Warren 1

Mike Warren

Stephanie Maenhardt

English 1050

18 February 2017

Othering and Rhetorical Analysis

Pt. I

Its amazing how quickly the English language changes as we create

new phrases, contrive new meanings, and form new words. It seems to

me that as quickly as our language changes, our societys morals, ideals,

and perceptions of right and wrong have an even greater turnover rate.

Some of the best voices to include in our discussion belong to people who

have been subject to othering, exclusion, and discrimination. A

commonality among all those who participate in othering is the perception

that they are correct or the people they put down are any one of a number

of synonyms for wrong. Although a societal flaw as deeply embraced

and widespread as this would be wonderful to eradicate, it seems to

simply be too unrealistic a goal for now. What I propose is that we take a

deeper look at what othering is and some specific examples from history

and today. It has in the past, and still does so today, reared its ugly head

in the form of slavery, racism, sexism, bigotry, and religious persecution.

It certainly is not an acceptable practice and we need to gain a greater

understanding of how it is used in society and what we can do to keep

from spreading it farther.

In his address, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?, Frederick

Douglass asked his audience the following: Must I argue the wrongfulness
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of slavery? Is that a question for Republicans? Is it to be settled by the

rules of logic and argumentation, as a matter beset with great difficulty,

involving a doubtful application of the principle of justice, hard to be

understood?... There is not a man beneath the canopy of heaven, that

does not know that slavery is wrong for him (Douglass 467). These days,

people would be appalled if it were known that someone had a number of

slaves working for them, just like pre-Abolition days, but it has been a

practice held in societies throughout the world for millennia. Now here is

the real question: if a society deems something acceptable, does that

automatically make the behavior right? I will unequivocally argue against

such a notion, but when the masses disagree it becomes a matter so

sensitive that mere discussion becomes virtually impossible if one does

not concur with the general stance. In Douglass case, he represented a

very limited minority: a former slave who escaped from his captivity, got

an education, and became a powerful force in the Abolitionist movement.

His courage and bravery have been elevated him to a heroic status, and

rightly so.

Be warned, I am now going to delve into some very sensitive

subjects. Nobody is perfect, unfortunately, but such is life. Eight years

ago, our country took a mighty step in putting into practice the principles

and beliefs the United States were founded upon. Barack Obama, a lawyer

from Chicago, worked hard and won the American peoples voice to

become our president. What was so groundbreaking about his election

was not his revolutionary policies and plans for improving the country, but

the color of his skin, something he had absolutely no hand in. All
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throughout history we see examples of cultures discriminating against

people based on the color of their skin. Today, however, many American

people do the opposite. It becomes almost a source of pride for a school in

a predominantly white society to have black, Asian, islander, or Native

American students. In reality, the schools pride should come from high-

performers, students who overcome considerable challenges, and student

athletes who still manage to excel. It shouldnt matter what color the

students skin is, but it does.

In his campaign speech, A More Perfect Union, President Obama

addressed some very sensitive and important issues, especially regarding

race. Whats remarkable is not how many failed in the face of

discrimination, but rather how many men and women overcame the odds;

how many were able to make a way out of no way for those like me who

would come after them (Obama 479). While Obama brought up several

examples of disparity between African-American and white communities,

this phrase is the most important of everything he said. We ought to treat

all people fairly, despite life itself not doing the same. The bottom line is

that no community, group, religion, race, or gender needs to be attacked,

beaten down, demeaned, and subject to derision to build another up. Even

a majority can be subject to othering when a minority gets a force as

powerful as the media to support it.

Recently, Madonna gave a speech at the Womens March in

Washington in protest of President Trumps election. One of the

foundational freedoms given us in this country is the right to protest that

which we deem unjust or incorrect. Madonnas message of we choose

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love certainly did not come across as clearly as she may have hoped due

to the coarse language she used to belittle anyone who disagreed with

her. Our government was built on principles including the law of

opposition, such that both sides of an issue should be explored and

argued. Othering can and does occur far too easily in politics today as we

have gotten to the point where many feel the need to share their beliefs

but are intolerant of the beliefs of their contenders, even when one or

both sides declares with a loud voice that we must be open-minded,

tolerant, and accepting of all people. Belittling of other people has

become common practice in the news, in presidential debates, on the

street, in schools, on social media, etc. Our society has changed

drastically, just like our language, from one form of othering (slavery and

racial discrimination) to one that is focused on anyone who disagrees with

a popular way of thinking, be it right or wrong (through the media,

celebrities, political correctness).

I will no longer be made to feel ashamed of existing. I will have my

voice: Indian, Spanish, white (Anzalda 525). This excerpt from Gloria

Anzaldas story on the importance of language illustrates the innate

power that each of us has. Anzalda grew up between cultures, such that

she felt as though she never fit in with either, only with her own

community and people. She was looked down upon by Texans because

she didnt speak English as well as they wished. She was looked down

upon by Latinos because she didnt speak Spanish as well as they wished.

In spite of the pressure she felt from so many people, she learned to be

like a diamond and used her hardships to refine herself. Anzalda and
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everyone like her are an inspiration to me, be they white, black, Mexican,

Asian, rich, poor, intelligent, simple, eloquent, etc. Just as precious

diamonds are formed by intense pressure and muscles grow stronger by

fighting against increasingly weighty burdens, people become better by

facing challenges, discrimination, and unfortunate circumstances and

overcoming them. This is certainly no excuse, let alone a reason, to go out

of ones way to put someone down or increase the difficulty of a persons

life, but it is indeed a part of life.

Simply put, othering is nothing but an outward manifestation of

internal insecurities. A person who relies on belittling another to feel good

about himself is the one who is in dire need of assistance. Those who

overcome the odds, like President Obama referred to, are the ones who

are truly respectable. Those who stand up for their beliefs, especially

when they are not popular, and do not lose their temper when someone

disagrees, are the ones who we ought to model ourselves after. So,

instead of focusing on what is wrong with somebody else, why not look for

a way to help that person and build them up? Why not work as a team

instead of as competition? United we stand; divided we fall has been

said in many ways by many people throughout history and it still fully

applies today. That said, let us set aside our judgments and differences

and unite, for that is how we end othering.

Pt. II

I especially enjoyed Amy Tans Mother Tongue, an essay honoring

her mother and language. Originally published in The Threepenny Review,

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it will be twenty-seven years old this year, having come to the public in

1990 (Shea). Tan connects with a broad audience in this piece, as she

breaks away from the norm of traditional proper English. Part of her

focus is to establish a bond between the reader and her mother, so she

writes a few parts exactly as her mother would or did speak. This bond

fosters empathy in the reader and can open the mind to better

understand the language barrier that many non-native English speakers

face.

As Tan reveals parts of her life, her use of ethos draws the reader in

and gives the sense of participation, providing a clear mental recreation of

the scenes she describes. Why he dont send me check, already two

weeks late. So mad he lie to me, losing me money (Tan 2). Here we see

Tans mother verbalizing her displeasure with broker. A strict English

scholar would certainly nitpick at all the linguistic lawbreaking in such a

phrase, or at least cringe upon hearing it spoken. However, by using her

mothers style of speech, Tan provides a much clearer idea of her mother

and their relationships with one another and with those around them. It is

a matter of fact that learning a second language is difficult, and Ive been

told on numerous occasions that learning English is especially so

(although Brazilians are quick to boast that Portuguese is the worlds most

difficult language, of which I am dubious).

Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do

use. (Tan 1) We often define language as the sounds we put together

verbally to create words and sentences. If this was the only definition of

language we would miss a great deal of communication that frequently

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expresses more than our words. American Sign Language, for example is a

language that can be spoken fluently without uttering a single syllable. As

I read through our classs discussion, I came across a gem that Matthew

Hayes, another student in our class, brought up in week 4s forum. The

term broken English, typically generates concern for individual to

communicate effectively with English speaking people. When in fact, body

language, symbols, and gestures can a lot of times fill the breaks in the

words used. For myself, my facial expressions are generally more

indicative of what I mean than the words I use. Needless to say, Im a

terrible poker player. What makes body language especially cool is that it

transcends the spoken tongue. One may see a given situation and discern

the general attitudes and feelings of the participants without having to

hear everything that is said. Body language can certainly be described as

a type of English, a type of Chinese, a type of Swahili, and especially a

type of Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese.

Of course Tans descriptions and word choice made her essay more

real and illustrative, but what really captivated me was the flexibility in

her writing. She quickly and frequently switched between her academic

voice, her family voice, and her mothers voice. Her superficial disregard

for uniformity and grammatical perfection is what makes her piece so

striking. Where appropriate, she utilized proper punctuation and grammar,

but she didnt resign herself to literary bondage. She chose to sacrifice

mechanics instead of story and power. I am inspired by those who think

outside the box, who innovate, who find new solutions to old problems,

and to those who are unafraid to express themselves.

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Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with Tans Mother Tongue

because of how it inspired me to expand my thinking and fed my creative

fire. Her manipulation of language and deep understanding of it allowed

her to create an essay that could connect with a larger audience than just

the scholarly, while helping her readers gain a greater understanding for

language difficulty, transcendence of linguistic regulations, and, above all,

her mother.

Works Cited
Anzalda, Gloria. "How to Tame a Wild Tongue." George, Diana and John
Trimbur. Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and Writing,
Eighth Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2012.
521-527.
Douglass, Frederick. "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" George,
Diana and John Trimbur. Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical
Reading and Writing. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.,
2012. 460-475.
Obama, Barack. "A More Perfect Union." George, Diana; Trimbur, John.
Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2012. 476-483.
Shea, Renee H. Exploring Language and Identity: Amy Tan's "Mother
Tongue" and Beyond. n.d. 6 2 2017.
<http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-
plans/exploring-language-identity-mother-910.html?tab=3>.
Tan, Amy. "Mother Tongue, by Amy Tan." n.d. The Essay Experience. 6 2
2017.
<http://theessayexperiencefall2013.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/files/2013/
09/Mother-Tongue-by-Amy-Tan.pdf>.