Respond my 1st. thought

How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzaldua is about the author’s life as a Hispanic settler in America. She is forced to the American culture being denied the chance to be herself. I feel that it is not right to deny a person the chance to speak their native tongue or even to practice their culture. Gloria was punished for speaking the Spanish language in the American schools. She was even accused of talking back when she was only trying to explain herself. In this case, I think she was treated unfairly since she was not an American. I find this to be quite unfair. Even though students were supposed to speak the English language only, speaking it with a Mexican accent was unavoidable for Gloria. The English language was supposed to be spoken without any accent.

In my opinion, the language culture practiced in Gloria’s culture undermined the women. This is because the girls were taught to be submissive from an early age. The language did not have a female plural since it fell under the males plural. This shows that the women were excluded from their own language. I also find the people to be conservative since they considered those who learned the English language to be betrayers to them. A person should not be considered an outcast because of learning another language. I agree with Gloria’s argument that for a person to have pride in himself, he should be comfortable in the ways he identifies himself. He should have pride in his culture and not be ashamed of it.

All Over but the Shouting by Rick Bragg is a story on how the author grew up poor in the south. These situations shaped him to who he is today. I see that he considers the people in his life to mean something to him. He considers his grand father to be an honorable man. He also shows us his father’s family. I feel that Bragg’s story creates a picture of how he was brought up. His upbringing molded him to who he is now. Therefore, he cannot change who he really is. He is portrayed as a hardworking person. I however feel Bragg can change when he utilizes his hard work and talent. He can choose to go to the best college and get the best job with the help of the talent and hard work he possesses. He shows great compassion and sympathy for the Haiti people who were involved in the accident.

I however find it absurd that he does not show the same compassion for the other people. He does not find their problems worth his attention either. I feel that since Bragg has chosen to accept the goals and values of the American society chase a successful career and support his mother, he should also respect the people who formed these values. I find Bragg’s relationship with his father to be a difficult one since the father used to be a drunkard. His younger brother also followed his father’s footsteps making it even harder. He however still has great love for his family. He is so proud of saving enough money that enables him to buy his mother a home in Alabama. I realize that Though Braggs family has been through a lot, they have managed to make ends meet and remain a family.