Compare And Contrast Essay: The Clemency Of The Court

Colton Gillespie
Mr. Rutledge
English III DC - Period 3
11/30/15
Literary Comparison Essay-Draft 2
“The Clemency of the Court” written by Willa Cather for the Hesperian magazine, and “Clothes” from Arranged Marriage written by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, both discuss immigration to the United States. Although both authors write about the same subject, the author's’ point of view on the subject differ from one another. In “The Clemency of the Court” Cather is showing that the United States is failing in protecting its immigrants, while in “Clothes” it is showing the impact that the “American Dream” has on immigrants, and how it has the power to changes lives. In both stories, the main character struggle with the idea of the “American Dream”

which ultimately gives each of them a sense of false hope in the United States.

The “Clemency of the Court” was written on October 26, 1893 by Willa Cather for The Hespian magazine. This story is about a boy named Serge Povolitchky. He lived an unappealing life, but to him he did not know any different. Serge was without a father figure his whole life, and in his early childhood, his mother committed suicide by drowning herself in a puddle. He was left on his own. A man once told him “ the State will be a father to you, my lad, and a mother." A woman, whose name was Skaldi, took Serge into her home. Though she treated him poorly, giving “him what her children would not eat, and clothed him in what her children would not wear” (Carther) at least was left with a roof over his head. Skaldi beat him and he cried, but as he cried, he listened to the stories that she would tell to her children. These stories

were about the State. The stories were often gruesome and would make her children start to cry out in fear. Skaldi then would comfort her children by saying, “Ah, yes, the State would take care of the children!” (Cather). Growing up, this was all that Serge knew, and all that he thought about. He was innocent. Even after he killed the farmer, he was innocent, because he did understand that killing the farmer was wrong. After he had done so, the farmer's wife was looking for him and Serge simply said, “He will not come to dinner today. I killed him behind the haystack.” It was a natural reaction for him to kill the farmer after witnessing the farmer kill his dog. His innocence is clearly shown through this action. He then went on to say, “He had no consciousness of having done wrong. He did not even think about the dead man.”
Serge believed that the “American Dream” would protect him.

His innocence is what caused him to trust in this false hope. Throughout his life he had been taught that State would be there to protect him no matter what he did. “He thought he owed the State a great deal for something, he did not know what; that the State would do something great for him some day, because he had no one else.” This is what Serge believed. Up to his dying day, he had faith that the State would save him. As he was being tortured and began hallucinating, Serge says, “the State must come soon now” (Cather). This hope that he had, was hope that protection would come from the State, but instead it is what ultimately caused his

downfall.
The story “Clothes” relates to “The Clemency of the Court” in the fact that both stories discuss immigrants coming to the United States. “Clothes” is about a woman named Sumita. She lives in India. Her culture follows strict rules on what the women in the family can and cannot do. Even certain clothes were prohibited to wear. When Sumita immigrates to she is surprised to find the drastic change in the culture. A small thing such as drinking alcohol is even surprising to Sumita. Somesh tells Sumita, “A lot of Americans drink, you know. It’s a part of their culture, not considered immoral, like it is here… When you come to California, I’ll get you some sweet white wine and you’ll see how good it makes you feel... ” (Divakaruni). Another difference in culture that she experiences is the clothes that people in America wear. Somesh introduces Sumita to jeans, and she enjoys the way she looks and feels in them. Sumita’s point of view changes when she begins admiring herself in her jeans saying, “I’m wearing a pair of jeans now, marveling at the curves of my hips and thighs, which have always been hidden under the flowing lines of my saris” (Divakaruni). She also receives a cream colored blouse and a long, brown from Sumita. She loves the outfit, and it brings thoughts of her future. Sumita imagines wearing this outfit while working in the 7-Eleven with Somesh, living the “American Dream.”
Once in America, Sumita realizes that there is a dramatic change between her culture in India and the culture in America. Somesh allows her to exercise more freedom. He provides American clothing, which Sumita likes even more than her saris. Sumita and Somesh are living with his parents in a small apartment. They believe in following their traditions from India and expect their son and daughter-in-law to also follow tradition. When Somesh would buy clothes for his wife, he would have to “smuggle [them] in past his parents.” Sumita served her mother-in-law hot tea, like she would have done in India. She covered her head while inside and could not address Somesh by his first name. Her in laws would not even allow her to visit Somesh at the store when he was working because they, “don’t consider it proper for a wife” (Divakaruni). Even though her experiences and feelings are similar to what she lived in India, she considers herself to be “growing westernized” (Divakaruni). Somesh wants her to receive a college education and to pursue a career. This is an idea that differs from her life in India and an idea that Somesh’s parents disagree with. Sumita’s real dream is “to stand behind the counter in the cream-and-brown skirt and ring up purchases” (Divakaruni). Even though this dream seems small and unimportant to many, it is very significant to Sumita. She desires the opportunity to work, which is more than most women in India are allowed to do. And not just, but work beside her husband. This is what the “American Dream” means to Sumita.
“The Clemency of the Court” and “Clothes” both discuss immigration to the United States. They both tell stories of the “American Dream”, but from two very different points of view. Through the eyes of Sumita, we see that her image of the “American Dream” gives hope and an opportunity to start a new life. She is given chances to do things that she would have never thought possible for a woman to do living in India. In the United States, she is invited by her husband, “to start college [and] get a degree, perhaps in teaching” (Divakaruni). This is against social norms in India. The woman is supposed to stay home, not pursue a career. Sumita likes the American culture; the clothes, the opportunities, and the freedom that she receives from Somesh. Serge on the other hand imagines the same United States as Sumita, but receives very different results. He expects, his whole life, that the State will be there when he needs him to protect and provide for him. He feels indebted to the State because of this. Serge thought of the state as a motherly figure to him saying, “he always thought of her as a woman with kind eyes” (Cather). While being tortured, Serge still has hope that the State will come, that it will protect him. This sense of false hope that Cather creates through Serge, shows that the State is failing in protecting its immigrants and that the “American Dream” has died.
While both stories share the idea of immigration, these two stories show different opinions and points of view. “Clothes” is showing that there is still hope and opportunity in the “American Dream” while “The Clemency of the Court” is showing that it is long dead.