Meghan Patterson
11/6/03 

“In the Elementary School Choir”

By

Gregory Djanikian

            In 1959, Gregory Djanikian was born in Alexandria, Egypt.  He is now a director of the Creative Writing Program and Associate Undergraduate Chair of the English Department at the University of Pennsylvania. Cindy Pace from 2002 class said that He lives outside of Philadelphia with his wife and children. Gregory Djanikian has published four collections of poetry which are “The man in the Middle,” Falling Deeply into America,” and “About Distance.” and just recently he published “Years Later.”

Cultural Objective 2:  To observe and analyze the effects of immigration and assimilation on American cultural units or identities.

Literary Objective 2c:  Character by generation to identify and question standard generational roles or identify.

2^nd generation

Stage 3: “Immigrant Narrative:” Shock, resistance, exploitation, and discrimination (immigrant experience here overlaps with or resembles the minority experience). Stanza 3 is where you see “Immigrant Narrative.”

Stage 4: “Immigrant Narrative:” Assimilation to dominant American culture and loss of ethnic identify (departs or differs from minority).  Stanza 6 is where you see “Immigrant Narrative.”

Symbol- Means something that, although it is of interest in its own right, stands for or suggests larger and more complex-often an idea or a range of interrelated ideas, attitudes, and practices. We see this in the poem when he thinks back to where he comes from, which is Alexandria, and through out the poem when he thinks about other parts of his childhood in Egypt.

In stanza 1 and 2: Because he is only in the 5^th grade and not from America, he talks about not ever seeing a cornfield or never been to Oklahoma but he sings just as loud as anyone else because he is proud and happy to be in America.  In stanza 2, he remembers going on a train ride from his home to his grandmothers.  He has a vivid memory of what he saw when he got to his grandmothers when singing a song called “Meet me in St. Louis.”

In stanza 3 and 4: Because he is not from America, he does not yet know where anything is when it comes to geography.  His 5^th grade teacher tries to humiliate him and makes him feel discriminated against when he takes him in front of the whole class and makes him go to the map. Then he presses his head against the map to show him the city he was talking about and how to pronounce its name.  In stanza 4, while he is singing “zippidy-doo-dah” he is looking and thinking about Linda Deemer.  Linda to him is America and is beautiful but Gregory does not think he is good enough for her because he is not from America.

In stanza 5 and 6 he is thinking about his old country while singing the song “This is my Country” by thinking about the different scents and scenes.  In stanza 6 he starts to think about Linda again and he also start to think about his grandfather and great uncle.  The song that they are singing, “Land where my fathers died” makes him think about his grandfather and great uncle dying while fighting for their country.

In stanza 7 and 8 he thinks that America is beautiful and does not know why anyone would not think that American is beautiful.  In stanza 8, he watches everyone leave but most of all he watches Linda leave the room and disappeared into the hallway.  By doing this he feels that he is an outcast, and does not belong but he is ok with it because America is good.  

Question:

Is Linda Deemer what makes him love America so much?

What makes him think back to his own country? Is it the music?

Discussion:

Mehgan:  Is Linda Deemer what makes him love America so much?

Dr. White:  Great question.

Mehgan:  She is untouchable as America.

Dr. White:  Amber waves and fruited planes

Mehgan:  Distant as purple mountains

Kathy:  Linda Deemer is America personified to him.

Dr. White:  Do we get more or another look at her?

Mehgan:  No, but she disappears into high society

Dr. White:  Linda Deemer is a plain, English sounding name.

Mehgan:  What makes him think back to his own country? Is it the music?

Michael:  Not the music but the words.  First thoughts of “my country” are of his own country.

Dr White:  Interprets America through past experience.

Michael:  Back to first – the personification of Linda – 5^th grade is the beginning of crushes; a reminder of “oh wow!” of America as a new country.

Enrique:  “How could anyone not think America was exotic?”

Michael:  Massachusetts trees something not familiar to him.

Classmate:  5^th grade history is about the story of Indians and that’s all they know.

Dr. White:  Plymouth readings will have these references from the next lines in the song ‘ …Pilgrim’s Pride”  and Squanto.

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