LITR 4232:
American Renaissance
Student Presentation Summary
Reader:
Marie Brookreson
Thursday, March 27, 203
Objective 3: To use literature as a basis for discussing representative problems and subjects of American culture, such as equality; race, gender, class; modernization and tradition; the family; the individual and the community; nature; the writer's conflicted presence in an anti-intellectual society.
"History
of the Miraculous Apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe in 1531", p.165
"Mariano
Guadalupe Vellejo", p. 1468
"Frederick
Law Olmsted", p. 1492
"Virgin
of Guadalupe"
Through
this story we are given a very rich sense of tradition, religion, and class as
seen through the eyes of Native Americans and Indians.
In the Spring of 2001, Joanne Hale points out about the Virgin Mary that,
"She is the symbolic mother of all Catholics as well as the Native American
Virgin Mother whose attributes include dark skin and Indian features".
Tradition
and religion play two very important roles in the story.
p.166
"...while on his way to divine worship according to his
custom..."
p. 167
"I go in pursuit of the holy things which our priests teach
us".
p. 167
"I very much desire that they build me a church here..."
p. 169
"...go out to bring one of the priests from Tlatilulco so that he might be
confessed, for he was very certain that his time had come to die..."
p. 169
"...let us first do our duty..."
p.169
"My Virgin, my Lady, forgive me, be patient with me until I do my
duty..."
p.
172 "...show us where it is the Queen of Heaven wishes us to build Her
church".
Juan
Diego is bound by both his religious and traditional beliefs so much, that he is
willing to suffer for them, but knows that his "mother" is watching
over him and keeping him safe from harm.
Another
primary role-played is that of class. The
Virgin becomes a mediator between the Bishop and Juan Diego.
By speaking through him, she is able to reach the Bishop and tell him of
her interests. But, Juan Diego
doesn't see himself worthy, and in return the Virgin assures him that he is no
different than she.
p. 168
"For it is true that I am only a poor man; I am not worthy of being there
where You send me; pardon me..."
p. 170
"...I am your mother...Am I not of your kind"?
p. 170
"...do what I ask, and you who are my ambassador worthy of
confidence..."
Question:
Why do
you suppose the Virgin Mary chose Juan Diego to speak for her when she could
have gone right to the source and spoke to the Bishop?
Do you
think that if would have been as significant if she had spoken to the Bishop
instead?
"Mariano
Guadalupe Vallejo"
When
reading this story with objective 3, I focused on "the writer's conflicted
presence in an anti-intellectual society".
Vallejo is burdened with the ignorance of soldiers who have captured Alta
California and who have imprisoned him because of his race.
p.
1469 "...they had decided to
declare California independent; that while he held none but sentiments of regard
for me, he would be forced to take me prisoner along with all my family".
p.
1473 "Such behavior on the
part of a companion in arms...could not help but inspire out disgust, for we all
recognized the insult that he was inflicting upon us by taking advantage of the
circumstances".
p.1474
"I should indeed like to draw a veil over such a black deed, but the
inexorable impartiality that is the guiding light of the historian prevents me
from passing over a fact that so helps to reveal the true character of the men
who on June 14, 1846, assaulted the plaza..."
Vallejo
uses his intellect, not emotions to portray what happened to him and his fellow
comrades. By doing so, he becomes
the "bigger" person for it.
Question:
Why do
you suppose people are so quick to judge others just because of a relation they
might have to other individuals? Do
you think that Vallejo did the same thing by judging his captors?
"A
Journey Through Texas"
This
piece takes us through a small journey of Mexican and Texan history.
We are given a very distinct look at the race of people that occupied
that territory at that time and of the community itself.
p.
1492 "Its jumble of races,
costumes, languages and buildings; its religious ruins, holding an antiquity,
for us, indistinct enough to breed an unaccustomed solemnity; its remote,
isolated, outposted situation, and the vague conviction that is the first of a
new class of conquered cities into whose decaying streets our rattling life is
to be infused, combine with the heroic touches in its history to enliven and
satisfy your traveler's curiosity".
p.
1492 "...bear a solid
testimony to the strangely patient courage and zeal of the old Spanish
fathers."
p.
1493 "...where different races
mingle on unequal terms..."
p.
1494 "Her face was strikingly
Indian in feature, her hair, snow white, flowing thick over the shoulders,
contrasting strongly with the olive skin".
p.
1494 "The variety of feature
and color is very striking, and is naturally referred to three sources-the old
Spanish, the Creole Mexican, and the Indian, with sometimes a suspicion of
Anglo-Saxon or Teuton".
Through the reading of three distinct stories we are able to piece together a small piece of American culture. By looking at traditions, religion, class, and the ignorance of society, through the eyes of Spanish-Indians, we see how important it is to know where America came from, so we can look forward to where she is going.
(Discussion notes lost in transmission.)