Bradley Lewellyn
Mr. Rutledge
English 3 DC - Period 3
11/30/2015
Literary Comparison Essay Draft #2 Since the establishment of the colonies, America has been viewed as the “land of opportunity.” It is thought to be a safe haven for immigrants, and a chance at a new beginning for others. “The Clemency of the Court” by Willa Cather published in 1893, tells the story of Serge, a Russian immigrant, who overcame the struggles of a tough childhood and fled to America to receive protection from the state. “Clothes” by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni published in 1995, tells the story of Sumita, a Indian immigrant, who is moving to America so that she can marry her husband that her family has arranged for her. Both “The Clemency of the Court” and “Clothes” show the evolution of the American immigrant experience. In “The Clemency of the Court,” the main character Serge grew up thinking that the State would always be there to protect him. With the story being published in 1893, there is quite a gap in between how we used to view immigrants and how we view them now. Cather shows that the treatment of immigrants was actually very similar to how it is now. The State is responsible for taking care of its children, especially its orphans. Instead of being taken in by the State, Serge is left to be independent as he has been all his life. Serge is viewed as an outcast, he can’t provide for himself and is looked down upon for being an immigrant. Immigrants are often viewed as weak because in
This book depicts the national and cultural status of the immigrant mother, who is able to preserve the traditions of her Indian heritage that connect her to her homeland. Ensuring a successful future for her American-born children is coordinated with the privilege of being an American citizen. Ashima yearns for her homeland and her family that she left behind when
The term immigrant is defined as “a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence” (“Immigrant”). In her autobiography, Barefoot Heart, Elva Trevino Hart speaks of her immigrant ways and how she fought to become the Mexican-American writer she is today. She speaks about the working of land, the migrant camps, plus the existence she had to deal with in both the Mexican and American worlds. Hart tells the story of her family and the trials they went through along with her physical detachment and sense of alienation at home and in the American (Anglo) society. The loneliness and deprivation was the desire that drove Hart to defy the odds and acquire the unattainable sense of belonging into American
Through interviewing my roommate Linda Wang, I have gotten the opportunity of hearing a first-hand account of what it is like being a young immigrant living in the United States. At the age of eight, Linda, along with her father, mother, and aunt, emigrated to America. Linda’s family currently resides in Bayside, Queens and she is a student-athlete on the St. John’s women’s golf team. Linda was kind enough to share her immigration story with me so that I may use it as a manifestation of what life as an immigrant, and the immigration process itself, entails.
Americanization is a process immigrants and first-generation American children encounter when shocked with the potent culture and mannerism of American society. In Abraham Cahan’s short story “The Imported Bridegroom,” Americanization and its various influences of different people are highlighted. Within the story, the audience is introduced to Flora, a first-generation Jewish American who is heavily influenced by the luxurious aspect of the American Dream and projects this romantic and unrealistic goal onto her future ideal husband, leading to her unhappiness. On the other hand, Shaya, an immigrant from Pravly, evolves from reading Jewish books and prayers to all sorts of higher Gentile books, including philosophy and mathematics.
In “America and I”, the author Anzia Yezierska speaks to us about her arrival here in America along with her journey to find herself in what was to her, a foreign land. Referring to her home back in Russia, Anzia describes it as a prison yet America gave her endless hope in a better tomorrow. She came to America in wish to turn her life around, give life to things unliving, and accomplish what her elders could not. Her first job was as a servant in an Americanized family. Anzia’s one
She explains her thesis by stating “Others who write stories of migration often talk of arrival at a new place as a loss of communal memory and the erosion of an original culture. I want to talk of arrival as a gain,” (360). The key points of the text include Mukherjee describing her transition between Calcutta and the United States, and what it means to be and American and how culture influences that aspect. The information in the text is significant; the people of America are a part of a melting pot, sometimes it is hard for them to find the distinction between American culture and their own. The information in Mukherjee’s story is clear and specific, unbiased, and is relevant to the purpose of the story. I believe Mukherjee has achieved her purpose of informing her audience about cultural differences; she presents certain strengths and weaknesses within the text.
Francisco is a boy living in mexico after a few years living in Mexico him and his family moved to California Eligoly . They hoped on a trane and rode to the border. They had to what intell night to cros the border. Francisco has 4 brothers and 1 sister. Francisco’s cherecter traits are resilient,helpful,and courageous.
I was all packed and ready for the journey. I was very frightened, because I was leaving the only place I knew. My family was not coming with me and I missed them. I was riding a stinky old steamboat to America. I was not excited for the long journey to America. The food smelled bad and I was uncomfortable, but I was going to America so I tried to keep my thoughts on that. At least I was waking up to a better life in America.
People come to America in order to seek the freedom to life, speech, education, jobs, and free will. Back in Guatemala, Estevan and Esperanza’s daughter Ismene was “taken in a raid on their neighborhood”(183). This unjust treatment causes Estevan and Esperanza to strengthen their will to escape out of the country. So after many difficulties, they are able to escape out of Guatemala and enter America. However, soon after the entrance into America, they face the American discriminated society.. The Americans negative attitude towards Indians causes them to live in fear and discomfort everyday. But, even after all those hardships, they are still willing to stay in America. Their will to remain in America is so strong that they “sacrifice their
Immigrants arriving in America for their first time are initially devastated at their new lives and realize their “golden lives” were simply fantasies and dreams of an ideal life in America. Immigrants from foreign countries, including those mentioned in Uchida’s Picture Bride, faced countless problems and hardships, including a sense of disillusionment and disappointment. Furthermore, immigrants and picture brides faced racial discrimination not only from white men, but the United States government, as well. Immigrants were plagued with economic hardships lived in deplorable living conditions. Though nearly every immigrant and picture bride who came to America fantasized about an ideal life, they were faced with countless hardships and
Immigration to America is often a decision based solely on the idea that America has some sort of redeeming qualities for a chance at a better life. America’s founding ideals of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are what compel foreigners to escape the troubles and oppression of their homeland and cross over onto American soil. The tales of America being the “land of opportunity” have continued to lure and attract people to immigrate. The Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century brought millions of immigrant laborers from across the globe to America in a short span of time. This large influx of laborers fashioned a well-defined distinction between “settlers” and “immigrants,” causing many observers to be concerned with how these new arrivals would fit in to American society. Emma Lazarus in “The New Colossus”, Jane Addams in Twenty Years at Hull House, Walt Whitman in “Crossing the Brooklyn Ferry”, Theodore Roosevelt in American Ideals, and Thomas Aldrich in “Unguarded Gates” are just a few names in American Literature who use their work as a medium to voice their opinions on the issue of immigration.
Moving to America, for many, has been a reason for opportunity and prosperity. Through persistence, hard work and struggles, they pursue to find success in achieving the ‘American Dream’. One of the major struggles is maintaining one’s traditional values and their individuality while assimilating and not forgetting who he or she really is. The narrator, Jayanti, in “Silver Pavements, Golden Roofs”, by Chitra Divakaruni, illustrates a good example of how a person loses their individuality and self-identity to do whatever it takes to assimilate and fit into the society.
Through her tasteful selection of contemporary Indian influenced prose pieces, Jhumpa Lahiri traces the unique journey of Indian families established in America. Focusing on the intergenerational aspect of traditional households, Lahiri conveys the emotional rollercoaster that accompanies a person who is branded as a foreigner. In America, there exists a common misconception that immigrants who arrive in this country fully assimilate or seek to assimilate as time progresses. The category I chose was "The Dot of true Happiness." The dot which signifies the bindi, a traditional red mark worn by Indian people, is the source of true happiness among these immigrants.
The Supreme Court has had many different places where it was located over the years. There has been a struggle to find a permanent home for the most powerful court of law. At first, the meetings were in the Merchant Exchange Building in New York City. The court then followed the nation's capitol to Philadelphia in 1790. In 1800 the court again relocated to Washington DC. At first they spent their time meeting in various places. The place to find the Supreme Court now is in Washington DC, on First Street located in Northeast.
The idea of marriage is deeply ingrained throughout cultures across the world and is a shared experience for most. Marriage brings the union between partners for life and similarly is an idea that unites the world. However, many have different views on marriage, the reasons for marriage and the choices made relating to this union. Many of these issues are discussed in the collections of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri and The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Adichie. Both of the authors’ stories examine the cultural experience immigrants endure, marriage often playing a large role. A Temporary Matter from the collection, Interpreter of Maladies uses a well-established immigrant couple, whereas Arrangers of Marriage from The Thing Around Your Neck uses an arranged marriage to show the experiences immigrants endure. While we often recognize marriage as a beautiful thing, we must understand it is not always done for the right reasons. The authors Lahiri and Adichie both use the subject of marriage to illuminate the various aspects of the immigrant experience. The idea of marriage and being able to immigrate to the United States is portrayed as desirable. The external pressures facing people may lead them to believe it is worth compromising their values for what is seen as desirable; rather marriage should be based off love and internal desires, not external pressures. First, we will examine the immigrant experience through the lens of the