Question

read the excerpt from amy tans essay \mother tongue.\

i know this for a fact, because when i was growing up, my mothers \limited\ english limited my perception of her. i was ashamed of her english. i believed that her english reflected the quality of what she had to say. that is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect.

what is the purpose of this text?

to inform readers based on tans childhood experience
to persuade readers to speak a different way
to inform readers of tans mothers feelings
to persuade readers that tans mother is intelligent

Explanation:

Analyze the author's message and tone

The author reflects on a personal childhood realization: "when I was growing up, my mother's 'limited' English limited my perception of her." She shares her past feelings of shame and her former belief that imperfect English meant imperfect thoughts. This reflective, autobiographical narrative serves to share a personal history and educate the reader about how her views were shaped.

Evaluate the options against the text

• "to inform readers based on Tan's childhood experience": This matches the reflective, autobiographical nature of the excerpt, where she explains how her childhood environment and her mother's language shaped her perceptions.
• "to persuade readers to speak a different way": The text does not advocate for changing how readers speak.
• "to inform readers of Tan's mother's feelings": The text focuses on Tan's own childhood perceptions and feelings of shame, not her mother's internal feelings.
• "to persuade readers that Tan's mother is intelligent": While the broader essay addresses this theme, this specific excerpt focuses on informing the reader about Tan's own past limitations in perception during her childhood.

Answer:

• (A) to inform readers based on Tan's childhood experience (Correct answer)
• (B) to persuade readers to speak a different way
• (C) to inform readers of Tan's mother's feelings
• (D) to persuade readers that Tan's mother is intelligent