#3 Mother Tongue by Amy Tan

Even after being in America, surrounded by Americans 24/7 who speak the English language, even I have trouble with my grammar. If I was perfect, I obviously wouldn't currently be in my ENC1100 English class right now. Reading Amy Tan's story about how the struggles her mother faced not being able to speak "grammatically" correct, made me really aware of how I am so quick to judge. I get frustrated, not necessarily at the person, just at my not being able to understand them. One, they probably understand the language better than I do! Amy clearly expressed that her mother was very competent and read multiple intricate books written in ENGLISH. Amy expresses a tone of gratefulness throughout her article, saying ultimately that she appreciates her "mother's tongue". She also speaks about how she was stronger in the areas of math and science, like many other Asian-Americans. Even though she was pushed and swayed by other teachers to pursue those subjects, Amy chose English. Amy says people ask her all the time why her race isn't as involved in the literature "world". She said it would probably contribute towards what most describe as the "broken" English they hear at home. Another shocking factor, is that teachers sway Asian-Americans to pursue math and science and ultimately tear them away from the English field. Ms. Tan goes on to say that being rebellious in nature she chose a different path. I must commend Amy Tan for challenging herself and embracing her "mother's tongue".

#2 Once More to the Lake. E.B. White

Memories are everlasting. Ordinarily, one does not sit in constant remembrance of past happenings, primarily because our focus is too much on the future. However, all it takes for a memory to return can be due just because of the swift brush and smell of autumn leaves tumbling along a path on a fall afternoon, two people holding hands and sharing an intimate kiss, or even the simplicity of a song. In E.B. White's short telling Once More to the Lake, he takes the reader on a journey of his greatest memory; Going to a lake with his brother and father. The tone throughout is reminiscent and lighthearted. In this quick telling of his past experience, Mr. White clearly expresses how even a ringworm filled vacation was one of the best experiences of his life. He goes on to say that even as an adult the "restlessness of the tides and the fearful cold of the sea water" can ironically make him reminiscent of a "placid lake". All it took was nature to heighten his senses and the memory of a lake and his father sits on the outer rim of his mind. E.B. then at that moment decided to take his own son to the lake. Memories are everlasting.

#1 "Campion of the World"-Maya Angelou

Each and every day I can't help but to sometimes measure up my life and weigh the pros and cons. Sometimes I catch myself thinking "Woe is me"; and repeatedly find that I can't rid myself of the petty circumstances that constantly weigh on my mind. What I think is "daily struggle" is nothing in comparison to what others in our history have faced. We as Americans take for granted what God has blessed us with. We have the freedom to say what we feel, to dress how we like, and ultimately be who WE want to be. Unlike us, Maya Angelou lived in a period of American history that didn't allow her to live a life full of freedom. This discrimination was placed unjustly upon her just because she was African-American. Maya Angelou, despite most of U.S. citizens, did not find her race inferior; but in fact superior. This is visibly seen in a book that she wrote called, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. At this moment, however, I would like to focus on an excerpt from her book of chapter nineteen: Champion of the World. Throughout this specific excerpt, Maya takes the reader on a somewhat paradoxical journey; because although the story is about a man conquering, the reader is still left feeling as if he were defeated. Ms. Angelou briefly recollects on a memory about a man, Joe Louis: "The Brown Bomber", who defended his heavyweight title against a white contender. He was soon recognized among the black community as a hero. Maya Angelou writes about that specific night that he won. However, this story was not told just to reflect the struggle, and ultimately overcome of an African- American boxer. On the contrary, this story was told to convey the sense of struggle the black race had faced for years; and subsequently still faced after the defeat by Joe Louis. Describing the punches that Louis faced during the fight, Maya writes, "My race groaned. It was my people falling. It was another lynching, yet another black man hanging on a tree."  Every punch that Louis received, was a punch that African Americans had been taking for years before. Symbolically, Maya hoped that like Joe Louis had overcome, so would her people. Ironically enough, Joe Louis proved that his people were the strongest in the world, even though they were said by others to be the weakest. Next time you think you are struggling, look up the definition of struggle.