Journal #15

I thought Ms. Silko's essay was interesting and I agreed and disagreed with her points. I agreed with the fact that they should not have been asked to step out of the car. Gus, the man she was driving with, didn't do anything sketchy or question authority, he just wanted to know what was going on. I also thought it was interesting that the dog refused to "snitch" on her because she had the medical marijuana. I also agree that people should not be detained for hours at a time at the border patrol check points for no reason. If anything they should have dogs already there in case an incident does pop up. Ms. Silko then mentions all of the cases of border patrol agents treating people terribly, even murdering, but she does not mention stories of immigrants attacking agents. I know for a fact that this happens because I have read articles of immigrants doing similar things to border patrol agents. I'm not condoning what the agents did, but I think she needs to present both sides of the story. I also disagree with her idea that the US-Mexico border is ineffective. While it has its loopholes, it is there to keep people safe. I dont doubt that there are people who purposely open up the border with blowtorches, and I think that is not only wrong but also dangerous because you don't know who you are letting in. Also, she says that white people are not flagged down at the I-25 and I-10 checkpoints. I can say for a fact that it is not true because my family and I have driven on that stretch of highway before and everyone is either required to stop, or the checkpoints are vacant and no agents are on duty in which case no one is required to stop. I personally have no problem with having checkpoints on major highways because I don't minding stopping for a few minutes, similar to security screenings at airports.

Journal 14

If I were in Lieutenant Cross' army I would probably carry not as many things as the other men did. Because I am skinnier than an average man I probably would not be able to carry as much stuff physically, but emotionally I would probably carry just as much if not more. I would probably carry with me a picture of my family to remind myself who I am here for and that I am fighting to protect their freedom. I would also have a few pictures of my good friends, again just to remind myself. Then I would have with me some sort of powder to mix with water, kind of like the kool-aid that they had in the story, and I would carry a lot of water with me. Mosquito repellent is a must for me because I get huge welts when I get bit. I would definitely have some sort of smaller weapon in my pack as well as a rifle/machine gun with ammunition. I thought it was interesting that the supply helicopter came every night, that way it was probably much easier because you could carry less stuff with you and know that you can just "re-load" for the next mission. I would carry a change of clothing in case something happened to my uniform. I thought it was interesting that they carried a Vietnamese-English dictionary and I would also carry one of those with me, because I'm sure it would come in handy. I would have some food with me too, nothing huge because of limited space, but probably some of the stuff they have where you mix it with water and it turns into food. Of course I would always carry the ones closest to me and would think about them all the time just like Jimmy did.

Bonus Blog #2

Having taken United States, European, and World History, before I read the readings I already had a somewhat general knowledge of imperialism. However, it is different when you actually have writers focus specifically on the topic of imperialism and as in Queen Liliuokalani’s case, actually write about what life was like growing up under imperialist rule. After reading Twain’s short story I was very surprised at how much the man prays that the enemy be destroyed. Of course the story is a response to the Spanish American war, and this story basically expressed why Twain changed his stance on the war. The man in the story says “O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells;” I couldn’t believe that the character had literally prayed to God to kill the enemy soldier. It is certainly very ironic to say the least. The man also prays for the enemy to be homeless, and to be wanderers without food and water. Again, the irony here is overwhelming, and having read Twain before it certainly fits his style of writing. Clearly the imperialism that the United States took part in Philippines had a huge impact on Mark Twain. However, where I learned more about imperialism was in Queen Liliuokalani’s autobiography. I actually had no idea that most Hawaiian’s actually adopted Christianity. Usually with imperialism you see rebellion against the Christian Missionaries, Hawaii surprisingly was different. I was also surprised that they locked up Liliuokalani even though she really posed no major threat to them. They pretty much did what they wanted, which is pretty consistent with imperialism. Then the clip we watched about how the troops took over the palace where Liliuokalani lived and took down the Hawaiian flag while replacing it with the American one. I also can’t believe that the United States only recently apologized for the events. Finally from the article, it was interesting that Hawaiians did not have the word adopt in their language, and Trask points out that this concept of hanai which means feeding was completely foreign to the imperialists. I also liked her statement that languages are different, and the above example illustrates that perfectly.

Journal #13

After reading this story, I realized that this is what most consider to be the American Dream coming true. All of the suffering that the author goes through in her childhood seemingly pays off in the end when she ends up winning awards in college. However, the real question here is does she really want to be educated and live like a "paleface"? Throughout the entire story she is very torn between getting an education and staying with her mother. The American Dream for her had come true, but the second to last sentence sums up her feelings about it. "The little taste of victory did not satisfy a hunger in my heart". It is clear that even though she is "civilized" and educated, she can't overcome her ties to her home and her mother. I think alot of this is a result of the treatment she received while she was just beginning school. It is riddiculous that the teachers would treat the girls so harshly right when they arrive because they can't understand what the teachers are telling them. This is most obvious in the incident when the writer's friend is spanked for saying "no". In the end I think the American Dream does come true for her, but it isn't at all what she thought it would be.

Journal #12

"The people to whom your fathers told of the living God, and taught to call 'Father,' and whom the sons now seek to despoil and destroy, are crying aloud to Him in their time of trouble; and He will keep His promise, and will listen to the voices of His Hawaiian children lamenting for their homes."

This sentence stood out to me because it shows how strong the Christian faith is in the Hawaiian people. It's a little ironic that the nation who is trying to annex them has the same religion and that the natives have taken such a strong connection to it. I also think the author does a good job portraying the Hawaiian people almost like God's chosen people in their actions and in the way she refers to them as "His Hawaiian children," that really stood out to me.

Journal 11

After reading "As the Lord Lives, He is one of Our Mother's Children", there were a few things I found that were strange. The one thing I want to know is how did Gentlemen Jim know that the reverend and his son were going to be on that train? I also think that Reverend Stevens is a strange man himself. As a reverend he is supposed to be acting in the way of God, yet he doesn't really feel compelled to help Jim after he realized his true identity. Even though the reverend does eventually spare Jim, he doesn't really help him out after that, and Jim eventually moves out after getting a job in another state. I think a very broad message from this story is that terrible things can happen to good people, something that was a common theme throughout certain parts of the United States during the Reconstruction time period.
After reading McKay's poems the one question that came to my mind was how McKay correctly predicts America's downfall (although America has since recovered from the Great Depression). This theme I think is especially strong in the poems "America" and "Africa" where McKay compares America to things like "priceless treasures sinking in the sand" or "...now thy time is done, of all the mighty nations of the sun."

JOURNAL #10 RESPONSE TO CECILY WEIR

Journal #9

After reading the introduction to the second Anthology, there are a few connections that can be made between that time and today. To me the thing that stands out in both times is that Americans are constantly inventing new technology in that time and also in this time. Between 1865 and 1914, the lightbulb, telephone, typewriter, radio, motion picture, automobile and airplane were invented. Nowadays we are improving on all of these items: the lightbulb is more efficient, we now have cell phones that we can take anywhere, instead of typewriters we now have computer with keyboards that allow us to process work and do work faster, radio is now available on the internet, TV's are now being built in 3D, our cars are becoming faster, safer, and more fuel efficient, as well as our airplanes. It's clear that we are constantly improving on our technology and even inventing new items, such as the 3D TV. The second thing I noticed in comparing these times is the rise of third parties in American politics. Eugene Debs essentially started the Socialist Party because he was imprisoned during a strike. This is important because Debs wasn't just some guy in the railway company, he was the president of the American Railway Union. Similarly today we have seen the rise of a few new political parties, most notably the Libertarian party, led by Ron Paul. Paul came to be known because of his stance on taxes and the Federal Reserve, and though he was never imprisoned, he is still important. Other parties we see that are emerging is the Tea Party, a grassroots conservative movement, and the Green Party, which favors environmental concerns. Finally, we can see the struggle that occurs between those already living here, and new immigrants. In that time it was the struggle with Chinese immigrants, today it is a struggle with Hispanics coming from Mexico and other parts of Central America.

Journal #8

Question #1
Two stories I thought were in conversation with one another was Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address and William Cullen Bryant's poem "The Death of Lincoln". The thing that really stood out to me was how both made so many references to God, especially Lincoln. Lincoln said: "Yet, if God wills that it continue (reffering to the Civil War), until all the wealth piled by the bond-man's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash.." Lincoln basically says that God's will ultimately decided when the war will end, even if it means more suffering. Bryant writes "Who, in the fear of God, dids't bear The sword of power, a nation's trust!" Bryant paints Lincoln as a God fearing man, and therefore it can be said that Bryant agreed with Lincoln about God's will. Also the last line of the poem states "Who perished in the cause of Right." Because right is capitalized, it can be interpreted as the Right of God, or perhaps because it was such a big moment in the history of mankind that Bryant felt the need to emphasize this word. Lincoln's to me is more persuasive because it is a presidential speech, and those generally contain a more persuasive, optimistic tone. Geography would obviously play a huge factor in all of this. People in the south disagreed with Lincoln, while those in the north saw him as an inspiration and hero.

Journal #7

John Greenleaf Whittier's poem "The Hunter's of Men" uses imagery to call the audience to action. Because Whittier was an abolitionist, it is easy to see why he took a stance against those who captured slaves. One example of imagery is in the line "Right merrily hunting the black man, whose sin Is the curl of his hair and hue of his skin!" This line creates an image in the reader's head and basically says that it is wrong to persecute people simply because their skin is a different color. Two lines after this, Whittier writes "Will our hunters be turned from their purpose and prey?" This I thought was more of a subtle call to action to the reader's of the papers in which he published his works. I think he was hoping the readers who knew people that persecuted blacks would be motivated to action. Another example of imagery is the line that appears a few times in the poem "All mounting the saddle, all grasping the rein." The word grasping creates an image of aggresivism and I think Whittier is trying to tell his audience that the whites are in control. Next, Whittier's line "What right have they here in the home of the white, Shadowed o'er by our banner of Freedom and Right?" Again
Whittier paints a picture of white domination, and says that America is free and just but only if you are white. In this I think he is trying to point out how wrong it is to discriminate in a "free country" just because of skin color. Overall it is evident that Whittier's abolitionist stance is present in the images of this poem.

Bonus Blog #1

After reading chapter ten of "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl", I thought the author used language for two main reasons. The first reason is to get the reader to feel sorry not only for her but for all women in slavery. She went into great detail to explain that she only did what she did because of what Dr. Flint did to her. "But, O, ye happy women, whose purity has been sheltered from childhood, who have been free to choose the objects of your affection, whose homes are protected by law, do not judge the poor desolate slave girl too severly!"(777) Another example would be when she writes "It pains me to tell you of it; but I have promised to tell you the truth and I will do it honestly, let it cost me what it may."(776-77) Here she not only wants the reader to feel sorry, but also is very mature in admitting that what she did was wrong and she is ashamed of it. "I knew what I did, and I did it with deliberate calculation."(777) I think another thing she is trying to say is that revenge isn't always as sweet as it seems. "I would do any thing, every thing, for the sake of degeating him."(776) However, after telling Dr. Flint, her language and tone changes dramatically. "I thought I should be happy in my triumph over him. But now the truth was out, and my relatives would hear of it, I felt wretched."(778). She also mentions at the end of that paragraph that she felt humiliated. I would say that she was probably able to get her audience to sympathize with her because of what she did. She did something that in those times was very radical, and maybe her audience saw this and realized her master really was a horrible person and treated her with no respect.

Journal #5

After reading “An Indian’s Looking-Glass for the White Man” and Sigourney’s poem “Indian Names” plus the past readings I traced one major common theme: the mistreatment of minorities. Apess’ entire story is basically saying how hypocritical some Christians are. He says “Who are the children of God? Perhaps you may say, none but white. If so, the word of the Lord is not true.” He basically says that white people think they are better than everyone else even though the Bible that so many of them read clearly says otherwise. He says how the Indians are mistreated by the whites “…many of them are unfaithful and care not whether the Indians live or die;” Sigourney’s poem is similar to Apess’ story. Her poem says that even though many Indians are being wiped out or moved, their names remain on many landmarks, which is true even to this day. Sigourney was a devout Christian and she was firmly against the Removal Act of 1830. Although the two stories aren’t the same, they basically say that Indians are being mistreated by the whites, but that they are somehow managing to survive. Looking back at some of the other stories, such as “The Tenth of January”, this theme of mistreatment and survival of minorities is very present. It is important to remember women were basically minorities at this time which is apparent in Phelps’ poem. Even the very first stories we read at the beginning of the semester pictured “minorities” as being mistreated and often having to survive by the scrape of their teeth. de Crevecoeur’s Story also to me made it seem like an American is basically a white man and that anyone else isn’t an American. Although he did not write about minorities, it is clear that he thinks they are not as good as white people.

Journal #4

“The Tenth of January” by Elizabeth Phelps contains a few symbols of the times. First, Phelps personal experience had a big influence in writing this story. Her other stories and novels have similar themes such as mistreatment of women. In the “the Tenth of January”, Phelps tells a story about a mill accident in which hundreds of young women died. In this story, the character of Asenath represents women in general at that time. It was not uncommon for women to work in mills at that time, and Phelps paints Asenath’s mother as an abuser. In this case, I think the mother represents capitalist exploitation in America in the nineteenth century. Phelps specifically mentions Asenath having a scar from her mother, equivalent to young women being scarred by the capitalist system in place at the time. Del Ivory is described as being the pretty girl who “everyone wants to marry.” She also represents America at this time because she looks pretty on the outside but inside she is full of problems. At this time America was very appealing to foriegners in Europe looking to start a new life and the American Dream. However, once they arrived, many found out that America was not always as great as others said. In short, it is clear that Phelps’ characters symbolize the bigger picture in America at the time.

Journal #3

Irving's story "The Wife" contains a few different views regarding women, economics, and marriage. First, the story basically describes a woman as someone who works in the house cooking or cleaning most of the time. This idea is known as the cult of domesticity and it was popular around this time and also had a brief revival during the 1950's. Nowadays, it's offensive to say that women only belong in the house, but in Irving's times it was not uncommon. The story also says that women should be always loyal to their husbands even in troubling times. In the story, Leslie thinks his wife will leave him because they are suddenly poor. Infact, the opposite thing happens, his wife becomes happier and he doesn't know how to react. It's safe to say that in today's times it's more likely that someone will walk out of a marriage because of financial issues, it seems like many things are based on materialism. Regarding marriage, Irving says in his story that a man is basically born to have a wife and start a family, and a single man is never truly happy. Regarding economics, Irving depicts the average American as someone who has enough money to be happy. However, just like in the story, a man is unhappy when he turns poor, whereas a woman is happy just to be with her man.

Journal #2

After reading pages 311-333, I found a few connections between the readings and my personal experiences. The first and maybe most important one was that as time goes on certain things are always changing. The very last sentence of page 333 states "A distinctly national literature was no longer simply a patriotic hope or the distant possibility envisaged by early critics. It was increasingly a reality for publishers, readers, and writers in the United States." The same thing happens to all of us. When we are younger we wish to grow up, drive cars, and make money. It all seems so far away when we were younger, but now it is becoming a reality and we have to adapt to it. Another interesting thing in these reading is how important the little things are. For example, when one studies the American Revolution, he or she doesn't usually point to literature as the first thing they think of. Yet before Thomas Paine's pamphlet feelings of revolution and patriotism were non-existent. It was only after half a million copies sold that the people really got fired up. Similarly today, many people take the little things for granted and forget about them, and sometimes they can forget who they really are because they are chasing a bigger goal.

Major American Writers: Eng 20503: Prompt for Journal/Blog Posting #1

Major American Writers: Eng 20503: Prompt for Journal/Blog Posting #1: For Thursday's class, please post on your blog a response that is built upon our class discussion and your small group work. Use the followi...

When I think of the American Identity and what it means to be an American, a few things come to mind. The very first thing that pops into my head is ambitious. Most Americans I've met are ambitious optimistic people who set pretty big goals in life and honestly think they are going to acheive them. The next thing I think of is someone who works hard. An American is almost always hard working and strives to be at his/her best whether at work, on the playing field, and even at school. Also, the American identity to me is family and having a strong sense of family. There is a reason why you see big reunions for Thanksgiving, Christmas, 4th of July, etc. it's because Americans feel strongly for the ones that are closest to them. Tying into that is friends. Americans like to identify themselves with other Americans, it's just how they're built and taught. After discussing this in class the other day I feel like my perception of what it means to be an American has changed just a little bit. It used to be whenever I heard the word American I would think medium to large sized house with a white picket fence, green grass, two cars in the driveway, and a nice happy family. While that may exist, the word American goes far beyond that stereotype.