Reading Response Questions "How To Tame A Wild Tongue"

Samantha Moniello

5 September 2016

Professor Young

Writing Skills ENGL 1100

Reading Response Questions “How To Tame A Wild Tongue”

1. The dentist talks about how Gloria’s tongue is persistent and stubborn when he is trying to clean her teeth. This scene of the dentist chair connects with the overall point of the essay because it shows the metaphor for how Gloria may try to voice her opinion but others will take her as stubborn and not heard.
2. When Gloria talks in spanish throughout the essay it conveys the importance of her heritage and identity. She talks about how in college she was forced to take two speech classes for the “purpose to get rid of our accents”(Anzaldua 247). This shows the readers that Gloria has struggled her whole life by not being able to be her own self because of people always trying to change who she is.
3. All of the languages mentioned in the article should be defined as standard. Gloria talks about the Chicanas having a different language compared to those of the Latino and Latina culture. Although Gloria is living in America, where the primary language is english, all of these languages mentioned should be defined as standard.
4. Speaking and writing in academic english is necessary but on the other hand Gloria should be able to write however she wants. Being Chicana is her identity, not writing in english or talking in english. The essay is trying to convey the identity of Chicanas all over the world, saying that they should be able to be themselves and not be “tamed”.
5. Like the different types of spanish identities there is also a variety of english identities. Most of these identities include accents like New York, Boston, New Jersey and Virginia. Although there are many more, these accents don’t make people “not english” they just have a different way of saying things.
6. Pachuco, the secret language that Gloria uses could be similar to a secret language that friends use. An example of one could be when you're trying to talk about someone and not say there name so you use a code word for the person. Also friends having inside jokes that others wouldn’t get could be considered a “secret language”.
7. It is evident that there are differences when you are talking to your friends rather than a professor or your mother. With your friends you may be more casual and use slang terms. With professors or your parents you would most likely be more sophisticated and respectful.
8. Saying that “I am my language” refers to the idea of identity. Your language says a lot about you, and since you speak everyday it is a huge part of you. Your speech and language comes from your home, your relatives and who you surround yourself with. Language plays a huge role in being part of your identity and defining who you are as a person.
9. The beginning of the essay Gloria talks about how she is at the dentist and he says that she is persistent and stubborn with her tongue. This is relevant to the end of the essay because Gloria talks about how she will remain stubborn and voice her opinion. Gloria states “stubborn persevering, impenetrable as stone, yet possessing a malleability that renders us unbreakable, we, the mestizas and mestizos, will remain”(Anzaldua 254). In this quote Gloria states how her language really is her identity and she will not let anyone take that away from her.
10. The language you speak is a huge part of your identity. Your language derives from not only where you're from but also from your family. If you are surrounded by a family with a Brooklyn accent, most likely you live in Brooklyn and you have slang terms for things making you different from others which makes up part of your identity.
11. Identity can be made up of so many things which is why it is so important. Gloria states in her essay “when other races have given up their tongues, we’ve kept ours”(Anzaldua 254). This quote is important because it ties in with the idea of identity. Gloria explains how other races have let there differences between others make them different. But Gloria is not like that, she is proud of her Chicana identity and wants to be defined as one.