Complete sample essay for Essay 1 assignment

In approaching American culture through literature, particularly the Immigrant Narrative, a sense of the multi-faceted nature of the nation emerges.  In effect, the IN offers a myriad of experiences occurring over generations that help to shape and define the historical and cultural development of America.

            In tracing the development of the narrative, the Pilgrim’s Migration from Europe serves as a prototype.  In their quest for religious freedom, the Pilgrims embark on an arduous journey from the old world to the new, overcome difficulties, and eventually develop a society whose work ethic and value system form the foundation for what will become the dominant culture.  In studying the Pilgrim’s migration, parallels can be drawn to the story of the Exodus and the journey of the Hebrews to the Promised Land.  The migrations of the Pilgrims and the Hebrews differ from the standard IN in that they occur en masse and draw strength from a common belief in being God’s chosen people.  Imbued with religious conviction, both groups form societies that stress unity, literacy, and civic duty – all basic tenets of modern society. Yet the positive outcomes for dominant, mono-cultural groups such as the Pilgrims and the Hebrews occur at the expense and displacement of indigenous populations – the Native Americans and the Canaanites, and more currently, the Palestinians.  Intrinsically, what becomes one group’s triumph inevitably becomes another’s defeat.

            Despite their utopian vision, the Pilgrims would eventually succumb to change, as the population expanded and became subject to outside influences.  Ironically, an experiment that began in communal collectivism would eventually give way to a society based on individual effort and capitalism.  Increasingly, successive groups of immigrants sought economic betterment rather than religious and political freedom. 

            As the IN evolves, we learn of the conflicts that arise as younger generations reject the old ways in order to assimilate.  Though both genders experience change and conflict, women, particularly, find themselves liberated as they break away from traditional roles and stereotypes.  In Bread Givers, Sara Smolinsky, rejects her father’s dogma and moves away from the stifling enclave of Hester Street in order to find self-fulfillment and purpose.  As such, she endures hardship and alienation, yet the rewards make the risk worthwhile.  When she reconciles with her father, she has come full circle: free to pursue her own path while embracing her heritage.  Elsewhere, the revolutionary changes for women emerge in The Wife’s Story.  Here, while the Indian husband finds himself seduced by the abundance of commodities, his wife experiences an epiphany as she realizes how far removed she has become from the traditional Indian wife.  In embracing her sensuality, she acknowledges her new sense of self, realizing implicitly that she can never go back to being the wife her husband longs for.   Both stories highlight the risks of change, especially for women, and invite speculation on the outcomes of shifting dynamics in family and societal structures as women reject traditional roles.

            While the IM is primarily optimistic, involving voluntary participation and generally briefer periods of oppression and hardship, the Minority Narrative presents a different, frequently pessimistic perspective on the American experience (EI 2004).  For African Americans and Native Americans, participation in the American Dream is involuntary, often involving displacement and enslavement.  Yet, as Ashley Salter notes, there is no clear dichotomy where the immigrant and minority narratives are concerned.  Experiences often overlap; lines become blurred; discrimination and alienation affect minorities and immigrants alike.  Sometimes people will participate in the system, then, withdraw, as in The Lesson’s Mrs. Jones.  Others, as James Baldwin relates, work within the system to effect change.

            Essentially, the IN provides a tangible source for exploring a highly complex subject.  Sometimes, the sheer scope of the subject matter can be overwhelming, leaving our grasp of the issues superficial at best.  Yet within the human dramas of the narratives are stories that ring familiar and true, giving us something to identify with and increase our knowledge and understanding.  Other ways to explore the subject might be specifically through gender or class.  Regardless of how the subject is approached, the literature is richly diverse and offers alternatives and complements to the American Canon. [YH]