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Model Final Exam answers 2018 Essay 1: Revise & Extend Minority Identification & Analysis (Add African America) Index to Sample Essay 1 Answers |
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Justin Murphy
Minority Literature: The Voice to a Voiceless Group
As I entered
into American Minority Literature, I didn’t quite know what to expect in terms
of minority literature. When I think of minorities, I think of Native Americans
first and foremost: they were here first. I remember thinking to myself “I
wonder what minority literature is going to say? Is it going to be passive
aggressive, or what will the tone sound like?” These two questions were answered
in a big way. Marginalization classifies the minority experience. Native
American literature is minority literature because their writings show how they
are voiceless and choiceless, and how their story is one of loss. They show this
through allusions and personal narrative. Mexican-American peoples are
considered a minority group because of their identity as “border people” and
this is what their writings predominately show: that they are a border people
who try to assimilate. Mexican-American literature uses personal and cultural
narrative as well to show their identity. With predominantly Mexican-Americans,
the idea of “the American Dream” sticks out. Finally, African Americans fit into
the minority narrative as they form together to create an identity among
themselves. Their ideal of “the dream” contrasts with the “American Dream” in
that they are forced to participate in slavery. Their literature also uses the
cultural narrative to showcase their experiences.
The cultural
narrative is defined as a story that characterizes a group of people. This
narrative is used to showcase the beliefs of cultures and the traditions of
cultures. However, it can also be used to show the struggles and successes of
cultures. Personal narrative is a single person’s story that showcases their
life experiences. Personal narrative can at times turn into a cultural
narrative, as it could be almost an allegory for their culture. For the purposes
of this essay, the cultural and personal narrative will predominantly be
analyzed to show how they help minority writers make their narratives prevalent
and meaningful to the dominant culture.
Mexican-Americans fit perfectly into the minority identity because they are a
prime example of involuntary participation. The Mexican-American War that ended
in 1848 forced the inhabitants of previous Mexico to now be inhabitants of the
new land of the United States. This choice was not made by the people who were
living in this land, but it was made by the people who were conquering the land.
Mexican-Americans are minorities because they had no say in whether they were
going to be Mexicans or if they were going to be Americans at first. The saying
that “history is written by the victors” has never been more poignant that it is
when regarding to Mexico. When American took over the land that is currently
known as Texas, the people who lived there were forced to now assimilate into
the dominant culture of their land. By doing this, they created an identity for
themselves which is now known as “the border people.” Gloria Anzaldua describes
the borderlands (or La Frontera) as the place “wherever two or more cultures
edge each other, where people of different races occupy the same territory…”
This place that can be called the borderlands is land that was previously owned
by Mexico, thus furthering the point of forced participation in America.
A great example
of the borderlands being a place of assimilation is shown in The Virgen of
Guadalupe. The Virgen is described as being a dark-skinned type of figure, thus
giving off the identity of either a Native American or a Mexican-American. Or
perhaps, this is an identity of a mestizo. The dark-skinned face could possibly
link back to what mestizos look like. If so, this shows a prime example of a
blending of cultures. By blending the Mexican-American image of the Virgin from
Catholicism with the image of a mestizo (who is half Native American), the
literature is showing us how two minority groups are able to blend their
cultures together in order to try and assimilate to the predominant culture of
Christianity in America. This example of assimilation helps to show that both of
these minority groups are trying to chase this “American Dream.” They are trying
to fit in with the society around them so that they can then hopefully move on
to find a better life. This is particularly shown through the Mexican-American
assimilation process.
While
Mexican-Americans were forced to participate in becoming a part of the United
States, they did not necessarily immediately take part of the assimilation
process. The big issue that is found in regards to Mexican-American identity
lied in this idea of the border people. Since they are a border people, do they
predominately identify as a Mexican or as an American? This is a loaded question
in a way, because it cannot be answered. The identity that best describes
Mexican-Americans is the ambivalent minority. This means that they have
conflicting views on the idea of their identity. On one hand, they are able to
keep a lot of their culture with them unlike the Native Americans. On the other,
they are also forced to assimilate to the dominant culture. This juxtaposition
is shown perfectly in Pat Mora’s “Senora X No More” poem. This poem describes
the journey of an older woman in trying to learn how to read and write in
English. The desire to learn English shows the idea of assimilation, however the
fact that she is an adult woman shows that she was able to live in the United
States for a while, presumably, without having to learn English. This shows the
idea of an ambivalent minority because while she “carves her crooked name” she
realizes that she does not want to learn English, but that she must in order to
blend in with the dominant culture.
However, she also realizes that if she does learn English then it will help
create more opportunities for her and her family, thus allowing her to chase the
American Dream. She is no longer a senora, but rather a woman. She is trying not
to lose her Mexican identity while trying to gain her American identity. This
creates the Mexican-American identity which can be described as a blend of both
cultures, thus making them an ambivalent identity.
African
Americans were also forced to participate in becoming a part of the United
States, however contrary to Mexican-Americans, they were definitely forced to
assimilate. When Africans were brought were brought over to the United States,
they were then forced into slavery of the people that bought them. They were
forced to assimilate to the culture in a different way than you might think.
They were allowed to keep some aspects of their culture, but they were forced to
obey their masters and assimilate in the ways that their master wanted them to.
Fredrick Douglass gives us an example of this when describing his aunt. He
states “Before he commenced whipping Aunt Hester, he took her into the kitchen,
and stripped her from neck to waist..” [1.13]. This shows just how brutal the
dominant culture (the white man) was toward the minority culture. As he whipped
her, Douglass states that the man screamed “that’ll teach you to disobey my
orders!” This shows how African Americans were forced to participate in
assimilation when they were in America. Incidents like this can only be told by
people who experienced slavery first-hand. That is what makes the personal
narrative that Douglass uses so powerful and turns it into a cultural narrative
as well.
African
Americans fit into the minority narrative as they are a group of people who are
trying to create “the dream”. The dream is in reference to Dr. King Jr.’s
infamous “I have a dream” speech where he called for equality among all people.
This is in direct contrast to the idea of “The American Dream”. The American
Dream is all about voluntary participation and forgetting your past. The Dream
is about a history of being discriminated against and trying to reconnect with
their history. The Dream narrative helps to showcase how African Americans are
trying to live on and recreate their identity to match one that is not
marginalized. However, as their literature shows us, they are marginalized a lot
throughout their time in slavery.
The most
horrendous method of marginalization that African Americans faced was inarguably
their forced participation in sexual acts. This is something that has long been
talked about, ever since it was discovered that Thomas Jefferson had affairs
with his slaves, and likely had a child by one of them. Harriet Jacobs gives us
another personal narrative that shows her life as a slave girl in America. She
writes that her master would tell her “I was his property; that [she] must be
subject to his will in all things”, thus referring to sex. The ways that
Africans were subjected to the wills of their masters is absolutely disgusting,
and showcases how they did not have a say in the things that happened to them.
This narrative
of marginalization is challenged, but also confirmed, in Octavia Butler’s novel
“Kindred”. Butler uses a sci-fi genre so that her main character Dana can time
travel back into the slave days. This gives us an odd look into slavery, as it
is now from the perspective of someone from the more current times. When Dana
travels back into time, she often sees Rufus, a young boy that is destined to
grow into his father’s footsteps as a slave owner. Dana tries to keep an eye out
for the slaves in the time, and tries to help Rufus, thus confusing Rufus over
time as he grows up. This is what challenges the narrative of marginalization as
Dana is given a voice to try and stop the acts that are occurring. However, it
is confirmed as the end of the book shows us what happens. Towards the end of
the book, Rufus finally tries to sexually assault Dana after years of trying to
resist his urges. This again reinforces the involuntary participation that
African Americans faced. What “Kindred” shows most of all is that in order for
African Americans to get any kind of freedom, they must face pain. For Dana to
come back to current time, she must get hurt. This is why she often times cuts
herself to send her back home. This is what makes “Kindred” a cultural
narrative. For African Americans to get freedom in those times, they had to risk
getting hurt. Whether that was through trying to escape through the underground
railroad, or through trying to stand up to their master, they had to risk
getting hurt to receive any kind of freedom or chance for freedom. This fits
into the dream narrative in that this strive for a new life that will be better
than the current one will eventually, someday, pay off.
Native
Americans fit perfectly into the minority identity because of the fact that they
are voiceless and choiceless. Thinking back on American History, I remember
learning about the Trail of Tears and the forced removal of native peoples from
their land. I remember learning about Manifest Destiny and immediately wondering
what happened to Native Americans during this time. I even remember learning
about the reservation revolts, and how they were shut down in a matter of days
because the United States was way overpowering. I don’t remember learning about
the Iroquois Creation Stories, however. The Iroquois Creation Stories are
amazing in their use of language and imagery. When reading them, the reader can
immediately envision the story unfolding before their very eyes. The entire
third paragraph of the second creation story shows this imagery. The “dirt caved
in and some say the tree fell down” and the woman “grabbed some seeds from the
Tree of Life as she fell.” This excerpt shows the scene unfolding before our
eyes. “It also shows an allusion to the Tree of Life from Genesis; however, in
this story it is a liquid instead of a food. This allusion helps the reader
relate to the story; however, the allusion should not be the first thing that
comes to my mind. It is, however, because I know that story. I don’t know the
Iroquois Creation Story, thus showing that Native Americans are voiceless in the
telling of their history. The term used “some say” also shows that they are
voiceless, because Native Americans don’t have a set written copy of their
creation. The dominant culture has The Bible, while Native Americans have
“creation stories.” The underrepresentation of Native American creation
literature in schools is overwhelming, and it shows how they are voiceless.
Native
Americans were also choiceless in their history. When referring back to American
History, Native Americans did not have a choice in whether or not they were
removed from their homelands. They were FORCED to relocate, or they would be
killed in the process. Native Americans didn’t even have a say in whether or not
the white man came to America. An origin story by Handsome Lake shows this exact
lack of a choice that Native Americans had. He describes how Columbus came, saw
the land, left, and returned with a pack of five things. These five things would
eventually lead to the downfall of the Native Americans (alcohol, gambling,
disease, etc.). However, Handsome Lake refers to this commonly known story in a
calm manner. He doesn’t attack Columbus, but rather he blames the evil invisible
man for knowing what he was doing in sending Columbus. The underlying factor is
that the Natives did not have a choice in whether or not Columbus discovered
America and forced his way in, it was predetermined by the invisible man for
this to happen. This origin story shows how Native Americans were choiceless in
their adventures here in America.
Another
device that is shown in Native American literature is personal narrative.
Personal narrative can be defined as the retelling of someone’s own story.
Zitkala Sa wrote a series of experiences that she had as an Indian girl growing
up. Through her stories, the idea of forced participation through religion is
shown. Zitkala Sa talks about in “Impressions of and Indian Childhood” the apple
from Genesis. Zitkala Sa mentions the “nice red apples” as being a tool for her
to hopefully reach a wonderland. The tone is very satirical as Sa shows that the
story of the apple in Genesis is one that she doesn’t believe in. However, since
she is forced to learn about these stories, she knows about the history. By
using satire, Zitkala Sa is able to show the reader that Native Americans are
forced to participate in learning of the dominant culture.
Zitkala Sa
also talks about forced participation in “The School Days of an Indian Girl”
when she mentions Thowin. Thowin falls in the snow, and the “paleface lady”
comes out to correct his behavior. The lady spanks Thowin as he disobeys her,
forcing him to do as she says unless he wants to face the repercussions. This
forced participation takes away the power from the Native Americans and keeps it
with the dominant culture. In this same writing, Sa uses a form of detournement
when speaking of Satan. In the dominant culture, Satan is someone to be feared
and hated. Nobody wants to be like Satan. However, Zitkala Sa mentions that he
had bearded cheeks “just like [she] had seen some palefaces wear.” By saying
this, Zitkala Sa is showing how to Native Americans, Satan looks like the white
man. She flips the image of Satan around to the white man and shows them that
they quite possibly could be more like him than they think. Zitkala’s personal
narrative is a literary device that she uses to show that Native American
stories matter. Her work shows us that Native Americans are often forced to
participate in religion and in good behavior.
Mexican-Americans also use personal narrative and distinct imagery in their
literature to classify their experience as well. In the memoir from Reyna Grande
“A Distance Between Us” the personal narrative is used very predominately. I
mean the book is indeed a memoir, or a retelling of the life of someone. Grande
takes the reader through her experience growing up in Mexico, and then in
America. Grande lives in a poverty shaken place in Mexico for the first part of
the memoir. When she describes the area, she uses great imagery to try and
convey just hwo poor her town was, and how bad the conditions were. “The banks
of the canal lined with trash and debris floating in the water, the piles of
drying horse dung littering the dirt road…” (Grande, 64). This place was the
worst living condition imaginable, yet Grande saw it as an adventurous place of
“velvety mountains” (64) as a child. This romantic idea shows the ability of
children to find the good in things, even though they are dealing with
tremendous loss.
In contrast to
Mexico, Grande talks about El Otro Lado (the other side) as being this place of
wonder and opportunity for Mexicans. The other side, America, provides the
families with the opportunity to go and make a better life for themselves.
However, with this also come the theme of loss. It’s almost as if the adage “you
have to give something to get something” was applied perfectly to Reyna’s
parents. While her parents were indeed enjoying a better life than the poverty
in Mexico, they had to give up their relationship with their children to do so.
Grande takes us on a journey through her personal narrative to describe what at
the time was her family’s cultural narrative. Her family was now broken because
her and her siblings did not have their mother or father around to raise them.
However, even after all of this loss, Grande still finds a way to survive. Reyna
embodies the identity of a border person because she lives within the region of
the border, and eventually crosses it.
Grande ends
up eventually crossing the border into America with her father. When in America,
Reyna is able to obtain an education that helps her throughout her life. This
education is proof of the American Dream that is mentioned by so many people
when looking for a new life. What makes Reyna a minority rather than an
immigrant is her ambivalent attitude towards America. She views it as a land of
opportunity, but also as a place where her greatest losses are fortified. When
her parents left her, they went to America. This place has good and bad emotions
attached to it for Reyna, thus making it ambivalent. When in America Grande
graduates from college and is able to start her career. This opportunity would
not have presented itself without the loss that Reyna suffered in the first
place. The loss was needed so that Grande could show her survival instincts. It
also makes for a great memoir. Grande is a perfectly example of a border person
because she continues to add elements of American culture to her Mexican culture
to create this idea of an ambivalent Mexican-American woman. The personal
narrative is used to make the idea of the Mexican-American experience more
personal to the dominant culture, so that hopefully they can then begin to
understand the issues that they face. It gives voice to the minority group.
While the theme
of loss and survival applies to Mexican-Americans, it is the most prominent
ideal of Native American literature that I have learned, particularly the one of
loss. This idea of loss and survival is a cultural narrative, or a story that
characterizes a group of people. As previously mentioned, the history books have
not favored the Native Americans. They have always been on the side that is
being marginalized, they are underrepresented, and they don’t get to have a say
in their history. Their story is one of loss and a fight to survive.
This idea of
loss is never better justified than in Louis Erdrich’s novel “The Round House.”
In this novel, the main character Joe is out to seek justice and revenge for his
mother Geraldine. Geraldine was raped and almost killed, and this has caused a
fire to be lit inside of Joe. Joe eventually realizes that if there is something
to be done to solve this case, he must do it. The police fail them because they
can’t get past the basics of whether or not the crime was committed on Indian or
American land, thus causing jurisdictional issues. These jurisdictional issues
showcase the loss the Native Americans face in the court system. The court
system fails Native Americans, especially Native American women as Erdrich
mentions in the afterword that “1 in 3 Native women are raped.” This statistic
is mindboggling as we don’t hear about these. More than likely, they often go
unreported because of the way that Natives are treated. This further proves how
Natives are voiceless.
The other
loss that Joe and his family experience is obvious: Cappy, Joe’s best friend,
dies at the end of the novel due to drunk driving. This loss is experienced
because the boys were out being stupid teenagers and drinking alcohol. (Keep in
mind the stereotype of Native Americans and alcoholism) The cause of Cappy’s
death being drunk driving is fitting, as it shows how Native American life is
devastated constantly by the use of alcohol. Alcohol that was originally brought
over to the Americas by the white man, and as Handsome Lake said in his origin
story, would devastate the Native American society. Erdrich is showing the loss
of Cappy’s life as an analogy for the loss of many Native lives due to alcohol,
further proving that Native Americans are choiceless.
When thinking
about Native American literature, I think of stories that help represent Native
peoples. I think, primarily of “The Round House” and how it showcases a story of
loss, and how this is allegorical for the Native American experience. I also
think of the creation and origin stories, and how they tell a different
perspective from the one that I commonly hear. I also think of Chrytos’ poem “I
Have Not Signed a Treaty with the American Government” and how it discusses the
issue of Native Americans being voiceless and choiceless in today’s society.
Native American literature showcases the qualities of a minority culture in
voiceless choiceless decisions, and in stories of loss. When I think of
Mexican-American literature I think of stories of ambivalence. While there is
hope in the good side of their ambivalence, there is also loss in the bad side
of their ambivalence. I think about the personal narrative that Reyna Grande
uses in “A Distance Between Us” to describe a cultural narrative of loss and
survival. When I think about African American literature, I think about the
chase for a new life through “the dream” narrative. I think about Maya Angelou
writing about rising over the blatant racism. Minority stories matter, as they
can show the United States of its past crimes against them. It serves as a voice
to the voiceless.
