Rhetorical Analysis of 'How to Tame a Wild Tongue'

“How to Tame a Wild Tongue” is an interesting piece by Gloria Anzaldúa in which she analyzes the cultural and social differences between Mexican and American culture and how immigrants fall in between the cracks. Not only does she explore this but she also discusses topics such as low self-esteem and cultural domination. She is trying to make the audience understand that speaking another language should never be looked down upon. Acculturation is another theme in this piece, where she explores the idea that people should be able to construct their own identity when they are immigrating to another country; they shouldn’t have to give up their language, culture, and sense of self in order to be successful in their new life. Anzaldua believes their heritage has to be abandoned in order to be accepted in America.

Anzaldúa begins her essay with the comparison of the way she speaks with her accent. She mentions her visit to a dentist who complaints that Anzaldua’s tongue is very strong and tenacious and must be controlled. She seems frustrated with the words of doctor and starts thinking of how to tame a wild tongue and comes to a conclusion that “wild tongue cannot be tamed, it can only be cut down” (Anzaldua 34). The dentist, though, does not point out her accent or even intend to; however, her reaction to his words shows that she has complexes regarding her accent, making her unconsciously conscious of people’s thinking of her when she speaks.

Anzaldúa continues to use anecdotes and credits her work with her experiences. Her anecdotes also appeal to people’s emotions, making people understand that this type of oppression is emotionally painful. She feels as if she can’t “accept the legitimacy” of herself until she accepts her languages (Anzaldua 39). She just wants her audience to respect her Chicano Spanish and feel like they can embrace and respect their own language and culture. She no longer wants to feel ashamed just for existing.

Apart from feeling reprimanded for speaking Spanish, Anzaldúa explains that many Spanish speakers accuse other native Spanish speakers of “speaking the oppressor’s language” when they are speaking English and are even as far as “ruining the Spanish language” (35). She explores the pressures she has felt from both sides of this great divide. Even further, Anzaldúa explains the criticism she has come up against when using Chicano Spanish, a “border tongue which developed naturally” that many Latinos and Latinas consider “a mutilation of Spanish” (35).

Overall, “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” has given me a lot of insight on a world of suffering I never would have understood had I not read Anzaldúa’s first hand accounts. She points out the experience as a Chicano and the hardships they had underwent for decades. Language is the key factor that contributes to identity construction. It helps to create unity and acts as a mode of communication and interaction with others. The world contains billions of people who use diverse dialects; therefore, it is upon each of them to appreciate their language. It is imperative that people learn to tolerate each other. A nation can accrue many benefits from being multicultural. The author addressed the themes of racism, low self-esteem, cultural domination and identity creation effectively.