15: The Border Patrol State

            Ms. Silko’s essay “Border Patrol State” sheds light on a group of people that is often overlooked in today’s immigration debate. As residents of Texas, we hear a lot about Mexican immigration and its effect on the state, but Ms. Silko’s emphasis on Native Americans and border patrol in the southern United States was really interesting. 

            After reading the accounts of her own personal experiences and the experiences of others, I felt frustrated, as she did, that border patrol officers in service of the United States would mistreat her and others in such a way. I agree that when it comes to immigration, racial and gender profiling occurs more often than not. However, just because someone is of a certain ethnic, cultural, or financial background does not and should not make them a target of such profiling. Silko explained that she and her friend Gus were order to “Step out of the car” and were not allowed to ask any questions or verbally defend themselves. They were simply a target because they were of Native American descent.

            On the other hand, I disagree with Silko’s statement, “It is no use; borders haven't worked, and they won't work, not now, as the indigenous people of the Americas reassert their kinship and solidarity with one another.” In other countries around the world, borders do work. For many reasons the United States immigration policies and practices are not working, and although I certainly don’t have all of the answers, illegal immigration is a problem that is affecting our country. Before moving to Fort Worth, I lived in San Antonio for 18 years, where many of the residents are Mexican or have families from Mexico. In addition to those legally living in San Antonio, the city has had a huge problem with illegal immigrants living in the city, living off of welfare and sending their children to San Antonio’s public schools, which are supported financially by taxpayers. I understand that for many immigrants, America is seen as a land of opportunity and a place to better themselves and their families, but the United States cannot simply just let everyone who comes into the country illegally continue to stay and live off of those who came to this country legally.  For this reason, among many others, borders need to work, and reform needs to take place in the United States immigration procedures. However, supported by Ms. Silko’s accounts, I feel that reform in the area of border patrol and immigration officers is needed as well, so that experiences like hers will be prevented. 

14: The Things I Would Carry

             It is very difficult to imagine myself as part of Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ unit in Vietnam, and there are so many things I think that I would like to have with me if I were in such a situation. However, considering the limited amount of space with which these soldiers had to carry their lives with them, I narrowed my list of items.

            I guess it’s kind of a given that I would like to possess the means to protect myself, most likely in the form of ammunition. I would also need provisions to sustain myself, such as food, water, a blanket, and a source of fire. Other than these understood basics, there are a few other items that I think would be necessary for me to have if I were a part of Cross’ unit.

First and foremost, I would bring my Bible. As a Christian, my faith is one of the most important things in my life, and I feel that the strength that I would receive from daily Scripture reading would be even more important in a situation similar to Jimmy Cross’. I would also bring pictures of my family and close friends. Although O’Brien’s story showed what can happen when a soldier is too concerned with what is happening back in the United States, I don’t think that I could get through a traumatic experience such as being at war without some sort of piece of home, in particular reminders of my family and other people that love and are supporting me. Lastly, I would bring a journal to document my thoughts and major occurrences during my time away from home. Not only would this allow me to look back and reflect on my experiences later, but it would also serve as a place to put down my private thoughts and feelings that I might not want to share with anyone else. O’Brien explained that many of the men in his unit were ‘acting.’ They would say that they were not scared or that watching their comrades die didn’t effect their emotions, but he knew that things like that definitely did, and having a place to reflect on those kinds of experiences would be helpful. 

13: Dream Come True?

In our class this semester, we've read a lot of stories of people who wanted so badly to take part in the 'American Dream,' but for whatever reason, were stopped short of attaining it. However, this story of Zitkala-Sa is a little bit different than all of those stories. 

A Sioux Indian, Zitkala-Sa is taken to a missionary boarding school to be ‘civilized.’ She is expected to learn to communicate in English, her long, braided hair is cut off, and she is taught stories from the Bible. This new culture that she is learning to be a part of is the complete opposite in what she has known as normal all of her life. Her Indian ways seem to stick out like a sore thumb, and she is punished if she does not comply with the ways of the ‘palefaces.’

After living in this new culture for three years, Zitkala-Sa finds that returning home to her previous culture is even more difficult than before. She explained, “During this time I seemed to hang in the hears of chaos, beyond the touch or voice of human aid.” She feels that she does not belong with her illiterate Indian mother and brother who do not understand her feelings, and she feels caught in the middle. She is not young or old, or “a wild Indian nor a tame one.”

In reality, Zitkala- Sa obtained what we could label as ‘the American Dream.’ She was a civilized, educated woman who attained great things in the eyes of whites. But by achieving this ‘dream’ that really was not her own, which led her to feel ostracized by her own people and out of place in both worlds. 

Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen

"Were any person of the blood of the chiefs, myself for example, to visit Hawaii to-day, scarcely would the knowledge that we had reached the port of Hilo get to the ears of our people when a house would be provided for our occupancy, food would be brought to our doors, and we would be made welcome amongst our people for weeks, months, indeed years, if we chose to continue our residence."


I chose this quote because I felt that it emphasized the sense of community that is embedded in Hawaiian culture. Queen Liliuokalani demonstrated this by pointing out that just at hearing that they were coming, plans would be made to not only welcome them as they arrived, but also to make them welcome for so long as a year. This definitely contrasts with the United States at this time, as they were not quite as united as a nation yet.

11: Response to Mimi Heald

   I also found similar themes of noble death in "As the Lord Lives, He is One of Our Mother's Children" and "If We Must  Die," so I would agree that yes, this theme connected the two pieces. As soon as I read the description of death in "If We Must Die" as being surround by barking "mad and hungry dogs," I thought of "As the Lord Lives..." and the hanging of Jones. As the story progresses, we learn that Stone (also known as 'Gentleman Jim') fears being found and suffering the same death as Jones, which has haunted him since the day that it happened and caused him to go into hiding. He also comments that he'll "never be taken alive," which I interpreted to mean that he would rather be caught already dead by this angry mob than have to suffer the public display of brutal death that he had watched Jim endure. 


     Another thought that I had while reading these works was that their authors, Pauline Hopkins and Claude McKay, wrote them thirty years apart. This was sad in a sense that the extreme prejudice that was shown toward African-Americans at the turn of the twentieth century and portrayed in "As the Lord Lives..." was still continuing thirty years later when Claude McKay composed his poems, including "If We Must Die." This is an example of how a theme, in this case noble death, can be carried into the literature of the next generation. 

The Aha! Moment

When I first read “The Wife of His Youth” and “Learning to Read,” I thought that they had nothing in common. However, after thinking about the characters of both pieces, I had an Aha! Moment when I realized that they have more in common than I originally had thought.

Both works tell the stories of slave women who had a goal that they wanted to accomplish. Even when others commented on their age or the low likelihood that they would accomplish their goal, they both continued to press on and eventually reach their desired goals. Chloe from “Learning to Read” wants to learn to read, especially so that she can read the Bible. “Folks just shook their heads” and told her that she was “too late,” but she didn’t give up until she was able to read the Bible and hymns. Another ‘goal’ that she was able to accomplish was the sense of independence that she felt after she had learned to read and procured a house of her own.

The Chloe character of “The Wife of His Youth” is ‘Liza Jane. ‘Liza is a freed slave woman who has been searching for her husband for twenty-five years. She comes to Mr. Ryder, who she has been told knows most everyone in the area, to ask if he has heard of her husband, Sam Taylor. Mr. Ryder responds by reminding her that her husband my have died or she might not even recognize him because of the large amount of time that has passed since they’ve last seen one another. ‘Liza is still convinced that neither of these is true, and she is determined to find him. While the story does not say so explicitly at this point, it is implied that Mr. Ryder is the husband that she has been searching for, and this is confirmed at the very end of the story.

Both of these stories are examples of the strong determination that many African Americans, slaves and free alike, were required to have during this time period. Even though these works did not appear to be similar, a closer look revealed that the woman character from each displayed a quiet determination that can be admired even today. 

Information Revolution: Part II

            In the years following the Civil War, the newly united states of America were experiencing some definite growing pains, much of which were brought on by print culture. As before the Civil War, writers continued to push for social reform in the areas of women’s and minority rights, especially for newly freed African-American slaves and Chinese-American immigrants. Numerous advocates for social reform, such as Helen Hunt and Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins, sent their works to members of Congress or published them to promote their social reform agenda. Thanks to the invention of the linotype machine, dubbed by Thomas Edison as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” these works could be produced and distributed more quickly than ever before. This new invention sparked an information revolution that the United States had never experienced before, and enabled anyone with an opinion to express themselves in a more widespread manner.

            In more recent years, the United States has undergone an information revolution in the form of technology. The Internet gives anyone who can get their hands on a computer to express their opinions and to read others’ opinions on almost any topic imaginable through websites, email, blogging, and social media. Whether you post your opinion in your Facebook status, follow your favorite political candidate on Twitter, or regularly blog about your personal views on a particular issue, there are numerous ways to connect with and reach millions of other Internet users around the globe.

            Citizens across the country have the opportunity to make a change through the Internet, and many social reform movements have been started or are kept running through Internet websites. Want to find out the latest on an upcoming election or what your friends are saying about a recent bill passed by Congress? Information is only a click away. Just as the United States underwent an information revolution brought on by innovations in literary ‘technology’ following the Civil War, today the United States is going through a similar revolution through the use of the Internet and social media.

10.5.11: Same Difference

Journal #8

            From reading their biographies, you wouldn’t think that Jefferson Davis and Henry Highland Garnet had much in common. Davis was a white West Point graduate who owned a cotton plantation in Mississippi and spent a number of years in both houses of Congress, resigned when Mississippi seceded form the Union, and was elected President of the newly formed Confederate States. Garnet was born a slave in Maryland and his family escaped to New York City when he was nine years old, where he would eventually enter the ministry through the Presbyterian Church. He was a proponent of the abolitionist movement, and was asked by President Lincoln to deliver a sermon at the House of Representatives. They sound so similar, right?

So maybe these two men aren’t so similar, but two of their writings, Davis’ Inaugural Address and Garnet’s A Memorial Discourse share many of the same basic ideas regarding the American dream. One of Davis’ main points is that “it is the right of the people to alter or abolish a government whenever it becomes destructive of the ends for which it was established.” He believes that as Americans, the South has the right to withdraw and set up a new government because their rights have been violated. Their opportunity to participate in the American dream has been threatened, and he feels that if seceding from the Union becomes the means for regaining those rights, then that’s what the South will do. Because the majority of Davis’ audience are Southerners who are also in the same boat, its likely that they rallied behind him in his stance.

            Garnet also feels that the rights of his people have been violated; only Garnet is referring to African-American slaves. In his speech, he acknowledges that many Northerners are wondering when the demands of the abolitionists will end. Garnet clearly answers, “When there shall be….no more trouble concerning the black man and his rights…when, in every respect, he shall be equal before the law.” Like Davis, Garnet feels that the rights of his people have been violated, and therefore they are not able to pursue the American dream. However, unlike Davis, Garnet may have been speaking to a group of individuals who did not feel the same way that he did, but judging from the determination that I could sense in his words and the clarity with which he chose them, I wouldn’t be surprised if he won a few of the Congressman over.

The term ‘American dream’ hasn’t necessarily been coined yet, but Davis and Garnet agree that the people they are representing have been denied their rights as American citizens, and they have formulated what they believe to be a solution. So are Davis and Garnet the similar after all? I’d say that they are. As leaders of their respective groups, they both have an understanding of what it feels like to be ‘left out’ of the American dream. 

Imagery for a Cause

The imagery in these poems by Whittier and Harper really stood out to me, even though I hadn’t even looked at the elements of poetry yet when I read them. I noticed right off the bat how the word choices of both of these authors created vivid images, and by the end of each poem, I had visualized a story in my head. Therefore, when I saw imagery listed in the elements, I knew which one to pick.

The most vivid of the four poems was “The Slave Mother” by Frances E.W. Harper. This piece provides an emotional account of a slave mother and her child as they are torn away from one another to be sold to different masters. Harper writes,

No marvel, then, these bitter shrieks

Disturb the listening air:

She is a mother, and her heart

Is breaking in despair.

Especially after this moving poem, I could see how this last stanza would evoke a lot of emotion from a reader, especially during this time period. This poem is a great example of how literature was used as part of the antislavery movement.

Whittier’s work, “The Farewell of a Virginia Slave Mother to Her Daughters Sold Into Southern Bondage” also tells the story of the plight of a mother and daughters as they are sold into slavery. Phrases such as “Where the slave-whip ceaseless swings,” and “From the fields at night they go, Faint with told, and racked with pain, To their cheerless homes again” really paint vivid pictures in the minds of his readers. After reading these poems, I really have an understanding of how authors during this time period used imagery to connect with their audience and also their cause. 

9.14.11: Who's the Real Imposter?

      The common theme of Apess’ “An Indian’s Looking Glass for the White Man” and Sigourney’s “Indian Names” is more than just the plight of the Native American people. To me, both pieces really harped on the idea that the Native Americans are not the one’s imposing on the white men. The white men are actually imposing and taking away the possessions and lifestyles of the Native Americans.

            This new group of Americans that immigrated to the New World, referred to as “whites” by both authors, started by taking land away from Native Americans, who had called United States their home for decades. Lydia Sigourney writes, “That ‘mid the forests where they roamed there rings no hunter’s shout…” and “….their cone-like cabins that clustered o’er the vale, have fled away like withered leaves before the autumn gale.” These words symbolize the loss of hunting grounds for Native Americans, as well as the departure from their native lands, that was caused by the whites moving west.

            I really enjoyed William Apess’ “An Indian’s Looking Glass for the White Man.” The idea that the white man is actually the imposter is continued in his work that really asks white settlers of the United States to step back and rethink their treatment of the Native Americans. As a Methodist minister, Apess used many Bible verses to point out that the Bible does not discriminate based on the color skin, so neither should we. He also points out that Jesus, who was a Jew, associated with the Gentiles, who were considered the “lesser class” during that time period. With these ideas in mind, he asks his white readers if they are still ok with continuing to impose on the Native American way of life by depriving them of education and basic social rights, as well as tearing them away from their beloved homelands. Both of these articles are great examples of writing for social reform during this time period.   

9.12.11: Elements of Fiction

            The element of fiction that I found interesting in "The Tenth of January,” by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, is point of view. As mentioned in chapter four of Writing in Literature, works with a third-person narrator are said to have an omniscient narrator. This is because the narrator himself is not a character in the story and has a sort of outside view of the plot. Especially in “The Tenth of January,” I got the feeling that the narrator already knows what will happen in the end, and already knows how everything will come together.

            I feel that this story would have had a completely different style if it had been told from only one of the character’s point of view. Using a third-person point of view allows the author to include the point of view of all of the characters, instead of just one. In my opinion, this makes the story much more interesting, and allows the readers more opportunities to connect with one or more characters in the story on a personal level. Also, the third-person point of view keeps the reader in anticipation of what will happen next. As the author switches from character to character in “The Tenth of January,” she allows her readers to slowly piece together the story as a whole because they have the points of view of each character, not just one. This style kept me on my toes as I read the story, and I found myself waiting for more pieces so that I could complete the puzzle!

9.5.11: Irving's "The Wife"

     Washington Irving’s work The Wife paints a picture of the duties of a wife during this time period, and gives a kind of hidden instruction of how the ideal wife should relate to her husband.

      Irving refers to the woman as “the softer sex,” and “soft and tender.” However, he also emphasizes that the ideal wife, while feminine, is able to “be the comforter and supporter of her husband” when he needs encouragement or uplifting. He gives his readers the visual of a vine twisted around an oak tree, the vine being the woman and the tree representing her husband. In this analogy, the vine depends on the tree, just was the wife is dependent on her husband, but she also gently supports him at the same time.

      Irving personifies this analogy by telling the story of a friend and his wife who went through some financial troubles and had to being to live a much more frugal lifestyle. The husband was heartbroken that he would not be able to provide his wife with the fine things that she was used to having, but his wife was actually extremely supportive and found happiness in their bleak situation, which in turn made her husband happy. I feel as though this story not only gives a glimpse of a woman’s life during this time period, but also could have been written possibly as an example for young women at the time to read and practice in their own lives. Could Irving have known that women would want to read such a touching story and included a hidden life lesson?

8.31.11: Introduction pg. 311-333

After reading our assignment for this post, I began to wonder what it would be like if America's first printing press hadn't come about until much later. In today's world of instantaneous results and lightning-fast internet, residents of California can read first hand information about decisions being made by Congress in Washington D.C. just as quickly as residents of New York can. Therefore, it is hard for me to imagine how it would feel to not receive news of major events until weeks later as the colonists did before the circulation of newspapers and periodicals.

         The national unity that emerged during this period is largely due to the beginning of the printed word in the colonies. Through the use of newspapers and periodicals, political activists could share their opinions and promote their ideas. Without newspapers, the concept of America becoming independent of England would have never circulated or sparked a revolution; if the colonists hadn’t united under this concept, would America exist today? I’ve heard the saying that ‘There is power in the written word’ many times, but it really comes to life when you look at the colonists as an example. Who would have thought that a grouping of colonies, many secluded or spread apart from one another, would be brought together by something as simple as a printing press? Not the English. There truly is power in the written word. 

8.24.11: What Is An American?

   Our discussion in class today about defining an American was interesting because I had never really stopped and considered just what I thought an American was. I realized that the words that our class used to describe Americans might have actually been words that described what a “model” American might look like, or what we would like all people living in the United States to be like. For instance, one classmate offered that an American was ‘educated.’ Yes, the United States probably has more educated people than most, but many people residing in the United States do not even have a high school diploma; America actually has one of the highest dropout rates. However, most American citizens would probably agree that the “model” American would be an educated, independent thinker.

        

         Another thought that I had during our discussion yesterday was that many people’s definitions of an American are different based on their race, gender, or socioeconomic status. This thought was sparked by the African-American poet Langston Hughes’ poem, “Let America Be America Again,” which was written while segregation laws where still in place. In his poem, Hughes explains that even though America has been said to have been built on equality, he has never felt equal to his white American counterparts. Through this poem and the other poems that our class investigated, I came to the conclusion that it is very difficult to define ‘American.’ My view of what makes someone ‘American’ has definitely been challenged, and I feel that because our society is changing so much, the only thing that can really define an American is the fact that he or she is a citizen of the United States. Whether or not this person is a model citizen can be determined through the criteria we came up with in class, such as patriotic, determined, hard-working, and educated.