The Border Patrol State

"The Border Patrol State," a story written by Leslie Silko, brings to light many important issues revolving how the United States has decided to protect their borders. Personally, I believe the idea of having these border "checkpoints" is a good idea, but over the past few years the way that the agents go about their duties has become slightly ridiculous. Due to the increasing number of illegal immigrants, many agents have begun to categorize people who might be potential threats by their race. Silko gave the example of her friends half Chinese father. Since he kept missing the turn onto the correct highway, border patrol came and stopped him; they didn't want to check to see if he was lost, but to see if he was smuggling Chinese immigrants. Personally, I have had many experiences where I have come in contact with the patrol. My parents are both from Albuquerque and went to college in Los Cruces, so I have been on many road trips traveling through southwestern Texas and New Mexico. Being a five person, Caucasian family driving a Tahoe with a golden retriever, we were not ever put under any serious questioning, but I have seen the other side of the continuum. Those situations are just as she describes in the beginning of the article; it is almost as if the officers are looking for people to take away, specifically based on race. Overall, I completely agree with this article. The United States created this idea, from the country's creating, that it was one that had its values based on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I believe that everyone has the right to experience that, but how can they if they are constantly being questioned and interrogated? Especially if they are American Citizens; well, I guess we will wait and see.

What Would I Carry?

Hmmm...what would I carry? I am currently having a mental debate with myself about what I would carry in my rucksack; one that is between the essence of necessity and desire. For practical purposes, I would bring a can opener, pocket knife, thermal blanket, mosquito repellent, canned food, and water purifying tablets. I would also like to have a spare pair of dry clothes and a warm coat. This coat could be used as a coat, blanket, or pillow. There are so many other things that I think I would need, or purely want to take, but there would most likely be not enough room. The other part to think about is the weight of the pack; I don't want to stuff it to the brim and then have know room for other things, and I would also like to be able to carry it. Out of personal nestalgia, I would bring pictures of my family, my best friends, and my dogs. I would also bring my favorite stuffed animal, Meow. I have had her since I was 5 years old and has come with me everywhere. I would not like to necessarily sleep with her at night, but the thought of having her there would be like my family is still with me. I would also bring my Bible and a journal; both could be used to write down thoughts and different stories from being at war. The Vietnam War was a very significant war in our more modern era. It was really interesting to read this more modern take on war and understand what was going on and how each event impacted them. It really showed that certain things can really help you get through difficult situations, or make them many times worse.

The American Dream?

Through out the semester, I have come to believe that the "American Dream" incorporates the promise of economic prosperity and overall success. I also believe the American Dream is one that involves acceptance. Many times, people who wish to achieve this impossible dream are from other countries or very different cultures within America. From reading her work, The School Days Of An Indian Girl, I got the impression that she was definitely not living the idealized American dream. The sentences "Sometimes they took their forefingers out of their mouths and pointed at my moccasined feet. Their mothers, instead of reproving such rude curiosity, looked closely at me, and attracted their children's further notice to my blanket. This embarrassed me, and kept me on the verge of tears" (429). The idea of acceptance of all people was clearly not exemplified in the circumstance of this work, especially in this instance. On that same train trip, Zitkala-Sa references her shame, by not being able to look around the cabin comfortably. This also also refers to her want to be back home with her mother, brother and aunt. Even though this work is very interesting, I believe it does not portray the ideals of what is commonly known as the "American Dream".

Bonus Blog #2

Imperialism has been a dominating force through out history. It began thousands of years ago with powerful forces such as the Roman and Ottoman Empire and has continued into more modern times with the British and American Empires. Over the past few classes, I have come to believe that Imperialism is a process where a dominant world power tries to expand their dominance of another country so they can profit from the smaller ones land, labor, raw materials, and whatever else they have. I always new that America had Imperialistic tendencies, but I never thought that we actually placed an imperialist style of government on other nations. Out of all the readings, I found the ones on the take over of Hawaii very informative and interesting. I had heard about American take over of Hawaii briefly in the past, but I had never grasped the magnitude of the event itself. With America's imperialistic motives, they decided to annex a country, that was thriving on its own, and temporarily exile a Queen, who was doing only good things for the well being of the nation. The first example I thought of, when we started this set of readings, was the similarities between the Hawaiian capture and the take over by Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus believed that the ways of the Native Americans were not sufficient, to his European standards, so he decided to change them without their consent. The American government did the same thing to Hawaii; the nation was not considered "technologically advanced" by our standards, but they were still a small, but thriving, nation. The notion of imperialism has been around for thousands of year, beginning with the Romans, and going until today. Even though this is not a fair way of governing and expanding power, it is one that will, regardless, continue to exist.

Hawaii's Story

"Trees shade its walls from the heat of noonday; its ample gardens are filled with the choicest flowers and shrubs; it is, in fact, just what it appears, a choice tropical retreat in the midst of the chief city of the Hawaiian Islands." 
-Hawai`i's Story by Hawai`i's Queen Chp. IV.

This specific passage stuck out to me for many reasons, the main reason being the language. The word choice relates specifically to the beauty of Hawaii, the "tropical retreat" it is known as today. Queen Lili'uokalani almost made it sound like this estate was a place where one could come to enjoy the wonders of Hawaii, besides having to deal with all the bad aspects of civilization; such as the United States unlawfully taking over.

The Perplexing Question

Claude McKay has a very powerful way of describing different moments through out his different poems. He uses very specific syntax to convey his emotions and experiences. In his poem, If We Must Die, he ended with a very powerful phrase, it states, "Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack, / Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back" (707). These last two lines show his determination to fight back, regardless of what the situation is. McKay's poem The Lynching, is also a work that describes pain and suffering. He starts of the work by stating "His Spirit in smoke ascended to the high heaven" (707). It writes it in a way that implies that he is already dead before he is actually lynched. I am just curious about why he has to write in that way? Even though all of his work is so beautiful, he almost writes with a constant negative outlook on life. I know he is writing in a very rough time, especially for African American's, but what about having hope? It couldn't hurt every once in a while to write something that could give many people an idea of how the future could be rather then the horror that it was during that time. There are many other perplexing questions throughout both of these works, but his intentions is what had me the most perplexed.

The Aha! Moment

This may sound strange, but I have always loved the Aha! moment in books and movies; especially when it is totally unexpected. I really enjoyed reading The Wife of His Youth, by Charles Chestnutt, because that moment was very unexpected. As I have reflected on my reading of the short story, I have come to realize that there are so many little clues that point to the fact that the old slave women is actually the wife of Mr. Ryder's youth. The most obvious clue is in the title; it should have been a red flag that this women was his wife when she showed up asking him if she new her husband from her youth, but even then it didn't click. Other clues also begin to pop up, but they are significantly more subtle. Mr. Ryder mentions the fact that he had never married, but the fact that he was still "single" could have implied that he was almost holding onto something, and that fact connects to Liza's statement of "He wouldn' marry no yuther 'ooman 'tel he foun' out 'bout me. I knows it". The interesting part was that Liza was correct; even though he thought he was in love with Mrs.Dixon, he still dropped everything and went back to the wife of his youth at the end. The end is where the true Aha! moment occurs; from that moment, every little detail makes sense. I believe that moment of ultimate understanding was more gradual in Frances Harper's poem, Learning To Read. At least to me, I could tell that the narrator had ambition and was going to learn how to read, know matter what. The narrator explained how slaves would learn how to read through hearing the children spell. From that, they were able to out words together and learn how to read. The narrator's determination to read is ultimately shown in the last three stanzas. Harper writes "But as I was rising sixty / I had no time to wait. / So I got a pair of glasses / and straight to work I went, / And never stopped till I could read / The hymns and testament". Those few lines are the true Aha! moment in Learning To Read. They show determination and persistence, two very admirable qualities. Both works leave readers on their toes through out the work, regarding the meaning of the work as a whole.

Yesterday and Today

Today, many people would consider it is technology that helps the world turn. We depend on it to do our jobs, homework, relax, and simply communicate to others easily and efficiently. I consider the years between 1864 and 1914 to be pivotal to funny understand how technology has come to be. As soon as 1864 hit, new household tools, ways to communicate, forms of entertainment and methods of transportation were being invented and hitting the market. Today, we can't imagine walking into a room and not being able to turn on a lightbulb; it is also a crazy thought to think if the airplane wasn't invented during this time, we could still be using boats to travel to foreign countries. These technologies help people do a specific task in the most efficient way; I believe technology is all about efficiency. The iPhone is an example that relates to our need to be as efficient as possible at all times. On this one device, we have all we could need to help us to our job, wherever in the world we might be, it is the ultimate form of convenience. I'm sure people were in total awe when the first typewriter was invented in the 1860's; to them, that would have been the ultimate source of ease. There is one problem that usually begins to occur when technology becomes such an important part of our modern life, people start to become lazy and dependent on their devices. Motion pictures are a fantastic form of entertainment, but what happened to having quality time with someone instead of just watching a movie? It is the same way with cars; many people, including myself, have learned to become completely dependent on their cars and the thought of walking is horrifying. I completely believe is is technology that helps the world go around. It is here to help use do everything at the best of our ability. If it wasn't for the creation of the telephone, we wouldn't have cellphones. Because of this, the work of the past has, and will continue, to greatly influence the future,

The Civil War

      The Civil War was a time of great loss, and ironically triumph, in American history. As everyone knows, this great war evolved from a simple disagreement regarding the use of African American slaves; the North did not believe in slavery, but the South did. When Abraham Lincoln began his Presidency, he began to push the movement of ending slavery; this eventually led to the Civil War. In Piatt's poem, Arlington Heights, she talks about the Arlington National Cemetery and everything the soldier's went to to get to their initial resting place. The ironic part is that the cemetery is on the estate of Robert E. Lee, and the first monument was erected as a memorial to 1800 Union soldiers. Piatt states how "They saw the dust, they join'd the moving mass / They answer'd the fierce music's cry for blood / Then straggled there and lay down in the grass" (1382). Piatt explains how these men joined the cause and fought for what their culture believed in. In the case of Piatt, it was against slavery.

     Many people could argue that Lincoln's quest to end slavery was not a positive thing for our country. In the process of ending slavery, this war managed to end, damage, and severely change the lives of many people, but that was not the beliefs of William Cullen Bryant. In his poem The Death of Lincoln, Bryant explains how Lincoln was a noble man "Who perished in the cause of Right" (1381). Bryant explains, how in his lifetime, Lincoln managed to gain a nations trust and and free the slaves from immense bondage. In the way of beliefs and views, Bryant and Piatt supported the same cause.

"The Slave Mother"

Frances E. W. Harper's poem, The Slave Mother, tells a story about a slave mother and son. Through this seemingly simple plot, Harper is able to use the poetic element of imagery to convey and construct vivid images that appeal directly to the senses. The beginning of the poem starts off "Heard you that shriek? It rose So wildly on the air, It seemed as if a burden'd heart Was breaking in despair" (ln 1-4). The image of a burden'd heart stuck out to me instantly; it shows that even though the did has not been done quite yet, the anticipation is breaking her heart. Harper goes on to describe how every glance was painful, every thought of the women loosing her son was a "storm of agony", with using the image of a storm as something that is forceful and powerful. Later in the poem, Harper explains, that as a slave, "He is not hers, although she bore For him a mother's pains; He is not hers, although her blood Is coursing through her vains (ln 17-21). I believe that is one of the most powerful stanzas in the whole poem. It describes how even though the boy was has his mother's blood, she is not really his, he belongs to their master. This poem is definitely advocating for social reform; in this case, she is using heart wrenching images to emphasize her desire to keep families together, even if they are slaves. Harper's point is summed up simply in the last stanza, it states "She is a mother, and her heart Is breaking in despair" (ln 39-40). She is a mother who deserves to have her son, no matter what.

The Importance of Language

Harriet Jacobs uses a variety of specific language in chapter 10 of Incidents of  Slave Girl. She starts the chapter by using language that is very strong and biting. This is especially prevalent when Linda explains how Dr. Flint was building her a house. She is very bitter towards him and it shows through her statement of "I vowed before my Maker that I would never enter it. I had rather toil on the plantation from dawn till dark; I had rather live and die in jail, than drag on, from day to day, through such a living death". The phrase "through such a living death" was what hit me the most. In that way, Jacob's used very dark language to emphasize her hatred towards Dr. Flint and the house. Later in the chapter, Jacobs describes another conversation with Dr. Flint regarding the house. She refuses to go, which angers him, but Jacob's finally explains that she also won't go because she is pregnant with Mr. Sands child. Her tone is almost prideful and she is somewhat giddy for standing up to him. Her tone changes suddenly when she tells her grandmother. Her grandmother's language is hurtful and biting and all Linda can do is cry and be ashamed, she even goes as far as praying to die. That language was used to make an impact, to emphasize the fact that she is ashamed and hurting. This whole chapter uses language that makes you feel for Linda and her situation. This chapter is very important for the rest of the work and helps convey the whole message.      

Race and Culture

Both race and culture are two aspects of history that are always creating conflict. Linda, from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, represents the epitome of being in the middle. It is written that her skin was "a light shade or brownish yellow, and were termed mulattoes" (770). Being called mulattoes emphasizes the fact that she was in the middle, she was neither white nor black. Even though she grew up as a slave, she seemed to have a fairly decent childhood. She had a decent amount of freedom and was able to enjoy her childhood. Her father was a skilled carpenter and was able to work under certain conditions. From that point of view, it seems that she grew up in a white family. Once Linda came to the realization that she was a slave, her life started to change. Even though she initially had a good and kind mistress who taught her how to read a write, she was eventually sent to Dr. Flint. It was obvious that Dr. Flint favored her, but ended up treating her badly due to jealousy. it was because of ill treatment and persecution that she seemed to be living the life of a black slave.  Linda was a different kind of slave; she was independent, stubborn and strong willed. She was definitely caught in the middle of two different races, but I really believe she made her own path and was able to distinguish herself from the rest.

The Broken Glass

The specific elements of fiction are important when it comes to analyzing the content and underlying meaning of this work as a whole. Through reading "The Tenth of January", by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, I came to recognize her frequent use of symbols; glass and brokenness were both used frequently, both together and separately. The symbol of glass is first used as a looking-glass. Asenath is using it look at her reflection, and because of her not typically "beautiful" appearance. Phelps describes Asenath as locking her door, putting her lamp before the looking-glass and taring off her
gray cape; she tore it off so savagely that the button snapped and rolled away,—two little crystal semicircles like tears upon the floor. I thought the buttons on the coat could be represented in two different ways, one being her anger and frustration towards her appearance, by tearing of her coat, and having the buttons represent tears, highlighting her vulnerability. From this example, we can already tell that glass is being symbolized in a negative light. The next time the symbol of glass is used, it is paired with the other symbol of brokenness, it seems to be used in a slightly more positive light, but it really is not. Phelps writes "The broken panes of glass about the place were well mended, and a clever little gate, extemporized from a wild grape-vine, swung at the entrance". The fact that the glass panes have been mended gives us some hope, but there is still the fact that they were once broken. Once glass is broken, it can never be fully mended. This symbolism could be used to represent Asenath's love for Dick, but there is still cracks in her love and life.  Glass is a very important symbol in this short story. It is used to emphasize the fact the Asenath is unsure about herself and feels like broken glass due being humiliated and unsure. This all helps lead to the end of the short story, along with her eventual death. 

What is really old fashion??

In Irving's short story, "The Wife", he portrays women in a very idealistic way; they are described as loyal, caring, comforting and extremely supportive. Even though many would say women have many more responsibilities now, regarding employment and similar things, I believe that the marital values Irving displays are ones that are starting to disintegrate from modern marriages. Women are supposed to be loyal and supportive of their husbands, even if they have their own responsibilities. The idea of individual responsibility leads into the importance Americans place on the economy. In "The Wife', Irving describes the husbands fear to explain to his wife their sudden financial loss, mainly because he wants her to be treated like a Princess. The husband explains how he feels regarding pity by stating "if you have any pity on me, don't mention my wife; it is thought of her that drives me almost to madness". Once she does find out, she supports him with love and tries to make their new situation as comfortable as possible. Today, if many women found out that their financial situation was changing drastically, they would not likely be as supportive and understanding. This short story clearly displays the important connections between a women's character, marriage and economics and highlights how the emphasis on these topics has changed.

From Generation to Generation

Technology is such a important tool in our modern education system. Students are constantly on their computers, iPad's, cell phones and other devices to help them learn and expand their knowledge. Until I began this course, I never thought about what the world would be like today if we didn't have books or magazines. The invention of the printing press could be considered the starting point for well-received formal education. In the middle 1600's, books became more widely available and in 1647, the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony passed an act to promote, and insure, universal literacy. This act required every town, of a certain size, had a schoolmaster and a place for people to come and learn. Part of the reason why this act was so important is because the Puritans placed a great deal of emphasis and importance on the ability to read and interpret the Bible. Soon after, the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who were mostly educated at Cambridge University, decided to establish similar institutions. From this, New College was born, which is now known as Harvard College. The printing press was such an important technological advance. It paved the way, and help put a greater amount of importance, on education and written communication.  

From Many Points of View...

Ever since I was little, America has always been portrayed as a strong and mighty nation. Even though I still believe America is powerful, and a definite symbol of liberty and equality, it has had its fair share of unjust moments. Langston Hughes was a very influential writer and poet during the Harlem Renaissance. In his poem, Let America Be America Again, he describes how people’s values and ideals have significantly changed.  Hughes highlights that even though there has been progress, “there’s never been equality for me, Nor freedom in the homeland of the free” (15-16). I still believe many people still live in bondage, even in our modern, progressive society. On a more patriotic note, Hughes emphasizes that he, is too, very much American in I, Too, Sing America. Hughes emphasizes the importance of the future and how progress will eventually occur. The works of Langston Hughes have slightly changed my mind regarding the American Identity. His works opened my eyes to another side, one full of oppression and inequality. Reading this many years later, I still believe Hughes’ work is still highly relevant. I do believe things can change, and ALL Americans, of all sizes, shapes, and colors, will receive the right to have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.