Journal 13# The illusion of progression

The American Dream advocates freedom and equality. It is an ideal that highlights the possibility of individuals being free to choose their own path of life, and in the process, attain success and prosperity. 

On the surface level, “The School Days Of An Indian Girl” by Zitkala-Sa can be seen as an affirmation of the American Dream, whereby colonization provided her with education and the possibility of a better future. The story highlights the manner in which “three years [of] school in the East, [enabled the Native Americans to] become civilized” (436). Such a sentence hints at the element of progression, whereby one is supposed to be climbing up the ranks in terms of economic and moral prosperity. However, a deeper analysis of the story illustrates that this is in fact not the case.  

Despite Zitkala-Sa assimilating into the western culture in terms of her ideals of wanting to go to parties and being dressed in Western fashion of “tight muslin dresses, with ribbons at [the] neck and waist” (436), her life does not show much signs of improvement or freedom. Instead, the readers are greeted with the level of difficulties that she has to come to terms with, in trying to adapt to the white man’s world that she is being thrown into. With her English education, she feels torn between life on the reservation and that among the white people. No longer does she hold the same ideals that will allow her to seek understanding and comfort from her mum, as both their mindsets are now drastically different. In addition, despite her appearing to have “progressed”, it is clear that in terms of her moral, she feels greatly repressed as she finds herself struggling to make sense of her present day situation.

A school is the body of entity that is supposed to be the path that allows one to attain liberation. However, in the description of the school, the readers’ find the students being confronted with the monotonous dull of the school life, whereby people function like robots, answering to the different bells.

This thus highlights how contrary to the colonizers’ belief, their actions may not necessarily be beneficial to the Native Americans. Instead of experiencing a sense of independence, the Native Americans are instead repressed and unable to find a place where they truly belong. It is thereby ironic that the American Dream seems much more attainable at the reservation.  

Bonus Blog #2

 

All along, my mindset towards imperialism has always been negative. I regard it as a brutal act, whereby subjugation is inevitable in the midst of a particular country seeking to impose its own culture, economics and way of life upon another.

But what surprises me the most, is the manner in which most colonist are deluded by the mindset that they are in fact doing the natives a “favor” by trying to “improve their lifestyle and help the people”. They paint a positive picture, of them aiding in the country’s economics and governance, when the real bare fact, is that they are trying to rip off and attain the country’s economic prosperity for their own benefit. In the case of the Americans, it is clear that their aim is to obtain the sugar cane present in Hawaii, so as to boost their economy and  supply of sugar without having to deal with trade and the need to pay tariffs. They were not acting with the native Hawaiians’ interest at heart. If it were the case, they would have known for a fact that the people were happy and did not in the slightest bit seek to have their monarchy overthrown and their Queen imprisoned. Also, if their act of imperialism is really for the greater good, why is there a need to have the Queen suppressed and confined?

This thus goes to show that regardless of which country, state or place is being colonized; colonizers will always seek to find a way to justify their wrong actions. They will present their misdeeds as a form of generosity and kindness; a gesture that they need not have to trouble themselves with, but the “goodness” of their heart makes it impossible for them to turn a blind eye towards the situation. The entire act of imperialism, whereby a country believes in their own superiority towards another, is basically just appalling to me. 

Journal 12# The sentence that strikes me

"While I had been no more than an interested observer, quietly awaiting the course of justice, and conscious of the strength derived from truth and right on my side, their commissioners, with such influences as their indomitable assurance could command, had been working very had to get the present rule in Hawaii out of its political and financial difficulties, by passing over to the United States a country whose hospitality they have betrayed, a land which they do not and never can own."


This sentence aptly highlights the unbreakable connection between a land and the people that resides in it. A stranger can never truly possess a land without having any of their own history or connection with it, and even in its acquisition, its a meaningless act, with no memories, as the land will always be a step away from real ownership. It is the people that that makes a land rich; their history and culture. Without it, a land is bare. 

Journal 11# The so-called "justification"

Reading Pauline E. Hopkins’ “As the Lord Lives, He Is One of Our Mother’s Child” and Claude McKay’s poems, brings to mind the question of how is it possible for the majority of the whites to feel so justified in their barbaric treatment towards the blacks.

In Pauline E. Hopkins work, we learn how it is deemed agreeable for the whites to partake in an act of lynching when they aren’t even a hundred percent sure that the person they have decided to strip off the life from, is definitely the culprit behind the crime. In fact, the entire story seems ridiculous, and at the ending, are we, the readers supposed to feel any sense of happiness that finally “Jones and Gentleman Jim were publicly exonerated by a repentant community” (250). The entire presentation of the supposedly “repentant community” (250) does not seem the slightest bit sincere, and it is absurd that only after the needless and innocent death of Jones, that they finally realized they had been targeting the wrong people all along.

In “If We Must Die” by McKay, the poem highlights how the white men are like “murderous cowardly pack” (14). It connotes the idea of how the whites wrongfully kill people and only possesses the courage and strength to do so, when they are the majority. This can be seen, as firstly, the whites are not even certain of the validity of their actions. Secondly, they are afraid of the possibility of the blacks overthrowing their powers one day, or that the situation may turn nasty in the midst of them condemning the blacks for a crime that they did not commit.

The manner in which the whites portray this image of being righteous and legitimized in their actions, just serves to highlight the bravery and strength of the blacks, as evident in Gentleman Jim who refuses to “be taken alive” (248). We applaud the bravery of the blacks that are capable of making the best out of the reduced circumstances they are thrown into. This is aptly illustrated in the manner in which “The Harlem Dancer” is able to sing and “danced on gracefully and calm” (5), despite the fact that “her self was not in that strange place” (14).

This injustice thus only serves to portray the whites in a negative light, while celebrating the heroism of the blacks, who try their best to ensure they die a noble death.

Journal 10# The Aha! Moment

The “Aha! Moment” is an element of narration that never fails to take me by surprise, as I find myself taken aback and awed by the sudden realization of information. Throughout Charles W. Chesnutt’s short story “The Wife of his Youth”, the build up was such that one expected Mr. Ryder to marry above his status and continue his progress in stepping up the hierarchy ladder of the social status. It seems only natural for him to do so, as he is presented to possess such refined manners, with characteristics and attitude befitting that of the aristocrats. By placing Mr. Ryder on the pedestal, it initially appears as if he was only showing sympathy and concerned towards the elderly woman who is clearly lower than him in terms of status. It is thus a jaw dropping fact to find out at the end of the story that not only is he the very man that she has been searching twenty-five years for, but rather, that he is willing to give up Mrs. Dixon and publicly acknowledge this elderly woman as “the wife of [his] youth” (61), despite clear awareness of the intellectual, social and monetary gap that currently exists between them. What Chesnutt offers in his portrayal of Mr Ryder, is thus a pleasant moment of surprise, as it further elevates my impression of him as someone who is not blindly swayed and consumed by his present day position in life.

In Frances EW Harper’s poem “Learning to Read” I find myself presented with the humble insight that the act of perseverance will always be rewarded.  Despite being restricted by their status and skin color, the speakers in the poem did not allow themselves to be at a disadvantage. They hold on to the belief that every Man creates his own destiny and it is only when one tries hard enough to “learn by hook or crook” (12) and “never stopped till [they] could read (39), that one actualizes their goal of achieving whatever they set their mind out to. This is a theme reiterated in “The Wife of his Youth”. Due to the fact that the elderly woman did not allow herself to lose hope despite the arduous duration of twenty-five years, she finally managed to attain the rewards of her devotion. Such perseverance is a take-away point that many readers can learn from.

It is thus these “Aha Moments” that provides a pleasant and refreshing element to the story as such little twist never fails to surprise and leave the reader wanting more. 

Journal 9# Contemporary connections in magazines and fashion

After numerous campaigns that advocates for equal rights and say regardless of one’s gender position, the period of 1865-1914 greatly highlights the rising importance of women’s role in the society.  Women are finally seen as a powerful group that is armed with the means and ability to spend money, and subsequently influence the economic structure of the country. No longer are they sidelined and overshadowed by the masculine gender, and this is evident from the “emergence of a series of magazines specifically designed to appeal to [women’s] interest and tastes” (27).

This idea of recognizing women as a strong consumer group, who are willing to open their wallets and spend money, is a reality prevalent even today in the 21st century. At present, women are bombarded with a wide variety of goods. The number of women centered magazines are on the rise, such as Vogue and Glamour, with specific articles dedicated in educating women on to improve their health, wardrobe, life, and relationships. Similarly, a walk in the mall reveals the startling fact of how a good sixty percent of stores cater strictly to women’s fashion and needs. A brand that targets women, such as Victoria’s Secret, Forever 21 and Lancome, clearly acknowledges the spending power of the feminine gender. The success of such brands on a global platform, thus serves as evidence of women being the driving force behind the achievements of such industries.

However, one thing that is worth noting is the content of magazines that portray women is an extremely idealistic manner.  Photoshop are commonplace in today’s society and the definition of a woman’s beauty is increasingly defined by the narrowness of an individual’s waistline. While it is good that women are gaining recognition in terms of being valued alongside their male counterparts, we have to be wary of such unrealistic presentation of women. If such things were to persist and in turn affect the manner in which women view themselves, this will subvert all that has been achieved so far.  No longer will the male gender be the culprit for stepping on a woman’s ego- but rather, women themselves will in time to come, deflate their own self esteem.  

Women should thus not consume magazines on a literal sense and instead, learn how to decipher for themselves what is realistic. Women are valued only to the extent in which they regard their own self worth. 

Both “A Memorial Discourse” by Henry Highland Garnet and “Second Inaugural Address” by Abraham Lincoln seek to attain the outcome of peace, by highlighting the issues that needs to be addressed and eradicated.

In doing so, Lincoln uses the notion of the common God to highlight the similarities between people of different skins. Seeing that “both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God” (1374), where’s the justification in discriminating against one another? He uses the method of reconciliation, to allow members of the public to identify within themselves that they are in fact of no difference to the party they’re fighting against.  What they are so bent on overpowering, is merely the lives of people who are in every aspect, a human being just like them.

Though Garnet presents a similar argument to Lincoln, he goes a step further in illustrating the exact thing that is necessary in order for the abolishment of the war. He portrays this idea in a very objective manner. Slavery must be put to an end, as peace will only be attainable “when all unjust and heavy burdens [are] removed from every man in the land” (1376). Garnet thereby makes known the exact problem that has to be addressed.

Personally, I feel that 19^th century readers will be more comfortable with Lincoln’s argument. The notion of a common God is something that the people will be able to better relate to, as some individuals may feel threatened by the direct manner in which Garnet specifies exactly what is necessary for peace to be achieved.

However, despite the differences in both of their approach, it is clear that ultimately, they fulfilled their purpose. Though it is unclear whether this is the exact piece of work that successfully changed the mindset of the people, we know that it definitely has a role in contributing towards the peace and unification of the United States.