fea thar the human spe ty remains a pow nizing human experience. M 1s probably fone ethnic group or another. Despite our often st affiliations, the members of ethnic groups little in common other than a particular “look” = fair hair, mond eyes, etc. Ethnicities are breeding patterns that ove a similarity of external traits, But those traits are accider 1 a particular moment in historical time, are sustained by social practices of marriage and Juction usually within geography: specific communities, and can easily disappear if practices, communi. s such as skin color express interna ssences that are pre truth black skin is about as relevant as blonde hair as an, of an internal biological reality. Rather than being the biologi 1 gets expressed in social practices, it is an effect of social If you were to change the pattern of bi ” would disappear. As a result of cross-breeding, itis hard to te asian from an Asian, a mixed-race African and Euro-America n a Euro-American (itself a fairly mongrel breed in most instances Racists mistake ts for essences, traits for truths, and meaning markers of chromatic distinction for meaningful expressions 0 all of its contingency and irrelevance, ethnicity neverth of the most powerful reasons for either bonding togethe such as skin color cannot beStudi eas, ie gn ofa scarred historical ral painful reality of is history in Ar nunds for arguing that there are specifi ethnic y St ssumed white norm of at voices. The Heath Anthology of America 1 displacing whiteness from its traditional so provoked an interest in the imbrication of -a with that of its ethnic others. In gues that white American liter and African American experience asprojects of achiev y Jociation of blacks y means in part that whites E of them as s whose role in life is to assist whites in various ways. Fr Vance, blacks get to pole the raf that to gain freedom or win the game. good example of blindness to racism of William Faulkner. Be the same universalist tics enshrined him as an exampl xpression to timeless, placeless truths. As a resul Ikner has been an unquestioned member of th tradition” in letters from the 1930s down to the present. But one could ompare him to the vieiously anti-semitic writers of Europe he culture that gave rise co Nazism, Faulkner's “aw help-but-be-so version of the “ordinacy southerner frican American v bus and as for example, one is part African American. This “blood” stain nristmas falls on the negative side of the dichoto ody, universal/particular, light/dark, and c uses to organize his racial universe. Joe murders a white n wich whom he is havi representative of the lacks. That someone who represents the fruit of tha black who behaves arrogantly toward whites ~ kills hes 1¢ novel's argumentative scheme, an example of an appropriate 10 those who would seek to t with natural folkways. Those folkways sh allowed to work their own way toward redem sulkner casually characterizes blacks as idiots who are akin to children. Their role in the novel is either to be the occasion for humor (eweaking ¢ liainous representatives of institutio li atives of a mindless, violent y. Whites,ment. The frst is that bla the loss of their wh in the Civil War. Jus the opposite was likely to be true y from plantations once given the chanc 10 see justice done peoperly. Ie is a representative of o represents federal government interferenc he South, who kills Joe. That dichotomy ~ jood southern folkways - would c North, a man i end southern institutional he novel, therefor it is a good example of a quite particular, sout!acent sense of “literary” value probab 1 is still taught as an example of “great lite as an example of a racist culture. One important effect 0 ethnic studies is that it brings to the table of literary discussion things in the sense that they do nor pertain to writing form or do not express putatively universal ideas. Ethnic studies fo on literary studies a need to attend to the specifics of history and to 1 complex social dynamics of particular times and places, the loc ual lives. Literary study inevitably shifts, as a result, tow tulture. And when that happens, someone lik e ethnic group with sult of occupying a superior economic position promoted mandatory mark of “literar atness. But if one put aside for a moment and takes the real historical context of th situation into account, the sense of what Faulkner “is” also changes. There are few southern black competitors for the title of great southern in the 1930s because of the very racist culeure that Faulkne ibes and endorses so well. In his picture of the world, blacks ar le of the cultural achievements he himself attains. Bur that is so because the culture he endorses requires de tion and enforces such a violent diminisha ception to the picture would be more than e a way of bringing the reality the ting that blacks are inherently n white is novel says count ~ mind/body, spirit/mateer, t responsibility, etc. ~ Faulkner helped ensure thai continue to enforce the exclusion of African Americans from tht tion that would have allow. to contradict the white pi them. In Faulkner's view, they ally” uneducable their “blood,” and by making that argument as well as he did (in as ” a “literary” language, one might say), he helped ensure that they would indeed be denied education. Significantly, of course, it was hi ate of Mississ 1 focus of African American effo the difficult to isolate texts from ¢ universal themes from specifiExercise 9.1. Elizabeth Bishop, “Faustina, or Rock Roses” Faustina” is both the name of a species of rose and the na vat who tends 2 white woman in this poem. Study the use ery in the poem, What are the differe as a kind of rose Bishop often uses simple descriptive terms, but ‘ghty with implication. Notice how she describes the room sd in which the old woman lies. How does the setting become a w Jparacterizing the woman and her lif Bishop is also a skillful shaper of sounds that give emphasis to he otice in stanz: way she develop: g of “wo” Often, sh such sounds in str Notice the lr follows. Read it aloud ‘wo lines. T differenc sounds and the sounds that follow. Wh do you think? How might light “betray us all” Notice the details in the next stanza. What is the significance o paper held up with tacks? Or of the wall in which Notice hi op repeats suggest whiteness such as “bleached” and “pallid.” Why does she d sed less by pain of nah Faustina, the black servant, i the art of the poem. How do you read he shop present her? What does she emphas ner employer isthe heart o it? Why mighta black servantFaustina seems to bring quite contradictory qualities together — she means by that? And what is a “coincident conundrum”? How is ‘What do you think the white woman gains by having a black ser And what does she risk? How might economic differ ‘What might Bishop mean by the “unimaginable nightmare”? Ir seem to have occurred before. Hov might that be the case? What about the relationship between ¢ wo women might hint at something like a nightmare rather than a dream of freedom? And what, finally, do you make of the snake-tongue image in the nex: The poem ends by su there is “no way of telling” what the answer to the question posed in st nzas 9 and 10 is, Whose eyes do you ink she is referring to in the next line ~ “The eyes say only either”? How might this balance of possibilities help explain the title of Exercise 9.2 Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye sgins with an emblematic scene of race and class difference The difference is not enormous. It hinges on bread and butter and a car, ¢ strong emotions that aze summoned by ind race. On the one side is arr but it is enough to provoke t class distinctions or se in mule the acial societies, this class situation long the lines of racial difference, Rosemary is white, while Claudia ack. The paragraph in contexts that might deprive one of self-esteem for reasons that are outside one’s own control. No one controls and Frieda picts how self-regard operates which they are born, Children in poor situations especially must find ways to balance an awareness of the negative judgment leveled at the oor (for being irresponsible) with their need in a non-nurturing social context to compensate with a strong sense of self. Notice thar Claudia says that “our own pride must be asserted by refusing to accept” when Rost pants, a gesture of submission. Why doesrows up in @ very poor environment. What are some 's of poverty? What effect does poverty have on family rela and especially on the relations between parents and children? nudia's mother characterized? Why do you think docs? What effect does her behavior have on her daugh: er sense of self home. The boarder, Mr. Henry, does not, nor 1 like Pecola Breedlove, who comes to live with PG aodis’s family. Their condition makes Claudia think about the dif Biyerberween being “out” and being put “outdoors.” How Firat of homelessness affect people’s aspirations? How fGpideotity around i [Another identity-creating object is fiethis inspires recrimination from her older relatives. Wh B piling to overlook the fact that § from Claudia’s mot eta fe sense that in Claudia’s Feeli Bow isc central to the Breedloves’ experience of the world? Why d Bovison choose to use che image of ugliness asa figure for their humili- Bing condition in life? How does this sense of personal BH Race-based poverty often breeds violence, domestic abuse, and Broke The Breedioves are a case in point. How does the bad Hfomestic situation of the parents a children? Why does M > much attention, do you think, to taking stock of thos ison concludes the first part of the book by focusing on the utes, What role do they play in the novel? Racial difference is registered in several other anecdotes th the novel ~ the conflict with Maureen Peal, Pecola’s encou idine, the light-colored black woman from Meridian, and Polly's he wealthy white home 's story further our sense of the harm ethni Ihinking does? How, for example, is she different from Claudia in he ton other pcople? And why does that matter so much? How doesWhat do we lea aldin cold almost in full passage Dangerously free.” What does she of Cholly’s life could NWA, “The Nigga Ya Love To Hats Exercise 9.3 This rap song presents an argument abou African Ar should b takes for granted which he is arguing. Who is the “ m” (a refere ¢ to a Smm pistol)? Tow does hediscursive pos 1980s, Bil f ciated NWA as “All in the muthafuckin’ cyele violence against blacks (*You getcha ass What is gained for his argument by this mo nes 45 and 46: “Thinkin ive.” Link how Who is her s Soul Train (a dan American 9 imitated white talk-show hh featured on MT" two might ha ole models” fo ist whose dancing was xxplain his po hat he might find ling Down and Hate Exercise onally to take ve approaches ethnicity. In the US, libeiening of rights for minority ups, and they favor gov st ethnic minoritis ot identify the country with + a reason for specia ne, Individual initiative, industry, and enterp dnd conservatives as a resulé take less serous Sas an impediment to sock Ga life, conservatives feel that nc ally disadvancag difference between con d ibecals has recent decades regarding ¢! of immigration European ethnic groups. Hispanics especially ha nservatives who believe immigration should be Conservatism in the US has traditionally been the political philoso- phy of large proper ers, the heads of the business class who see government as an instrument of econo! social egalitarianism and 0 seek to limit its powers. But " servative argument he indi acter of social advance- ment tend as well ro em servative positions. Their econt lives are made precarious and unstable as a result of the rofits in othe he part of the investment class. But they do not understand or see the invisible structural cause of their misery, and instead 0 igdoers they blame eth minorities, be responsible for taking their jobs. That has been especially true in a in the US, a period char- acterized by enormous swings in nic fortunes of such men and by a succ : liberal ideals of ethnic equality and diversity. Other factors, the increasing social and economic presence and power of immigrant groups, have also Contributed to the feelings of resentment and anger such men experience, s that make conservative 0 ethnic mixture and cultural pluralism mps, and they favor gov- ast racism by conserva- leatify the country with ly more open to ideals asa reason for special astry, and enterprise ult cake Jess seriously "social and economic remedial action, such 1g designed to remedy nservatives, should be minority groups been most evident in on t che US of non: ave been targeted by restricted the political philoso usiness class who see ial egalitarianism and who accept the con- ter of social advance- ons, Their economic ult of the search for the investment class sctural cause of their y bl wir jobs. That has © US, a period ehar- ortunes of such men against liberal ideals ch as the increasing int groups, have also. tuch men experience, mixture and multi ‘oint of view of such is job and his family € groups. He cast ot being sufficiently Btlnic Studies 189 American, and he gets into a fight with Latino gang members when he challenges their cultural assumptions. The film seems co endorse the z's harshly Americanist feelings about ethnicity. He is initially Linked ally to two emblems of conservative white Christian culture, the ideal of individual freedom and che Christ story of personal suffering sacrifice. As he waits in a frustrating traffic jam at the beginning Of the film, he looks at bumper stickers that mention “freedom” and “he died for your sins.” In this film, the white American male has lost his feeedom, and he does die standing up for his rights against a mult ethnic society whose corruption and inhumanity is lent a particularly conservative codification: Asian American grocers who charge too ‘much, Latino gang members who show no respect for a hard-working white man, restaurants that are overly regimented, poor people who are in fact exploiters of hard-working people, public workers who do make work jobs to keep the public tax money flowing, wealehy people who enjoy leisure while hard-working lower-class men struggle to In the film, white American males are porteayed as under attack from 1 harsh economie climate, hostile non-white ethaic forces around them, and women who emasculate them. Bill, the unemployed defense worker who gives up in frustration at waiting in line and goes on a quest to reach the home of his divorced wife on his daughter's birthday, and Prendergast, the policeman who tracks him, are both disempowered by women, Bill’ wife refuses to let him come home to see his daughter, and Prendergast’s wife bullies him on the telephone, an emblem for both men of excessive ties to powerful women. Prendergast’s wie is portrayed as a physical and emotional mess, a trope typical of misogynist films that portray heroic men subdued by more powerful women. In the dual narrative, Prendergast succeeds in reclaiming his masculinity, defined in the film as the ability to act successfully in the public world and 10 exercise violence against others. Prendergast tells his wife finally 10 ‘shut up” and severs the symbolically umbilical phone connection to hher that has kept him from his work all day. Bill fails because he con- tinues to define his existence through his wife and fails to find a source of happiness and success apart from her. Sent back to live with his he fails to “teach home," literally he house he lived in with her but also, more symbolically, che masculine ideal of a sue cessfully achieved familial and sexual lif Bill complains that he is no longer “economically viable,” but no «cause is given for his loss of economic status. That lack of information or explanation befits, however, a consciousness that fails to pierce the by his 4 |asan Asian Am n exploration of ra nevertheless mbodied in the n.” This differ istancing the forms of ethnic hatred associated with the radical rig! ment to Bill's more mainstream conserv thnic animosity, which he turns ertheless lends endorse “American” brand of mes” of the st Ly exploitativ flict endows Bill wi ile the are made to appear “greasy,” dark, chreatening, civil, and ireational. Bill wea jee shirt ar eat haircut, and is lit usually in such a way as ments app trast dressed in nal and virtuous. Mr. Lec shire chat ‘ough-looking, and is lit in ¥¥ a5 to con: and incivility ¢ the cave of a brute anim: ike prowling animals on m. busine speak with ‘omatic pistolSadie learn Engl sh and that English shoul ue omic. Laugh ae CU Mee to feel empathy for sociall iy mock th dency to fee expat § | disposition hological d es other members of a community, peopl ‘onservatives, no such commonal 5 of one’s own et ‘world is atomized with whom one has some ; arena ing his job well can thus be The sole so many films play 01 sccommodational position But the new ethnic groups must abso: system (metaphorized by the multiethnic police ‘al of separate consideration, y so carefully arranging the choice of ch foom diffecent ethnic groups? ‘The film’s narrative is structured both as a journey and 2s ail by the journey is roughly twenty-four arranging the narrative in this manner? Think told in voiceover at che beginning falling fcom a building and who *S0 far so good.” What is the poi to the circularity of the narrativ edits where one expects to move away from a se film is on the same shot after the edit. How mi be linked to the ci of school. What is Hubert’s particular significance in this regard The boys seem at ease in a multiethnic culture ethnic-based hatred on their journey. Why is it so signific loses his temper and asks Vinz to use thi precedes the penultimar Vinz relinquishes the with him to give How has thi changed the two boys? Vinz decides no scene preceding the skinhead encounter h crucial to hi ignificance: curses, and posturing. Masculin How is masculine pride depicted? C the encounter with the police. In what other ways is pride a element of the action? How does it ultimately infect even the poll sm betray their role as upThe depictie petween the actual | ad the vacious ogans that surround signs. How jsual style of the film also draws attention film uses close-ups and a rotating fe use of a zoom out of the Pa the style in the police statio at important institution in thei ‘oom out work to characterize their relationship to th The ending, of course, is also ironic. Why Said doesn’t understand why the man in t tonwof Grunwalsk. Why do you think he does? What bave the b just been arguing about and what point m ake? The anecdote is about several harsh setting, sticking together o going 0 pride versus acceptin fale that are also issues in the film. How does the anecdote he themes of tolerance and violence in the film?