#8 Sui Sin Far - In the Land of the Free

Bila Lee
English 48B
January 30, 2009
Journal #8 Sui Sin Far

Quote
“After my son was born my mother fell sick and my wife nursed and cared for her; then my father, too, fell sick, and my wife also nursed and cared for him. For twenty moons my wife care for and nurse the old people, and when they die they bless her and my son, and I send for her to return to me” (Sui Sin Far 881).

Summary
The quote was extracted from the conversation between Hom Hing and the customs officers. I found this quote portrayed the central idea of the whole story because it precisely addressed to the maternal love of Lae Choo, whereas the reply of the officers reflected their indifference towards aliens. The story was a tearjerker one in the sense that it cruelly depicted how Lae Choo suffered when she gave birth to Little One, when Little One was held by the U.S. government, and when Little One did not recognize her at last.

Responses
Sui Sin Far, as her pseudonym suggests, was closely related to the Chinese culture. In fact, her mother was a Chinese but raised in England, and her father was a British businessman. As stated in Wikipedia, the couple met during a business trip in Shanghai (Wikipedia). Sui Sin Far was renowned for her courage to depict the sufferings of Chinese immigrants – our story “In the Land of the Free” is an eminent example to demonstrate the dark side of them.

Hom Hing and Lae Choo were attempting to build a sweet family: Hom Hing was making a fortune in the United States as a businessman, Lae Choo recently gave birth to Little One in China and they were supposed to reunite. However, all in a sudden, the happiness and hope were switched into sadness and tears because they could not provide official documents to prove the identity of Little One. The story disclosed the altruistic maternal love of Lae Choo and how the stubborn U.S. government endeavored to make the life of Chinese immigrants difficult. Lae Choo was a great mother who could sacrifice everything for her child – she suffered all the painfulness on her own, she nursed and cared her parents-in-law, and paid all her precious jewelries to the lawyer. All her sacrifices were converted into tears, tears for her beloved Little One. It was not difficult to imagine how desperate a woman felt when she was forced to depart from her biological children, and how despair when her child did not recognize her and bade, “Go ‘way, go ‘way!” (Sui Sin Far 886). Sui Sin Far skillfully to put Little One into the missionary school for 10 months, as 10 months were also the duration for a pregnancy. It deepened the wound of Lae Choo.

On another hand, the story also displayed both indifference and inefficiency of the U.S. government. The extracted quote touchingly described the situation of the Chinese family, but the customs officers coldly replied, “Very good. Nevertheless, we [have to] take your son,” (Sui Sin Far 881). It was also somehow corruptive to approve the paperwork for Little One because the young lawyer could solve the issue by some of his simple trick. Even today, I still suspect the U.S. government treats me as an alien to the country. Last September, I applied for a social security card for an on-campus employment; but I was frustrated to have notified that my birth date is shown as “01/01/1900” in the database, hence I was not allowed to apply for an official social security card until the issue was fixed (like the Little One story.) It took me three months to have that little problem fixed, and the worst was the officers in the Social Security Department were ignorant, like the customs officers in the story.

#7 Abraham Cahan - The Special One

Bila Lee
English 48B
January 29, 2009
Journal #7 Abraham Cahan

Quote
“But what was to be done with father’s opposition? Asriel Stroon had never been the man to yield, and now that he grew more devout every day, her case seemed hopeless. But then Flora was her father’s daughter, and when she took a resolve she could not imagine herself otherwise than carrying it out, sooner or later” (Cahan 765).

Summary
The quote was found in the renowned story, “The Imported Bridegroom.” It was narrated by Flora the protagonist to express the limitation to realize her Americanized dream. She was raised in an affluent yet traditional family. Her father desired a “God-fearing business man and no fellow deep in Gentile lore and shaving his beard” (Cahan 764) as the groom; however Flora had a burning desire to marry a Jewish doctor. It was absolutely ambivalent for Flora to satisfy her father or to satisfy herself.












Responses
Flora was raised in a wealthy family, which differentiated her from ordinary Jewish girls. For example, she read fictions that were written by some literary giants whereas other girls read some “cheap reprints of popular books” (Cahan 764). Flora’s home was also comparatively luxurious. The setting was skillfully depicted to demonstrate how Flora was different from her peers, and hence left a foreshadowing to her unique Americanized dream. She was special because she wanted to break the norm to marry a doctor; she was indifferent to common customs and desired such an uncommon match. However, her successful father was the biggest obstacle to her rebellion.

Being an only child always has unlimited privileges; but he/she was also always put excessive expectation and pressures by his/her parents. For example, an ideal groom was designated by Arisel and Flora was highly expected to marry the ideal Mr. Right; another example was the anniversary of her grandfather’s death. Flora expressed a sense of impatience to the procedure in English, instead of her native Yiddish. She further persuaded her father not to sing the traditional songs – though the suggestion was out of a health concern, it reflected Flora’s indifference to some deadly traditions. In fact, her preference to speak in English was a sign to indicate she placed an Americanized living style at a higher position. She was like the “Hester Street” video clip we watched that both the characters and Flora behaved in an Americanized way – spoke in an Americanized style, and shouted “Welcome to America” (Youtube) as if they were the representatives of the United States. They behaved in such a way to show they had assimilated to the American mainstream.

As for Flora, it was an opportunity cost issue to choose to be either a special one or an obedient sheep. To be a special one, she would be considered a rebellist but at risk of being exiled by her wealthy father that she had to sacrifice her current materialistic life. In the ancient Chinese history, some emperors also experienced the dilemma to pick either the throne or a beautiful woman – as economics concept suggests that limited resources cannot completely fulfill humans’ unlimited desires.

At last, Flora chose to be a special one simply because she valued the Americanized dream at a higher position.

#6 Zitkala Sa - Big Red Apples...Big Uncle Sam

Bila Lee
English 48B
January 23, 2009
Journal #6 Zitkala Sa

Quote
“Don’t believe a word they say. Their words are sweet, but, my child, their deeds are bitter. You will cry for me, but they will not even soothe you. Stay with me, my little one! Your brother Dawee says that going East, away from your mother, is too hard an experience for his baby sister” (Zitkala Sa 1112).

Summary
The quote was found in the chapter, “VII. The Big Red Apples,” in the autobiography titled, “Impressions of an Indian Childhood.” Zitkala Sa’s mother expressed her motherly love towards Zitkala by telling her how bad the palefaces were. Influenced by the great stories told by her best friend Judewin, Zitkala would like to explore herself to the East and see the city of Big Red Apples, and her opportunity arrived when the missionaries inquired if they could bring Zitkala. Zitkala was excited about the journey; but her mother, who possessed a richer life experience, was hesitated with reservations about the plan. She was afraid Zitkala would be hurt by the white people.

Responses
Wikipedia users describe young Zitkala Sa as a “free and innocent young girl” (Wikipedia). In her autobiography, “Impressions of an Indian Childhood”, it was literally a description of a loveable girl. For instance, she could force some elderly people to shared some legendary stories by saying, “Ask them to tell an Iktomi story, mother” (Zitkala Sa 1109), and the elderly were not hardhearted to turn her request down. It seemed like her mother would do everything to meet her wish. However, her mother was hesitated if she should unconditionally actualize her daughter’s dream to visit the East. Though the seriousness between story-telling in a dinner and an individual journey for a seven-year-old girl were distinctly different, I could see her mother’s hesitation and reservation were originated by her love to Zitkala.

In the beginning of the autobiography, Zitkala already depicted a foreshadowing to describe her mother’s poor impression against the paleface. “If the paleface does not take away from us the river we drink,” her mother told little Zitkala. It was strange for a mother-and-daughter conversation to go in such negative way, because I presume every mother would draw a peaceful, wonderful and beautiful picture about the world to their kids, as if they were the protagonists of a fairy tale. I am not doubting the reality of this conversation, but I think her mother was right in the sense that Zitkala did finally contribute a lot to her tribe by dealing with the bad paleface. In fact, her mother was like a fortune teller to address the white people to her girls. For example, the white interpreter answered Zitkala, “Yes, little girl, the nice red apples are for those who pick them; and you have a ride on the iron horse if you go with these good people” (Zitkala 1112). His sweet words were intentionally served to attract Zitkala and Zitkala did really cry for her mother because of her experience in the East.

As an international student, I experienced the feelings when I had to depart from my family. Though I left at an age much older than Zitkala, I also possessed a complicated feeling. On one hand, I was excited to explore myself to the American culture, I was also enthusiastic about my studies at Foothill College; but on another hand, I was reluctant to leave my home because I was not mentally ready to overcome those unexpected challenges on my own. Until now, I still don’t know how my parents felt two years ago – it was possible that they shared the same idea as Ziktala’s mother that they didn’t really want me to travel to the Big Uncle Sam.

#5 Sarah Winnemucca - The Passion of Thocmetony

Bila Lee
English 48B
January 22, 2009
Journal #5 Sarah Winnemucca

Quote
“I was once buried alive; but my second burial shall be for ever, where no father or mother will come and dig me up. It shall not be with throbbing heart that I shall listen for coming footsteps. I shall be in the sweet rest of peace, - I, the chieftain’s weary daughter” (Winnemucca 505).

Summary
The quote was narrated by Sarah Winnemucca when she was rescued by her parents. Sarah and her cousins were buried alive to protect themselves against the white people, whom Sarah’s grandfather loved so deeply. There was a weird story that the white people “were killing everybody and eating them” (Winnemucca 504), thus Sarah’s mother buried Sarah and her cousins as a means to avoid being killed and eaten. You can hardly imagine the time of being buried alive, but you can easily imagine how desperate Sarah felt when she was buried alive. Fortunately, her parents finally succeeded in digging her out of the living hell; however, the white people were undeniably “cruel children” (Winnemucca 503) and, to an extent, were sinful to hurt other mankind.

Responses
Sarah Winnemucca once made a comment, “I am a shell flower, who could be as strong or as beautiful as me” (Wikipedia). Well, it was subjective to judge if a person was beautiful or ugly, but her colorful life experience and fruitful resume were two strong evident to demonstrate her strengths and contributions to American Indians. In her renowned autobiography, “Life among the Piutes,” Sarah described her childhood and shared some traditional stories of her people. Although I am not a Christian, I had studied in Christian schools for more than 10 years in Hong Kong, and I found those traditional stories (especially the “lost white brother”) shared some obvious similarities with the biblical stories.

“In the beginning of the world there were only four, two girls and two boys” (Winnemucca 503) was like the story of Adam, Eva and the Garden of Eden. In the beginning of the world, the God created a girl and a boy, and he loved both Adam and Eva so deeply that he provided almost everything to them. Adam and Eva were supposed living happily in such a paradise. However everything changed when they failed to refuse temptation offered by the snake and ate the apples – it was a sin and resulted in a huge punishment. Similarly, the white couple and the black couple in the “lost white brother” story also failed to refuse the temptation to dominate over each other, they fought and physically hurt their mates. Finally, they received a punishment from Sarah’s grandfather to “depart from each other” and they were titled as “cruel children” (Winnemucca 503) because of their sins.

Furthermore, I interpret Sarah’s narration “I was once buried alive; but my second burial shall be for ever” (Winnemucca 505) as a sacrifice to redeem the sins of her white fellows. It sounded like Jesus Christ who sacrificed himself on a cross to redeem the sins of all mankind. Being buried alive was absolutely a torture to a human – no light but only darkness, no food but only starvation, no water but only dehydration, and it was a complete hopeless environment that Sarah and her cousins did not know what the real world was like and how they would be treated. “I was once buried alive” implied she hoped her suffering would bring changes to American Indians; and “but my second burial shall be for ever” implied she would eternally die if she was threatened by the white people again.

Sarah dreamed her “sacrifice”, or her passion, might bring some returns to her people.

#4 W.E.B. Du Bois - Same Brotherly Root

Bila Lee
English 48B
January 16, 2009
Journal #4 W.E.B. Du Bois

Quote
“Among his own people, however, Mr. Washington has encountered the strongest and most lasting opposition, amounting at times to bitterness, and even today continuing strong and insistent even though largely silenced in outward expression by the public opinion of the nation” (Du Bois 903).

Summary
The quote was narrated by W.E.B. Du Bois to voice his opposite viewpoint against Booker T. Washington. After his inspiring speech at the Atlantic Exposition, Washington gained massive popularity for his role as “a compromiser between the South, the North, and the Negro” (Du Bois 905). He was the most popular colored person, perhaps also the most controversial American, in the early 1900s. However, Du Bois did not share the same idea with Washington in several areas like civil rights and education. As a result, Du Bois decided to voice his personal opinions in “The Soul of Black Folk.”

Responses
In his compilation titled, “The Souls of Black Folk,” W.E.B. Du Bois criticized the over-praising on Booker T. Washington. Du Bois pointed a finger at Washington for his surrender on racial respect, and stated clearly that his fame in the black community was a false impression since the colored fellows were brainwashed by the overwhelming media. In fact, the diametrical opposition between the two wise men was depicted by Dudley Randall’s poem titled, “Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois.” In the poem, Randall ironically repeated “’It seems to me,’ said Booker T.” and “’I don’t agree,’ said W.E.B.” (Randall). It was unbelievably true that Du Bois attempted to overthrow all the successes which Washington had achieved.

Du Bois blamed Washington as if Washington admitted the civil inferiority for the Negro as a compromise. For example, Du Bois believed the best way to upgrade colored people was through high education (I guess he referred to legal studies or any branch that is more academical), instead of industrial education. He might think industrial education did not help improving the social status of the Negro but improving their technical skills to work as slaves. In addition, Du Bois also believed all mankind should possess the rights to vote, and to celebrate an equal political power. He named aplenty authorities to support voting rights and political power are two universal wishes among the colored community, and indirectly demonstrated his disappointment against Booker Washington who did nothing to realize the dream of his race.

To me, the dispute between them was both remarkable and miserable. It was remarkable in the sense that both intelligent scholars had unquestioned contributions to the race movement. Washington was the one who represented the colored group to negotiate with the whites and gained a huge respect; likewise, Du Bois was the first one who broke the innate obstacle to obtain a doctoral degree at one of the finest universities in the world. The purpose of their debate was undoubtedly to improve the living conditions of the Negro. However, I was deeply aspired when we concluded the situation as, “it sound like some Democratic politicians are attacking Barack Obama.” The mini civil war forced me to recall a famous Chinese History story in the history of Three Kingdoms: “the poem in seven steps.” The elder brother (let’s call him Cao Pei) was ambitious to be the Emperor while the little brother (let’s call him Cao Chik) was indulged in Literature with no political ambition. However, Pei still decided to kill Chik to protect himself and ready to kill Chik unless he composed a quality poem in seven steps. Chik composed the following famous poem, “We are sprouted from the same brotherly root, why are you so eagerly harming me?” (Apologize for my poor translation lol)

#3 Booker T. Washington - Never Judge A Book By Its Cover

Bila Lee
English 48B
January 15, 2009
Journal #3 Booker T. Washington

Quote
“I used to envy the white boy who had no obstacles placed in the way of his becoming a Congressman, Governor, Bishop, or President by reason of the accident of his birth or race” (Washington 679).

Summary
The quote was narrated by Booker T. Washington in his autobiography titled, “From Up from Slavery” (Note: Chapter II). In the Civil War period, colored people were slaves for the privileged whites, and this injustice phenomenon was observed until Lincoln freed the slaves. Thereafter, Booker T. Washington received proper education and contributed a lot to the African American society in terms of inspiring speeches and altruistic commitment. He was considered the most influential figure of race relations in the United States (Baym 663) in his time; however, he could not deny the fact that colored people were still facing numerous obstacles, solely because of their genes.

Responses
Booker T. Washington, in his inspiring autography, “From Up from Slavery,” completely disclosed how colored people were mentally tortured during the Civil War period. They worked to serve the whites at the expense of their [the colored people] normal lives. For example, Washington’s stepfather was at home only once a year; and later when the family moved to Malden, he did not allow Booker Washington to attend regular day school because the stepfather “could not spare [Booker] from work” (Washington 676). Little talented Washington failed to hide his disappointment that his mother arranged a night schedule for him to receive education – and I think the moving the clock hands incident was interesting enough to display his eagerness to learn and his daring combined with superior judgment.

In fact, Washington had devoted his life to education. As stated in Wikipedia, “Washington believed that education was a crucial key to African American citizens rising within the social and economic structure of the United States” (Wikipedia), thus he made every endeavor to nurture the next generation as a teacher, and build Tuskegee Institute as the Principal. He dreamed to supply the best educational resources to colored people to equip their knowledge, to create their civil mind and to equalize them to the privileged whites. Booker Washington was literally a hero to the black society – not only did his speech delivered in the Atlantic Exposition energize the Negro but also impress the whites, the power elites and two American Presidents. Nevertheless, how many colored people could achieve what Mr. Booker T. Washington had accomplished?

According to our text, the public as well as the media seemed to be deeply inspired by Washington; but, ironically, the Jim Crow Day, the Civil Rights movement and segregation schools were still existed in the American History. The whites turned a deaf ear, or simply in one ear and out the other, to Washington’s appeal basically because they were uncivilized and shallow that they judged a book simply by its cover.

Fortunately, the colored glasses against colored people are gradually torn off today. In fact, more and more black people are playing an influential role in our society – some are successful billionaires, popular pop stars, energetic athletes, wise Congressmen or Governors, mighty Bishops...and one of them will be Mr. President next Tuesday!

I think the contributions of all colored people suffered in the old days, Booker T. Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., and not to mention Barack Obama are equally important to create a new page for human history.

#2 Charlotte Perkins Gilman - Pride and Prejudice

Bila Lee
English 48B
January 9, 2009
Journal #2 Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Quote
“John is a physician, and perhaps – (I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind) – perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster” (Gilman 808).

Summary
The quote was a narration found in the beginning of “The Yellow Wall-paper.” The narrator, whose name was not known, suffered from a nervous depression. Her husband John and her brother were both physicians, and they recommended the best prescription to deal with the disorder was an isolation from the outer world – no writing, no thinking and no friends. As a professional writer with strong “imaginative power and habit of story-making” (Gilman 811), it is quite a mission impossible for the narrator not to think. The initiative to stay in the haunted house worsened her condition, and she did not dare to express her mind to John. Therefore the narrator complaint her husband was one of the biggest obstacles for her recovery.

Responses
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, in her controversial short story, “The Yellow Wall-paper,” depicts the emotional fluctuation of a lady who got a nervous depression in form of journals. Gilman uses first-person narration to describe both the fluctuation and frustration of the protagonist, which serves to create a better understanding of the story. For example, we knew the relationship between the couple was flawed, “John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage” (Gilman 808). It ironically illustrated the fact that the narrator was scared of her husband, and on another hand, as stated in Wikipedia, John did not trust his wife by “treating her like a powerless patient” (Wikipedia). Through reading the narrator’s personal journals, we could easily address her eagerness and hunger of critical thinking, and foreshadowed the imagination of creeping women.

Having a physician husband and a physician brother is supposedly a privilege because mutually trust and reliability are essential to both doctor and patient. The narrator disliked her bedroom with awkward yellow wall-paper and disgusting yellow smell, and her request to move to another room was unexplainably rejected. Readers realize it was John’s intension to keep track of his wife, but the poor narrator might interpret in an alternative way that her husband wanted to control everything, which could worsen her health condition. Yes, John and other physicians intended to control the narrator by prohibiting her from doing whatever she desired to do, from meeting whoever she desired to meet – what the narrator should do was to obey as if she were a robot.

It was literally a real life Pride and Prejudice between the couple. John was somehow arrogant because of his highly standard occupation; he believed his professional knowledge was the only solution to cure the temporary nervous depression, or in his diagnosis, “a slight hysterical tendency” (Gilman 808). On the other hand, the narrator possessed a prejudice attitude towards her husband; she disagreed with John and his methodology and did not agree rest cure would work. She even believed “John is a physician, and perhaps – (I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind) – perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster” (Gilman 808).

I had a similar experience in junior high school. I was nervous in Biology class because I was afraid of my Biology teacher. He was talented and energetic, and most students were fond of him. Nevertheless, he once commented my weaknesses after a test that made me feel ashamed – since then, I did not do well in his class because a sense of pride and prejudice existed between us.

#1 Ambrose Bierce - The Last Thought

Bila Lee
English 48B
January 8, 2009
Journal #1 Ambrose Bierce

Quote
“If I could free my hands,” he thought, “I might throw off the noose and spring into the stream. By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home. My home, thank God, is as yet outside their lines; my wife and little ones are still beyond the invader’s farthest advance” (Bierce 361).

Summary
The quote was narrated by Peyton Farquhar, an ordinary planter who was being executed. It is a worth-researchable issue to study the emotion fluctuation of those condemned criminals who are going to die in a minute – Final reflection and evaluation of his/her life? Regret for what he/she committed? Or simply waiting for the last breath? Peyton Farquhar chose to employ his imagination to escape from dying, and to self-entertain by inserting a supernatural power to himself. In fact, Farquhar knew he could not twist his fate and would certainly die, and hence cannot refrain from thinking his beloved wife and children.

Responses
Ambrose Bierce, in his famous short story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” skillfully divided the story into three parts, in which some obscure details were gradually disclosed. For instance, the opening created a formal and disciplined image that I supposed Farquhar was a dangerous, military criminal; and later Bierce told us that Farquhar was an ordinary planter which left a big question mark – what’s wrong with this civilian? Bierce spent the entire Part II to explain why Farquhar was arrested and executed, oh, he was an innocent victim who was trapped by a Northern soldier during the Civil War. Like eNotes says, “Bierce leads the reader to believe that the rope breaks and that Farquhar falls into the water below, only to escape to his farm, where he is reunited with his wife,” my impression towards Peyton Farquhar was indeed changed – from I thought he deserved the death sentence to I hoped he could successfully escape.

Death is inevitably the final stage of any mankind; attitudes towards death vary from person to person. Some people choose to sacrifice themselves to benefit others or the society whereas some choose to commit suicide when they cannot overcome a small obstacle. In the story, Peyton Farquhar was sentenced to death, in which he was expected to die pretty soon. In his last thought, he vividly imagined a supernatural escape plan to overthrow his fate, regardless of its slim success rate. He successfully employed his creativity, imagination and a sense of humor to entertain himself.

Honestly, I admire his calm shortly before the execution. Let me illustrate two personal examples to strengthen my appreciation. I view myself as a brave boy who like tackling challenges and difficulties; nevertheless I am always unnaturally silent and behave awkwardly when I am in an amusement park (especially when we line up for a roller coaster.) In fact, I am not scared of any rides but it is my mind coordinates myself not to think too much. I choose to calm myself down through complete silence and absolute concentration. Another secret of mine is that I dislike flight trip, especially after the 9-11 tragedy. I am nervous to travel by airplane because of terrorism and unexpected accidents. Seriously, I always suspect there are some terrorists in the plane, in which they would pick me as hostage and chop my head off. Sadly, as an International student from Hong Kong, I have to take at least two flights every year, and my strategy to calm myself down is also by not thinking.

To be honest, it is very difficult to think, to imagine and to react before an exciting action. But Peyton Farquhar could still have the above quotation as his last thought.