Consequently, the standards of the globalized era during the twentieth century starts to reproduce in Tropic of Orange. Therefore, Karen Yamashita’s Tropic of Orange, attempts to erase our understanding of the geography that is known as “free trade” (Yamashita 160). A “free trade” that forms the origins of environmental racism, and exposes the gender politics of environmental justice as well (160). Given these points, the novel also made connections, between past and present and between global and local struggles for justice between characters. In addition to this, Tropic of Orange, makes the social and environmental costs of corporate globalization clear. What’s more important is that Tropic of Orange, offers different forms of hierarchy and domination, and even addresses the burdens placed not only on women, but on nature, and people of color. The environmental justice within the novel, is complex and multilayered just like the maps of Los …show more content…
To put it another way, through the use of oranges, for example, the novel challenges the notion of political boundaries by moving Tropic of Cancer north with undocumented Mexican laborers who are traveling in search of employment in the United States. Additionally, the novel begins to exemplify the environmental injustice. Through this artistic representation, Los Angeles begins to serve as a mirror image of modernizing process which make the city limits possible. At the same time, this depiction is what plays a vital role between “subjectivity- the survival of the individual in the metropolis – and refining process of modernity like functional, ethnic, or racial categorization” (Adamson 57). Correspondingly, Los Angeles starts to lose the “aura” of the city in its ever increasing sprawl
Didion paints uneasy and somber images when describing the Santa Ana winds. “There is something uneasy in the Los Angeles air… some unnatural stillness, some tension,” starts the essay off with the image of Los Angeles people in a sense of stillness or tense. She further adds, “Blowing up sandstorms out along Route 66… we will see smoke back in the canyons, and hear sirens in the night,” propagating the uneasy and stark image of Los Angeles. “The baby frets. The maid sulks,” she adds, giving a depressing view into the effects of the Santa Ana winds on people. Didion, in an attempt to show the craziness associated with the Santa Ana winds, points out the Indians who throw themselves into the sea when bad winds came. At any rate, Didion attempts to show the negative effects of the Santa Ana winds through images of stillness, uneasiness, and sobriety.
Sandra Cisneros once said “'Hispanic' is English for a person of Latino origin who wants to be accepted by the white status quo. ’Latino' is the word we have always used for ourselves.” In the novel I read, The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros the main character a twelve-year-old Chicana (Mexican-American girl), Esperanza, saw self-definition as a struggle, this was a major theme in the novel through Esperanza’s actions and the ones around her. Esperanza tries to find identity in herself as a women as well as an artist throughout the novel through her encounters. Esperanza was able to provide the audience an image that was vivid of her surroundings by her diction and tone. Esperanza presents a series of stories that she deals with in her neighborhood as she is growing up. Esperanza arose from poverty and always dreamt of having a house of her own. Sandra Cisneros' strong cultural and gender values have a tremendous influence in The House on Mango Street. Cisneros feels that the Mexican-American community is very abusive towards the treatment of women because men are seen as the powerful, strong figure. Women are seen as failure and can’t strive without men in a Mexican-American community. In this novel you can see a cultural approach which examines a particular aspect of a culture and a gender studies approach which examines how literature either perpetuates or challenges gender stereotypes.
Alice Walker’s love of Zora Neale Hurston is well known. She was the only one who went looking for Hurston’s grave. She describes her journey to get to the unmarked grave in her book, In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens. During that journey, Walker started to feel as if Hurston is family to her, an aunt. “By this time, I am, of course, completely into being Zora’s niece… Besides, as far as I’m concerned, she is my aunt – and that of all black people as well” (Ong). Walker’s book, The Color Purple, was influenced by Hurston and her works. Walker was greatly influenced by Hurston and her book The Color Purple has similarities to Hurston’s book Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Many of the catadores were of lower middle class that, due to unfortunate turn of events, had to work in the landfill. The Muniz’s female subjects worked in the landfill because it was the only viable employment opportunity outside of prostitution. Instances of domestic violence also pushed women out of their homes into the life of the landfill. The catadores are not blamed for their poverty, nor are they defined by it. Circumstance shaped them, to be sure, but Walker effortlessly captures the depth of their character, rather than wallow in their poverty. Furthermore, Muniz underscores how these people are not their poverty by offering the story of his own humble beginning. While at times this feels to be more a justification of his wealth and an affirmation of his humility, it succeeds in portraying both the artist and his subjects as equal human beings. Interestingly, despite the goal of humanization, Muniz’s photos are positioned and constructed. He re-shoots pictures in his studio, even dressing up one his subject and her children as saints. The photographed catadores are attractive and young or offer an older aesthetic of resilience and strength. Despite the selective nature of Muniz’s portraits, Walker’s representation of the process offers a captivating insight into the world of garbage and those who live in
One mark of great storytelling is the portrayal of characters’ development or metamorphose throughout the plot. All great literary characters gradually transform, for better or for worse, as their journey progresses. Sandra Cisneros’ novella, The House on Mango Street, centers around Esperanza Cordero, a young girl living in a poverty stricken area of Chicago. The story follows Esperanza’s thoughts through several vignettes, showing her maturation from adolescence to early adulthood. Through the change in tone and juxtaposing vignettes, Cisneros shows how maturity is derived from the loss of innocence and the gaining of knowledge.
Zane & The Hurricane and Tangerine are both very similar but also very different. For example, Zane & the Hurricane is more action based and focuses more on the aspect of a weakling trying to survive the apocalypse while Tangerine focuses more on the story line and leads up to a slow and twisted turn rather than spilling the story out in the first 5 pages. But both Tangerine and Zane has a action packed story which has hooked readers into engaging with the story. The book Tangerine and Zane both has many differences but they can also be very much alike.
The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and “Band-Aid for 800 Children” by Eli Sastow both show the subject of immigration and deportation and how its a problem. In the excerpts the authors used very different techniques and similar techniques to portray a common subject and to show how they feel about this subject
Contrast in the poem is a common theme that is used often in the poem. In addition to Soto using contrast in imagery we see it also in the symbolism used in the piece. These object are very special and important to the story and their contrasts brings out the narrators love and devotion for his partner. Take for example the most obvious symbol, which exist as the title of poem, the orange. The orange is such and interesting symbol because in contrast which quite a few symbols and elements. The first element that contrasts with oranges is with the setting of the story, winter. In lines 5 the Narrator states “ December. Frost cracking”, which clear states it’s winter. Oranges are not a winter crop and because you don’t find them in-season in December typically they have a special value. In line 4 the narrator states “With two oranges in my jacket.” And because this is a date one can assume that the second orange was intended for the narrator’s partner. For this we can see that the narrator intended to share something very valuable with her. However the Narrator doesn’t share it with his partner he use it to buy her something that she wants.
Hondagneu-Sotelo, Pierrette. "Maid in L.A." California Dreams and Realities: Readings for Critical Thinkers and Writers. Ed. Sonia Maasik, and J F. Solomon. 3rd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's Press, 2001. 116-129. Print.
One of the American prolific and versatile latest writers, Joyce Carol Oates focuses on the spiritual, sexual, and intellectual decline of modern American society. Joyce Carol Oates born on June 16, 1938, in Lockport, New York. She is the oldest daughter of Fredric and Caroline Oates’s children and is the only child in the family that taken reading and study seriously. She can tell a story by drawing the picture even before she knows how to write.
The mind it not simple, it is not black and white. Instead, the mind is a very complex space filled with various types of emotions and ideals. Throughout The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac focuses his attention on an eventful journey by learning to see the world more objectively and perceive nature to be true and pure. Ray Smith (Jack Kerouac) is a man who has been through thousands of life-altering experiences and has let his mind reach its potential of free will. Thankfully, Japhy Ryder (Gary Snyder) guides him into the religion of Buddhism. Buddhism revolves around the interest of nature and finding the underlying truth of it. In the 1950s, Buddhism was like a breath of fresh air, it allowed the mind to escape mainstream society, which only involved communism and consumerism. Meanwhile escaping ordinary society, Smith co-exists with influencing company and undergoes obstacles of complete loneliness because no good comes without the bad. With the biggest treasure of all, Ray Smith develops an
The War of the Worlds is one of H. G. Wells many well-known science fiction novels during the early 20th century. The famous plot follows Martian invasion of earth featuring tripods and heat rays. “Had that death swept through a full circle, it must inevitably have slain me in my surprise. “ (37) The narrator’s encounters with the Martians and the heat ray simultaneously develops the narrator’s denial and complacency while solidifying the narrator as the protagonist in the war versus Martian antagonists.
The West couldn’t be freed from all oppression and for the pioneers sometimes there is struggle with familiar expectations and social norms. There is a constant battle for success and survival for many settlers in the barren land of the West. There seemed to be a sense of loneliness between the characters in the novel. Alexandra was successful and independent, however she “had a pretty lonely life…” (Cather 125) and she still wishes “Freedom from the land” (Cather 89). It’s as though she truly enjoys hearing of others travels, such as Emil and lives vicariously through them. Carl expresses his loneliness to Alexandra telling her “Freedom so often means that one isn’t needed anywhere” (Cather 89). He always seems to be on a constant search
In the novel This Earth Of Mankind by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, discrimination against social structure, race, and gender is apparent. The setting is in the Indies, or now called Indonesia. At that time, there are terms for different races in the book, which are “Native” indicating someone who is pure Indonesian, “Indo” a half European and half Indonesian, and “Pure Blood” or “European” when someone is pure European. An Indo and a Pure Blood receives more respect in society than a Native. Furthermore, European or Pure Blood is at the top of this social hierarchy, people who are European or Pure Blood receives the utmost respect in society. Differences in gender is prevalent in this novel, where most women in this book have power in their own homes, but in society is looked down upon. Female characters experiencing these are Annelies, the main character’s love interest, Nyai Ontosoroh, Annelies’ mother who is a concubine, and Magda Peters, the main character’s European teacher. Women in this novel are portrayed differently according to what race, social structure, and gender they are born in, which can be seen through Nyai Ontosoroh, Annelies, and Magda Peters.
In Kew Gardens, Virginia Woolf takes advantage of the liminal quality of the short story in order to highlight the suspended world that she creates in the garden. For Woolf, the lyrical short story’s subversion of traditional narrative structure allows her to focus on creating a world rather than a plot. Further, the short story creates a liminal space by the very nature of its form. Caught in a space where it is not considered a poem or a novel, the short story exists as undefined. The liminality of the short story, however, is both liberating and restricting. Woolf explores this feature in order to suggest the unsustainable nature of Kew Gardens. While Woolf utilizes the form of the short story to create a liminal, impressionistic space that eradicates the boundaries between human and nature, she also uses the transitory quality of the short story to suggest that such a space can only exist for a short duration due to the restrictions of the imposing outside world.