In “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” Gloria Anzaldua raises the central question of how to quiet a “wild tongue.” She answers this question by asserting that her Chicano identity will never be tamed, describing how they are “stubborn, persevering, impenetrable as stone.” This is despite numerous attempts by her society to silence her language and culture. After reading Anzaldua’s story, it may seem impossible to tame a wild tongue, but I believe that this is precisely where the answer lies: a wild tongue is tamed when one is made to no longer care about their tongue.
Anzaldua was able to resist all efforts to assimilate her identity into the larger American identity chiefly due to her stone-cold determination to not lose sight of herself. She describes many scenes from her early life, such as the “cheese and bologna sandwiches” her family would “wolf down” while watching Mexican movies at the drive-in theatre. She also mentions certain smells that are inseparable from her identity, such as “woodsmoke,” “cow manure,” and the “reek of cordite.” Because she cares so deeply about these memories and cherishes them as a part of herself, she has managed to resist assimilation. A wild tongue can only be tamed when one does not view such memories as inseparable to their identity. They must be willing to let go of their previous defining characteristics and assimilate to a new identity.
-Avinash K
I like the connection you drew between a wild tongue and the memories one has of their own culture. The idea of wildness tied to identity and being able to throw it away is very interesting!