LITERARY ANALYSIS: In "A Voice," the speaker shares her fear of how others might perceive her at a speech contest due to her background. How does the speaker's characterization of her mother convey her attitude toward her background?

The speaker of the poem characterizes the mother herself as an immigrant woman who had to face the hostile environment that did not speak the same language as her and therefore rejected her. As a result, the speaker's mother forbade English to be spoken at home, which makes the speaker unsure of the education she received as a child and how it formed her linguistic ability.

Explanation:

"A Voice" is a poem that portrays the experience of an American girl, daughter of Mexican immigrants, in a speech contest. The girl feels insecure about her linguistic ability, because despite speaking English fluently, her mother forbade the use of the language at home as a way to bring comfort to herself, since she had to live in a country that did not speak English. language and was constantly rejected for it.

The speaker feels that she will not be able to deliver a speech using English efficiently, due to her family education.