by Evan Perez

2/2/2023

Rhetorical Situation Worksheet

Context & Exigence Responses:

Mother Tongue was published in 1990. It was a response to the discrimination seen by Americans towards non-English speaking immigrants. This discrimination came in the form of the creation of stereotypes and misconceptions.

Author:

The author of Mother Tongue is Amy Tan. Amy was born to immigrant parents in 1952 and she is known for writing about life being separated and a part of Chinese culture.

Text:

Mother Tongue is labeled as a nonfiction narrative essay that was originally given as a talk during the 1989 State of the Language Symposium. I believe the genre and setting in which it was originally presented tell that Mother Tongue was meant to be taken seriously and not as a piece of art. 

Audience:

I believe Amy’s intended audience is all Americans, mainly people who may not understand the issues of living in another country and having to learn a new language.

Purpose: 

Mother Tongue is meant to spread awareness of an underlying issue of discrimination, it was meant to provoke thought and call to action. This is done by showing readers what life’s challenges may be on the other side of a non-native English speaker who is trying for a better life in a foreign country.

Argument:

The main argument that Amy is trying to bring across is to have patience and consideration for those who don’t speak English as well as they do. The stance she takes is on the side of non-English speakers, advocating for them and their struggles by bringing awareness to those who may cause discrimination.