Journal Posting #11. The Perplexing Motivations of Segregation

After reading Pauline E. Hopkin's "As the Lord Lives, He is One of our Mother's Children" and Claude McKay's poems, I still feel a sense of numbness and disbelief over how specific, grim and detailed these authors' writings were. Yes, historically this event, where segregation and discrimination was so brutally common, is something that must not be "sugar coated" or kept secret of its horrific details. However, while reading Hopkin's story, I felt uneasy and in shock. For a crowd of people to be encouraged by a stranger into killing someone seems wrong and unbearable! I cannot grasp the motivation that people got to kill someone, particularly an African American. Motivational words such as "I will lead you. On to the prison and lynch Jones and Wilson," or "I have come today to assist you in teaching the blacks a lesson," seem unreasonable and incomprehensible to me (p.245). To gain such an adrenaline rush and eagerness to kill because of a stranger's willingness to kill cannot be understood for me. Perhaps this is because of the generation time that I am living in. Perhaps if I was a youth in that time, I too would have "danced round the dreadful thing in fiendish glee," being one of those "little lads, lynchers that were to be" (p.708). McKay's poem "The Lynching," goes into such detail of how people embraced the deaths of African Americans. Women would look, but "never a one showed sorrow," as the man died in the "cruelest way of pain" (p.707-708). I do not feel like I will ever be able to understand people's intentions, beliefs towards killing a different race, and motivation to do so, especially during those times of ultimate segregation.

Journal Posting #10. Aha! Struck by Realization

In both "The Wife of his Youth" and "Learning to Read" create a moment, so unexpected, in which the reader feels enlightened, reaching that moment of complete understanding mixed with emotions and ponderous thoughts. That Aha Moment. Everyone has experienced it, yet people never take the time to identify the process of such a surprising realization. Although I felt more of a surprising and unforgettable moment in Charles Chesnutt's "The Wife of his Youth," both stories easily created that moment. During "The Wife of his Youth," the story makes you believe that the main character will marry the young, affectionate, attractive and lustful woman whom he hardly knows but deeply admires. Throughout the story it is depicted that Mr. Ryder is older with experience, though still desires the young hearted beauty. Even when the older woman in search of her husband came into the story, I never imagined that Mr. Ryder was the husband that she had been in pursuit of for twenty five years. Such dedication and admiration portrays true love, in which Mr. Ryder discovers at the end of the story. Although he was supposed to ask for the young beauty's hand at the Ball, his Aha moment struck him, where true love lasted over lustful desire. For me, the Aha moment didn't occur until the last moment, where Mr. Ryder states "Permit me to introduce you to the wife of my youth." Such a strong statement and perfect way to end the story. Simplistic yet realistic, the statement brings about an Aha moment for the reader. By ending the story this way, the reader, after being struck by this moment, is able to contemplate on the rest of the story and the process of unexpectedness leading up to it. I admit that I spent the next five minutes after rereading the story to find hidden messages that I had missed the first time. Little clues are placed into the story to lead the reader one way in hopes of that Aha moment occurring. Within Frances Ellen Walker Harper's poem, "Learning to Read," the knowledge I had prior to reading gave me the conclusion that she would never learn how to read simply because slaves were not taught how or allowed to learn. Similarly, it was not until the last stanza where I felt emotionally satisfied to hear that she states that she "never stopped till [she] could read/ the hymns and Testament," emphasizing her hard work and dedication to overcome the "unthinkable." With both stories illustrating dedication, admiration and accomplishment, the Aha moment for the reader not only brought about a new way of interpreting the story, but also allowed the reader to be filled with emotional recognition and realization.

Journal Posting #9. A Woman's "Bible"

After reading the introduction, the first recognition and connection that came to my mind was how the magazine industry attracted primarily women's attention. Even during the late 1880s, "advertisements for women's clothing and accessories... fashion, housekeeping, medicine, politics" were common articles depicted in magazines (p.28). It is amazing how magazines know how to lure women into buying them, reading them, and believing the information they advertise. Even today, I wait in line to check out and find numerous magazines ranging from good housekeeping tips, food recipes, fitness workouts,  the latest fashion trends, and how to sexually appeal to society. With these mindsets being planted into women's heads during the 1800s, how can women today NOT fall for these "tips" and "secrets?" "the emergence of a series of magazines [were] specifically designed to appeal to [women's] interests and tastes" (p.27). Magazines represent the "ideal" woman; a sexually appealing, physically fit, healthy homemaker and impressive cook; all characteristics that seem easy to obtain, but only if you buy the magazine. It is because of the magazine expectations that woman, who are supposed to be strong, courageous, confident both inside and out, feel so insecure, unsure and unsatisfied with themselves or their body. Did women during the 1800s feel this way too? Perhaps this unrealistic perception only became an issue after photoshop and airbrushing were invented, which transform the already perfect "models" into even more unrealistic representable figures. These models, whom starve and suffer severe health issues, are the "models" that adolescent girls admire and wish to be. Why? Why would one dream of becoming skin and bones, suffering damage to their body, and yet still not being perfect to Magazine editors? Whether this unrealistic figure came about during society in the late 1800s or today, magazines have been able to persuade and lure the female species for centuries, and even still today, to believe in the unachievable.

Journal # 8. Response to Olivia Caridi