Sui Sin Far Posting

Rich Hoggan
Sui Sin Far Posting
01-27-11

Sui Sin Far, was a writer who used realism to demonstrate the strife faced by many Chinese as they immigrated to the United States. Taken from her introduction "'Mrs. Spring Fragrance' was first published in Hampton's Magazine in January 1910. In 1912 it became the title story for the only book Sui Sin Far published. The thirty-seven stories, articles, and sketches brought together in this volume provide a clear sense of Sui Sin Far's commitment to expose the racial, political, social, and economic abuses ordinary Chinese immigrants experienced in late-ninetheenth-century America" (879). While reading her story this week, it was hard to put a finger on the prejudice and racism occurring during the story. It was possible that the white lawyer was bribing them instead of just doing his job but it's also possible that the government as a whole was making it harder for the Chinese.

It's quite clear that for the longest time, these kinds of actions have taken place in the land of the free as Far points out in her short story. The way she wrote, is similar to how other authors wrote about such issues including Washington, Du Bois, Winnemucca, and Sa. In each of their stories we see a vivid interpretation of the abuses taken place all around them. Taken from her profile page on enotes.com, the authors write "Far's subtly ironic narrative perspective has led critic Annette White-Parks to identify her as a 'trickster' figure, who shrewdly adopts a 'double voice' in her narratives in order to challenge accepted notions of race and gender. The realism of Far's fiction has been praised for its vivid, detailed descriptions of everyday life in the turn-of-the-century Chinatowns of urban United States and Canada" (enotes.com - Sui Sin Far).

Taking all this into account, the real culprit in her short story is not the white people but time itself. For it was time that caused Lae Choo to wait for her child to come home, time when dealing with the government, and time when waiting on the lawyer to finish the job and get their her son back. It's hard to say if this was an abuse by the United States government or the law of the land when it comes to understanding why the child can't enter. Or is there more to the story? Is it possible Far is hinting on the idea of immigration rights? Even so, the rules and regulations put into place are there for a reason. America is a nation that speaks to the minds and hearts of all oppressed people around the world as being a refuge. It's the place where everyone wishes to come to start their pursuit of the "American dream." But while America is like no other country not he world stage -- unique in its own right -- it's a country none the less. We can't forego rules and regulations for the sake of wanting to live here.

As we bring Far's legacy of writing into current times, there is no denying that something needs to be done with regard to immigration rights. It's necessary that we take into considering the writings of Far and other authors as they speak to the wrongdoings of our past. It's also necessary that we as a nation protect those who come here through legal means as they attempt to begin their "American dream." To take one last look at Far's work, if that means having to amend the documentation of Hom Hing and Lae Choo than that's the protection required of a couple who came to America to live a better life.

Emma Lazarus Posting

Rich Hoggan
01-25-11
Emma Lazarus Posting

In the introduction to Emma Lazarus, the editors write "In hailing the female figure as the "Mother of Exiles," Lazarus brilliantly, merely by her words, redefined the "mighty woman with a torch" into the national welcomer of "huddled masses" seeking refuge. Building on her own knowledge of immigrants arriving in the bay, she deflected the significance of the statue away from the past and toward the future" (517). This quote demonstrates the interoperation of Lazarus' views of American freedom and liberty. Interestingly enough she focuses on the idea of the Statue of Liberty lighting the way toward the future not lighting the memory of our past -- both as a country and as a people. But all that said, it's the past that defines us -- especially when talking about America as a whole. We are the United States of America, the land of freedom, the only land in possession of two pieces of paper that defy and deny all who try to oppress us. We must not forget our past as we forge our future.

Lazarus might have been rubbing elbows with the literary giants of the time, but she still understood the significance of the Statue of Liberty -- probably better than any of us. She understood that immigrants would pour into this land and would seek to make futures here. She understood that the Statute of Liberty signifies the future -- the future of freedom, the ending of oppression. It's only fitting that the base of the statue, the point at which all the weight of the top is centered, be adorned with words that signify it's standing and it's signaling to the world that we are here to stay.

A quote from the Jewish Women's Archive states "Emma Lazarus' famous lines caught our national imagination and continue to inspire the way we think about freedom and exile today" (JWA - Lazarus). But while she fortified the significance of a symbolic piece of American history and culture, she was also an avid and outspoken person on the the anti-Semitism that was plaguing Europe at the time. Also from the Jewish Women's Archive we read "In secular magazines she railed against international anti-Semitism as well as the false stenotypes that fostered dangerous prejudice against Jews everywhere - even in America" (JWA - Lazarus). If it wasn't bad enough to be a woman living in America at the time, she was a Jewish woman living in America. As such, Lazarus spoke out against such attitudes both in America but also around the world and as it should be. I understand why she chose to "remodel" the Statue of Liberty as she did. Her understanding of America and what America means not the world stage is what allowed her to create a beacon of hope for those facing the strife of prejudice both in Europe but unfortunately here in America as well.

Lazarus was also outspoken when it came to the creation of a Jewish homeland. As such, she was a major playing in the Zionist movement. Her work as spawned numerous movements today as we still struggle with the issue of immigration rights. And while this is a topic that leads to tensions on both sides of the coin, we can only look to her words that are affixed to the base of the Statue of Liberty and try to remember that a beacon of light and hope shines in the port of New York as a reminder of our past but also a reminder of our future.

W.E.B. Du Bois Posting

Rich Hoggan
English 48B
Du Bois Blog Posting
01-13-11

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was not born into slavery but Du Bois was born in a time when racism was still rampant. Du Bois first experience such racism while in school when the kids were exchanging what we now know of as post cards and one girl wouldn't accept his. This event in Du Bois' life was not one of moral defeat but of an eye opening experience -- his realization that he was different. Du Bois would later go on to study at Fisk and Harvard Universities. Du Bois' ability to go to school is a far cry from Washington's and it goes to show that the times radically changed from when Washington was growing up to Du Bois' childhood. It's feels as though it's unfair to compare Washington with himself as Du Bois did because Washington was born into slavery, Washington growing up didn't have much choice.

A quote that I found interesting in text was "One ever feels his two-ness, -- an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder" (896). Why would there be a need to feel "two-ness?" Why does one's past and one's present have to remain separate, it should be the past that defines the future. The fact that Du Bois is making a connection to his heritage as much as he is making a connection to being an American demonstrates that they should be one and not two. Continuing through the quote, Du Bois now assumes that there are two separate ideals attempting to remain pronounced. It seems as though such ideals are both so radical that for them to come out would be destruction as we know it -- a break in the space-time continuum. Further considering his quote, it's important to note that it almost seems as through Du Bois is referring to his own ideals and Washington's ideals. He is saying we have one set of principles which seems to work but doesn't go far enough, yet we have another set of ideals which goes all the way, which goes back to the roots of who Washington and Du Bois really are.

Coming from his page on Wikipedia, "Du Bois thought blacks should seek higher education, preferably liberal arts. He also believed blacks should challenge and question whites on all grounds" (W.E.B. Du Bois - Wikipedia). Such a quote demonstrates how opposite Washington's and Du Bois' thinking really was. Washington made it clear that you should think of where you are right now, look at what's around you so you don't miss anything while Du Bois is attempting to raise fellow African Americans to higher levels. While it's the American dream of a higher education and what should be a right, Washington was trying to build a solid foundation of hard work. Washington was also about working together to create a solution to the problems being faced such that better economic prosperity might be in store for a lack of rights. Du Bois on the other hand didn't accept such thinking and called for the questioning and challenging of such thinking. Washington attempted to lead in a way that was less obtrusive and less about gaining rights. Such leadership constantly came under fire by Du Bois through out his text The Souls Of Black Folk -- criticism misplaced and lost in context. To sum up, it's understandable and obvious that one does not want to go without civil rights and equality but it's the times that dictates what negotiations will create the outcome(s) desired.

Booker T. Washington Post

Rich Hoggan
English 48B
Booker T. Washington Post
01-11-10

Online Journal
Washington Entry

Booker T. Washington can be considered one of the first advocates for civil rights. A quote from the reading confirms such thoughts by stating "Between the last decade of the nineteenth century and the beginning of World War I, no one exercised more influence over race relations in the United States than did Booker Taliaferro Washington…" (663). He was born into slavery and grew up a child with no education and only a longing to be educated. You could argue that it was his tenacity that got him to where he was -- a spirit of hard work and dedication by which he could grow to be judged by, not by color. Washington wasn't someone who made a call to arms in order to pry his freedom from white society but said "I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed" (679). This quote makes an important point that it's about what accomplish in our lives that is judge-worthy. He continues in saying "No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem. Is is at the bottom of life we must begin, and not at the top" (681).

Washington didn't really have much in the way of hatred from what he had experienced the majority of his childhood. There was no way he could blame society for the institutions that ended up becoming what is now a vivid part of our national history. He writes "No one section of our country was wholly responsible for its introductions[slavery], and, besides, it was recognized and protected for years by the General Government" (671). But Washington's outlook on society in his later years can be attributed to his upbringing by his mother. His mother was a woman who was hard working and provided for her children. A cook back at the plantation, she did what she had to in order for her children to eat. The same mentality was held as Washington wanted to start reading, as she got him a spelling book with no questions asked. Another example was when she made a cap for him to wear to school because she didn't have the money to buy one from the store.

In a quote from his Wikipedia page, Washington met with friction as "Late in his career, Washington was criticized by leaders of the NAACP, a civil rights organization formed in 1909. W. E. B. Du Bois advocated activism to achieve civil rights. He labeled Washington "the Great Accommodator". Washington's response was that confrontation could lead to disaster for the outnumbered blacks. He believed that cooperation with supportive whites was the only way in the long run to overcome racism" (Booker T. Washington - Wikipedia). Washington's response to W.E.B Du Bois was appropriate for we can not expect to see results confrontation confrontation. Du Bois could be looked at as the opposite of Washington because he felt more action was necessary to obtain civil rights rather than working with those who were supportive of the cause. Fast forward to the civl rights era and marches and activism was rampant but how far off was Washington in attempting to come to some compromise with those willing to listen if it meant better income and possibly jobs, jobs with which to pay for an education.

As there were a great number of influential advocates for civil rights from Washington all the way to Martin Luther King Jr., Washington can still be considered someone who didn't fan the flames of hatred but attempted to "Cast down [his] bucket where [he] [was]" (680).

Ambrose Bierce Post

Rich Hoggan
Ambrose Pierce Blog Posting
01-08-11

While reading Ambrose Bierce's short story, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, the follow quote caught my attention. "No service was too humble for him to perform in aid of the South, no adventure too perilous for him to undertake if consistent with the character of a civilian who was at heart a soldier, and who in good faith and without too much qualification assented to at least a part of the frankly villainous dictum that all is fair in love and war" (362). We for the most part consider eros or love to be one of the strongest of emotions that defines us. But there is another emotion that defines us -- service to our country. While it could also be argued that service in such respects is not an emotion by definition, it's an emotional experience. Yet at the same time, while we might not all be soldiers, we still feel it in our hearts to make such sacrifices willingly, no matter what the costs might be.

To take the concept deeper, the ending of the quote offers up more information as to the argument being made. Bierce writes "…that all is fair in love and war" (362). The interpretation I make from this quote is that of showing the length to which we go when in love, whether to the person we love or to our country. Unfortunately we can't escape the fact that this short story was written during a time when realism was a literary expression. That said, another interpretation I take from the ending of this quote is that perils exist in love. These perils can come in many forms but in the story, the main character was overtaken by a mis-leading love and it was this mis-leading love that ultimately did him in.

Bierce has a way of making the reader believe in the main character but at the same time, Bierce is well capable of taking the reader on a roller coaster ride. Looking at the overall structure of the story, Bierce creates quite a few of these twists and turns in that we are lead to believe that the main character faces a different outcome only to realize our original thoughts turned out to be true. A quote that I found on a website lends insight into why Bierce has such an abrasive writing style. The quote reads, "What he saw and experienced in the war had the most profound effect on Bierce. In addition to the harsh realities of war, Bierce's engagement to childhood sweetheart Bernice ("Fatima") Wright was broken off during the war, adding to his disillusionment. All his experiences in the war are commonly seen as the source of his cynical realism" (www.biercephile.com - The Life of Bierce). Considering this quote, it's almost as though we are taken on the same journey Bierce went on through out his life when reading this story by the very nature of the twists and turns faced by the main character. He gives us the "low hanging fruit" in the form of a potentially different ending but then he forces us to realize that we have to live with the ending prescribed in the initial establishing of the story.

Lastly it's important that we remember that while there might be an overarching genre attached to these literary works, it's the author's own personal experiences that adds a sense of realism that gives us the ability to see the character through to the end and to examine our own lives as we examine the lives the characters.