Reminders: As you respond to your class’s post, review the expectations for thoughtful, valuable, and timely communication outlined in the “Discussion Forum Rubric.” Additionally, even though you are only responsible for responding to your assigned topic, we will use all four posted topics in our class discussions; as such, prepare accordingly.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Narrative Post
Both Tan and Angelou, in “Fish Cheeks” and “Champion of the World," write about cultural differences from white Americans, but their points of view are not the same: Tan’s is a teenager’s lament about not fitting in; Angelou’s is an oppressed child’s excitement about proving the injustice of oppression. As you respond, analyze the two authors’ uses of narration to convey their perspectives. CONSIDER: What details do they focus on and what internal thoughts do they report? Is one author‘s style more effective than the other? Why, or why not?
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Tan and Angelou's use of narration are both effective yet very different. Angelou focuses more on description, capturing the feel of her entire race with vivid imagery and dialogue. Tan's use of language is more simple and direct, focusing on her own feelings. Personally, I think that Tan's style is more effective than Angelou's style, mainly because the intent of the narrative is revealed at the end. This provides more power to Tan's purpose which is greater than just a short story about fish cheeks.
ReplyDelete(Gabby)
Miss. Legit
DeleteSo what do you think Angelou’s point was specifically? It’s safe to say that Tan is just as strong in her own way by making it a personal connection. However Angelou made it where the race was a whole. The race stood as one person and as one symbol by Joe. Angelou also makes a strong assertion at the end of her story as well. The moral lesson: even though they won the battle they didn’t win the war. Even today it is hard to say did we as minorities, or those of us who feel different from the norm, ever truly conquer the war? It is up to the individual, or group to prove to themselves that they are more than the stereotype that has been made of them. However there lays the problem, even though you may prove yourself you will always be trying to prove yourself. There are always going to be those who belittle or degrade you and it is only up to you to cower and hide, or fight and prove your worth. Nevertheless within Angelou’s story, the point wasn’t to prove to the other race that they were better than they were, it was to prove to themselves that they were more than what was said of them. In that one moment, it didn’t matter that tomorrow they were only going to be viewed as the inferior, foul race, but in that one moment they were equal. They were better than what was said, they were the Champion of the World, of their world.
(Jeirka Reed)
America, the melting pot of the world, is where all differences should be expressed, however that is not always the case. In the situation of Tan her shame comes from not fitting in with the ‘status quo’. She conveys this through ‘scene to summary’; descriptive writing of her favorite dishes, and uses the stereotypic eyes of a teenager. Tan’s Chinese heritage is best described through her objectivity, which engages the reader into her shoes, eliciting strong emotions of wanting to be accepted by others. Nevertheless, Tan learns from her mother that the only shame in the world is to have shame at all. At the time however, what teenager would understand? Angelou’s point of view with her heritage is different. She won’t express what she believes in not because of shame, but from oppression. It is only through her objectivity are we able to understand her true plight for Joe Louis to win this fight. Because it was more than a boxing match between black man, and white man. It was between black race and white race. Between being something more or being something less. Between being proud of who you are, or being shamed for what you are. Tan and Angelou are both effective in portraying their narratives, however Angelou has the stronger style. She is able to creatively use hyperboles and metaphors to express situation of not being able to be who she really is not because of SHAME, but because she isn't allowed without getting belittled or killed. Tan and Angelou’s point of views were different, just as their purpose; however their message was the same. The message that questions- In America, in this big blended pot, are citizens really allowed to be different flavors or are we sprinkled with the same things?
ReplyDelete(Jerika Reed)
Jerika,
DeleteIt's interesting that you quickly pick up on the point of view Tan employs, especially since you assert that her point of view seems to make her essay more individual versus Angelou whose point of view seems to reach an entire race. It seems that this is what makes you believe that Angelou is more effective than Tan. However, I do appreciate the link you make between them--shame. I think it's safe to say we've all felt this as one time or another.
K.Field
I agree that Angelou's style is very strong, but I think that Tan's style is equally as strong. Tan's narrative may not have the suspense and excitement that Angelou's narrative has, but she uses other strategies like her attention to details. Tan skims over the lesser details and then expands on the things that are important. When she describes the traditional Chinese food that her mother is serving, she does it with great detail, making sure it is emphasized and recognized. The food is not just one factor that embarrasses her, but a symbol of her culture that she does not appreciate. Tan does leave the reader with a moral and something to think about at the end of her narrative, because she does not reveal her lesson until the very end. Her reminder at the very end of that traditional food is also a reminder and message about her culture that she has learned to love and accept, and I think it was meant to remind us of our own cultures and traditions. I think that part of what makes Tan's narrative strong is because she approaches it on a personal level. Although Angelou engages two races as a whole, Tan is able to target each person who reads her narrative individually and make it personal to each one. I think that Angelou's style is strong, but I also think Tan's is strong too, just in a different way.
DeleteMaya Angelou and Amy Tan both effectively use narration in order to get their perspectives across. Maya Angelou uses senses and suspense in order to elevate the intensity of the narrative. Angelou explains that African Americans are suffering and are considered to be the lower class and weaker species compared to the whites. Angelou illustrates that Joe Louis losing symbolizes another black girl getting raped, another man being hanged, and more dreadful events. Angelou shows that when Joe Louis wins, all the African Americans are happy because they now know that they are equal with the white people. Angelou talks about her entire race as a whole. Amy Tan is teenager that is only concerned about herself. Tan expresses her thoughts and emotions to show how she feels about her culture. Tan is ashamed of her culture and is embarrassed when her family acts in a certain way. I believe that Tan's style is more effective because she explains at the end that she has learned her lesson, even though it took her years to understand that you should not be ashamed of you own culture.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Tan's narrative style is more effective than Angelou's as well because it seems to be more personal and emotional rather than broad like Angelou's. Tan's is more personal because throughout her narrative she gives percise details of her emotions which makes the reader relate to the author. Tan shines the spotlight to individual people while Angelou shines it broadly. Tan makes it even more personal when she describes the lesson she learned after she had matured. Tan began to appreciate her culture rather than be embaressed by it. I believe that both Angelou and Tan both have effective styles of narratives, but I feel Tan's is more effective because of the individual target towards her audience.
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ReplyDeleteBeing a minority myself I understand what it feels like to have to juggle your culture and the culture of the country in which you reside in. In Fish Cheeks Tan’s narration is in contrast much more personal and simple then in Angelou's Champion of the World. Tan’s style and word choice reaffirms the message the story presents to the reader. Fish Cheeks is told from a first person point of view, and is about a girl who is divided between cultures. This narrative we can assume is a personal experience in tan’s life. Amy yearns to be like her American friend’s, she even prays for a new “American nose”. This longing to fit in and to be accepted by your peers is a classical teenage behavior. Amy thinks that being Chinese is embarrassing and is ashamed at dinner because the boy she likes is seeing all of it. In contrast to Angelou's piece, Tan’s story is also about being a minority but it focuses on the individual level. Towards the end of the story Tan reveals that now that she looks back upon the dinner sees how childish and egotistical it was for her to be ashamed of her culture. The first piece was told in third person and was focused more on the impact of this Boxing game upon African Americans as a whole. Angelou narration although much different than Tan’s had the same powerful and attention grabbing effects. The detailed description she uses make us feel as though we are there witnessing this fight. She also uses many metaphors to tie together the story. The way Angelou describes the final round when Louis knocks out the contender is riveting and engrossing. Both pieces use very different kinds of narrative yet they successively portray the message. Food for thought, When trying blend into society should we abandon the fundament things that make us different such as our customs, native Languages, etc.?
ReplyDelete(Ali)
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAnswer to food for thought: I do not think it is possible to efficiently "blend into society" without losing your culture. When you feel the need to "blend" there is a thought that you are not fully comfortable with who,what and where you are in your life. I do think that that when you are *conforming* into society, you do dispose of things such as customs and language. When you blend in, there is a balance but when you conform, you give up customs for a more generic lifestyle.
DeleteI disagree, I believe that you can blend into society without losing your culture. I think that all you need to do to keep your culture is by being proud of it. Even if you lose your language and customs. If you are proud of your heritage you will find it waiting for you, even if you have forgotten it in the past.
DeleteI agree with Romesa. When a person is sumbmerged into a new culture and society it is easy to lose certain aspects of your old one. However, as long as one is respectfull and proud of his heritage, this is enough to preserve your culture.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWe should be able to be who we are without having to change ourselves to appease society. However this is rare in most societies. We all conform to some degree, and as we conform we let go of things from our native culture. Sure you can balance between the two but there are somethings that you cant strike a balance between. An example of this would be in Arab tradition when we greet a guest we exchange cheek kisses 2. Now to an american this will sound very strange. Now you dont see me going around school greeting people in this way do you? Of coarse not that would be very weird. It is a practice that I have abandoned I live normally in this society. Now when I travel back I have to do it to fit into their society.. So it not that Im forgetting it, Its more like my native culture is suppressed in the present one.
Delete(Ali)
A narrative encompasses a wide variety of story telling, making it very easy for two narratives to be written differently and have separate purposes. Maya Angelou and Amy Tan both use narraration to prove a point about being a minority in a mainly white society, although their points of view are different. Angelou's purpose is to convey the discrimination and hard times for blacks that is constantly surrounding her. She lures the reader in with an interesting story about her witnessing a boxing match between a white man and a black man. She focuses mainly on the scenery as the match is taking place and the 'what if's' that are thought by spectators as they see Louis slipping away and with it the name for blacks. Although this is only a small situation, it is a metaphor for a much larger issue. Equality, or rather inequality. But, when in the end the black man wins, everyone rejoices for they are one step further to equality and an end to discrimination. Tan uses her narrative to share with the reader a life lesson that she learned at a young age. At an early age, Tan is embarrased by her family and her culture, because she only wants to fit in. In the end, she realizes that she is who she is and she should be proud of herself and her culture, because it is unique to her and will always be a part of her. Tan conveys this theme effectively by leading the reader to it through a simple story in which she mainly focuses on her emotions and embarrasement towards her family during the Chinese Christmas dinner and her realization later that she was wrong and unaccepting of her family and her culture. In my opinion, Angelou's style was more effective, as it really captured the readers attention and wonder of who would win in the end and what her story was leading to.
ReplyDeleteAli,
DeleteI think you're on to something here when you assert that Angelou uses the boxing match to lure the reader in. Everyone should try to think of something that might springboard their narrative as well. This is true of Tan's essay as well--we've all been embarassed, but has the embarrassment been so intense to make us ashamed of our past, our culture, our families?
K.Field
I agree with the assertion that Angelou's style is more effective. The suspense and hook left us wanting to know more. I agree that Angelou used her story to reach a broader spectrum rather than Tan whos stroy was more personal. I think Angelou's use of specific detail also contributed to her effective writing style. Her metaphor using the fight to represent African Americans struggle to gain power really helped make the story more relatable. Tan tells the story from the point of view of the white family.By telling the the moral at the end of he story was a strong part in her writing because she emphasized the purpose of the whole story. I think that would have benifited Angelou's story. But overall I agree with jenny that Angelous' suspensful and vibrant story left the audience wanting more which made the purpose of the story that much more effective and meaningful.
DeleteI also agree with the fact that Angelou's narrative reaches a broader audience because of the metaphor that it portrays. Tan's story, though still powerful because she realizes in the end that her culture is important to her, is not as influential as Angelou's. This is because of the fact that it does not relate to an issue that is dominant in today's society. In order for a narrative to be effective, it must be applicable. Angelou proves this by capturing the reader through her detail while Tan's story did not leave me wanting more. Overall, I agree with Jenny because Angelou's narrative has a point that is definitely still applicable today; while Tan’s is still prevalent, it was not as effective.
DeleteTan and Angelou's use of narration was meaningful and effective despite the fact that they both used very different methods. Angelou used an overwhelming amount of detail to set the scene and build the suspense so that the feeling of apprehension is clearly brought out and emphasized. Through this vulnerable apprehension Angelou shows the deeper meaning behind what appears to be a story of an African American boy fighting a white boy. She connects the feelings of distress from the fight to all the feelings of distress that the African American community has been feeling because of the constant fight against discrimination. The story becomes much more than just a fight between two boys, it becomes a fight between two races. Angelou gives meaning to the fight by paralleling it with African American life and their stuggles to overcome discrimination. Angelou builds on this suspense because now it is clear that the outcome of the fight means everything to this African American community by giving flashes and brief commentary of what is happening in the fight and not revealing the outcome until the very end. Though Angelou's purpose is clear from the beginning, it does not take away from the meaning. Angelou manages to keep the excitement and suspense alive by witholding the outcome of the fight and still make her point by showing the terrible discrimination that African Americans were forced to live with. Tan chose to approach the topic a little differently. Tan begins through the eyes of a young girl who does not understand or value her culture and is struggling to accept it and fit in. This puts it on a more personal level. I thought that the strongest part of Tan's use of narration was that she revealed her lesson and purpose at the very end. Using this strategy, she allowed for the readers to draw thier own conclusion and interpret it on their own, then at the end she revealed her lesson. Witnessing this evening through the eyes of a young girl and then relizing the meaning behind it made me feel as though I was learning this same lesson about accepting your culture. I think that it would have taken away from the meaning of the story if Tan had chosen to reveal the lesson at the begining. Though Tan and Angelou chose different strategies in thier narrations, I thought that they were both equally as effective in getting thier point across. Angelou's lesson was delivered with suspense and anticipation because her narration was about a battle between two races, but Tan's was delivered through a mother teaching her child becuase her narration was about growing up and accepting your culture. Their strategies reflect their purposes, making both narritives effective.
ReplyDelete-Maggie Basso
Maggie,
DeleteDo you think that Tan's style, seeming to tell the dinner scene from the eyes of an outsider who wouldn't see their culture the same, affected how you received her story?
yes, all of the parts of her culture were expressed as being different and weird, or embarrassing, so I felt her shame in her culture. That made the lesson at the end even more meaningful, because she revealed that shame and embarrassment but learned to accept her culture as being part of who she is. I think that shame or embarrassment in family or culture is something everyone can relate to, so it made the narrative mean something and teach a lesson to everyone. Her style of writing helped me to relate her narrative to my own life.
DeleteTan and Angelou both use narration to prove something that is obviously important to them. They use different methods to convey their messages, and both are effective. In Angelou's "Champion of the World," she sets the scene and is very descriptive as she paints a picture of what is happening around her. She is speaking from point of view of "we," and in present tense; therefore, it is very realistic and it is shows what she is feeling as it happens. Her narrative is effective because throughout her story she keeps the reader guessing as to what is going to happen next. She also uses chronological order to portray her story. At the end, she realizes that anyone can win a competiton, even a "black boy." Tan also comes to the conclusion at the end of her story that her mother's lesson was right and she did not realize it until later on in life. Tan's narrative is told from first person, and she uses it to her advantage like Angelou to make it personal. Tan uses both elements of scene and summary as she explains the more important aspects in detail and others she simply tells the story. Tan uses past tense to tell her story unlike Angelou; this makes the story a bit more removed as compared to Angelou's. In my opinion, Angelou's narrative is more effective because it is more powerful. As Jenny said, it could be seen as a metaphor to discrimination coming to an end while Tan's narrative is not as powerful because it does not showcase something as important as discrimination. Tan's narrative shows that you are who you are and there is no way to change it even if you try. Although it is important to remember and not be ashamed of ethnicity, race, and background, Angelou's narrative is more powerful because it relates to an issue that is still prevalant today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Abby that the use of past tense in Tan's story makes the story less interesting and makes the reader feel less motivated to continue reading to the end. The use of present tense in Angelou's narrative makes it feel as if the reader is there in that moment, watching or listening to the match along with all of the other spectators. Both stories use the first person point of view which also adds to the relatability of the narrative. With this taken into account, I agree with Abby that Angelou's story is more effective because of the use of present tense and first person point of view. But, do you think that Tan's was perhaps more relateable? Because, In my opinion, more people are able to relate to Tan's story because it is more about embarrasement and overall need to accept yourself for who you are, while Angelou's focuses on discrimination of Black people, which while extremely important and relateable, it is relateable to less people. So, does relateability directly coincide with the effectiveness of the narrative? If so, do you still think that Angelou's is more effective?
DeleteBoth Angelou and Tan use their different cultures to show both the unity that each respective community has within it and the oppression that they face because they are different. However both authors establish a different point of view on their culture which affects the overall feeling of each story. Angelou chooses to focus on the togetherness that is shared in the African-American culture; how so many people can fit themselves into a corner store just to hear a sporting event on the radio. To them however, it is much more than just a boxing match and is in essence their own individual struggle and their collective struggle as a race against oppression in the world. Angelou chooses to show the support that each individual in the culture's community shows for the community and the emotion that they share as one unit. Tan on the other hand focuses on the struggles that she faces because she is different, not how her race bonds together to combat it as Angelou does. Tan spends a good amount of writing describing the food that is prepared for her family's Christmas dinner and how different it is than the food at a traditional, American family's Christmas. Normally she would be fine with this food but because her crush who is "white as Mary in the manger" is having dinner with her family she is embarrassed by its distinctness. Tan has the eye of the opposing and dominant race staring down her shame throughout the dinner and therefore cannot feel united with her culture but only further separated. While Tan does eventually feel proud of the different traditions of her culture it is only after she is embarrassed by it. Angelou's style is more affective to me because it focuses on the strength of her people in the midst of oppression and uses the positives to establish a pride in her culture. Tan's style on the other hand, shows the embarrassment that she is faced with because of her culture's differences and how her opinion is changed only because she realizes that she is always going to be different and can not change. I think it is much more effective to approach things of this standpoint from a positive light and therefore see Angelou's story being much more effective in conveying her point and her pride in her heritage and background.
ReplyDelete(Matt Reeve)
I wouldn't say so much that the members of the minister's family were "staring down her shame," it is true that their reactions to the dinner were what could be expected of the typical outsider, but the "pointing out" of her culture in the agonizingly awkward way she described is mostly her perception. Also, both stories are positive but because of the writing style the positivity shows up differently. The positivity and cultural pride is throughout Angelou's story so it makes less of a shift from positive feelings of a culture to negative feelings. Tan's, however, has the positive and negative divided with most of the positive weighted at the end where her mother shows understanding and teaches Tan to be accepting and proud of who she is, The mother, though not born in this country as Amy was, and had a life filled with difficulties much greater than not fitting in (not to mention that she could be a very stubborn person at times), she still was able to be understanding to her daughter and it is this understanding that allows Amy to grow as a person from this fairly insignificant experience. At the end of both stories there is a unification of a race, this unification is more evident in Angelou's story than Tan's because the weighting of that element, too, is different in how the authors decided to portray their narration.
DeleteI personally feel that it is Angelou's style of writing is more effective than Tan's because I found it more engaging as a reader. I understand where Tan is coming from, because I have experienced the "shame" of being different and then realizing that being different is to be ashamed of but can be something to be proud of, but Tan doesn't make me feel as if I am living the story. Angelou on the other hand made me experience the excitement and the suspense of wanting to know who won and she made me root for Louis. I think by using the radio announce to express what was happening in the ring, Angelou effectively created a dramatic and suspenseful atmosphere. I believe had the point of view been that they were watching the fight it self, first hand the emotional weight of the story may have been lost. I liked that Angelou used the radio announcer because you "hear what the author hears as they hear it."
ReplyDelete(Romesa Afzal)
As a reader, I felt very detached from Tan's narrative. The issues, at first glance, seem very superficial due to the narrator's age at the time of the events. The teenage angst did not stir up any emotions nor made me experience an epiphany of any kind. I agree that "Fish Cheeks" did not build on to the excitement as well as Angelous' narrative. Angelous did a spectacular job stacking up suspense with the fast-paced monologue of the radio announcer--and when we found out that Louis had won the match, my heart leaped for joy! I felt attached to Angelous' story because of the detail she focused on and the struggles that she personified through the match. The fight was the perfect analogy for the racial oppression that Angelous was conveying; it both entertained and interested me!
Delete(Cody Moore)
What Angelou was successful in creating an exciting, quick-paced story that takes up a few pages, Tan was successful in dragging out and creating the awkward tension of a few hours within the page and a half her story contained, both of these writing speeds are important for evoking the feeling of being there.
DeleteSusanna,
DeleteIt's interesting how you pick up on the pace. HEY GUYS!! This is one way to make yourself stand out among a very competitive audience. Being able to discuss shifts and pace puts in a class of your own.
Take another look at the essays and think about Susanna's comment.
Both authors, Amy Tan and Maya Angelou use the concept of narration in order to make their persepctive known to the reader. Amy Tan is a young teenager who is worried about what others think about her because of her culture. She feels embaressed and ashamed of her being different from others and her traditions being different because of this guy she wants to impress. Tan uses her personal emotions and thoughts in order to try to show her family that she does not like being different. Amy Tan shows that while at the dinner celebration, she shows no respect of her families culture. She is only worried about herself and what other people think of her. Moreover what Robert will think of her. Maya Angelou uses the excitment and entertainment of a fight to express her narrative. In Angelou's narrative, she describes that African Americans are constantly being bumped down to the lower class and are being treated unfairly and unequally. When Angelou describes the announcer saying, "ladies and gentlemen" I believe she seems this as a symbolism of hope for her culture; because if "ladies and gentlemen" is the only thing announced, then that means BOTH black and white people being addressed. No discrimination. When Angelou describes the possiblility of Louis losing, she compares that to an African American getting beaten to death and raped, in order to show the isolation between blacks and whites. But, when Louis wins that is a symbolism of hope of equality for every culture. I believe that Tan's argument is more effective than Angelou's because Tan describes that years later she appreciated what her mother did that night. Tan was now older and more mature to understand the importance of her culture and family. She was no longer embaressed or "in love" with Robert anymore, she had grown out of that stage of her life and she learned her lesson when she was old enough to understand what her mother was trying to show her.
ReplyDeleteBoth Angelous and Tan used narration to prove thier assertions. Tan's style was more personal and relatable because her emotions were exposed. But I thought that her method was weaker that Angelous because her story and final statment did not have a strongconnection. Her whole story is about being embarrassed of her culture and her final statment talks about her later realizing that she is proud of her culture. I thought her story strayed from the purpose of why she told the story because I thought her story about being embarassed had little to do with why later she felt pride in her culture. Angelous focused mainly on hooking the reader by using the fight as a tool to leave the reader in suspense. I thought her style of writing was very teffective because she used the fight to such a way that she could get her point across as well as entertain us. The use of present tense made the story more dramatic and suspensful. I liked how she left the story on the lighter note because it felt that the telling of the story was worth it because there is a happy ending. I felt that Angelous' narration was effective because she was able to get her point across through a suspensful and entertaining story.
ReplyDeleteAfter discussing in class the differences in culture and how awkward it can be to enter into a new, different, and maybe even daunting environment, Tan's purpose becomes clearer. In the beginning, she is speaking from the point of view of the boy she has a crush on. She feels as though everything her family does is an embarrassment and just one more reason for Robert not to like her. The fact that she was embarrassed about her culture and that she simply wanted to impress someone is very apparent. She definitely comes to realize at the end that it was a big mistake to ever put her crush in front of her heritage and culture. Her culture is a part of her that will never disappear no matter how hard she tries, so why try? Accept it and move on. She does realize at the end of the narrative that though her family can be annoying and embarrassing at times, all families are. This narrative is relatable because everyone knows what she was going through at those moments. Though her narrative is told in past tense instead of present tense as compared to Angelou's, the fact that it is relatable to a bigger audience makes it more powerful and effective.
DeleteTan’s and Angelou’s narratives share a powerful moral: Be proud of who you are and what you came from. However, they approach this moral from entirely different perspectives. Tan in “Fish Cheeks” begins her narrative ashamed of who she is; not only does she refuse to accept her Chinese heritage, she years to conceal it behind a newly forged American one. She maintains a common adolescent ‘woe is me’ attitude for the majority of the story, excluding the conclusion. At that point, Tan’s mother deems her the next heir for their Chinese culture and calls her to accept it. Tan does not heed this exhortation immediately, but in time, she comes to terms with who she is and learns to appreciate her identity.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Angelou hits the ground running with a powerful sense of African-American pride. Instead of feeling negativity towards her background like Tan, Angelou is a strong Black woman fighting for recognition. As her narrative progresses, she is not increasingly displeased with her people, but joyous and victorious, like a soldier who has effectively fought for and won his freedom. Indeed, they have a physical soldier fighting for them: Joe Louis. The Brown Bomber not only won the heavyweight championship title, but a battle for the Black race. Angelou is exceptionally happy to be who she is.
Either style can be effective depending on the receiving audience. To a crowd who lacks confidence and dislikes recognition, Tan’s narrative would apply well. But to a group that seeks attention and appreciation from others, Angelou’s story would obviously be more inspiring.
(Chase)
The narrations of Angelou and Tan are both highly effective in setting the atmosphere of their experiences. Angelou’s Narrative is very loud and fast moving, confusing at times, especially when the television-broadcasted boxing match is being described. At points I forgot which name marked which boxer but forgetting the names was not much of a problem because the vivid reactions Angelou describes of the people watching intensely in the shop quickly told me who Jim was in comparison to the other man. Angelou’s narrative is very outward, involving lots of people: it is not just the people gathered in this certain shop that are affected and overjoyed by this television event but all the black people near all the television sets all watching this broadcasting. With this universal view to this event, the sense of united pride of a race shines at the end of the Narrative and there is a feeling of triumph.
ReplyDeleteIn comparison, Tan’s writing is very centralized, describing the anguish of being a teenager, a point of view, which most people do not respect because of the awkward reverence to conformity young teenagers hold themselves to, is terribly shallow and hard to respect once someone has moved past that stage in life. Although her scenario is not the most uplifting, her style of writing, the way it speeds up and slows down in certain areas, evokes the embarrassment and awkward feeling. The way she concludes her narrative with her mother telling her to be proud of her heritage and how Tan later understood her mother’s wisdom is what is uplifting because it is a growth in a person as they learn to love who they are. (There are other Narratives tan has written that have the same theme of learning to appreciate the wisdom of her mother in the book that this Narrative was selected from but the reason why this one was chosen is probably because it compares nicely with Angelou’s represented narrative in that they are both about the growth of understanding of young people and their culture: both narratives comparing with internal events that specifically affect the individual or external effects that because the mass is affected with joy, the young person is affected with learning to love her heritage.
Of the two Narratives, Tan has the more difficult experience to make uplifting and powerful and the fact that she is able to give off this glow of understanding and love not only for her heritage but her mother’s effort to help her realize this gives her the stronger writing style.
-Susanna Bondar
Tan and Angelou both tell anecdotes of important events in their pasts. Tan’s story is that of a teenage girl who is embarrassed of herself and Chinese culture when an American boy and his family visit her home on Christmas. Tan reveals the thoughts of her character and lets the reader in on the personal conflicts of the main individual in her story. Her use of first-person pronouns such as “I” and “me” gives the story a personal tone and also is reflecting of teenage age of the character. At the end of the story, Tan concludes by presenting the moral of her anecdote through her mother’s quote. Angelou, in the view point of a child, narrates the story of a momentous boxing match between two boxers, one black and one white. Through the story Angelou uses dialogue of the announcer to recount the epic battle. Angelou, however, does not introduce the announcer when she presents the dialogue, she simply states it; this style of writing makes the boxing match more real to the audience in the novel and to the reader as well. By doing so it emphasizes more the importance of the fight when she relates the outcome of the fight to the fate of the black race. Angelou creates a togetherness and unity of the black community through her presentation of the people-filled store. This sense of unison is also exemplified by Angelou when she says “My race groaned” and “We didn’t breathe. We didn’t hope. We waited.” In doing so Angelou makes her anecdote more accessible because it covers the broad span of a race as opposed to an individual. Overall, Angelou’s style is more effective because she is broad in her narration as she speaks to and about an entire race which makes her message more powerful. However, Tan concludes with a moral, which sums up her story better than Angelou’s because she brings everything together and reflects on it as opposed to Angelou who does not provide the reader with a chance to step back and reflect on the story.
ReplyDelete-Roy Njeru
“Fish Cheeks” and “Champion of the World” pay a powerful testament to the cultural anxieties in America. The lenses in which the respective authors project their narratives are very different. Tan uses simple diction and insight (the author uses this to make her age in this story come alive) to encompass her struggle to deal with the shame she is dealing with. Most of Angelou’s story progression occurs through the fast-paced monologue from the radio and becomes more complex than Tan’s story. “Champion of the World” also looks at a bigger picture of the culture clashing with White American culture by taking a look at the history of African Americans. Angelou introduces his purpose quicker than Tan; the metaphor for black oppression during the fight begins to set up the cultural struggle. Tan builds up her crisis then releases the purpose of the narrative, especially when her mother says, “your only shame is to have shame.” Tan’s way of presenting her claim is a more powerful than Angelou’s because of the building struggle that finally topples over when Tan’s mother states her profound moral.
ReplyDelete(Cody Moore)
Cody,
DeleteLike Susanna, you also hit upon pacing. Your insight into Angelou's pace connecting to the fight narrative is insightful.
Both authors, Angelou and Tan, go through their own incidents of oppression as minorities in America, but through their use of narration, their points of views are shown to be different. I personally felt like Tan's was more effective. As a minority in America myself, I have actually been through similar events as both authors. Like Angelou, I felt the joy, the excitement, and the pride when the Korean figure skater Yuna Kim won the gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Angelou describes her accounts with great detail, a lot of colorful dialogue with a different dialect other than Standard English, and creates a sort of suspense as she tells her story. She tells the story so that I feel like I'm listening into the radio, as the suspense is building up, and waiting for the announcer to call out the winner's name. Angelou also describes the pride of her people as a whole, whereas Tan's account feels a bit more personal. Like Tan, I felt embarrassed of my culture as my mom, still speaking with a heavy Korean accent, went into a parent teacher meeting with my fourth grade teacher. Tan describes her account on a more personal level rather than talking about how the Chinese people felt as a whole. She describes more of her personal feelings and how SHE feels about the incident. And I think Tan's was more effective in the way that she ended the story. The sense of closure I got while reading the ending was satisfying. It also made me remember that when I got older, I did realize that my mom tried her best to learn English and tried to be the best mom she could be for me by going to "English as a Second Language" classes. Now, like Tan's revelation, I've learned to be proud of who I am as a Korean American, no matter how heavy my mom's accent is or how different I am, act, or look from Americans. Though Angelou's and Tan's stories were both great ones that I could relate to, I really enjoyed reading Tan's personal feelings towards racial oppression as an individual of a minority.
ReplyDeleteThe basic theme that both "Fish Cheeks" and "Champion of the World" share is shame and the need of acceptance. In "Fish Cheeks" the girl is ashamed of her Chinese culture and how her crush might react to seeing her family on Christmas night. I understood how the girl felt because growing up in a Pakistani household; there was always a need to conform to American culture so you do not feel as if you are the random variable in society. By having a crush on a guy who was not from the Chinese race, she felt more accepted in being part of the American culture. When she was viewing the food her mom was making in the kitchen, she saw them being as “non-western.” The author described the food in almost a repulsive tone because it was not what Robert would have thought to be normal. I felt as if she was willing to give up her culture just to feel acceptance. In "Champion of the World" the girl is shamed because that is the way her segregated environment has caused her to feel. She feels as if the black American race always has to prove that they are better than what society believes. I feel empathy towards the girl in "Champion of the World" because once a single part of your ethnicity/religion is looked down upon, there is a need to fight and prove that you ARE better than what society believes about you. In the case of the girl in "Champion of the World", she wanted to prove that Black Americans are capable of being a race that is consumed of dominant and intellectual people. She longs for that feeling of acceptance similar to the character in “Fish Cheeks.” When comparing the style of writing between Tan and Angelou, I feel as if they are both efficient in using details to show their culture and showing a change in the character. Tan uses a more personal style of writing than Angelou. Amy Tan does not rely on dialogue to describe the setting that her character in is while Maya Angelou does. At the end of “Fish Cheeks” the girl realizes that her mother does not care about who she is on the outside but rather she remembers who she is and to never forget where she came from. When looking at Angelou’s style, it uses rich dialogue to describe the setting/environment. And much like the girl in “Fish Cheeks,” in the end the main character of “Campion of the World” feel as if her race is a part of who she is and they are capable of anything. What I found interesting in both these stories was that both these characters felt a feeling to conform to become a white American.
ReplyDelete(Minna Hassan)
Angelou and Tan's motives were similar for "Champion of the World" and "Fish Cheeks" because they both wanted to portray the idea that being proud of who you are, makes you who you are. Through Angelou's narrative, she depicts the shop with everyone crowded around to watch the fight, anticipating to see if Joe Louis, the black boxer could defend his title against a white contender. I feel that she depicted the sounds of the radio, and expressions of the crowd, so well that I felt like a spectator. The anticipation represented her idea of the struggles of African Americans for social acceptance. She personifies this struggle with Louis, who is carrying the weight of all black individuals in this country. Angelou's excitement towards the end of the story and her sense of self pride goes to show that she felt that in order to be accepted, blacks had to prove they should be accepted. Through his victory, Angelou felt that sense of accomplishment, whereas, before, she felt that because blacks were made out to be inferior, she must feel that she is no better. In contrast, Tan's idea was more personal. She tells the story of a young boy, Robert who was invited to eat dinner with her family. She begins to resent this dinner, because she is ashamed of being different from Robert. She feels that in order to be accepted by him, she had to conform to his culture. However, unlike Angelou it was not determination of proving herself that helped Tan value her identity. Rather, it was her realization that her culture is what identifies her family. It was only after her mom asked her not to change who she is on the inside, that made her realize how important culture is to a person. I feel that both authors made an effective point, however, I felt that Angelou's idea of self accomplishment was more meaningful, because it symbolized a new beginning for blacks in this country through herself.
ReplyDeleteNada Gill
A good discussion day today. I appreciate the class's willingness to share their stories, I appreciate your thoughtful posting, and your connections to the essays. "Indian Education" tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteReferring to Tan's narrative, I believe that it is only natural for a fourteen year old teenager to be embaressed of their culture while in front of a very different culture. All of us have been there, in that immature status in our life when all we want to do is say, "Mom or Dad, stop! You are embaressing me!" But Tan's narrative shows us that eventually, when we become more of a mature status, we will begin to appreiciate and embrace who we are.
ReplyDeleteIn class today, Jerika's explanation of shame or lack thereof in her Black American culture was eye-opening for me. This made me wonder, is it possible that the Black American culture is more comfortable or "unashamed" because it has been established in America longer? As we were discussing different cultures and customs, such as Pakistani or Asian, it seemed that these cultures were more aware of awkward differences between its practices and those of the American culture. I think that, a major part of this is not how different the cultures are, but rather the fact that these cultures have had less time to integrate with America's preexisting culture. Many cultural groups in America (Pakistani, Asian, Hispanic, etc.) are the result of more recent immigration within the second or even first generation, while much of Black American culture has been existent since the 18th century. These differences of pride or awkwardness attributed to acclimation are also reflected through Tan and Angelou. As Chase points out, Tan’s narrative is less confident while Angelou's is more established with a sense of pride. Maybe Tan's shame is only natural to Angelou's strength as these differences are all due to what only time can tell...
ReplyDelete(Gabby)
I agree with your theory on the amount of time each culture has to integrate affects their distinctness or how much they stick out but I also believe that African Americans are less ashamed because of what they have overcome. They have gone from being horribly oppressed everywhere they went to being some of the most prominent people in America and the world (the Presidency). While I do not believe that the current cultures trying to assimilate such as Pakistani or Asian are being oppressed I do think that as they eventually overcome the certain boundaries that Americans have placed on them they will become more comfortable and "common". Take for example the National Basketball Association and how Asian Americans have not exactly flourished in it but now Asians such as Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin are overcoming these boundaries.
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ReplyDeleteThe discussion today got thinking about all the times I invited friends over to my house. I remember feeling that awkward unconformable feeling as Amy did when I was much younger. But as I matured a bit I saw how dumb I was for feeling such a way. Tan's essay although less suspenseful then Angelou. Is just as effective in absorbing us into the story because it connects to the audience. As Minna was saying during the discussion today she could relate to Amy because she has been in the same situations as her. The feeling Amy feels is something that we have all felt before and Tan uses that to engross us into this story and that's why I feel Fish Cheeks is better then Champion of the World.
ReplyDelete(Ali)
When Minna and Jerika both expressed how Tan and Angelou's narratives spoke to them individually in the discussion today, it made me realize that depending on who you are and how you are raised, you react to things in a different way and certain experiences effect you more than others. The difference in Minna and Jerika's cultures and their own personal experiences and thoughts effected how they perceived each story. Jerika, having never experienced that awkward or embarrassing feeling about her culture found it harder to relate Tan's story, but felt connected to the strength that Angelou expressed through her pride in her culture, while Minna felt more connected to Tan's story because she could relate to the awkwardness of having different customs than others. It reminded me of the importance of keeping an audience in mind when writing a narrative because different features appeal to certain people. Both Tan and Angelou's narratives are far reaching in the amount of people that they can connect with, but it is hard to say which one is more effective because it really depends on the audience and what kind of experiences they have had and are able to relate to.
ReplyDeleteMaggie,
DeleteYour comment, "how you ar raised" affects the way you react to material is so true. It's kind of like a reader response critical lens. The more you can bring into a piece, the more powerful that selection can be. That's why it is so important to be well read, well informed, and well exposed to a lot of different cultures, even though you might have to expose yourself to them vicariously.
We had a very in depth discussion in class today. Minna's description of Pakistani culture was contradictory to Tan's description of her culture. Even though Tan's and Minna's cultures are considered foreign to American culture, the way Tan and Minna view their cultures are different because Minna is not ashamed of her culture and accepts it, but Tan is embarrassed by her Chinese culture. I believe that the problem does not lie with whether or not the culture has fully integrated into the American culture, but it lies with whether or not a person accepts and is proud of their culture. If you accept your culture then you will not be ashamed by it.
ReplyDeleteWe also talked about Barbara Huttmann's story. I felt that her story was extremely powerful because it had a very good structure and hook. Huttmann's started off with the word "Murderer," which made me ask myself the five basic questions: who, what, when, where, why? She also employs words, which appeal to the five senses. Roy talks about how Huttmann uses vivid descriptive details in order to engage the reader. I believe that this story was well-organized and touching.
Okay, I'm laughing out loud: Sneh, your "call sign" is AP Archives material! (O.kay, now, I'll read your commentary).
DeleteI agree with Sneh, I also believe that you are only ashamed by your culture if you have not developed pride for it. I believe it was hard for me to connect to Tan's story because I have never felt that level of shame. If my friends who weren't Pakistani were over I would openly show them how I lived because I always thought my culture was better. I was not trying to be arrogant but I just felt we had more richness in my culture.
ReplyDeleteIn Barbara Huttmann's story was able to connect to it but then I had to step back from it. While I understand why she did what she did, I don't think I would be capable of the same feat. In my mind I would not be able to risk everything just so someone could *die* peacefully. I would risk everything so that someone could *live* better. That may make me a bad person, or an arrogant person in some people but I suppose it is just because I don't feel the value of death. I see more value in the life that a person has, although I do understand that sometime a person just needs to move on.
I agree with both Romesa and Sneh. In class today when Mrs. Field asked me if I ever felt embarrassed or awkward, at the time I couldn’t think of one. However as I thought about the question afterwards something hit me, just because you may have an embarrassing moment would you really have a feeling of shame? Wasn’t trying to state that I have never been embarrassed, yet it never really caused me to feel ashamed that I was black, or a female. Again, as stated in class, it is depends on perception of an individual’s life and the conditions they’ve been through. When Mina described her situation, I couldn’t imagine what it was like to come to a completely different country and feel you have to modify yourself to fit a different image. However I loved the way she expressed that even though she changed some of her customs or added new ones, she didn’t lose her roots or ever feel that she lost herself. In Tan’s perspective, it was almost as if she wanted to change everything she was to fit the image for one crush she wouldn’t even have in the future.
ReplyDeleteAs for a Crime of Compassion, most of what I felt was said in class in the discussion. However there was one question I didn’t get a chance to ask. Within the story when she was conveying the legal choice and what be considered the illegal choice, which one would you have chosen? Would you have been the doctor who didn’t order the ‘no-code’ in fear of losing everything you ever worked for? Or would you have been the nurse who didn’t press the button? Romesa, I understand what you’re saying, however could you live with yourself? Knowing you are already keeping a man alive that would sooner or later die? Keeping him alive with a poor quality of life? He wasn’t truly alive, as described in the story; he was what you may say the ‘living dead’. Loosing himself for six months, decaying in a bed an rotting away in his own disgusting filth. Better question what if you were him, would you want to live that way, be brought back fifty-two times just to see nothing but the white of the hospital ceiling and the tears of your loved ones? Living with not only your own unbearable pain, but also the pain you were putting your family and friends through? Nevertheless my biggest question was: would you choose your ‘imperial conscience’ over your own ‘moral conscience’?
this message above was Jerika Reed
DeleteWhilst Minna and Romesa were avidly discussing the moral obligations of the doctors and families of terminal patients, I was considering the legal ordinances that are in place today. I am able to draw from my own knowledge of these laws because I am in Intro to Healthcare: Legally, without the influence of a living will written by the patient, the decision to pull the plug on an incoherent person suffering from terminal disease or in a vegetative state falls to the family, in most cases, spouses followed by children and extended family. With a living will, that decision falls on the patient.
ReplyDeletePersonally, if I were either the patient or the family member, after every possible route to recovery had been attempted and I/my family only had time to wither away into dust, I would sternly decide to let go; I have no death wish or grudge against any member of my family, however, I have a personal belief that where I/they am/are headed, there is no discontent or unhappiness, only peace of mind. The knowledge that my family is happy would be enough for me to continue on, and I know that they would think similarly of me.
Love, Chase
DeleteBefore I start,I must apologize for talking so much in class today. After class today, what I found the most powerful thing to be was how a simple narrative was able to relate to so many different people. Even though every day I am reminded that I am indeed a minority in the U.S., I never felt ashamed of who I am and where I come from. One of the biggest things that I saw in class today that as we all grow up, we have insecurities and experiences that have caused us to change but the most crucial thing to most of us is not forgetting the important things in life. In "Crime of Compassion" the details used caused me to remember the times I went to the hospital with my brother and I was able to imagine everything that the nurse saw.This also shows how powerful a narrative can be because it was able to appeal to my senses and make me remember things that relate to each story. (Minna Hassan)
ReplyDeleteIn class discussion today I found the whole thing ironic. Minna said that she felt some shame exposing her culture to others. However,in a degree, I enjoy exposing some parts of my culture to others. For instance, I come from a mixed family where two different cultures (Pakistani and Filipino) are occurring in the same household. One day we will have Pakistani food and another day we will have Filipino food. To poke fun, when my friends come over I always offer them these foods, exotic to them, just to see their reaction. One day, I told my friend to help himself and open this pot in the kitchen. It was this crock-pot type of Filipino dish called mongo and it was full of shrimp and beans. However, in his perspective, he sees a pot full of zombie looking shrimp with the many legs and black eyes still attached and in a pile of boiling inorganic sludge. He instantly slams the lid down stupefied and in awe of what did I just tried to feed him. Don't get me wrong my Mom is an A+ cook and you know what they say, don't knock it till you try it. His facial expression was priceless. It was squinting like he just ate something real sour. As for me I was laughing at his reaction to my mom's cooking. Perhaps this is my "fish cheek" moment of my life. But instead of the product of embarrassment it is amusement.
ReplyDeleteAs for crime and compassion, the discussion gave me an eye-opener of what to put in my narrative, imagery and great detail. I did not notice until the discussion that the sixth paragraph used all the 5 senses. Maybe that was the reason why I was so hooked into the essay.
(Taj Khanzada)
DeleteWhile listening to the conversation over "A Crime of Compassion" today, I kept thinking back to this rather comical artistic short film, The Lady and the Reaper
ReplyDelete(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JATr3vNOIYA&feature=related)
Although this sort topic is not so funny as the video portrays, It still relates with the idea that humans now think they have the right to cheat death and make someone live past their expiration date.
The ironic statements of the people to the nurse on the television show at the beginning of this narration made my mind laugh a bit because the argument could go either way... "Who gave man the right to play god and bring the dying back to life?" People can say "murderer" but they were not the ons who watched this man rot away, they did not have to clean him, smell him, see him in his elongated death, it is so easy to scream murder to a nurse who has let a patient go if you only look at the scenario in black and white. Ethics is never easy and as Romesa pointed out today: letting Mac die would put the Doctor's job in jeopardy and possibly ruin his family, the lives of people who are still very much alive and have futures ahead, but Mac wanted to go, his wife wanted him to pass as revealed when she cried out for them not to bring him back so to keep him alive in this scenario is more cruel than kind. When people pass, we want to hold on to their highlights, but with an event as tragic as Mac's 52 deaths before he finally could rest in peace, it makes it more difficult for the family to look past that those months of stress and unintentional torment.
Even though I am sure this can be identified fairly easily... the flying toast wanted to inform yo that Susanna wrote this statement above ^
DeleteToday's discussion broadened my understanding of the short narratives we read; as a white male, I found it hard to relate to "Fish Cheeks" or "Champion of the World"--now I see examples in my life where I have felt awkward among a different culture (versus just trying to see how *I* have been embarrassed by my own culture). The discussion made me think about an Asian Indian Party that my youth pastor (who is Indian) invited me to. I remember thinking to myself; "Man, what am I going to say to all of these Indians? What if I do something to offend them?" --Because I knew that this party was a chance for this different culture to express themselves like they did in India. My youth pastor had given me a formal "Punjabi" suit to wear, so that I could "fit in better." At the party I ate Indian food, with my right hand (because accustomed not to eat with silverware or your left hand). The climax of awkwardness had to be my overall attempt to assimilate myself into their culture for this one night, and basically "act Indian" and risk "trying too hard." I found it ironic, though, as my youth pastor's brother (who is also Indian) walked in, wearing a business suit, commonly worn by American businessmen and women; he sat down next to me and ate his Indian food with a fork.
ReplyDeleteI believe everyone brought up powerful points in today's discussion. I'd like to address the debate over Tan and Angelou's writing styles. I do think Minna explained how she related to Tan's more personal piece very nicely, even if she was not all that ashamed of Pakistani culture, like Tan was of her Chinese culture. It really made me think about how many times I've been in that situation, even if the feeling was not as resentful. I am proud of my culture and I am proud to have peers to share it with as well. I think it is really important that we all remember to be proud of the cultures and traditions we hold, because they are a part of us and they will become a part of our children and so on. That is how culture is passed down to generations. Too much blending without trying to preserve your identity as Minna said will cause it to slowly disappear.
ReplyDeleteI agreed with Romesa and Jerika when they explained that Angelou's piece is relatable worldwide, not just to people who come to this country from another, but to people who simply have different backgrounds or races. This, along with Angelou's use of depicting the entire fight scene and the radio made us engage in the action of the story, and actually feel for Joe Louis and Angelou. To me, Angelou's message still stood out most.
As we discussed "Crime of Compassion", I was really struck by Minna's comments. I have personally known Minna's family for the last 7 years and I was aware of her brother's condition. However it never actually hit me what he went through as a young child. Minna explained that the descriptions used to describe Mac's body were so powerful as if she was seeing her brother's weakened body in the hospital. She mentioned that, because she had witnessed her own brother in this situation before, she could relate to the story so well. I personally saw my grandmother go through a lot of suffering from multiple strokes to becoming bedridden and I've seen her life pass by her. It wasn't until I saw her in the hospital this past November, when her body was finally giving out, that I realized it was her time to go. Just like the nurse who had a personal relationship with Mac and had seen his suffering continue, I too knew that my grandmother had been through so much. She spent years in a hospital bed, not being able to speak, eat, drink or even use the bathroom on her own; things we take so much advantage of. This is something I also picked up from Crime of Compassion. Life is valuable and doctors should help to preserve it as long as they can, but when there is no more value to a person's life, it is better to let go.
Nada Gill
I was really surprised today when Jerika brought up the point that she had never felt embarrassed or shameful of her family's way of living or of her skin color. I don't think I've ever heard any person of any minority say that. Everyone I've always talked to said they at least felt shameful as a child. I also agree with her when she said that discrimination is more discrete these days but nevertheless still lives. You don't hear about lynching nowadays, but you do hear about kids in school being bullied about their skin color or their race. Both are equally hurtful to the individual and the minorities at large.
ReplyDeleteI completely agreed with Minna's point today about A Crime of Compassion. I felt like the author's use of detail and imagery really engages the reader to feel in all five senses. Like Minna, I, too, had a family member go through cancer. Reading the paragraph where the author described Mac's appearances really made me think about my mom as she went through cancer about three years ago. My mom, naturally being a really small, petite, fragile woman, had always been about 110 lbs before cancer. During her sessions of chemotherapy, though, she got down to about 89 lbs. When Mac was described as a skeleton, I could see in my mind what that actually looked like. His imagery was almost scary because of how it made me feel everything.
The in class discussion certainly made me see the stories in a different light. While talking about Tan's narrative Jerika added that she has never felt embarrased or shameful of her skin color or her family. I found it interesting that because of this she could not relate to Tan's narrative as personally as others. But, I agree with the many people that said that Tan's narrative was much more relatable than Angelou's. Many people are different ethnically, racially or even just embarrassed or shameful of their family and it is easy to relate to this, much more so than Angelou's. Angelou's is only about discrimination of African American's and while this is a very powerful subject, it is less relateable, as Minna and Romesa said. I also was given much insight on a "Crime of Compassion". The details that were used and the connection between the nurse and the family made this story so powerful. Although less people have gone through something like this the controversial topic makes the reader intrigued.
ReplyDeleteBefore this week my understanding of a Narrative was that I tells a story and that the point of view was important. Now however after this week my understanding of how and what a true narrative is has greatly increased. I have learned that a narrative cant just be a pointless story and that the writer should try his best to incorporate some type of moral lesson to keep the reader interested. I have also learned that the structure and detail use of a narrative play a vital role in keeping the reader attentive to the story. Through the discussions many real problems that we face in today's world were brought to light. We talked about fear, racism, stereotyping, Morals,Poverty. When we were talking about the moral delima and duties of a doctor Romesa brought up a point when she said that doctors put their morals aside because they took a pledge to do what ever in necessarily to save a person's life. I know understand what it takes to create a good narrative.
ReplyDeleteI have always been a fan of narrative writing, but before this week I never thought that there was different modes of writing a narrative. I could distinguish the difference between a good narrative writer and a writer that may not be as skilled but I could never explain the difference. This week has widened the image that I had of narrative writing and has helped me see how to better my own writing. I enjoyed this weeks discussion because it helped me progress as a writer in an area that I enjoy. I think that it is amusing that two writers can write about the same concepts in such a different way and be received by the readers in a totally different way based on how much that individual reader connected to the story.
ReplyDeleteI believe reading the passages of Tan and Angelou's writing was a powerful segue into writing a meaningful narrative. Up until this point, I never actually realized all of the rhetorical and stylistic devices used in conveying one message. Now my understanding is that in order to make a simple point meaningful, you must appeal to the audience, whether using ideas that are relateable, or telling an emotionally tied story with descriptions, in order to make the audience feel what you feel as a writer.
ReplyDeleteNada Gill
Though initially I felt that Angelou's narrative was much more effective and powerful than Tan's, through class discussion, I have realized that Tan's is more personal therefore making it more relatable to a wider audience. Sherman Alexie somewhat hits on the point that we are who we are. He says, "yes, I am. I am Indian. Indian, I am" as a child in second grade. Even though he was young, he knew that no matter what there was no way to change his identity, so what was the point in trying? Throughout all the discussions we have had in class this past week, I have learned that it is not only important to engage the reader, so that they want to keep reading the story, but also so that they can take something away from it. The reader should be able to walk away and look at a certain situation in a new light. Tan does a good job of illustrating this as she shows that though the girl in her story is simply a teenager with an embarrassing family, she realizes that her family is a part of her. Though she may be embarrassed by them at that moment, in the long run, she realized to appreciate her culture. This shows that the ability to relate to something is far more powerful than anything. Knowing other people have been in the same situations as you is more comforting than anyone else in my opinion because I know that I am not the only one in this situation. I know I am not alone. The way Tan connects with her audience is very powerful and the fact that she shows she has been through this issue of accepting herself is comforting because she can relate to other people who are going through the same thing.
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