Talking Wrong by Patricia Smith

Smith argues that the assimilation process is one with many faults. She argues that it produces a level of shame in those who have a history of not speaking "standard" or "proper" english. She appreciates ebonics for all it's worth, the stories it tells, and the feelings it brings to her in her personal life, from one black to another. She illustrates this argument, "It hurts to hear the measured effort, which conjures a picture of the two of her on the Greyhound bus headed for the Windy City from Alabama", which reflexs her feelings of disgust for the emphasis society has put on those who do not fit the profile of all that is "standard" or "proper". Smith uses rhetorical devices of memory to convey a sense of credibility and emotional attactment to the issue.