Question

Based on “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan, write a thematic statement and write one rhetorical strategy that creates pathos. Explain why it is effective for the author's argument.

Answer 1

Answer:

Thematic statement: Immigrants must be respected for the way they have the courage to live in another country and learn a new language, even if they do not speak it as fluently as possible.

Rhetorical strategy that creates pathos: Amy Tan saw her mother being disrespected by her "broken" English several times and it hurt her feelings about the country that should be her home, in addition to changing her view of language.

Explanation:

A thematic statement is a statement, an interpretation and a position on the subject of a text. In "mother tongue" we can see several themes, among them, disrespect for immigrants for the way they speak. Amy shows that her mother was disrespected several times because of her "broken" English. This generated shame and discomfort that often changed Amy's perception of several things.

A rhetorical strategy that creates pathos, is an affirmation that stimulates sentimentality, shows experience and forces emotions in the reader. In other words, it reinforces the emotional and deals with a more personal and profound point in the narrative.