LITR 4231 Early American Literature 2012 Student Midterm Samples #1. Long essay describing and focusing learning, challenges, issues concerning Early American Literature. (6-8 paragraphs)

Lauren Weatherly

Essay 1: Which America Do We Teach?

          What is American History, and by extent, what do we deem American Literature? It is funny and a bit odd at the same time to me because I have taken an Early American Literature class before at a lower level and we began the semester with the Puritans. No mention was made what so ever about the Indians, and as I recall, very little was said even about Columbus. Genesis, the major Christian origin story (as most Americans are some denomination of the Christian faith), was also left out of the curriculum. At the time, I gave the lessons and their starting point no second thought, but now after the first week of this class, I can see a huge difference and also a major disappointment on my end as I feel that I was robbed of knowledge that should have been included in the class. I feel even more terrible for the other students who took the class and will never think twice that Europeans settled here and are now the dominant culture. What about the people that were here before our English ancestors? And the even bigger question that raises even more speculation, which America DO we teach?

          When we think of early anything when it comes to history, we often think of the origin, or the story of how everything began. For Americans, the term origin can mean many different things: how the world began, how humans were created, how America began as a nation, and many other thoughts following the same line. When it comes to religion, most Americans believe in the Judeo-Christian origin story as written in Genesis. It took seven days to create the world and all it encompasses with God, the almighty and singular creator, resting on the seventh day. Most everyone has been to bible school as a child and knows the basis for this story. However, this is not the only origin story known in America. The Native Americans have various origin stories of their own, much of them showing a vast amount of similarities to our own widely believed Christian version, as well as notable differences. The Iroquois, for example, speak of a man and a woman creator, a turtle that carries the world on its back, and animals that are seen as benevolent creatures that come to the aid of man. The story also speaks of two brothers that constantly rival each other as one is good and the other bad, much like the story we know of Cain and Abel. Many other Native American tribes have origin stories of their own, so which one do we teach? Well, I guess it depends on where you live. I imagine if you live in formerly Puritan New England, conservative Southern Baptist Texas, or pretty much any originally English settled city in the US, the Genesis story will be what you hear. But, on the other hand, if you were born and grew up on an Indian reservation, I imagine that the origin story you grow up with will sound a bit different. Why is the Christian origin story told alone as the end all, be all story of creation with no mention of the Native American versions? Why does the Christian version win out?

          Also in this class, we read excerpts from Columbus’ letters to the King and Queen of Spain upon discovering America and the different things and people he encountered. When reading these letters, I could not help but notice the God-complex of Columbus as he goes around naming the various islands he first discovers:

I write this to tell you how in thirty-three days I sailed to the Indies with the fleet that the illustrious King and Queen, our Sovereigns, gave me, where I discovered a great many islands, inhabited by numberless people; and of all I have taken possession for their Highnesses by proclamation and display of the Royal Standard without opposition. To the first island I discovered I gave the name of San Salvador, in commemoration of His Divine Majesty, who has wonderfully granted all this. The Indians call it Guanaham. The second I named the Island of Santa Maria de Concepcion; the third, Fernandina; the fourth, Isabella; the fifth, Juana; and thus to each one I gave a new name.

Even though the islands are already populated by people and already have native names, as he points out in his letter, he still feels compelled to “claim” the land and its inhabitants for Spain with no regard for the people already living there. This notion of staking claim on territory reminds me, sadly, of another notion by Christians that their faith is the one true and only faith; no others can possibly be right as they conflict with what is written in the Bible. Who says what is written in the Bible is concrete? This is a notion that I have constantly struggled with growing up and even today as an adult. I do not believe anything has to be one way or nothing. There is always a matter of choices that one can pick to follow in almost anything whether it be faith or future. This notion also takes me back to the Genesis story as I also believe that personal beliefs should be honored, even if they differ from what I personally believe. Who’s to say who is right or wrong?

          The Indians have a very different version of Columbus discovering America as is described in Handsome Lake. The story begins much the same with Columbus coming to America with gifts for the native people, but a twist on perspective paints the story in a very different light. Instead of progress in converting the natives and fusing the two cultures together in what is known as syncretism, instead it highlights on the destruction of the native people as a whole with sickness of the mind and body. It blames the Englishmen for the downfall and plight of the Indians, which in a way, is very true. Columbus came to America with intent to claim. English settlers brought sicknesses and habits previously unknown to Indians before the arrival of the self-absorbed white man. Syncretism is widely known to have taken place throughout the world in history. When Christianity began sweeping Europe, it was met with opposition from Pagan villages and forced to adjust practices and holidays in order to better compile the two differing religions. This is why we have bunnies and eggs around Easter and trees, presents, and ornaments associated with Christmas. Merging cultures does not come easy, and one would think after thousands of years already under the belt of Europeans, that merging with Indian tribes in the 15^th century would be any different? Attempts to merge cultures often times failed in America, and it has continued to fail for the most part today. When is the time to fix this problem?

          Today, America is literally a melting pot of diverse cultures, people, and beliefs, but we are a long way from being completely unified. A contemporary poem by Simon Ortiz entitled “A New Story” speaks of the ignorance of most ancestors of white settlers still exhibited today, even after so much history and persecution. A modern, white woman calls a man asking if he is an Indian, and overjoyed that she has found a “real Indian,” asks him to participate in her town’s Frontier Day Parade. Obviously oblivious to what this may mean to native American descendant today, goes on and on rambling about how they need “real Indians, with feathers and paint” to play the role effectively on their parade floats. Letting the woman ramble on and on, the Indian man plays into her ignorance saying only one response, “Yes,” after every statement the ignorant woman makes before finally saying, “No” at the end of the poem. The content outlines the blatant lack of knowledge, or desire to change one’s perspective on how they view the world. What is truly sad is that the woman in the poem is merely an example of what are probably millions of Americans who think and believe just as she does; some out of blatant disrespect and racism, others out of complete lack of knowledge of the history of other people other than white settlers.

          The point I have come to realize after taking essentially the same class twice taught by two different professors is that there are two different, distinct opinions on what is considered American Literature and History. Some people start with Columbus while others (thankfully) begin with the Native Americans and possibly other early natives of this land. My eyes are open to the different possibilities and I, for one, will never close my eyes to one in favor of the other. The point is that everyone has their own version of how the world was created and who God is or what He encompasses. We should not be single minded in claiming other lands, people, or beliefs to be wrong simply for being different. We should, as a nation, be more open and knowledgeable about our own country and its inhabitants as we are very diverse. America is riddled with different people and cultures today and most of it originates in ignorance, arrogance, and violence. Let us not continue to make these mistakes, but work to better our relationships with each other. We are all Americans now regardless of where our ancestors came from originally. The America we should be teaching encompasses all religions, cultures, beliefs of its people because we are so diverse. It may not be an easy road, as it has already proven to be the most difficult task in human history, but should not be given up on because of its difficulty. We must remember the faults of our ancestors and learn from their mistakes if we are to move forward as a more prosperous and unified nation. Which America should we teach is a question that has a very complex and diverse answer, as America’s people are equally complex and diverse.