Kimberly Dru Pritchard

June 18, 2006

Web Review

Writing time:  50 minutes

            Upon reviewing several student midterms from various years, I gained insight into the immigrant and minority experience that the classroom discussions are unable to provide.  The review of student essays not only provides a basis for the construction of my own essay, but it also allows a deeper understanding of the construct of the immigrant and minority narratives.

            The first essay I reviewed, “Themes and Variations on the Immigrant Story,” comes from the spring 2006 undergraduate class.  Although I can’t say that I learned a great deal of new information from this essay, I was impressed with the organization and examples that related to the class objectives. As we mentioned in class, no one text provides all of the elements of the immigrant narrative, and this student correctly proposes that “there are several recurring themes that help expose the effects of immigration and assimilation group and individual identities.”  Throughout the essay, the student brings the reader a good deal of insight into the different stages of the immigrant story as well as provides excellent examples of the ambivalence that often clouds the elements of the immigrant and minority narratives when they overlap.  For instance, examples from “Gusssak,” “Barbie-Q,” “How to Date a Browngirl,” and “No Name in the Street” clearly outline the sensitive subject of the color code and its “impact on identity and assimilation for [both] minority and immigrant groups, their descendants, and all other ‘in-between’ groups.” All in all, I believe this student eloquently conveys the issues facing the immigrant and minority in the exploration of said texts.

            The second essay, “The Changing of the Guard:  Power and Responsibility in the Immigrant Narrative,” was written by a member of the 2004 graduate seminar.  What I find particularly intriguing is the assertion that “If American authors fail to explicate the immigrant narrative, American literature would have no basis of validity and/or survival because the immigrant narrative (quite frankly) incorporates America, as immigration to America and the subsequent opportunity for economic success has become the literal and figurative foundation of the American dream of democracy and individual freedom.”  Prior to the Colonial/Post-Colonial, the American Minority, and the American Immigrant Seminars, I really had not given much thought to the idea that American literature exists today because of the immigrant experience.  Sure, this knowledge lurked in the back of my mind, but the actual realization and subsequent deep appreciation for minority and immigrant literature has only recently come to my attention because of these seminars. With that said, I feel that the analysis of this student’s midterm has further enlightened my knowledge of the immigrant and his/her relationship with the cultural war that wages within each “new American.” 

            Another interesting comment made by this author appears in the analysis of Mohr’s “The English Lesson.”  He explains, “I assert that the real tension in this story exists between Lali and her husband.  Many sociological studies prove that a woman’s immigration from a patriarchal society, in which women are restricted by their gender and treated like pieces of property by their husbands, to a democratic society proves to be more beneficial for her and less positive for the husband, as he often loses authority.  As Lali becomes more fluent in English, total dependence on her husband will likely decrease.  Towards the end of the story, Rudi begins to lament his decision to marry Lali.” Although Lali and her husband attempt to assimilate into American society, it is clear that Rudi resents his wife’s motivation and ambition to educate and refine herself which will, in turn, marginalize him.

            The most impressive essay by far was written by a graduate student (YH) in the 2004 seminar. Not only is the structure of the essay impeccable, the analysis of the differences between the immigrant and minority narratives offers a great deal of insight into the objectives of the course as they relate to the literature.  This author captures the spirit of the immigrant and his hopes and dreams as well as the hardships faced in the journey toward assimilation. In the analysis of “Soap and Water,” the author states, “the path to success is not without hardship and disappointment.  Inevitably, the woman discovers the harsh reality behind the promise of the dream, a reality of slavish labor, alienation, and rejection…[yet] individual effort counts and is instrumental in achieving the dream.”  The reader is certainly enlightened in regard to the often ignored realities of immigration and the possible nightmarish consequences. 

Before studying immigrant literature and its structure, I have to admit that I gave little thought to the plight of the immigrant and much thought to the seemingly easy transition that many immigrants make as they filter into the United States.  Reviewing previous writings from seminar and undergraduate students allows a broader understanding of the immigrant experience, the often nightmarish transition, and the possible acquisition of the American Dream.