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Tan SOAPSTone Example

Tan reflects on her mother's influence on her language practices and understanding of English. She values her Chinese heritage and her mother's role in shaping her perspective. Tan's realization that prompted her reflection was giving a speech where her mother heard her use a more formal style of English. Her purpose is to explain to her mother and readers how growing up with Chinese language practices at home influenced her struggles with English in school and initially led her to pursue math/science careers, but her determination helped her become a writer. Her tone is somewhat nostalgic as she reflects on her mother's impact.

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47 views2 pages

Tan SOAPSTone Example

Tan reflects on her mother's influence on her language practices and understanding of English. She values her Chinese heritage and her mother's role in shaping her perspective. Tan's realization that prompted her reflection was giving a speech where her mother heard her use a more formal style of English. Her purpose is to explain to her mother and readers how growing up with Chinese language practices at home influenced her struggles with English in school and initially led her to pursue math/science careers, but her determination helped her become a writer. Her tone is somewhat nostalgic as she reflects on her mother's impact.

Uploaded by

JustJack45
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tan SOAPSTone Example

Speaker Identify the voice (narrator) and the point Tan, first person point of view. Values her
of view from which he or she is mother and her heritage. She is
speaking. Identify the speaker’s values, trustworthy as she opens up and reflects
biases, and beliefs (if you are able). on her understanding of the English
Determine if the speaker can be trusted. language.
Occasion What is the time and place? Is there a 20th century. The context: Tan wants to
particular historical context that explain how her mother influenced her
influences the message or the speaker? language practices inside her home and
What specific set of circumstances in writing. The realization that prompted
prompted the writer to write? Tan’s thinking about her subject was her
delivery of a speech to an audience that
included her mother, who, perhaps for
the first time, heard Tan use an elevated
style of English.
Audience Who will hear or read this message? Her readers, and most importantly her
What are this audience’s biases or mother, are her audience. The audience
values? Is this audience open to the is lead to understand characteristics of
message? Tan’s mother (in particular her
comprehension of standard English in
comparison to her ability to verbally use
standard English) perhaps in an effort to
address potential audience bias based on
the way Tan’s mother is described. The
essay was originally published in a
literary magazine; those reading the
article there were likely receptive to her
message.
Purpose What does this speaker hope to The purpose is to let her mother and her
achieve? What is the main purpose readers know of the influence Chinese
(overall point or argument)? language practices have had on Tan. Tan
later reveals (through a series of
anecdotes) her struggle with English in
school led to her at first pursuing a career
in the areas of math and science, but her
determined spirit pushed her to become a
writer. She opens her experience to the
possibility other students like her are also
being directed to math/science fields.
Subject What is this work about? Her mother’s tongue and its influence on
her life, her speaking, and her writing.
Tone What is the dominant tone and what is Her tone appears a bit nostalgic through
its effect? Look primarily at the speaker’s her reflective discussion of her mother’s
attitude. What words, images, or figures influence. Her use of narration helps to
of speech reveal the speaker’s attitude? reveal her regret for being ashamed of
Are there any shifts in tone within this her mother.
document, and if so, what is the
result/effect?

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