienes que saber hablar el ingles bien. Que vale toda tu educacion si todavia hablas ingles con un accent.," my mother would say, mortifies that I spoke English like a Mexican." Here, you can see the mother is trying to tame her tongue too because she told her to find a good job you need to speak good English. Then she told her what good is an education if you still speak English with an accent. The mother doesn't want her daughter speaking Spanish nor does she want her to speak with an accent. She wants her to be Americanized and speak without a hint of her native tongue
I would use the beginning quote on the first page of How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzualdua (67) "we are going to have to control your control your tongue" the dentist says. I use this quote because its a direct relationship to what she has been going through growing up with people trying to control her tongue from the way she speak to the way she acts.
ReplyDeleteCan you add something more to this comment?
DeleteProf. Berke
In "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzualdua, she speaks about tongue-taming; meaning she has to hold back the way she really speaks or else she will be judged. On page 67, Gloria says, “How do you tame a wild tongue, train it to be quiet." In this quote you can see she is upset that she has to keep the way she speaks and her language "quiet" and she refers to her language (Chicano) as a wild tongue. She also argues that Chicano is actually a language rather than a dialect. The school she was in did not allow her to be herself, she could not speak Spanish or "Chicano" or she would get in trouble and be discriminated against. People try to control the way she speaks and they try to make her become someone she is not, and by this story I feel that she is putting her foot down and trying to make her "language" accepted in American society.
ReplyDeleteIn Gloria Anzaldua’s essay “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, I would describe the "tongue taming" as taking one's language away. She starts the essay with a little story in a dentist office.The dentist says "we are going to have to control your control your tongue" (67). This can be seen as the dentist taming the mix tongues, language, that Anzualdua knows and speaks. Throughout the story she examples how she was enforced to speak the standard English Language and not her Chicano language. Her Latino culture, while posing conflicting and challenging beliefs on Anzaldua at the same time filled her up with pride.Pride because she was able to be different from the rest and express her self differently. She considered Chicano a language because it was an identity. She was able to identify herself differently than the usual.
ReplyDeleteIn "How to tame a wild tongue" the author talks about her conflict with language and identity, she talks about how she feels out of place with English speakers and also with Spanish speakers, which is why she argues that Chicano Spanish is more of an identity than just a way of speaking. "Chicano Spanish sprang out of the Chicanos' need to identify ourselves as distinct people. We need language with which we could communicate ourselves, a secret language."
ReplyDeleteIn "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzualdua, she explains a lot about the her perspective on the Spanish culture. “For a people who are neither Spanish nor live in a country in which Spanish is the first language; for a people who live in a country in which English is the reigning tongue but who are not Anglo; for a people who cannot entirely identify with either standard Spanish nor standard English, what recourse is left to them but to create their own language?” This quote talks about her life being difficult, how she wasn’t accepted by her Spanish friends because she was Chicano, but she also has to deal with hiding her Spanish origins entirely in order to make it in America.
ReplyDeleteIn " How to Tame a Wild Tongue" she has to tame her tongue and language. She knows both English and Spanish but the way she speaks is different to people which considers chicano. The quote I want to use is "We are going to have to control your control your tongue" the dentist says. (67) She is constantly getting judged on due to the way she speaks her Spanish but she has to tame and control her tongue in order for her to be accepted.
ReplyDelete"tongue taming" means having control of a person's tongue.The story's title is used to represent opression, to speak Standard English and to neglect someone's native tongue. Anzualdua's tongue never gets tamed and she also creates a secret language and identity against Standard English expectations
ReplyDeleteHowever, Anzaldua’s does not identify herself with their social standard or their groups. She states, “Chicano Spanish sprang out of the Chicano’s need to identify ourselves as a distinct people”
If you want to improve your writing skills, writing on a regular basis will not only diminish your fear of the blank page (or blinking cursor), it will also help you develop a unique style. So, even if nobody reads it, keep writing. Practice makes perfect. More help with essays here www.essay-helper.co.uk.
ReplyDelete