Michelle Romero
Eng. 48B
Dr. Scott Lankford
"To Build a Fire," by Jack London
"The trouble with him was that he was without imagination. He was quick and alert in the things of life, but only in the things, and not in the significances."
I love this quote, it is so critical of a man's reasoning. Especially in American society, because we are a low-context society communication wise, we (or our founding "fathers") have engrained in our thinking that everything must be written down, codified, or expressed in facts and figures. That is one of the reasons women are taken less seriously; men seem to know so much and can explain it with science and reason, while women are too sensitive or have too many emotions. In "The Yellow Wallpaper" for example, Jane's husband John does not take her seriously and often brushes her off like a child with a little pat on the head. She on the other hand has these strong feelings that something is not right about the house.
In this story, London makes man's reasoning appear to be ridiculous by comparing the man’s judgment to the dog’s knowledge. For example, the man KNOWS it is freezing, but he doesn’t understand then the importance of building a fire or doing something at least to survive. The dog on the other hand does.
"Its instincts told it a truer tale than was told to the man by the man's judgment." pg. 978.
I see the dog in London' s story paralleling the women in other stories we have read. Both are ignored despite many efforts to warn or persuade the man and both are the companion to the man.
It is good to note that the dog does feel or sense that something is wrong, it is too cold, and tries to move the man to action. If the man had listened, he may still be alive. It is also noteworthy, that the dog relies on the man to act for the survival of both of them. Bear with me for a moment while I try to explain....
If we consider that the dog is the female character in other stories, then London is suggesting that man not only needs to heed the advice of the intuitive woman, but also that woman needs man just the same. This even goes back to the Bible if we want to go that route since it says that Eve was created to be a "suitable helper" to Adam. What do you know, man needs help. :)
Anyway, more support of this idea comes at the end when the dog walks off after the man has died, to find the camp he knew, "where were the other food-providers and fire-providers." pg. 987. It is kind of like a food and shelter concept, that the man is the provider and that the woman belongs at his side.
I'm still thinking this one over...
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Monday, March 19, 2007
Journal 24: Sui Sin Far
Michelle Romero
Eng. 48b
Dr. Scott Lankford
When the neighbor is talking about all Americans being part of a royal class, Mr. Spring Fragrance challenges....
"'What about my brother in the Detention Pen?' dryly inquired Mr. Spring Fragrance.
'Now, you've got me,' said the young man, rubbing his head. 'Well, that is a shame--a beastly shame, as the Englishman says. But understand, old fellow, we that are real Americans are up against that--even more than you. It is against our principles.'"
"Mrs. Spring Fragrance" is filled with themes of principles/theories vs. realities, even down to the very misperceptions her husband has toward her reasons for being in San Francisco.
Everything on the surface is being challenged by what we the reader, knows is really happening and really not happening.
In this case, the nonchalant dialogue of Mr. Spring Fragrance's American friend tells me that he really doesn't understand what he is going through and how he feels about the wrongs being done to his brother, for one. Here is the image of a young, brawny American college student on the horizon of a bright future and then on the other side of the fence (literally) is his Chinese immigrant counterpart who is suffering losses unnoticed on the surface of his day to day life. The one cannot possibly relate to the other, not on any deep level anyway.
It is also profound that the American student can so easily dismiss a real cruelty as being of no importance considering it is against American principles. It is as though, as long as Americans acknowledge in writing or in speech the rights of human beings, the actions taken by the government are of no consequence. This really speaks to the power of denial. BIG TIME!
At other times in history, the same false images have been used to make Americans feel better about very serious, very real oppression and discrimination. One example is the Holocaust, another is Vietnam, and yet another is today's war in Iraq. Then of course we can't forget the realities of Zitkala Sa's own experiences as a poor Indian whose tribal problems went unacknowledged at satisfaction of visitors who only ventured as far as the wall of honor in student halls.
The more I read into the language and sarcasm of Sui Sin Far's story, I think she is almost laughing at the stupidity of Americans who trick themselves against seeing what is real. I say almost, because I think that she can not come to complete laughter when it is for such a ridiculous reason that her people have suffered so greatly.
Eng. 48b
Dr. Scott Lankford
When the neighbor is talking about all Americans being part of a royal class, Mr. Spring Fragrance challenges....
"'What about my brother in the Detention Pen?' dryly inquired Mr. Spring Fragrance.
'Now, you've got me,' said the young man, rubbing his head. 'Well, that is a shame--a beastly shame, as the Englishman says. But understand, old fellow, we that are real Americans are up against that--even more than you. It is against our principles.'"
"Mrs. Spring Fragrance" is filled with themes of principles/theories vs. realities, even down to the very misperceptions her husband has toward her reasons for being in San Francisco.
Everything on the surface is being challenged by what we the reader, knows is really happening and really not happening.
In this case, the nonchalant dialogue of Mr. Spring Fragrance's American friend tells me that he really doesn't understand what he is going through and how he feels about the wrongs being done to his brother, for one. Here is the image of a young, brawny American college student on the horizon of a bright future and then on the other side of the fence (literally) is his Chinese immigrant counterpart who is suffering losses unnoticed on the surface of his day to day life. The one cannot possibly relate to the other, not on any deep level anyway.
It is also profound that the American student can so easily dismiss a real cruelty as being of no importance considering it is against American principles. It is as though, as long as Americans acknowledge in writing or in speech the rights of human beings, the actions taken by the government are of no consequence. This really speaks to the power of denial. BIG TIME!
At other times in history, the same false images have been used to make Americans feel better about very serious, very real oppression and discrimination. One example is the Holocaust, another is Vietnam, and yet another is today's war in Iraq. Then of course we can't forget the realities of Zitkala Sa's own experiences as a poor Indian whose tribal problems went unacknowledged at satisfaction of visitors who only ventured as far as the wall of honor in student halls.
The more I read into the language and sarcasm of Sui Sin Far's story, I think she is almost laughing at the stupidity of Americans who trick themselves against seeing what is real. I say almost, because I think that she can not come to complete laughter when it is for such a ridiculous reason that her people have suffered so greatly.
Journal 23: Sui Sin Far
Michelle Romero
Eng. 48b
Dr. Scott Lankford
Sui Sin Far
"Tsen Hing, the son of the Government school-master, seems to be much in the company of your young wife. He is a good-looking youth, and pardon me, my dear cousin; but if women are allowed to stray at will from under their husbands' mulberry roofs, what is to prevent them from becoming butterflies?"
This passage contains the words written by one of the Mr. Spring Fragrance's older cousins, one of his bachelor cousins to be more precise, in a letter to Mr. Spring Fragrance warning him of his wife's supposed flirtatiousness.
Here is what I think: No wonder this cousin is still a bachelor! If he ever was married, thank goodness his wife was smart enough to butter-FLY away from him. Mr. Spring Fragrance should have knocked him hard for accusing his wife of such improper acts without any grounds.
This passage to me has "The Yellow Wallpaper" written all over it. In Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper," Jane hated the wallpaper, but after John (her husband) had initially "intended" to change the wallpaper, he decided not to after thinking of how she then would want to go around changing other things around the house. Like a new shade of paper is going to kill anyone!
The point in that part of "The Yellow Wallpaper" was that if you give a woman the freedom to choose or to do something of her own free will, she will want more freedoms and that was of more threat to the fabric of society.
Similarly here, the cousin is warning Mr. Spring Fragrance that by allowing his wife to run about San Francisco wild and without a chaperon, she may in fact turn into a butterfly. I like the word "butterfly" in this passage because it is a pleasant word which evokes pleasant thoughts.
By using this word, Sui Sin Far makes her message clear regarding gender relations. She does not write that the men are actually worried about someone taking advantage of this poor, defenseless woman, or that she may turn in to a slut, but instead they are worried that she will in fact become a more free and elevated, independent creature. The words suggest her innate power, separate from a man and I can respect that.
Eng. 48b
Dr. Scott Lankford
Sui Sin Far
"Tsen Hing, the son of the Government school-master, seems to be much in the company of your young wife. He is a good-looking youth, and pardon me, my dear cousin; but if women are allowed to stray at will from under their husbands' mulberry roofs, what is to prevent them from becoming butterflies?"
This passage contains the words written by one of the Mr. Spring Fragrance's older cousins, one of his bachelor cousins to be more precise, in a letter to Mr. Spring Fragrance warning him of his wife's supposed flirtatiousness.
Here is what I think: No wonder this cousin is still a bachelor! If he ever was married, thank goodness his wife was smart enough to butter-FLY away from him. Mr. Spring Fragrance should have knocked him hard for accusing his wife of such improper acts without any grounds.
This passage to me has "The Yellow Wallpaper" written all over it. In Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper," Jane hated the wallpaper, but after John (her husband) had initially "intended" to change the wallpaper, he decided not to after thinking of how she then would want to go around changing other things around the house. Like a new shade of paper is going to kill anyone!
The point in that part of "The Yellow Wallpaper" was that if you give a woman the freedom to choose or to do something of her own free will, she will want more freedoms and that was of more threat to the fabric of society.
Similarly here, the cousin is warning Mr. Spring Fragrance that by allowing his wife to run about San Francisco wild and without a chaperon, she may in fact turn into a butterfly. I like the word "butterfly" in this passage because it is a pleasant word which evokes pleasant thoughts.
By using this word, Sui Sin Far makes her message clear regarding gender relations. She does not write that the men are actually worried about someone taking advantage of this poor, defenseless woman, or that she may turn in to a slut, but instead they are worried that she will in fact become a more free and elevated, independent creature. The words suggest her innate power, separate from a man and I can respect that.
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