Discussion Question: Week Ten Readings

In lecture, Professor Wilks discussed some of the women in "Esperanza's world." By telling these women's stories, we see how Esperanza is moving farther away from childhood and moving into her adolescence stage. Do you think that the stories about the guys in her life (Louie, Geraldo, and Sire) also show how Esperanza is moving away from childhood?

Claire, Eugene, Reem, Theodora

week 10

"In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters. It means sadness, it means waiting." (page 10)
The name Esperanza is a foreign name. She believes that her name sets her apart from others. How is this name related to Esperanza’s life? She lives in a latino neighborhood. She is assimilating two different cultures. How does this affect her integration into the american society?
Jarred/Elizabeth/Javier/Torrin

Post for 10-31-11

Using your own feeling for the text and the information we learned in lecture describe Eperanza's main influences, both people and other driving forces on her life, that you feel are important to her character and the overall impact of the novel. Why did you pick the aspects you did and how do they impact the character(s) of the novel?

Punit, India, Courtney, Anthony, and Amanda

Discussion Question: Week Nine Readings

In Edith Eaton's "In the Land of the Free" the baby was taken away because the family couldn't provide that correct papers that the exclusion act required. The exclusion act was to keep Chinese Immigrants out because of the fear that they would ruin the"good order" of American society, but what harm could a baby do? When older generations come from China, they bring with them their traditions and culture and Americans were afraid of those things were ruining the American culture. But a baby doesn't have those traditions instilled in them yet, we even see at the end the baby is more American than Chinese since he is speaking English. Children that grow up in America tend to be more American than Chinese, so why would the exclusion act make it harder for immigrants to bring children into the country?

Claire, Eugene, Reem, Theodora

10-23-2011

In Sui Sin Far’s In the Land of the Free James Clancy takes advantage of Hom Hings and Lae Choo’s situation concerning Little One. How does this compare to Anzia Yezierska’s work America and I, in which the main character is taken advantage of by an American family who were from her same village. Also consider why James Clancy appears to hesitate when he is offered Lae Choo’s jewelry as oppose to money to help get Little One back, why does he do this, and does it in any way redeem him?

Jarred/Torrin/Javier/Catherine

In the following passage Zally wants that she and her daugther be either black or white.
“’No, no; - I thank God for it; I am glad you are not; but you will be lonely, lonely, all your poor life long. There is no place in this world for us poor women. I wish that we were either white or black!’ – and the tears, two ‘shining ones,’ stood in the poor quadroons eyes.” (Page 221)
What is Cable questioning here?
How is this related to the question of marry someone of a different race?
Jared / Torrin / Javier / Elizabeth

Discussion Question: Week Eight Readings

At the beginning Kate Chopin's Desiree's Baby, Armand seems to break stereotypical thinking by marrying a "nameless" girl into a prominent family. When Monsieur Valmonde wanted Armand to considered and find out Desiree's origin before Armand marries her, Armand states that he doesn't care about her origin. But once the baby is born and he sees that the baby is showing signs of African decent, we understand that Desiree's origin really does matter to him. Do you think when other people were telling him to be cautious of marrying her, they were afraid that she was of African decent? Or did they just want him to marry someone with a higher social status? Also when Armand states that he doesn't care about Desiree's origin, shouldn't that have included that he wouldn't care if she was of African decent? Why is it that when her origin includes being partially African, it bothers him so much?

Claire, Eugene, Reem, Theodora

In Desiree's Baby, where does Chopin use foreshadowing to reveal that Desiree is not in fact of African descent, but her husband is? Also, how does this unexpected plot twist an example of irony?

Amanda, Anthony, Courtney, India, Punit

If The Republic represented America and the different social classes, where would Rutherford stand? How do the barbaric issues of slavery and cannibalism compare and contrast? What does the Allmuseri god symbolize?

Kar-Fai/Jett/Ryan/Johnny

Question for 10/10

In Charles Johnson's Middle Passage, the author uses explicit language to describe the events in the story such as when Calhoun has to aid the crew in throwing an Almuseri man's body off the ship. What role does Johnson's graphic use of detail play in the novel and what sort of effect does it have on the reader?

Jared/Torrin/Javier/Catherine

Q for class on 10/10

Rutherford identifies himself in different ways to each group ( loyalists, Mutineers, and slaves) at separate times of the novel. He even goes as far as to physically and emotionally "unify" himself with each of these groups by spying for Falcon, accepting blood oaths with the Mutineers, or by helping to free the slaves by passing keys along in secret. Because Rutherford's character is able to identify with each group at almost the same time, what does this say about Rutherford’s identity? Do you believe that having multiple relationships with each group limits his identity or adds to it? Would Johnson have designed his character to be able to find an identity within each group for a particular reason?If so, what theme in the novel might be a good example of this? In what ways does Rutherford's character portray this issue or issues?

Courtney, Punit, Amanda, Anthony, India

Discussion Question: Week Six Readings

In 1852, when Fredrick Douglass gave his speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" slavery was still very much present in the United States. Most of the African-Americans were still slaves and did not gain freedom or independence because of America's "break-up" with Britain 76 years ago (in relation to Douglass' speech, not present day). As Douglass asks in his speech, why is he chosen to speak at a commemoration for the Declaration of Independence? The Declaration of Independence represents freedom, but most of the African-Americans living in the United States were far from being free. Douglass does not represent the population that reap the benefits from the United States being separated from Britain, so what makes him the right candidate to give a speech commemorating a document that does nothing for his race?

Claire, Eugene, Reem, Theodora

Discussion Question 10-2-11

Charles Johnson wrote the novel Middle Passage in the year 1990. How does Johnson's contemporary moment influence the content of the novel? In what ways does Johnson use anachronism to link the injustices and inequalities of the antebellum south to those of 1990?

Amanda, Anthony, Courtney, India, and Punit

In Phillis Wheatley’s poem On Being Brought from Africa to America she talked about how thankful she is to have been brought to America and to have been taken from her “Pagan” land and taught Christian values. Compared to what we have read about other slave this seems strange. She doesn’t lament about being taken away from her family and her homeland or striped of the beliefs her people had followed for generations. Could this be due in part to the young age at which she was enslaved? Was she truly influenced by the proslavery talk around her? She doesn’t seem very resentful or too upset by her position as a slave, granted her slavery was much more relaxed then most.

Jared/Torrin/Javier/Catherine