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Midterm1 (2013 midterm1 assignment) Sample Student Midterm Answers 2013 #1: Long Essay |
LITR 4333
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Carrie Block
“An American Tale”
When I think of
immigration and America, I often think of the famous words that are inscribed on
the statue of liberty “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free.” For many Immigrants coming to America, this was their
expectation, the chance for a new beginning, and the pursuit of the “American
Dream”. While for many others quite the opposite is the feeling about coming or
living in America. It’s these conflicting ideologies that have long been the
backbone for American Literature. Two sometimes similar but contradicting
examples of this literature are the Immigrant Narrative and the Minority
Narrative.
The Immigrant narrative
is often the tales of the immigrants that have come to America voluntarily. In
search of the “American Dream” only once here the realization that this dream,
may only be that, a dream. In
Jackie’s “Is America A Pot of Stew or Melting Pot of Cheese” she states “In
order to gain the “American Dream” , immigrants would have to leave their old
world behind and assimilate to the dominant culture of the new world. “ Once
here immigrants are quick to take on the characteristics of their American
countrymen. Objective two discusses the 5 basic stages of the Immigrant
Narrative…
Stage 1:
Leave the Old World
Stage 2:
Journey to the New World
Stage 3:
Shock, resistance, exploitation and
discrimination (immigrant experience here overlaps with or resembles the
minority experience)
Stage 4:
Assimilation to dominant American culture and loss of ethnic identity
Stage 5:
Rediscovery or reassertion of ethnic identity
“Soap
and Water” by Anzia Yezierska exemplifies these five basic stages. The main
character comes to America in pursuit of the “American Dream” only to meet
resistance and discrimination. By the end of the story she rediscovers her
passion for America as evident in the following quote. “I went out from Miss Van
Ness’s office, singing a song of new life: “America! I found America.” [39]
Another classic example of the Immigrant narrative is the “English Lesson” by
Nichlosa Mohr. This text captures the stories of several immigrants all coming
to America in search of a better life. In order to do so they are all taking
English class to learn and speak English. This illustrates or reinforces stage
4, assimilation.
Model minorities
generally appear as the ideal immigrants in the Immigrant narrative. These
immigrants are quick to assimilate or even the Dominant culture. Asian Americans
are commonly characterized as the model minorities and due to this
characterization are met with society’s pressures to excel or succeed because of
this quickness to assimilate. “In the American Society” by Gish Jen it
illustrates the desire of a family all trying assimilate on some level. The
mother is forming her own opinions, pumps her own gas, and checks her own oil.
She even wants to join the town country club. These are all things that she
would have never attempted and proof of her assimilating to the Dominant
Culture. In Sui Sin Far’s “In Land of the Free” the willingness to assimilate is
reinforced by the couple obligingly allowing the immigration officers to take
their only son because they did not have the correct paperwork documenting his
birth. This trusting of the government is an example of the eagerness to
assimilate.
Minority narratives are
generally characterized by people that have come to America involuntarily. Once
here, they have been exploited and discriminated against. They resist
assimilation into the dominant culture”. These stories often show the same
themes as the Immigrant Narratives as they have both left the old world in some
fashion and have faced some hardships but in contrast are very distrusting of
the government and dominant culture. African Americans are one of the most
exploited and discriminated against of minority groups. Many were brought here
hundreds of years ago as slaves against their will. They were oppressed for many
years even after the outlawing of slavery.
In “Elethia” by Alice Walker resistance to assimilation in the dominant
culture is evident in Uncle Albert’s character. Uncle Albert was beaten
mercilessly even after slavery was outlawed. His master wanted him to be
subservient as evident in this passage “They used to beat him severe trying to
make him forget his past and grin and act like a nigger” proof of this
resistance to assimilation of the dominant culture.
Native Americans are
another minority group that has shown great resistance or unwillingness to
assimilate. Even though Native Americans aren’t true immigrants in the
definition of the word, they were here already and we came to America and tried
to make them assimilate into our culture without in regard to their own. In
“American Horse” by Louise Erdrich the contrast between assimilation and
resistance to assimilation is evident in the Native American characters of
Harmony and Albertine. Harmony assimilated to the white ways by becoming a
police man while Albertine was resisting assimilation. She was fighting
alcoholism and running from the law, who was trying to take her son away to
civilize him. She was fighting assimilation and further reinforcement of the
distrust in the government which are reoccurring themes in minority narratives.
Immigrant and Minority
narratives are essential to telling an authentic American Story. These retelling
of accounts of suffering and depravity all while the American dream lurks on the
horizon, just out of reach. These are the stories we yearn to hear and desire.
These American tales make up our heritage, history and are embedded in our
culture.
