"In the Land of the Free" and from The Woman Warrior


Fiction Reader: Valerie Lawrence
Non-Fiction Reader: Tish Adams
Recorder: Kristy Rundell

     Fiction Piece:  "In the Land of the Free" by:  Sui Sin Far
     About the Author: 
The story was written by Sui Sin Far who was born to a Chinese mother and British father in England in 1865.  Her real name was Edith Maud Eaton and she was the first Asian-American woman to be published in the United States.  "In the Land of the Free" was published in 1900.

     The story is an "Old Immigrant Model". 

     Fiction Markers:
     The fact that there are no definite time markers in the story.  It talks about steam ships in the harbor so it gives somewhat of a time reference, but that could be anywhere over the period of about 100 years.  The story is told in the 3rd person so the reader can inhabit the story.  The language translations from when the characters are speaking to each other in Chinese is strange.  The author uses older words such as "thou", "thee", and "tis" when they are speaking in Chinese, but none of the American characters are using this language.  It could either be because the author had a father that was British and was trying to pay homage to both sides of her background, or she could be trying to incorporate the language of the Puritans who were the first immigrants.

     Non-Fiction Markers:
     There are references made to real places and actual objects such as on p.4 it mentions a ship named the Eastern Queen will dock at San Francisco's Waterfront, the government is mentioned on p.8, and Washington is mentioned on p.9.  The story seemed so true because the mother was morning for her son that had been taken away from her on p.6 when she says, "and now, I see him not; I touch him not; I hear him not.  My baby, my little fat one!"  I could sympathize with the mother.  The way the lawyer was portrayed as a white man only helping out to gain money seemed to be a non-fictional marker also.  On p.8, the lawyer claims that he will go to Washington to get papers to bring their son back to them.  The wife is very excited and thought that he was doing it from his heart.  There was a catch though;  he wanted money and said that if they did not give him the money the boy could stay where he was.  Rachel Mathews, a former student of American Immigrant Literature, points out that the use of the English that the Chinese Immigrants spoke is a non-fiction marker because it is the typical way the new language is spoken when foreigners have another established first language.

     Questions:
1.  Do you think the immigrants would have had their child taken away if they were coming over for the first time and had not gone back to their okd country(their old ways) to have the child?

2.  Do you think this was an event that could have been a non-fiction event for some immigrants coming over , or do you think the author went too far with her portrayal of the events?

3.  Do you see any parallels between this story and things going on in modern times?

     Discussion:

Terri:  Spanish customers who had been swindled on buying cars- taking advantage of immigrants.

Lynn:  Vietnam people who owned store- someone stole his social security and individual documentation.

Dr. White:  analogy- people not knowing if people are being upfront when in other countries.  Middle man- internal psychology when he took jewelry from the mother.  Clancy(lawyer) Irish previous immigrant wave- 1840's already assimilated bridge with new immigrants.

Irish still discriminated against.

Valerie:  Chinese do not discriminate so Irish able to use them.

     Non-Fiction Piece:  from The Woman Warrior by:  Maxine Hong Kingston
     About the Author:
     Maxine Hong Kingston was born in Stockton, California and is the daughter of Chinese immigrants.  She grew up listening to the stories of other immigrants and later used her well-developed storytelling skills in her own writing.  She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1962.  The Woman Warrior became a bestseller and received the National Book Critic's Circle Award.  Kingston is 2nd generation.

     Non-Fiction Markers:
     She tells her story in chronological order of her life events.  She tells of her childhood to education to jobs she had to how she feel about her life as she reflects on it.  The actual event of the Vietnam War is mentioned on p.196, when she tells of her brother returning home from Vietnam alive.  Kingston explains how the Chinese feel about the boy child and the girl child on p. 196.  There is a celebration when a boy is born and boys are welcomed companions and doted on by parents and relatives.  She uses vivid language when telling of there customs.  The story of her uncle taking only the boys to town and leaving the girls behind is very telling of how the boys are cherished by the Chinese people.  She mentions the NAACP and CORE on p.197.  These organizations add realism to her cause.  The Communist Revolution is mentioned on p.199.  She explains of her families' hardships in China.
     These non-fiction elements provide the reader with a sense of truth and a background of knowledge when Kingston tells her story and alludes to the Chinese customs and traditions.  When the author mentions NAACP and CORE last year's student writes that they are focused on to show that there is gender and racial discrimination she encounters as being a woman and an immigrant minority.  She compares herself to the "swordswoman" as she tells her story of being an Chinese immigrant and assimilating to discover that she is an independent woman.

     Fiction Markers:
     She had dreams and was in a dreamlike state at times in the story.  She likened herself to a swordswoman which is a fictional character. 

     Questions:
     How does she eventually face being a woman-does she still believe she must be a woman warrior?

     Discussion:
     Tish:  Even though she doesn't have a sword she still is that woman when she is with her boss.

     Terri:  Yeah, I see that on that page.

     Dr. White:  swordswoman and I are not all that dissimilar.  Fictional dream-like quality.

     Cristel:  Linear-circular writing being part of cultural heritage.

     Naomi:  Asians seeing visions- to them it is a real thing, whereas in our culture we think something is wrong.

     Julie:  She has gained a voice-still part of her that is a Chinese child.

     Tish:  She then acts out.

     Lynn:  She backs off from straight A's.

     Valerie:  Silent Dancing  -- Rebelling