Crysta Shoffner
AP. Lang Block 5
Mrs. Stroup
23 September, 2018
Mother Tongue
1. Why does Tan open her essay by stating, “I am not a scholar of English or literature” but then
state, in the next paragraph, “I am a writer”? What is the difference? How does she establish
ethos by this juxtaposition?
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You do not need to be a scholar of English or literature to be able to write. To be an
English scholar you need to learn about or have a vast knowledge of English. To be a
writer you need to write, it does not have to be published either. Tan was ushered away
from becoming an English scholar because her English was not good enough for the
professor that was taught her. Tan establishes ethos by saying “I am not a scholar of
English or literature… I am a writer”. She gets the credibility of being someone who
writes and not being a knowledgeable scholar. As readers most of us can relate to being
able to write.
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