Julia Pearl

English 2310: American Literary Cultures

Final Exam

Part One:

1. This passage is from Jhumpa Lahiri’s, “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine.” In this short story

the author is speaking the from the perspective of a child who examines her family’s new

and returning dinner guest. Through Mr. Pirzada’s visits Lilia learns more about her culture

and the struggles, in other parts of the world, that her school does not teach her about. This

passage is significant because it shows why Lilia does not initially understand the reason her

parents watch the news with Mr. Pirzada every night (Lahriri 24) and why she knows so little

about what is happening in the country her parents are from. “My father rapped his knuckles

on top of my head. ‘You are of course, aware of the current situation? Aware of East

Pakistan’s fight for sovereignty?’ I nodded, unaware of the situation” (Lahiri 26). This is

because, as Lilia discloses, her school doesn’t teacher about Pakistan but rather American

historical events. The excerpt shows Lilia being drawn to learn about her culture despite her

project being about something else, “I found a book titled Pakistan: A Land and Its

People” (33). However, Lahiri then uses the teacher’s admonition of Lilia being off-task to

show the underrepresentation of events outside of the U.S. Lilia only learns about what is

happening in Pakistan because of her parents and Mr. Pirzada (31). Lahiri uses Lilia’s

detailed description of the book to humanize Pakistan even further than the idea that Mr.
 Pirzada’s family is there. Additionally, Lahiri shows the limited information on Pakistan not

only through her teacher’s response but in her description of the book’s size. “replacing it in

the slim gap on the shelf.”

2. This passage is from Sandra Cisneros’ “Woman Hollering Creek.” This short story showed

the domestic abuse of Cleófilas who is married and moves across the border to the United

States. Cleófilas cannot speak english, does not have access to a car, and is barred from

contacting her family while suffering the violence of her abusive husband. This passage is

significant because we see another instance where the use of the telenovela motif is used and

changes as the story progresses. As pointed out in the lesson and discussion that

accompanied “Woman Hollering Creek,” the telenovelas that Cleófilas enjoys change in

comparison to her life as her husband becomes more and more abusive. I think this passage

is symbolic as to how her somewhat naïve ideas of love, which were based off of the evens

telenovelas, were essentially thrown in her face by the harsh realities of life. Cisneros writes,

“She could forgive that. But what stung more was the fact it was her book, a love story…”

She starts out in the story thinking her life is going to be a love story (1615), but by the end

she realizes that life is not always like a telenovela. I think the excerpt that has been selected

is a dramatic turning point for Cleófilas. She has accepted the abuse to a degree, but she

knows that it is not supposed to be like this. I think the book being thrown at her face is

representative of a wake-up call. Following this, we are able to see Cleófilas make her

escape from her abusive marriage.

3. This passage is from Sherman Alexie’s “Honor Society.” In this short story Sherman Alexie

speaks from the perspective of a young Native American boy living on a reservation. The

boy wants to go to college but comes from a low-income household, so he collects cans to

save up for an SAT prep course. I found the passage quite shocking within the story. The

reader sees this boy talking about wanting to go to college and the obstacles that stand in his

way. However, this passage is significant because it gives the reader insight in to the

emotional and cultural consequences of what the speaker is trying to accomplish. I just a few

short sentences, styled to draw the reader’s attention, Sherman Alexie unravels so many of

the speaker’s worries and hidden struggles. The reader can see that this powerful portion of

the story is written in a format similar to an SAT question. I think that this is meant to show a

connection between the uncertainty of both how his test results and how his decision to go to

college will affect his connection to his culture and his home life. Additionally, Alexie

writes, “Pound by pound, dollar by dollar.” I think the repetition is meant to show just how

dedicated the speaker is to his goal, and how much work he is willing to put in in order to

escape the situation his parents are in.

4. This passage is from Edwidge Danticat’s, “In the Old Days.” Here we meet Nadia, a young

woman who has never met her father. However, she finds out that he is on his death bed, and

it has been requested that she come visit him before he passes. Danticat walks the reader

through Nadia’s final interaction with a father she was never able to meet. This excerpt is

significant because this is the first and only time Nadia has taken on the role of “daughter.”

Danticat communicates the significance of this moment for Nadia with his use of repetition

throughout the excerpt. Danticat uses the word “daughter” repeatedly. I think this shows the
 reader how that title is beginning to sink in for Nadia despite the fact that she has only met

her father after his passing. I think that Danticat’s use of multiple time words like, “a day, a

month, a year,” “forever,” show that no amount of time would have been enough for Nadia.

However, we see the mood begin to shift here as she realizes that no matter how close she

was to her father, no one gets to stay with their parent forever. “Even if I weren’t a stranger,

even if we’d spent out entire lives together. I wouldn’t be able to stay in there with my father

forever.”

Part 2: Cumulative Essay

The texts we have read and analyzed this semester have shown broader stories of

stereotyped people and uncovered some that needed to be told. From learning the hard truths of

the west to unraveling the idea of ‘passing,’ this semester has provided a broader more accurate

scope of the historical events that impact the society and people we live with. It has restored

dignity and shown our shared humanity by revealing complex interactions between racial and

cultural groups, displaying lesser known historical and present realities, and confronting difficult

truths about our origins.

In selections like “When Mr. Pirzada Came to Dine” and “Dear John Wayne” we are able

to see characters interact with people and customs that are different than what they are

accustomed to. We see this clearly when Lilia is asked about current events from her parents’

home country. “You are of course, aware of the current situation? Aware of East Pakistan’s fight
for sovereignty?’ I nodded, unaware of the situation” (Lahiri 26). Here, Lilia shows that

American schools do not cover material like the war in Pakistan in their history or current event

classes. As Lilia discloses they cover historical events like, “charting the root of the Mayflower,

or showing us the location of the Liberty Bell” (Lahiri 33). Her teacher’s unawareness of the

reason for Lilia’s interest in a book about Pakistan shows readers that not all people come from

the same background, and each person has something to contribute to historical and current

education because of their unique cultural history. Additionally, we see this throughout “Dear

John Wayne” as Louise Erdrich illustrates the harm that western films caused by perpetuating

negative stereotypes about Native Americans. “His disease was the idea of taking

everything” (1625). In both of these pieces we see the effects of one group misunderstanding

another. However, reading each piece humanizes these experiences that not everyone can relate

to and allows for readers to better understand what it’s like in another’s shoes. These selections

also dignify the struggles of people who suffered miscommunication between cultures through

their ability to open up healthy conversation on the topic.

Furthermore, the readings this semester have shown students the less talked-about parts

of history and experiences of those today. In All the Pretty Horses, McCarthy carefully depicts

many of common western tropes while also untying the stereotypical idea of what life as a

cowboy was actually like. From the difficulties Cole faced with his mother selling their ranch

(17) to his struggle to deal with death (179) and the consequences and result of his relationship

with Alejandra (254) we see many stereotypes of the west torn apart. McCarthy shows the reality

of ranch life including Cole’s guilt for killing a man that was trying to kill him or the deaths of

both Blevins and the captain which he could do little to stop. “When I was in the penitentiary
down there I killed a boy…It keeps bothering me…It don’t help. He tried to kill me with a knife.

I just got the best of him” (291). Despite the circumstances surrounding each death, these events

still haunt him. Through this, McCarthy provides a much more realistic picture of the emotions

and consequences of life as cowboy. Additionally, we see this in Walt Whitman’s poem, “The

Wound-Dresser.” While the young men and women expect a triumphant and glorious battle story,

that is not what sticks with the speaker and not what Whitman wants to communicate. Whitman

uses the poem to unravel these carefully spun versions of wars by telling of the horrors that many

like to avoid discussing. Whitman writes, “Hard the breathing rattles, quite glazed already the

eye, yet life struggles hard, (Come sweet death! be persuaded O beautiful death! In mercy come

quickly.)” (75). Here the speaker is revealing some of the most painful parts about his time

helping injured soldiers, yet this is him speaking his truth about the war. Both these stories dispel

the common stereotypes that misconstrue the reality and hardships that people often forget come

with the past, especially when the story they are told is the glorified version of events. The texts

respectively humanize the deaths of so many soldiers while also making the trope of the west

much more realistic to readers who may see cowboys as fictional because of their usual

portrayal. Additionally, reading these texts affords dignity to the struggles of western life and the

hardships of war through their ability to show how these events may still impact people today or

be applied to people facing similar circumstances.

Finally, a majority of the texts we’ve read have confronted difficult truths about the

origins and progression that created the America we live in today. This was most prominent in

texts like, The Sovereignty and Goodness of God and Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass,

A Slave. These texts show uncomfortable parts of history that are covered in history books but
not humanized and displayed in the same way that these authors are able. In The Sovereignty and

Goodness of God, we are shown the reality of early settlers’ stereotyped and inaccurate opinions

of Native Americans as well as the horrors that took place in fight over U.S. land. Mary

Rowlandson writes, “This was the dolefullest night that ever my eyes saw. Oh the roaring, and

singing and danceing, and yelling of those black creatures in the night, which made the place a

lively resemblance of hell…some boyling to feed out merciless Enemies; who were joyful

enough though we were disconsolate” (77). Here we see Rowlandson’s low opinion of Native

Americans, her lack of understanding for their culture, and the missing existence of empathy or

understanding between the two groups. The text also shows realities of the Metacom;s War that

often go un-talked-about. Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass depicts aspects of slavery

that cannot be found in a history textbook as well. “I would at times feel that learning to read had

been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition” (48) and

“Mr. Covey succeeded in breaking me. I was broken in body, soul, and spirit, My natural

elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful

spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a

man transformed into a brute!” (67). In Douglass’s narrative we not only see slaves humanized as

real suffering people through the depth of Douglass’s thoughts, but Douglass also humanizes the

slaveholders, especially Captain Auld and his wife. He depicts the negative effects of

slaveholding on their kindness and family (42). Through their confrontation of these major

events in history and their ability to display each through their experiences, Douglass and

Rowlandson are able to restore dignity to their stories through the in-depth depiction of their

struggle to their respective goals. Additionally, these two authors humanize both their
experiences as well as those of their antagonists. Through this they are able to show people a

powerful image of both sides of these complex events and show readers that these historical

events are far more complex than one may initially realize.

In conclusion, each of these authors’ powerful storytelling, whether fiction or not, makes

understanding our origins possible. They show why tensions between different groups exist

today and the events that caused this. These texts make evident the range of experiences and

backgrounds that are part of America as a country of immigrants. Each of these also shows the

power of a story; each can either make or break a stereotype. I think this range of texts does and

excellent job of breaking down stereotypes, humanizing historical events through specific

experiences and characters, and providing readers with perspectives they would not otherwise

have. They make evident that Adichie’s statement is quite true and that stories hold a great deal

of power over people.