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(2016
midterm assignment) Sample Student Midterm Answers 2016 (Index to # 1 samples) #1: Long Essay: learning, challenges, issues |
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Albert Salazar
Why it Matters
The early North American texts can be difficult to analyze because of
reasons of availability, issues with determining what the source is and what was
added later, and the fact that these writings differ from what we would
traditionally call literature. With all of these issues in mind, how can we make
these hard-to-read texts matter now? We can make them matter by realizing that
all of these cultures and traditions shaped our society into what it is now,
whether it is the dominance of the Puritans, or the blending of Amerindian and
Spanish traditions.
The discovery
of the new world can be seen in the same way as an origin or creation story.
When Christopher Columbus sailed to the West Indies, in his letters, he credited
God for his success. When he describes the many islands, it is as if he’s
describing the Garden of Eden on each and every one of the islands. “This
island, like all the others, is most extensive. It has many ports along
the sea-coast excelling any in Christendom—and many fine, large, flowing rivers.
The land there
is elevated, with many mountains and peaks
incomparably higher than in the center isle. They are most beautiful, of
a thousand varied forms, accessible, and full of trees of endless varieties, so
high that they seem to touch the sky, and I have been told that they never lose
their foliage.” [1.3] To read early American literature as if it were an origin
story only seems natural. No matter who describes the new world, they always
refer to the land as if there was some biblical significance—such as searching
for the city on the hill and comparing the land to the Garden of Eden. Looking
at the discovery of America as if it were an origin story is truly unique and
may help to engage students on a topic that may have become stale after repeated
teachings.
Early North American texts are dominated by the Puritans simply because
they wrote the most. So when teaching history, chances are that the Puritan
texts will be at the forefront. It may have been the dominant culture, but I do
not feel comfortable with calling it the “real America.” So when deciding what
America to teach, I lean towards the multicultural side of the argument.
However, there is good reason why these texts are taught even in the most
diverse schools. The reason is the universal appeal of writings that we would
consider literature. For example, Anne Bradstreet’s poem In Reference to her
Children, she uses an almost universal metaphor of the empty nest. She compares
her children as birds that stayed in their nests until “they felt their wing,
mounted the trees, and learned to sing.” [1.5 – 1.6] A person belonging to a
different culture than Bradstreet could relate to this poem. Bradstreet didn’t
use names to refer to her children; she used the word “bird” to do so. By using
metaphor, Bradstreet was able to ensure the survival of her poem for many
generations. There is no escaping the dominance of the puritan’s culture, but
the minority cultures should be taught as well whenever possible.
Through the understanding of syncretism, we can teach how traditions are shaped
by an introduction of a much larger, dominant culture. For instance, introducing
how the mestizo identity was formed through linking the New World with the old.
The Story of the Virgin of Guadalupe is significant for having brought two
different cultures together and shaping the mestizo and Mexican identity. The
story is about Juan Diego, a native of the land that has converted to the
Catholic faith who is visited by the Virgin of Guadalupe. He is told to build a
temple on the hill that he stood on. To do so, Juan Diego had to convince Father
Juan de Zumarraga that his vision was real, and that they had to erect a temple
to honor the Virgin. From this we can see reluctance for a bishop that had
recently arrived from outside of Mexico, to believe an Indian’s holy vision,
even though Juan Diego belonged to the same faith.
Once Juan is able to prove to everybody
that he was right, the temple was built. The story was a driving force that
helped spread Christianity to the native people Mexico. And as we know now,
central and South America has one of the highest concentrations of Catholics in
the entire world. A story like this that helped develop a common culture among
two different groups of people can be learned from so we can be able to teach
the culturally diverse student population in our schools.
When
it comes to the Native Americans, not a lot of writings survived, mainly due to
Indian tribes not having a writing system when the Europeans arrived, and the
fact their population was dwindling. But not all is lost. Through the writings
of the European settlers, we see glimpses of Indian culture (granted this is
from the white man’s perspective). Nonetheless, these writings are valuable for
our understanding of the native people’s way of life. One type of Anglo-European
writings that helped shaped the idea of the Native Americans was the captivity
narrative. The Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison offers us insight into
the customs of Indian warfare and the adoption ceremony that happens as a result
of war. “In the course of that ceremony, from
mourning they became serene—joy sparkled in their countenances, and they
seemed to rejoice over me as over a long lost child. I was made welcome amongst
them as a sister.” [3.12] By being adopted, Mary is no longer the child of
American settlers, but she is also an Indian. The blending of cultures is how
America was formed (though most of the cultures that came together were
European). To many, all of the Europeans may as well be the same. So having
stories such as this helps drive the idea that America has been shaped by the
cultures of the different groups that lived before us.
So which America do we teach? The history of America is large and complex
that we shouldn’t be concerned over which part we should teach, we should be
concerned about how much of each side of the American history coin we should
teach. Once we understand what we’re teaching, we can concern ourselves with how
to teach it. Through an enlightenment way of thinking, we can teach students how
to look at this kind of literature objectively. Benjamin Franklin’s Remarks
Concerning the Savages of North America not only has historical significance in
regards to Indian culture, but it also helps readers understand the thinking
behind the enlightenment and the formation of our governing principles. For
instance, Franklin shows his objectivity by describing how the settlers viewed
the Indians. “Savages
we call them, because their Manners differ from ours, which we think the
Perfection of Civility. They think the same of theirs.”
People learn by making connections. And as you may have noticed, every story
that talked about America had the creator of that story made connections between
their old world knowledge and what they were experiencing in the new world. When
teaching, you try to make connections between the student’s previous knowledge
to the new material that is being taught. So, when deciding which America to
teach, we can teach a multicultural version of America by weaving their prior
knowledge of the dominant culture with the multicultural. Doing so not only
introduces some students to a side of our nation’s history that they never knew
about, but also reinforces and clarifies their knowledge of what they already
know of the dominant culture. Starting with the origin stories, and then
teaching both European and native cultures, we can begin diving into the
syncretic nature of later American texts. Students will gain knowledge about the
European culture that dominated America, and they will be able to tie it in with
the different cultures of North America. This will create a timeline that shows
a clear progression of the American culture. The American timeline is no longer
a bunch of historical dates scattered about, but a coherent line that shows the
evolution of the American identity.
