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

Journal #7. Sensational Motivation

Poems involve symbolic meaning in each and every word. The imagery is deep, emotional, and motivational. Our Writing about Literature states that the best way to depict the meaning is to appeal "directly to the senses," such as sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell (p. 83). Within every poem, every image within the poem, there is meaning and depth. Both John Whittier's "The Farewell of a Virginia Slave Mother to her Daughters sold into Southern Bondage" and Frances Harper's "The Slave Mother" have such vivid and similar imagery, portraying the hardship that mothers had to face during slavery. Even today, losing a child has been said to be the more difficult experience to grieve, with the idea that parents are supposed to outlive their children. In a way, these mothers during slavery lost their children and had to grieve in similar ways as if their child died. Loss does not have to be interpreted as physical death, but also in more symbolic manners, such as losing a child to slavery. The thought of never seeing your child again is mind boggling and almost unimaginable, however, mothers in slavery dealt with these emotional experiences every day. These two poets emphasized the imagery of the experiences in order to make a statement. By creating such imagery and depth within the poems, the authors were able to persuade their reader, whether it be wealthier women grasping the sympathetic and emotional aspect of the poems, or abolitionists, interpreting the hardship and despair these mothers felt towards slavery. Within Whittier's poem, he portrays the sympathetic resentment that the mothers felt after losing their children to slavery, stating that "there no mother's eye is near them/there no mother's ear can hear them" (p. 1222). Later he uses imagery to describe the awful circumstances in which these children must bear alone, with "slave-whip ceaseless swings/noisome insect stings," "sunbeams glare/through the hot and misty air," all while the "fever demon strews," watching intensely over the slaves. In Harper's poem, "The Slave Mother," her imagery of her child not being hers, though her "blood is coursing through his veins" creates such a significant statement, in which children were not legally owned to their mothers in some states during slavery" (p. 1231). Other images like "a storm of agony," and "these bitter shrieks/disturb the listening air:/ she is a mother, and her heart/Is breaking in despair" further depict the emotions and disturbances these childless mothers grieved (p. 1232). Grieving a child is unimaginable and undefinable. However, with such vivid imagery, using sensations and emotions, these two poets were able to persuade their audiences in hopes of a transformation towards equality and reform.

Journal Posting #6. Give In or Stand Out

It seems today that women are perceived in equal power, respect, authority, and confidence that men are seen. This gender equality is so common and so typical in our generation's lifetime, it seems unthinkable to imagine a life of despair, struggle, and state of insignificance for women. In both stories, Jacobs and Child emphasize the enduring strength and commitment that particular women held during such demeaning times. Linda, in "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl," proves just how strong women are as she fights for her freedom and change, rather than submitting to endless abuse in slavery. Typically, women during slavery had no value, except to clean, work, and provide more slaves. Rape, as threatened to Linda in the story, seemed common and normal during those hardships. However, in today's time, sexual abuse is taken seriously and with the upmost punishment. Being discriminated and looked down upon as "sexual lust" rather than a worthy and valuable human being was emphasized in Jacob's story. Linda depicts a utopian desire in which "there is something akin to freedom in having a lover who has no control over you, except that which he gains by kindness and attachment," not the forced marriages, sexual abuse, and feeling of "property" that many women felt during slavery(p. 777). Freedom of not only self, but of choices of whom to love and be loved by is taken for granted in today's society. Linda was threatened after Dr. Flint discovered her love for a freed black man. Contrary to those times, today my parents embrace the idea of my independence, ability to choose a respectable man for myself, and the acceptance I hope they grant to my future husband. Trying to compare Linda's experiences to mine seems hardly incomparable in any circumstances. Similar to Jacob's story, Child's "The Quadroons" also depicts the courageous spirit of a young woman, attempting to make a change for herself. What both characters overcame were tremendous and courageous acts, even for today's time. Having that will power, admiration, and strength to fight for such beliefs from women seems like a common occurrence throughout our recent class lectures. Women have the ability to attain such strengths, though I feel it takes a certain independent and courageous type of female to resist society's norms and stand out. On a personal note, I feel Linda can be related to today's Lady Gaga; fierce and defiant with integrity, these two characters have firm beliefs and are willing to go against typical stereotypes to make a change. 

Journal Posting #5. A Distinct Theme

Themes help get the author's point across; to help establish the meaning behind their art of literature. Throughout history, primarily during the establishment of America and the colonies, Indians were discriminated and forced out of their homes in order for the colonists to build up the old "New World." William Apess and Lydia Sigourney both interpret the emotions and struggles the Native Americans felt by depicting similar themes in their literature. Apess uses his christian beliefs to portray his thematic advice, in which people who are devoted to Christ's words ("Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"), do not follow or take his teachings to heart. If we are to supposed love our neighbors as we want to be loved, how are discrimination, destruction, and desolation appropriate actions towards our neighbor Natives? By having such outward views, judging based on appearance instead of heart, love is impossible to truly understand and interpret. People can only comprehend love and its affects if they are able to look past appearances and value a person's worth and significance from within. Sigourney as well depicts, with intensity and sorrow, the Native scars in her poem "Indian Names." She uses such powerful words to impact the reader and portray the mark that colonization had on the Native Americans. Ending with the upmost meaningful comment, "Your mountains build their monument, Though ye destroy their dust," Sigourney poetically illustrates the quick disappearance of the people themselves, though their influential impact and significance to America are permanently left on the lands. Throughout both Apess and Sigourney's literature, they establish a theme so significant; that people can disrupt, destroy, and demean others, but the victim's past will always leave a memorable impact. Although there was discrimination towards the colonist's neighbors, the Native Americans' impact towards the foundations of America have and will always be recognized in this country.