Matt Richards

Web Review

Review #1

Kristen Bird’s   Midterm Essay:  Stages in the Immigrant and Minority Narrative

Summer 2006 class

            Ms. Bird’s essay is very well organized and she starts off with a paragraph that immediately draws the attention of the reader.  She says, “Since America was discovered by Christopher Columbus over five centuries ago, immigrants have been implanting themselves in America, often even against wishes of ethnicities and races now labeled “minority.”  Because America today is comprised of these sojourners and natives, immigrant and minority literature cannot be disentangled from American history or culture.  These narratives, which are usually comprised of five distinct stages, includes leaving the old behind, journeying to the new, encountering adversity, assimilating, and rediscovering a new identity in the melting pot of America’s dominant culture” (Bird). 

She mentions the misconceptions about the American Dream by saying, “  Bulosan’s story is one of many in which immigrants hope to exchange their heavy burdens for the “American Dream,” but are often disappointed by the realities they encounter instead. Sui Sin Far in her story, “In the Land of the Free,” describes the grief a Chinese mother faces while her two-year-old son is held by customs for ten months. 

Ms Bird also does an excellent job of showing the differences between immigrants and minorities.  She is also clearly able to point out those in-between groups such as the Afro-Caribbeans and the Hispanics.  She does this in her essay by stating, “because of the Haitian’s certain death at home, the voyage is, in a sense, involuntary.  The story is also less hopeful than most immigrant narratives, an aspect often found in stories of minorities” (Bird).

Ms. Bird’s essay is one that maintains the purposes/objectives of the course and she does so in a stylistic and interesting way that keeps the reader’s attention.  I really thought her ending was just wonderful. 

Review #2  Pauline Chapman’s Midterm Essay:  The Inclusive Immigrant Narrative.  Summer 2006 class

            Chapman’s essay has a style that flows very smoothly throughout its entirety.  Her organization is evident and I like that when she quotes something from a story she gives the title, page number, and where to find it.  She also takes time to explain what the quote means and how it is significant to her point and the ideology of the course.  Chapman stays on task and doesn’t skip around.  I really liked her opening paragraph because she accurately captures the misinformed ideology that the typical American has.  In regards to immigrants and minorities she says, “When I told people I was taking American Immigrant Literature, the reaction was commonly that the title sounded redundant.  Isn't everyone in America from somewhere else or descended from immigrants, except for the Native Americans?  The apparent redundancy makes the Immigrant Narrative appropriate for studying American history and culture.  The Immigrant Narrative and the American Dream Narrative co-exist because the American Dream of prosperity and freedom was conceived by immigrants.  But there is still that nagging exception:  the Native Americans” (Chapman). 

            It is refreshing that she is not afraid to point out the dominant culture’s ignorance.  From that opening, she proceeds to explain the differences between immigrants, minorities, and those that are both.  She even closes with a personal account.  She says, “The Immigrant Narrative including both voluntary immigrants and unwilling minorities forms a complete picture of multicultural history and literature in the United States.   After reconsidering all that people have had to go through to come to America and become American, it is easy to see why the American people are proud, confident, and idealistic.  I resisted the labels in the beginning of the class.  I felt like they predisposed people to act in a certain way or doomed them in their inability to change what they were.   The historical background and identifying characteristics of immigrant, dominant, or minority culture have made me more aware of these occurrences in everyday life.  For example, I found myself taking note of a Hispanic woman in Wal-Mart, possibly a Mexican immigrant, wearing a Girl Scouts T-shirt.  Maybe her daughter or granddaughter is participating in Scouts and becoming assimilated.  It is all around us” (Chapman).

I believe that this is one of the most organized and interesting essays that I have read in quite some time. 

Review #3  Amy Noblitt’s  Midterm Essay:  It’s Not that Black and White; More Gray  Summer 2006 class

            I think that her essay could have been better if a few things had been tweaked just a little bit.  Ms. Noblitt’s ideas are good, but she does not go into the type of detail that her theme requires.  She touches on issues briefly and then quickly moves on; she doesn’t seem to organize her essay very well. 

            For example, her thesis looks like it is going to explore the differences between immigrants, minorities, and those who retain qualities or traits of both.  She doesn’t give equal time to all of the groups, but instead focuses mainly on minorities.  This isn’t hard to fix.  She could change her title to reflect a new thesis that focuses solely on minorities and adjust her information accordingly or she can add more things about the two other groups by going into greater detail on subjects that she skimmed over. 

            I did like her opening paragraph because it does draw the reader much like Bird’s and Chapman’s essays do as well.  Noblitt says, “According to our objectives, one of the main differences between minorities and immigrants are their journey to the United States rather than their skin color.  The difference between the two, though, should end there.  Unfortunately there is an overpowering force called the Dominant Culture, which demands that immigrants and minorities alike should sacrifice their own culture to the American Dream.   This false idol asks that they give up so much of themselves, but it does not guarantee success in return” (Noblitt). 

            Don’t get me wrong it is a good essay, but it doesn’t look like it is up to par with her peers in the class. 

Time log

Start: 8:00pm Thursday night

End:  9:00pm Thursday night