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No Man’s Land of Oscar and Junior

A myriad of writers and artists unmasks the burdens of living between two cultures and being unable to fully identify with either one. In The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz unveils the hardships that coincide with identifying with being neither Dominican nor American but rather a sort of “no man’s land” existing in between the two. Diaz traces the development of Oscar Wao as he transforms from the stereotypical, suave Dominican boy into an aloof, somewhat dorky young adult. Diaz also, however, traces the development of his family’s structure in order to provide readers with a greater understanding of Dominican stereotypes. The narrator, Yunior, is the perfect representation of the stereotypical, masculine Dominican male. Oscar does not identify with this stereotype yet also does not fully identify with American stereotypes. Oscar is seemingly neither Dominican nor American but has rather created his own identity that exists in the land of J.R.R. Tolkien and Stephen King. Despite his own sense of identity, Oscar never stops wishing to meet the “guidelines” of a Dominican male. Thus, Diaz is demonstrating the burdens that society imposes on those that do not identify with any specific race.

In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, Sherman Alexie illustrates the burden of being unable to identify with being neither Native American nor white. Alexie traces the story of Junior when he leaves the reservation to attend a predominately white high school. Junior is treated with contempt by those on the reservation, solely because he does not meet stereotypical Indian characteristics. It isn’t until he leaves the reservation to attend the high school, Reardan, that he begins to feel connected to a group of people and thus realizes his true potential. Ironically, Junior does not identify with his own racial community but rather the community of Reardan. Thus, Alexie indicates that society should not segregate individuals on mere race or appearance, but rather on character. According to Christian P. Knoeller, “Alexie explores such delicate themes as social acceptance, tolerating difference, and even interracial romance with characteristic candor”(Knoeller 26). Alexie does this in order to emphasize one’s inability to fully fit into the predetermined guidelines of any single race. Like Oscar, Junior is too placed in somewhat of a “no man’s land”. Neither is capable of fully identifying with a single culture, resulting in a sense of solitude. Both Diaz and Alexie illustrate the burdens that result from unattainable “guidelines” of any race.

Work Cited

Christian, P. Knoeller, and Gail Zdilla. "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian." First Opinions, Second Reactions 1.2 (2008): 9.

Alexie, Sherman, and Ellen Forney. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown, 2007. Print.

Diaz, Junot. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. New York: Riverhead, 2007. Print.

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Alexie’s Expose on the Superficiality of Racial Segregation

Division between races is one of the most common forms of societal segregation. According to Michael Omni and Howard Winant, people have a tendency to claim they understand the concept of race because “that’s just the way it is”, however, when asked to explain the “significance of being black, white, brown, red or yellow, difficulties rapidly set in (Omi and Winant 4). In the novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, author Sherman Alexie illustrates the superficiality and illegitimacy of racial segregation.

In the novel, young Native American, Junior, begins to understand the superficiality of racial segregation when he attends a predominately white high school. On the reservation, Junior is bullied and treated as unimportant by all those in his tribe. At the predominately white high school, Reardan, Junior is nurtured with respect and love despite having a different ethnicity. Junior more closely identifies with those he meets at Reardan, thus his sense of segregation transitions from that of racial identity to that of character.

For Junior, the realization that racial segregation is a purely superficial concept serves as a major stepping-stone into adulthood. Thus the novel is a coming of age story for Junior. Alexie intentionally uses a coming of age story to encourage society as a whole to cross the threshold into eliminating racial segregation. Alexie uses the story of Junior as a symbol for society.

Although the concept of racial segregation is one that has been passed down through generations, Sherman Alexie encourages future generations to question its authenticity and transition into a society of cultural acceptance by tracing the development of a young Native American who realizes that racial segregation is purely superficial.

Work Cited

Omi, Michael, and Howard Winant. Racial formation in the United States. Routledge, 2014.

Alexie, Sherman, and Ellen Forney. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. New York: Little, Brown, 2007. Print.

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Fighting Stereotypes with Stereotypes in American Born Chinese and Fresh off the Boat

It is no secret that the media has historically contributed to the influence of racism throughout society. Within the last several years, however, society has utilized the media to condemn racism by exposing the absurdity of racial stereotypes. It allows for a new type of media that fosters acceptance by satirically attacking the stereotype with the stereotype itself.

In the graphic novel American Born Chinese, the adolescent character Jin, is embarrassed by his Chinese background. He is determined to shed his Chinese culture and become white. He manages to do so, however, is followed around by his “cousin”, Chin Kee, whose outlandish, stereotypical Chinese character serves as a symbol for Jin’s denial of his own cultural background. Author Gene Luen Yang uses Chin Kee to attack Chinese stereotypes. His absurd character hints at the ridiculousness of racism. It isn’t until Jin accepts his true self that Chin Kee can disappear.

The new television show “Fresh off the Boat” also dismantles the validity of Chinese stereotypes. In the show, white people treat a new Chinese family as being extremely foreign, despite only moving from Washington D.C. – not China. “Fresh off the Boat” utilizes reverse racism against white people by accentuating the redneck stereotype. In doing so, viewers are able to quickly recognize the absurdity of white stereotypes and thus understand the senselessness of Chinese stereotypes.

Srividya Ramasubramanian Calls the way American Born Chinese and “Fresh off the Boat” invalidate stereotypes the “Message-centered Approach to Stereotype Reduction” (Ramasubramanian 253). Rather than explicitly condemning racism, they use satire to illustrate its lack of legitimacy.

By attacking a stereotype with the stereotype itself, the media is able to reshape the influence of racism. Previously, the media fostered racism, however, by satirically removing its racist mask, the media is able to expose its illogicalness.

 Work Cited

Ramasubramanian, Srividya. "Media-based strategies to reduce racial stereotypes activated by news stories." Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 84.2 (2007): 249-264.

Yang, Gene Luen, and Lark Pien. American Born Chinese. New York: First Second, 2006. Print.

Fresh off the Boat. Kasdan, Jake. ABC. 2015. Television.

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The Unmasking Mask: Rize & Tupac

Typically, masks are viewed as a method to obscure an individual’s true identity. They are viewed as being fabricated depictions of one’s true identity. Masks, however, can actually be used as a tool to aid in exposing an individual’s authentic identity.

In the film “Rize”, children and young adults wear clown masks not as a way to hide their true identities, but as a way to portray a more individualistic identity. Because gangs were common in their society, the use of a clown mask allowed them to illustrate that they were not affiliated with any gang, but rather an entertainment group. This entertainment group gives them a sense of individualistic identity.

According to Karin Stanford, Tupac’s 26 tattoos are indications of “his immersion in hip hop culture” as well as his “deviation from the mores of mainstream society” (Stanford 15). Tupac fought against social injustice and fostered youth activism through his lyrics. His tattoos are symbols for his underlying platform. On his upper left arm is a tattoo of a panther head, representing his affiliation with and support of the Black Panthers. Across his chest read the words “THUG LIFE”. Although these words are typically associated with violent acts, Tupac asserts that his tattoo is an acronym for the words “The hate you give little infants, fuck everyone”, thus illustrating his contempt for child neglect. On his back, he has “Exodus 1831” tattooed. Many people assume this is a bible verse, however, in 1831 Nat Turner led a group of slaves in murdering their master and 55 other white people, thus catalyzing some of the biggest slave revolts in history. Tupac’s tattoos do not hinder his ability to divulge his true identity, but rather significantly aid him. Each represents an aspect of his individuality as well as his platform against social injustice.

Every day, we too use a type of mask to uncover our true identities. How we dress, speak, and act are all masks that allow each of us to portray our individualism. Masks are not merely methods of hiding an individual’s identity, but rather tools in unmasking it.

Work Cited

Rize. Lions Gate Home Entertainment, 2005. Film.

Stanford, Karin L. "Keepin’it real in hip hop politics: a political perspective of Tupac Shakur." Journal of Black Studies 42.1 (2011): 3-22.

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Coming of Age through Culture in Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Jazz Singer, and Singin’ in the Rain

The term “coming of age” is typically used to describe stories where a young character crosses into adulthood. Coming of age stories, however, are an even broader genre. It is a term that not only alludes to the maturing of a single character, but also of an entire culture. Many pieces of work use this theme when describing a culture or society’s transition from racism to acceptance, from tradition to novelty, and from old ideas to new technology. 

In the novel, Their Eyes were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston traces the development of not only Janie, but of African Americans as a whole. With their newly acquired freedom, African Americans had to learn how to lead normal, happy lives. For Janie’s grandmother, this meant conforming into a traditional woman’s role whereas Janie – of a younger generation – desired independence and a nonconforming role. The novel reveals the obstacles African Americans had to face generations after their emancipation.

In the short story “Day of Atonement”, author Samson Raphaelson traces the transition of Jewish character Jack Robin (Jakie) from traditional Jewish culture into the novelty of “showbiz”. His transition is marked various obstacles, specifically rejection from his father who believes Jakie is wasting his talent by singing ragtime rather than traditional Jewish prayers. In the end, Jakie follows his dream of pursuing a career in show business, while still practicing aspects of traditional Jewish culture, a true sign of maturity. Ralphaeson uses the single character of Jakie as a symbol for all those who struggle in maintaining tradition in the new age. “Day of Atonement” was later turned into the first talking movie “The Jazz Singer”. According to Ryan Jerving, “jazz had resonated as a style in which transnational ethnicity and mass-mediated novelty could intersect to unsettle standard ideas of American national identity” thus illustrating the complexity of tradition intertwined with novelty (Jerving 1).

The film “Singin’ in the Rain” is a coming of age story regarding technology rather than ethnicity. The first “talkie” was released in 1928. “Singin’ in the Rain,” describes the obstacles that the film industry had to overcome in incorporating audible words into their films. The characters had to learn how to use technology in the new age.

Although the term “coming of age” is often used to describe an individual crossing the threshold into adulthood, it also applies to an entire culture learning how to live in the new age.

 Work Cited

 Singin in the Rain. Warner Bros, 1952. Film

Raphaelson, Samson. The Jazz Singer,. New York: Brentano’s, 1925. Print.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Novel. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print.

Jerving, Ryan. “Jazz language and ethnic novelty.” Modernism/modernity 10.2 (2003): 239-268.

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Anti-Glacier, Anti-War, Anti-Romanticism in Dear Mom: A Sniper’s Vietnam and Slaughterhouse Five

In the words of Oscar Wilde in his essay The Critic As Artist, “As long as war is regarded as wicked, it will always have its fascination. When it is looked upon as vulgar, it will cease to be popular” (23).

Ordinarily, novels romanticizing war are considered to be those that speak highly of war. Romanticizing war, however, goes a step further. Even works that condemn war often contain strong men with heroic qualities. While they expose the brutality of war, these novels do not truly uncover the harsh reality of it.

In Dear Mom: A Sniper’s Vietnam, Joseph T. Ward exposes the savageness of American soldiers. The main soldiers in the novel are strong, courageous, and heroic. While Kurt Vonnegut also exposes the savageness of soldiers during wartime in the novel Slaughterhouse Five, he depicts the soldiers in his story as unintelligent and weak. Vonnegut is capable of providing a more accurate depiction of the horrors of war specifically through the thoughts of main character, Billy Pilgrim.

 As evident through his belief in his ability to time travel and visit another planet, Billy Pilgrim is clearly a victim of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Rather than simply describe PTSD, Vonnegut illustrates its effects by allowing readers to view Billy Pilgrim’s thoughts. Thus, his audience is able to more fully understand the chaos of war as well as question reality.

In Slaughterhouse Five, Vonnegut truly illustrates the chaotic brutality of war through the eyes and imagination of Billy Pilgrim. It was published in 1969, amidst the time of the Vietnam War and at the height of anti-war campaigns. During this time, anti-war propaganda and works were popular across the country. Slaughterhouse Five contributed to the war against war, lending the question of what is the purpose of war. In the words of Bob Dylan, “The answer is blowing in the wind”.

 Work Cited

Vonnegut, Kurt. SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE. Print.

Ward, Joseph T. Dear Mom: A Sniper’s Vietnam. New York: Ivy, 1991. Print.

Wilde, Oscar. “The Critic as Artist.” Print.

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The Layers of the Mask in Maus

In the graphic novel Maus, Art Spiegleman portrays the people involved in the Holocaust as species of animals, thus unmasking the truly animalistic behavior that existed during World War II. Germans are depicted as predatory cats, whereas Jewish people are mice. The Polish are illustrated as pigs – not predators to mice but also not allies. One of Spiegelman’s most interesting concepts, however, is the idea that when the Jewish mice want to trick others into believing they are Polish, they can simply put on a pig mask. Through this idea, Spiegelman asserts the superficiality of race.

The superficiality of race is an idea that novelists often use to condemn racism and prejudice. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston discusses that white citizens often thought of their own African American friends as being the only good and wholesome blacks. Only when they got to know each other on a more personal level, could they see what lay behind their masks. Although this may seem like a somewhat beautiful concept at first, upon further analysis, readers can see the preposterousness of judging one another before truly knowing each other. Beneath this “beautiful” exterior, Hurston is hinting at the superficiality of race in the sense that once appearances are taken out of the picture, people are the same.

According to Matt Reingold in a critical analysis of Maus, “The novel’s funny- animal format and use of masks helps to undermine the arbitrary divisions between races, nationalities, and religions.” (541) Spiegelman’s use of a comic to explain such contrasting material seemingly unmasks the true horrors of the Holocaust. Authors such as Zora Neale Hurston and Art Spiegleman use the theme of an ethnic mask to unveil the truth that people artificially and superficially created the concept of race.

 Work Cited

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Novel. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print.

Reingold, Matt. Maus: A Survivors Tail Critical Survey of Graphic Novels. New York: Pantheon Books.

Spiegelman, Art. Maus: Asurvivor’s tale. NewYork: Pantheon. Takaki, 1986. Print.

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From Racism to Sexism in Their Eyes Were Watching God

During the early 20th century, racism was a central problem in the United States. In the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Nora Zeale Hurston, brings to light another societal conflict that had just begun to surface: sexism and the controversy between gender roles. Hurston shifts the focus of societal injustice between blacks and whites to between man and woman.

 During the time when Hurston wrote the novel, society deemed a woman’s role to belong inside the home. Janie, Hurston’s main character, transcends this traditional role by desiring to find a husband that treats her as his equal rather than as his inferior. One of Hurston’s main themes throughout the novel is a woman’s sexuality. It was uncommon for a woman’s sexuality to be discussed – especially by a woman author. Society did not recognize that women’s sexuality existed independent of satisfying her husband and reproducing. Hurston’s discussion of Janie’s sexuality, as well as how it fosters her sense of independence was quite risqué for the time.

Because Hurston accentuates the power and independence of women in a somewhat explicit manner, male authors during the time of the novel’s publication criticized Hurston’s work, deeming it as “unimportant” and lacking “serious fiction”. Janie’s endeavor throughout the novel mirrors the plight of women during the time, even of the author herself. Hurston manages to divert the struggle for power from between whites and blacks to between men and women. She illustrates that a white man and black woman would make a powerful couple. Her novel assisted in starting the revolution for equal rights between genders. According to Michael Awkward, “many black feminist scholars view Their Eyes Were Watching God as ‘a forerunner of the [Afro-American women’s] fiction of the seventies and eighties,’ and believe that ‘several black women writers, among them some of the most accomplished in America today are repeating, imitating, or revising her narrative strategies.’” (Awkward 4) Her underlying argument is even still prevalent in modern society.

 Work Cited

Awkward, Michael. New Essays on Their Eyes Were Watching God. Cambridge [England: Cambridge UP, 1990. Print.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God: A Novel. New York: Perennial Library, 1990. Print.

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Mother-child Bond Proves Humanity as Illustrated by Douglass and Stowe

During the time of slavery, slaves were commonly considered to be no better than animals or material possessions. Both Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe use the motif of the relationship between a mother and son slave to prove that in actuality, slaves are not animals nor possessions but rather humans.

In the journal “Separating from Children”, Carol Sanger discusses that during World War II children were taken away from their mothers. She explains that “Separating from one’s child is understood as an extraordinary measure, not lightly undertaken” (Sanger 1). Although slave owners understood how harmful it was to take away a child from his or her mother, they still barbarically did so.

In Frederick Douglass’ narrative, he explains that the babies of slaves were commonly taken away from their mothers in order to “destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child” (Douglass 42). Such actions illustrate the slave owners’ lack of respect for familial ties between slaves. Throughout the narrative, Douglass accentuates the idea that slaves were treated as animals (specifically horses) despite the fact that animals do not carry the same mother-child bond as humans. Thus, Douglass uses the relationship between a mother and child to emphasize that in actuality, slaves held the same thoughts and sentiments as white citizens – not horses. 

In Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe also illustrates the bond between a mother and child. In the novel, Tom’s mother is overcome with anguish when she overhears someone offer to buy her son. Later in the story, another mother is devastated when she and her son are not sold together. Stowe uses this motif in order to accentuate the idea that even slaves had strong familial bonds and were therefore not equivalent to objects. Similar to Douglass, Stowe discusses the relationship between a mother and son slave in order to connect her audience to the feelings of slaves. Thus, Stowe is suggesting that with the exception of skin pigment, slaves are no different than free whites.

Both Douglass and Stowe use the motif of a mother-child relationship to prove the true humanity of slaves that slave owners so earnestly tried to take away. In doing so, their audiences are able to more fully understand the cruelty of slavery.

 Work Cited

Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1999. Print.

Sanger, Carol. “Separating from Children.” Columbia Law Review 96.2 (1996): 375-517. Print.

Stowe, Harriet Beecher, and Jean Fagan Yellin. Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1998. Print.

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True Comradeship as Explained by Burnett and Ward

It is a common misconception to consider a soldier to be in complete opposition to the enemy. Friendship is seemingly inconceivable between the two parties – at least in the eyes of the bystander.

In his short, eye-opening disclosure, “Cherokee Messenger”, Private John G. Burnett reveals the inhumane treatment of the Cherokee during their removal from their homes. Burnett vividly discusses the brutality of the American Army against the helpless tribe. Unlike the majority of his counterparts, Burnett served as a friend to the Cherokee and somewhat of a guardian. Burnett serves as a slight beacon of light amidst the dark under belly of American history. His vivid, first hand, impartial account on the removal of the Cherokee allows readers to fully comprehend the atrocities that occurred during the years 1838 and 1839. He transcends the belief that Native Americans were beast-like savages, as well as that American soldiers were good natured and just. In doing so, Burnett illustrates his comradeship with the true benevolent characters involved in the removal of the Cherokee Indians.

In the autobiography, Dear Mom: A Sniper’s Vietnam, Joseph T. Ward unveils the barbarity of American soldiers during time of war, as well as the friendships he creates with the Vietnamese. Like Burnett, Ward learns and respects the language and culture of the “opposing” side. He too serves as a guardian figure. Ward’s first hand account allows readers to understand the sentiments of not only Americans, but also that of the Vietnamese. Both Burnett and Ward enable readers to view the opposing side not as an enemy, but rather as an equal.

In the article, “Are good soldiers good?: Exploring the link between organization citizenship behavior and personal ethics”, David L Turnispeed contends that the soldiers behave ethically solely for their own benefit (Turnispeed 4). Whether or not this is true, both Burnett and Ward illustrate the possibility of friendship between two opposing parties, even in times of war.

 Work Cited

Burnett, John G. “Cherokee Messenger.” (1996). Print.

Turnipseed, David L. “Are Good Soldiers Good?: Exploring the Link between Organization Citizenship Behavior and Personal Ethics.” Journal of Business Research 55.1 (2002): 1-15. Print.

Ward, Joseph T. Dear Mom: A Sniper’s Vietnam. New York: Ivy, 1991. Print.