Amy Tan has a very clear point in her piece Mother Tongue, and that is to inform the reader about her language history; how her background in English has shaped her view on language today. This piece of writing is very structured which may cause one to think it is closed form of prose. However, Mother Tongue is written as a story, told mostly in first person, and using personal anecdotes to discuss her main topic. Knowing about both close and open form of prose I would distinguish this as mixed form. "Just last week, I was walking down the street with my mother, and I again found myself. . ." (Tan 113). This is just one example to show that she is speaking on a very personal level, but is still structurally and grammatically correct.
For this story I think the intended audience is young adult readers, such as high school or college students. It is almost as if Tan is giving advice to those who do not know their literary histories by explaining where her past has put her today and to encourage the reader to learn about their past. "But I do think that the language spoken in the family, especially in immigrant families which are more insular, plays a large role in shaping the language of the child" (Tan 115). I think that quote shows that she is speaking in simple terms to appeal to a younger audience but is also reaching out to those who do not know their history.
I do not think this essay conforms to the genre conventions of an essay. This genre usually categorizes writing as structured pieces with a thesis, a clear purpose, and no room for interpretation. In Amy Tan's writing though, I feel like it is much different than that; Mother Tongue is written in a much more personal sense and is a narrative rather than a researched topic.
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