Wk.7: Pachinko Compared to There There and Home Fire

    Min Jin Lee's writing style and structure, in many ways, is similar yet unique to other texts we have read in this class. In comparison to books we read last quarter, There There by Tommy Orange and Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie, Pachinko, takes a similar writing style. In all three of these books, the readers are presented with multiple character perspectives that each add something different to the plot or meaning of the story. For instance, in Home Fire, each character's perspective adds a different way of looking at things and thus adding nuance to the story and causing the reader to realize just how attached they were to each character and their viewpoints. Before we read Parvaiz's perspective, we all had this mental image of Parvaiz being seen as a terrorist who betrayed his family, but then we learn his own perspective and have sympathy for him. While in There There, it has a similar effect going on, but the focus is much more on just how complicated everyone's own lives are and showcases just how different they each are, but, in the end, they all intersect in the same place; the Powwow. Everyone was living their own lives, dealing with their own problems, until each of their decisions leads them to their own ending at the Powwow. In contrast to both of these stories, Pachinko's multiple perspectives are constantly showing us a bigger more nuanced picture that give the sense that it is one story with the perspectives complimenting each other and giving the reader a deeper understanding. In addition, the different perspectives don't have as formal of a break between one character's thoughts to another's, in comparison to the other two books. This provides the reader with the feeling that this is one story being told through different people rather than differing perspectives/people intersecting in each other's lives.

    I personally, so far, appreciate the differing perspectives because it provides me with answers to questions much faster than the other two books, where I would have had to wait, or not be given an answer at all. Both of these types of structures adds different meaning to the stories and the impact they have on readers.

Wk.7: Hansu and Isak

    If I am being completely honest, Hansu seems to be very manipulative from the start. When he is first introduced the first thing he thinks about when he sees Sunja is how it would feel like touching her, and then he goes on to try and form some sort of connection with her, despite Sunja obviously ignoring him. Later, we don't get to read much about what his actual intentions with Sunja are as he begins to talk to her and ask her a bunch of random and insightful questions. His behavior almost makes it seem as if his only interest is being friends with Sunja since he insists that she call him Oppa, which means brother. Even after he has sex with her for the first time he tells her that her "Oppa" is there for her. In addition, he doesn't seem to treat Sunja as an equal lover, since he is constantly calling her "girl" and talking down to her. He only used Sunja to get what he wanted, while knowing the consequences that would have for her. Hansu seems like a creepy character to me, and I wonder what his role will be in the future now that Sunja and Isak are married.

    Isak, on the other hand, is portrayed in a much more innocent and young manner in comparison to Hansu. In addition, Isak is much more religious than Hansu, since he is a protestant pastor who went to seminary school; his name even derives from christian religion. Unlike, Hansu, Isak is much more frail looking and sickly, yet he seems to have much more respect for Sunja. He asks Sunja and her mother for permission to marry Sunja in order to provide her with the best possible life for someone he doesn't really know. Unlike Hansu, Isak is giving up possible future wife prospects in order to help Sunja, while Hansu only offered her a life of a mistress. It is even mentioned that Isak treats and touches Sunja much more gently than Hansu ever did. At the moment, Isak seems like a nice character who genuinely cares for people with a good temperament. 

Wk. 6: Equiano Chapter 12

    After reading chapter twelve of Equiano's narrative, I found it very interesting how Equiano chose to wrap up the narrative in a semi quick manner considering he spent so long writing in length about the rest of his life. Especially, when he started mentioning and adding letters from his white friends urging a bishop to be appointed a missionary. Throughout the memoir, Equiano has always been showcasing his ups and downs with his christian faith. I believe that, at least part of the reason that he included the letters and mentions of his faith is because, in many respects part of the reasons for colonizing different parts of the world was to introduce different peoples to the Christianity and because Christianity is a big marker that many Europeans relate to. In relating to his audience more, they are much more willing to sympathize with his cause, abolition. 

    In addition, like in many parts of the narrative, Equiano mentions and questions the hypocrisy of the Europeans who call themselves Christians. Christians are supposed to be loving of all peoples and treat people with respect, yet many of the ones that Equiano comes across are the opposite of this. In bringing up this hypocrisy Equiano sort of puts the audience in a position to prove themselves. It makes them think that in order to be a good christian they have to at least consider abolition otherwise they aren't living up to the faith that they impose on others.

Wk. 6 Equiano Team project

    Starting off, the Equiano team project was incredibly insightful and interesting to discuss in class on Thursday. Something that I found to be particularly interesting about their project was the Benin Culture and how it was related to Equiano. Before the group presented on Thursday, I had never heard about the Benin culture. I would say that I agree with the small class discussion we had about what constitutes an advanced civilization. In many aspects, the qualifications for an advanced society are entirely dependent on an individual culture. Specifically for our western culture, we often associate advanced technology with a culturally advanced civilization. With regards to the Benin Empire, they may not have had the technological advancement as European civilizations, but they do seem to have been artistically advanced. They had various different mediums and techniques that they used to display their art that I find to be quite fascinating. Such as the elephant tusks with figurative carvings.

      This project helped me realize a little more of the cultural context from which Equiano came from because, despite not having the technological advancements such as the huge mast ships Equiano was put on when he left Africa, his culture did have it's own arguably unique characteristics that could describe it as being advanced. In Equiano's narrative he said in the beginning that he was surprised that an "advanced" civilization such as the English's didn't wash their hands more often or before eating. The English may have thought as their own culture being advanced but, in the beginning, Equiano saw them as barbarians for not washing their hands and for the way in which they treated their slaves. 

Wk. 5 Archives and Special Collections Visit 2

    I found our second trip to Archives and Special Collections to be incredibly interesting. Now that I have some sense of the history of written works, I was able to understand a little bit more of just how varying the different types of written and pressed works were. 

    Some things that I have learned this time around was that Gutenberg didn't actually invent a metal press but instead he was the one to actually perfect it. It makes sense now why the Chinese never really perfected the metal press since they had so many different unique characters that it just didn't make sense or was plausible for them to create a metal press for mass production. There would have been too many characters to add and overall it would have been to much of a hassle to do. 

    I found it interesting that once books and such started to become mass produced and literacy increased, the wealthy wanted to stand out. Having books wasn't as much as a luxury as it had been since more people were able to afford books. So, to distinguish themselves, wealthy people decided to add intricate and beautiful images into the pages of their books/texts. The presses themselves even had different variations of the same letters in order for the things printed from a metal text to have the effect of being a handwritten manuscript.

    One major way in which the history of print intersects with literary history is just the fact that once the Gutenberg printing press was perfected, books and other literary works were able to be massed produced to a much wider audience. In addition, print texts became much more dependent on the historical periods and context of the world, much like literary history because of it ease and adaptability. In other words, because getting a piece of writing could be massed produced, writers could get their works out into the world and actually have a much wider affect. Such as Equiano's memoir's purpose based on abolition movements of the time he could get his work to a wider audience and thus gain more support. 

Wk 5: Final Project Update

    Hey, everyone! So far the start to my final project started a little slow. I was in the Grenville group so for the first few weeks I took priority in doing research for our group research excursion. Now, that we have already presented though, I am slowly starting to pick back up on my research. 

    For the final project I decided to stick with option number two and research the Zamorano Printing Press. As I am getting into the research, I have had a difficult time actually finding information about the press. I have yet to found the right key words to use since most of my results are offering my articles written by someone named Zamorano instead of about the actual press itself. Even when I am searching on the internet through google, I am not getting much results. Most of the results so far are about the Zamorano 80, which, as little that I know about them, are a group of people that are almost like an exclusive book club. But, they don't seem to really be related to the Zamorano press as far as I can tell. 

    In my search I have found an article discussing the early history of journalism in California, which has proven to be the best and most informative article so far, a vague website on the Zamorano press, and a long Youtube video about the press. The article has some very good specific information I know I will be able to use, and I have yet to look at the Youtube video, but it seems to be very promising so far. 

    Since I am having trouble with the research I decided to make an appointment with Kelci next week, which I am sure will prove fruitful in my search for sources.

Wk 4: Transculturation

  Before Thursday's lecture, I never heard of the term transculturation before. From what I understand, transculturation is essentially when marginalized groups learn or take something from a dominant group's own culture/way of life and either use it for another purpose or modify it for their own purposes. For example, the christian religion was taught to the African American slaves, and then the slaves then modified it a little in order for them to directly relate to it and look to it for hope about their situation. Black churches and theology were created where they focused on more on justice and God brining his people to the promised land. 

    Personally, I find it to be an interesting term and idea because I would agree with the lecture that the word transculturation gives more power and agency over the members of marginalized groups. Dominant groups are always portrayed as having a considerately large amount of power of marginalized ones and often force their ways upon them. But transculturation is less about a forced changed but more of one that a group adopted and put their own little twist to it giving them power over it.

    An example could be Día De Los Muertos. When the Spaniards colonized the area that is now Mexico, they brought their christian faith and celebrations with them. In the end of October and Beginning of November there is All Souls Day and All Saints Day which are Christian celebrations of the dead and saints. The natives in Mexico took that concept and made it their own with the celebration of Día De Los Muertos where the dead and specifically ancestors are celebrated. There are even specific customs and traditions that go along with it like making an ofrenda. 

Wk 4: My Experience with Equiano's Narrative so far

  Going into Equiano's narrative, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from both the content nor the way in which it was written. After reading the firs few chapters though, I think I am beginning to get used to the flow of the text. Much like we discussed in class, I found the transitions between events and ideas to be a little jarring. Sometimes they just happened way to quickly where Equiano was one place and then within a matter of a few sentences he is in a completely different place. I believe that these transitions also led to me getting a little lost in sections of the chapters, especially when Equiano started mentioning the names of places and people. There just seemed to be too many to keep track of. 

    In terms of actually reading the narrative, I would say that I am reading the chapters a little slowly to make sure that I am actually comprehending what is going on and keeping track of the different places that he goes.

    Thinking back to my prior knowledge on slavery as a whole, I only ever really learned about slavery in the Americas and how badly they were treated here. I don't think I was ever taught about slavery in other nations or areas. I think I always assumed that slavery was going on in other places, but never really thought too much about it or the difference in how they were treated in comparison to in the Americas. Though now that I have read a little more about the different treatments Equiano received as a slave, I found the varying degrees in which he was treated to be quite different. I was expecting to see him treated more like when he was on the slave ship to the Americas than the almost equal status he had while a slave in Africa.