Carter Sickel's Essay 'Bittersweet'

The book goes through Jeannette’s life exposing the mistakes she, her siblings, and her parents made to become the family they were. As her life grows older, Jeannette finds herself in more responsible positions in the world, with editing school newspapers, to writing columns in a small New York newspaper outlet. Her troubles have raised the issue of stereotyping, a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. Due to her status in her childhood, it was not hard for her to fit in with the other members of the poor community. “Dinitia explained that I was with her and that I was good people. The women looked at one another and shrugged.” (Walls 191) The quote talks about how members of the black community in Welch accepted Jeannette to go swimming with them in the morning hours before the white people went in the afternoon. The people who knew Dinita, Jeannette’s friend, knew that Dinita was trustworthy, and let Jeannette pass. This relates to the thesis because it shows how she was accepted amongst the people who were

In the beginning of the essay, the narrator explains his views about life. The narrator goes onto compare the different aspects of the cultures, and in a sense thinks like the White man, that his

What would he think of our noisy Chinese relative who lacked proper American manners? What terrible disappointment would he feel upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food (74). But as Tan grows older she begins to realize that giving up her Chinese heritage for more American customs is not what she truly wants in life. Similarly, “Museum” by Naomi Shihab Nye conceals irony in the authors thoughts. Nye thinks that mistaking the strangers home for the McNay was a big mistake in her young life. But as it turns out this “mistake” unintentionally taught a valuable lesson to the residents of the home. This is reveled to the reader by Nye through a quote from one of the residents “That was my home. I was a teenager sitting with my family talking in the living room. Before you came over, I never realized what a beautiful place I lived in. I never felt lucky before” (80). Including these traces of irony helps add character and comedy to the already entertaining articles.

Before she begins the essay with the imagery, Allison adopts a persona of a mother who is formerly poor as a child, and now middle class with a large family. This is when she describes her past in an anecdote, and when she moves to describe cooking for her son and family. Her persona responds well to her intended audience, who may be poor families experiencing rough times, or young mothers in need of something to relate to.

“Being Country” by Bobby Anne Mason is a recollection of childhood memories that are told by a young girl who wants something more out of her life. Throughout her story she mentions how she does not want to stay living the way her family does. She disagrees with the way her mother and grandmother have lived considering she hated depending on life of farming. She repeatedly expressed how much she thought her life at home was plain in comparison to the ways of the town people. Bobby was often immersed by the way she thought the people in town would live; how even the food and writing in the stores were fancy and tastier than the food from home. This essay reminded me of how society infers affairs of people they do not

I believe that the short story clearly presents the stereotypes of rural Black women, and the challenges and struggles that African women faced with regard to heritage, personal fulfillment, and family relations as the past collided with the present realities. The concepts of family and Black women within this short story are highlighted by the fact that the three main characters among who the story revolves are all Black women and members of the same family. The clash of the past and future, personal fulfilment, heritage struggles, and the stereotyping of rural Black women is visible in the clear contrast of attitudes and ambitions of Dee and her boyfriend, who represent the future, and mama and her daughter Maggie, who in this case embody the past.

Every individual has traditions passed down from their ancestors. This is important because it influences how families share their historical background to preserve certain values to teach succeeding generation. N. Scott Momaday has Native American roots inspiring him to write about his indigenous history and Maxine Hong Kingston, a first-generation Chinese American who was inspired by the struggles of her emigrant family. Kingston and Momaday manipulate language by using, metaphors, similes, and a unique style of writing to reflect on oral traditions. The purpose of Kingston’s passage is to reflect upon her ancestor’s mistake to establish her values as an American

“The Way of a Cherokee” by Foxxy was the essay I read to form this response Essay. Foxxy helps us imagine the time she lived in Montana with her grandparents. Where her grandfather told stories to her and her sister, Sierra, while they sat at his feet dreaming of being Cherokee warriors. Sierra and Foxxy wanted to see everything their grandpa was telling them, so they would go out on adventures. On the way home from one of the adventures Foxxy’s foot got stuck in the bog, her sister then ran to get her grandfather to save the day. Foxxy and Sierra think very highly of their grandfather and they believe he is the best. After he passed, the smallest things would jolt her memory of all the tales and adventures they had. There are many examples that identify my personal connections and help me relate to Foxxy and her grandfathers relationship, such as, living with my grandparents, my grandpa telling my siblings and I stories, and being adventurous with my sister.

Most families share similar issue. Regardless of race, wealth, or even religion, all families, at some point, hardships or even joys to share. In Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use” a family is force to face issues caused by poverty, misunderstandings, and separations. Momma, Maggie, and Dee all seems to appreciate their heritage, but the problem is that they do not view the same way. This lack of understanding is universal. In “Everyday Use” the family shares similarities and differences with my family concerning the disrespect, sibling relationships, and hard working parents.

    Many people see the world and others differently. Just like the two sisters in “Everyday Use”, the two sisters in “Two Ways to Belong in America”, and the father in the letter/short essay “An Indian Father's Plea”. All these people have different past and things they’re going through. The two sisters in “Two Ways To Belong In America” both have their different stories from their past, one likes America the other does not because they betrayed her. Next, the father from “An Indian Father’s Plea” sees America differently because the school was labeled his kid a “slow learner” which made him upset. In addition, the two sisters from “ Everyday Use” argue about a quilt in which they both view differently

“The Way of a Cherokee” by Foxxy is about her memories and experiences growing up as a young child with her sister, Sierra, and grandpa. She is a Native American that has lived in a world that is different from the world her grandpa grew up in. In addition, she learned to love and appreciate nature just like her grandpa did. I can relate to her relationship with her grandpa because I have created many memories with my grandpa. My grandpa told me stories about his childhood. In Foxxy’s essay she explores the relationship between identity and cultural history through physical location, family relationships, and language differences.

Traditions and old teachings are essential to Native American culture; however growing up in the modern west creates a distance and ignorance about one’s identity. In the beginning, the narrator is in the hospital while as his father lies on his death bed, when he than encounters fellow Native Americans. One of these men talks about an elderly Indian Scholar who paradoxically discussed identity, “She had taken nostalgia as her false idol-her thin blanket-and it was murdering her” (6). The nostalgia represents the old Native American ways. The woman can’t seem to let go of the past, which in turn creates confusion for the man to why she can’t let it go because she was lecturing “…separate indigenous literary identity which was ironic considering that she was speaking English in a room full of white professors”(6). The man’s ignorance with the elderly woman’s message creates a further cultural identity struggle. Once more in the hospital, the narrator talks to another Native American man who similarly feels a divide with his culture. “The Indian world is filled with charlatan, men and women who pretend…”

Selina Jamil with Prince George’s Community College wrote this critical essay bringing awareness to the vast array of emotions presented throughout the story “The Story of an Hour.” The main character, Mrs. Mallard, learns of the tragic loss of her husband due to a railroad accident. Learning of the loss of her husband brought her a sense of freedom and emotions that she had never experienced before. Jamil’s essay brings to light the lack of emotions Mrs. Mallard experienced prior to her husband’s death as well as the amazing emotions that her new freedom brought about. Up to this point, Mrs. Mallard had lived a meaningless life as a submissive woman.

As they tried to get adjusted in New York City it was very hard for them to do since their families wanted them to maintain their cultural roots but yet the girls wanted to be like everyone else was so that they could feel comfortable. Trying to adjust to their new way of life is very difficult especially in a city like New York where if you're not high-class you struggle along in often dangerous community which is something their mother doesn't want them to become exposed to. As they search for their cultural identity this also interferes with their personal identity.

“ You want to be the same as American girls on the outside.” (Tan, Amy) Like Tan in her narrative “Fish Cheeks”, everyone has had a time in their lives when they wanted to fit in at school or home. Sometimes it is hard to try to blend into the surroundings. Moving from Boston to Tallahassee has taught me a lot about such things like honor, pride, and self-reliance. Such is related to us in Wilfred Owens’s “Dulce et Decorum est” which is about his experience in World War I. Sometimes experiences such as moving can teach more about life than any long lecture from any adult. As the old saying goes: “Actions speak louder than words.”