Question

Read the excerpt from amy tan’s essay "mother tongue."i know this for a fact, because when i was growing up, my mother’s "limited" english limited my perception of her. i was ashamed of her english. i believed that her english reflected the quality of what she had to say. that is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were phrase from this excerpt best helps the reader identify the author’s purpose?

A. "i know this for a fact"
B. "my mother’s ‘limited’ english"
C. "the quality of what she had to say"
D. "her thoughts were imperfect"

Answer 1

Amy Tan's essay 'Mother Tongue' challenges the notion that the proficiency of one's language reflects the quality of their thoughts, thus emphasizing the unjust judgments faced by nonstandard English speakers. Option C is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

Language plays a critical role in shaping our identities and how others perceive us. In Amy Tan's essay Mother Tongue, the author examines her relationship with her mother's "limited" English and how it affected her perception of her mother.

Tan realized that she was ashamed of her mother's English because she felt it reflected the quality of her mother's thoughts. The excerpt from Tan's essay addresses the misconception that imperfect expression reflects imperfect thoughts.

In identifying the author's purpose, the phrase "the quality of what she had to say" best helps readers understand that Tan is challenging the idea that language proficiency is indicative of one's intelligence or the worth of their ideas. The correct option is C. Amy Tan is essentially highlighting the unjust judgments faced by those who speak nonstandard forms of English, revealing the depth and value of their thoughts despite the language barrier.