Journal #15

I agree and disagree with Ms. Silko on different aspects of this essay.  I do agree with her that the treatment of some of the illegal immigrants is inhumane.  There have been tons of stories of cruel treatment to Mexicans illegally trying to cross the Rio Grande.  Another thing that I can agree on is that the walls that our government are trying to put up to prevent illegal immigrants are probably not going to work.  There is so much border to cover and it would cost millions and millions of dollars.  Even if they were able to cover all of that area, immigrants would find a loophole.  I do disagree with her on some points because illegal immigrants can be dangerous and cause harm.  We have a ranch down in South Texas that is 30 minutes away from the Texas-Mexico border.  Since I was a little kid, my dad has preached to me about what to look out for with illegal immigrants.  We see illegal immigrants on our ranch yearly and there have been stories of trouble with them.  I have always watched to make sure that the illegal immigrant isn't carrying a bag or a backpack with him, because it usually means that he is storing drugs or guns.  I know this is an unfair stereotype, but I have always been taught that it is necessary to be safe.  I know that many illegal immigrants are coming to find a better life and I see her point about how there should not be any boundaries, but at the same time these illegal immigrants could cause citizens of the United States harm.

Blog #14

If I were a soldier in Lieutenant Cross’s unit I would probably carry multiple small things with me.  First off I would definitely carry a hatchet.  I believe that would be very necessary in many different situations.  It would not only be useful when fighting or in action, but also with just daily chores such as cutting branches when walking through the forest or also when cooking.  It wouldn’t be the lightest thing to carry around with me, but I feel like it would be a necessity to help me survive in those harsh conditions.  I think I would also carry some photos of my friends and family.  I know that the soldiers during the Vietnam War had a very hard time.  It was a very depressing scene and there was no realization of what normal life was anymore.  They went through one of the most gruesome wars in American history, and I’m sure nothing they saw was very comforting.  I would want to be able to look at photographs of my family and friends for comfort.  It would be nice to see what I was fighting for and what I have to look forward to when I finished my tour.  All those soldiers saw all day was their friends and enemies being shot and the bottom of their holes they dug to protect themselves.  I think the pictures would easily remind me of what I had back at home and remember exactly the reason I was fighting for.   I think the hatchet and the photographs would both serve me well if I had to fight in Lieutenant Cross’s unit in the Vietnam War.  

Zitkala-Sa Blog

Zitkala-Sa’s autobiographical entry in the Atlantic Monthly titled The School Days of an Indian Girl, I believe that she does in fact make the American dream come true. Although, her first writings include several instances where she is denied freedom from certain religious persecution she in the end seems to elude the Christian influence that the “paleface” people attempt to force upon her. Although her hair is hair is “shingled” and she claims her spirit is broken, later in the book she continues to reject the ideals of that missionary tried to instill in her. Although she accepts the image of the white man’s devil in a dream, she escapes him, by being gathered up into her mothers lap, almost signifying her escape from all the white religious institution had sought to teach her.  Unable to assimilate back into a transformed the transformed Indian culture she discovers when she returns from her schooling she seeks her own path, in which she embodies an American dream come true. Fitting in no where in particular, she decides to return to schooling and to educate herself, not with a sense to fit in with the white way of life, but to give herself a voice and let her speak out on the injustices that have plagued her life. Zitkala-Sa wins one of the two awards given at an oratory competition in the conclusion of her entry, despite prejudice shown in the audience towards Native Americans. Metaphorically she does not only conquer the prejudice in the room that night. This small defeat seems to lead onto what the rest of her career followed to be as she follows her American dream and voices her opinion. Her history mentions that in the last 25 years of her life Zitkala-Sa goes on to become a pivotal activist in the crusade for the rights of Native Americans. I believe in this entry proves, although being abused by white society in America, she successfully fulfills what could positively be described as an American Dream.

Hawaii Story Blog

"Trees shade its walls from the heat of noonday; its ample gardens are filled with the choicest flowers and shrubs; it is, in fact, just what it appears, a choice tropical retreat in the midst of the chief city of the Hawaiian Islands."

I picked this as my favorite sentence in the reading because of the imagery that is described.  By the way she describes her home, you can almost actually imagine the beauty of her home.  When she calls it a choice tropical retreat, it sounds like an amazing place within a more hectic area.

Blog #11 Response to Mimi Heald

I agree with Mimi that both stories definitely talked about the importance of a noble death.  In both stories, there is talk about how African American went through brutal deaths and white people would just watch and yell.  I think this is a very disturbing thought and the fact that there was no respect when the African Americans were killed is unbelievable.  I think further that the authors were trying to describe these terrible actions to make the readers cringe and understand how terrible the lynchings were that took place back during that time period.  One part that really stood out to me as well is when the man is describing to the reverand why he lies.  It really shows the fear that the fugitive man has for the terrible death that he had watched happen to his friend.  Mimi does a really good job of describing the important points of both of these readings and shows the pain that the African Americans experienced during these lynchings.  I can't imagine watching a friend go through that horrible experience, and it was an almost normal thing during that time.

Blog #9

One significant comparison that I found between the time period of 1865-1914 and today is the progression of technology.  Both of these time periods have been huge within the progression of technology. Although the innovations between 1865-1914 were a lot more important, there have been big changes in our technology as well. Between 1865-1914 the light bulb, the telephone, the typewriter, the radio, the motion picture, the automobile, and the airplane were all created.  These are still some of the most important inventions in our lives today.  I think we have reached a time period in our lives where crazy new inventions are coming out.  Some inventions that have struck me as very innovative are the iPhone 4Gs and 3D television.  The iPhone 4Gs has a computer simulated voice called Siri that you can ask any question to and receive an answer.  The 3D television is pretty self explanatory, but it is amazing the picture that you can get from it.  Although these inventions are much more technological than the inventions of that time period, they are the important inventions that are shaping our community.  Ottmar Mergenthaler invented the linotype machine in 1882.  It was a revolutionary typesetting machine that helped improve methods of distribution and help publishers produce for the amount of demand for printed material.  Thomas Edison called it the "Eighth Wonder of the World."  I could compare this to the invention of the email.  Email has made it much easier for writing to be transfered between people, and has made communication and distribution so much easier.  Without email, there would still be the process of using "snail mail" to transfer documents.

Blog #10

One point in time when I came to a significant insight in my life was when my best friend passed away my senior year of high school.  I was miserable for weeks with the thought of losing such a significant person in my life.  I couldn't go to school for a while and really had a hard time with the realization.  Over time I came to realize that I had learned so much from him and what had happened.  Although it was the most tragic thing I have endured in my life, I learned to appreciate everything that I have been given.  I have been very blessed with an unbelievable group of friends and family and I have been able to cherish them so much more through what I have experienced.  You can never take for granted all of the blessings you obtain in life and I learned to always appreciate them.  My friend, August, had tons of compassion and I have come to realize how important it is to live like that.  I have always tried to compare myself to August since he passed back in 2008.  He was the most care-free person I have ever met, and I was always the worrier.  I came to realize how important it is to do everything you ever wanted to do.  You never know when something can happen and I never want to feel that I didn’t get everything out of life.  It was the worst thing I could have ever asked to happen, but it enlightened me on what is important in life.

Blog #8

John Brown's Last Speech and Henry Highland Garnet's "From a Memorial Discourse" both state that the institution of slavery should be extinguished throughout America on the basis of our Constitution and of Christianity. As a southern plantation owner, I must say it is intriguing that they should make such claims as our country is founded on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I suggest that I am in my own pursuit of happiness and have the liberty to own a plantation and my slaves that tend to it. When I was a citizen prior to our secession of the United States, I was wrongly denied this freedom, as my slaves were not citizens and therefore do not have the same claims to liberty as I do. I have a fundamental disagreement with Garnet's argument: "...all men holding allegiance to the government shall enjoy every right of American citizenship", because I do not believe that slaves should ever be given the right to become citizens. I disagree with John Brown's Last Speech because of its tenants regarding religion as he says he "...endeavored to act up to that [God's] instruction", because I do not consider myself a Christian and was free of religious persecution when I lived in the United States as well. So I disagree with Brown’s speech, as I should not have to abide by his Christian rules.  My non-christian values do not require me to treat others on an equal level and I prefer a country where I am not forced into religious ideals. Deliberating on both these matters, I am grateful to have seceded with the south where I can enjoy true freedom and possess slaves as they play an big economic role in my life.

Blog #7

              The element of speaker is extremely pronounced in the poem “The Slave Mother” by: Frances E.W. Harper and gives the reader insight as to why slavery should be abolished. Harper’s poem depicts an African-American slave who is denied the right of her child because of her status as a slave. Although, it is not said that Harper had children herself, it is said that she was an only child which perhaps could have strengthened her bond to family ties. A climax of emotion: "He is not hers, although she bore / For him a mother's pains; / He is not hers, although her blood / Is coursing through his veins!" demonstrates the pure anguish that this mother laments as she cannot claim her own son. However, it is not just the claim that causes her suffering, but also the fact that he has no ties to her in legal and economic sense as well and is eventually torn from her arms and is made to leave her by which reason the reader is not let onto. 

          "Oh! never more may her sad eyes / Gaze on his mournful face." Harper narrates as her son is stripped away from her as if she were never his mother. The presence of speaker is vital to this poem, as we are told a regrettable story made real by the cries of a mother and son forced to separate by an unjust system. The reader is immersed in the tragedy of this story by the mother and thus called into social reform as to ensure that oppression like this does not occur again.

Blog Post #6: Evaluation of Reagan Hall's Post

I completely agree with Raegan's idea about Linda (Harriet Jacobs) being very different from other black women slaves because she fights against what her masters ask.  Most women slaves at that time would just obey what is asked of them, but Linda did things such as hide in her grandmother's house and run away from Dr. Flint that made her rebellious.  Another thing that stood out to me was her dedication to finding her children.  I know that in this day in age parents have the right to have their children, but I feel that most other black women just faced the reality of letting their children go back in those days.  Linda would not accept the idea of losing her children.

Blog Post #4

One thing that really jumped out to me in "The Tenth of January" by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, was her descriptive style that she used in her writing.  She really brought her narration to life because she used detailed descriptions to describe things such as the setting or the feelings of the characters in the story.  The first instance of this comes at the very beginning of the story when she describes Lawrence, the town in which Sene works.  One stanza that really stood out to me in this paragraph was "for “bleak, uncomforted” sidewalks, where they chase you, dog you, confront you, strangle you, twist you, blind you, turn your umbrella wrong side out."  This vivid style of imagery enables the reader to really get a feeling for the setting in the story.  Another instance of imagery that was important in this story was the description of looks between Sene and Del.  Phelps describes Sene with a pale face with a long white scar across it and a poor, rounded shoulders, while she describes Del as a beautiful, young, bright girl.  The imagery that Phelps uses to describe Sene helps you to understand the pain that she is suffering because of her unfortunate looks.  Phelps does a great job using her descriptive style to give the reader a vivid image of what she is trying to portray.  

Blog Post #3

In "The Wife, " Washington Irving portrayed marriage and love as the most powerful thing on this planet.  He writes that during a marriage "if you are prosperous, there they are to share your prosperity; if otherwise, there they are to comfort you" (Irving 526).  What he is showing is that American's viewed marriage as the most important bond in a person's lifetime.  He also shows that the single man cannot be as happy as a married man because he does not have anyone to look after him in times of need.  Irving embraces every good quality of women when describing Leslie's wife, Mary.  One quote that he uses to refer to women is that "there is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up, and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity."  He describes so many good qualities of women in this stanza and it shows how he and other American's valued women during that time period.  He also showed portrayed that women were not worried about money during that time, and that they were happy with a loving relationship rather than lavish amenities.

Blog Post #1

I wasn't in the first class where we discussed what it means to be an American, but my opinion of being an American has not changed since I have joined the class.  I have always profiled an American as a free, determined, and healthy individual.  There were definitely struggles that we have talked about in class that our generation does not have to endure, but I feel that American citizens still abide by the same basic standards that our nation was founded upon.    One example that I learned through our reading is Benjamin Franklin.  He showed so much determination and pride while devoting his time to the freedom of America, and I feel that American citizens have that same drive and passion today.

Blog Post #2

There were a few things that really struck my interest while reading this section of our text book.  The first thing that stood out to me was how much of a technological advantage we have over the people of the late 1700s.  I have understood that technology has increased over the past few centuries but it would be impossible to live my lifestyle in that era.  I can't imagine living a life without my cell phone to talk to people or the internet to research and network with peers.  The printing press could only produce about 800 finished printed pages a day, that is such a small amount in comparison to what mass production printers can do today.  

         Another thing that I really paid attention to in the book was Benjamin Franklin's illustration, "Join, or Die."  His drawing depicts a snake seperated into 8 pieces, each labeled a different colony.  He was trying to state that all of the colonies need to united to seperate from Great Britain.  I feel that Benjamin Franklin was able to show his opinions in very clever ways that made his work popular.  He was a very vital role in the seperation of the colonies from Great Britain.