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English 1010 July 9, 2014

Professor: James Celestino
Student: Jeridiah Watson
Re: How to Tame a Wild Tongue Summary


How to Tame a Wild Tongue Rhetorical Analysis
I read through this story one more than two occasions because I wanted to fully devote
my attention to what the writer Gloria Anzaldua wants to express. A Prologue provides a bit of
insight as to what a reader can expect within the tale. It starts of by stating how Anzaldua is
concerned with many kinds of borders such as: between nations, genders, and languages. I took a
class that dealt with Promoting Social Justice and Diversity prior to transferring to Salt Lake
Community College.
We as a diverse class of individuals which consisted of variable ethnicities, genders,
cultures, age, subcultures and backgrounds were immersed in a smorgasbord of hot topics. Some
of those topics included: Sexism, Ageism, Racism, and media marketing techniques that tend to
objectify both men and women by portraying every airbrushed model as perfect with no
imperfections whatsoever. In addition, we also addressed the apparent flaws in the criminal
justice system and homeless programs etc. Therefore I would like to think of myself as an open-
minded individual. In other words, even though I may not agree with another persons reality, I
feel that I can at least try to see things from their perspective and the reasons why a person may
feel so strong about a particular subject. In the story Gloria Anzeldua presents a certain set of
facts from her own personal experiences from Adolescence to Adulthood. I think that the
intended audience would include both the Chicano people as well as others. Gloria Anzeldua
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probably wanted this writing to be inclusive to persons who have something akin to unconscious
in competence. In other words, people who are uninformed or ignorant as to what it is really like
to be rejected and discriminated against to the degree she describes from the cradle to adulthood,
sometimes even by others of a Spanish speaking culture.

Ethos experiences presented: In the following personal stories Gloria Anzeldua relays to the
readers an experience with a Dentist who told her, Were going to have to control your tongue,
the Dentist says pulling out all the metal from my mouth. The Dentist is cleaning out my roots. I
get a whiff of stench when I gasp. Were going to have to do something about your tongue, I
hear the anger rising in his voice. Gloria mentions that her tongue keeps pushing out the wads of
cotton, pushing back the drills and the long thin needles. Ive never seen anything as strong or
as stubborn, the Dentist says. I think whether this is a simple statement or subtle character
assassination probably depends on the perspective of both Gloria Anzeldua and the Dentist
working on her teeth. It could have been just a simple statement of fact.
In addition Gloria Anzeldua recalls an experience in early childhood, I remember being caught
speaking Spanish at recess. That was good for three licks on the knuckles with a sharp ruler.
Then in college Gloria relates an experience: In Graduate School, while working towards
earning a Ph. D, I had to argue with one advisor after the other, semester after semester, before
I was able to make Chicano literature an area of focus. Gloria goes on to say that, Chicanos did
not know we were a people until 1965 when Ceasar Chavez and the farmworkers united and La
Raza Unida was formed. Gloria says something momentous occurred to the Chicano soulwe
became aware of our reality and acquired a name and a language (Cicano Spanish) that reflected
that reality. Now that we had a name, some of the fragmented pieces began to fall togetherwho
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we were, what we were, and how we had evolved. We began to get glimpses of what we might
eventually become.
My Thoughts? This is the part of the book where I think that I can most relate to the struggles of
Gloria Anzeldua. I can reflect back my own personal background and the many things that I have
had to overcome in my own life. From spending part of my early childhood, to being state raised
in a Boys School overseen by ex-Marine Corps Drill Instructors for two years of my life. Then
being part of my own breakthrough and having recovered from a very expensive and addicting
deadly substance. I have been successful in this endeavor for over eight years now while also
helping others on the road to recovery from the vicious cycle of addiction. This has played an
important role as I continue to evolve through the transformation process. These actions along
with great mentors (of both genders) done so much in shaping the person I can look in the eye in
the mirror today. It really is nice when the broken soul pieces begin to fall into place and one can
continue to reach their full potential by perseverance, fortitude. We can actually make our own
reality if we simply keep our eyes on the prize while helping inspire others along the way.

The Logos Presented are:
Pocho, cultural traitor, youre speaking the oppressors language by speaking English, youre
ruining the Spanish language, I have been accused of this by various Latinos and Latinas.
Gloria Anzelda poses a question, For a people who are neither Spanish nor live in a country
where 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 (former Castilian) Spanish nor standard English, what recourse is left them but to create
their own language?
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And because we are a complex and heterogeneous people, we speak many languages. Some
of the languages we speak are:
1) Standard English
2) Working class and slang English
3) Standard Spanish
4) Standard Mexican Spanish
5) North Mexican Spanish dialect
6) Chicano Spanish (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California)
7) Pachuco (called calo)
I can empathize a bit with Gloria Anzeldua as she struggles to overcome certain stigmas she
faces within the predominant mainstream Western culture. I think many of us have had face
some of these same struggles in life. I have discovered that even when one feels estranged
even from not having the support of blood relations, there can still be victory. I think there is
a point after having been enlightened, that one becomes secure and accepting of themselves
and who they are as a person. After reaching this point with courage and stepping outside of
the proverbial comfort zone, one does not need to accept the limitations that others would
try to project upon one. A lot of times this is done out of their own perceived fears and
insecurities. The reality of it all can be found in the immortal lyrics of a Tom Petty song
Titled: You Dont Have To Live Like a Refugee. Baby, it dont really matter to meyou
can believe what you want to believe, everybodys got to fight to be freeYa dont have to
live like a Refugee! I know one thing is for sureif we continue to push forward as Gloria
Anzeldua describes, if we continue to overcome any real or perceived oppression.
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If we continue to grow, go, and flowwith no boundaries, no barriers, and no limitations,
the possibilities are endless!

The Pathos Presented are:
She also mentions I remember being sent to stand in the corner for talking back to the
Anglo teacher when all I trying to do was try to tell her how to pronounce my name. Being
told If you want to be American, speak American. If not, go back to Mexico where you
belong. Or, Pa haller buen trabajo tienes que saber hablar el ingles bien. Que vale toda tu
educacion si todavia hablas ingles con unaccent my mother would say, mortified that I
spoke English like a Mexican.

Upon reflection, I could kind of see where Gloria Anzaldua would find some perceived
injustice with her teacher and others. I have my name mispronounced from time to time but, I try
not to take it personal. I also do not have to stand in the corner as she did when I explain my
name. I will mention that some of my relations were said to have experienced some of the same
biased discrimination when they migrated here to America from Ireland.
There was a time when there were signs posted in windows which read Help Wanted: Irish
Need Not Apply. The Irish people had their own sort of oppression to fight and overcome once
they came to the Land of Milk and Honey. A lot of them were virtually penniless but the one
thing that they had going for them was that they were headstrong, hard workers, and they stood
up and unified. They also showed a bit of flexibility to acclimate to a new culture because they
actually embraced the idea of being Americans and learning the English language in place of
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Gaelic. We also touched base on that in my Promoting Social Justice and Diversity class. Also in
Political Science we learned what rights the Constitution outlines.

Therefore, I found the end of this writing a bit abrasive and in contrast to the Prologue.
I am referring to the part where Gloria Anzeldua says the self-labeled Chicanos Have the quiet
Indian us. We know how to survive. When other races have given up their tongue, we have kept
ours. We know what it is to live under the hammer blow of dominant nortamericano culture. But
more than we count the blows, we count the days, weeks, the years, the centuries, and the eons
until the white laws and commerce, and customs will rot in the deserts they have created, lie
bleached. Humildes, yet proud, quietos, yet wild, nosotros los mexicanoes will walk by the
crumbling ashes as we go about our business. Stubborn, persevering, impenetrable as stone, yet
possessing a malleability that renders us unbreakable, we, the meztizas and meztizos will
remain.
Upon reflection of this, if I did not know any better, I would have thought she was possibly
describing the genetic makeup and strengths of some of my own Irish and African lineage. I like
to think of myself as having developed and became more flexible by living and working in
various large cities within regions and subcultures of America.
Therefore I do not hold any animosity towards any ignorance of the original Colonists or a
certain race or culture in particular. Sure, there are times that I have personally experienced bias
and been discriminated against where ignorance did abound. I do not really see much difference
in what we all want in humanity. I think we should all remain. Why? Because one thing has
become apparent to me that we all share and possess within our very being no matter our
ethnicities or cultures.that would be the human spirit.
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Works Cited
Anzaldua, Gloria. How to Tame a Wild Tongue. Boston, Ma. :Bedford/St. Martins, 2012.Print.