In \u201cHow to Tame a Wild Tongue,\u201d Gloria Anzaldua raises the central question of how to quiet a \u201cwild tongue.\u201d She answers this question by asserting that her Chicano identity will never be tamed, describing how they are \u201cstubborn, persevering, impenetrable as stone.\u201d This is despite numerous attempts by her society to silence her language and culture. After reading Anzaldua\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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 \u201ccheese and bologna sandwiches\u201d her family would \u201cwolf down\u201d while watching Mexican movies at the drive-in theatre. She also mentions certain smells that are inseparable from her identity, such as \u201cwoodsmoke,\u201d \u201ccow manure,\u201d and the \u201creek of cordite.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-Avinash K<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In \u201cHow to Tame a Wild Tongue,\u201d Gloria Anzaldua raises the central question of how to quiet a \u201cwild tongue.\u201d She answers this question by asserting that her Chicano identity will never be tamed, describing how they are \u201cstubborn, persevering, … Continue reading