Essay on Ethnic Literature - 1266 Words

The Power in a Name The term â€Å"ethnic† when in conjunction with the word â€Å"literature† in the academic discourse community of students, often brings out mixed feelings of excitement and dread. On the one hand, students understand that they will be getting away from the canonical American literature – which can equal boring in their eyes; on the other hand, students interpret the term â€Å"ethnic literature† to mean distinctive – which can equal confusing or ambiguous – and perhaps at times not relatable because it is outside their scope of experiences. Perhaps before jumping into why it matters, the term â€Å"ethnic literature† should be defined first and because I am still learning how to interpret this term myself, I searched for a suitable†¦show more content†¦At this deeper level I am trying to get at, I find John M. Reilly’s article â€Å"Criticism of Ethnic Literature: Seeing the Whole Story† helpful in acquiring th is. He states that, â€Å"the assertion of ethnicity in literature can be made only through a procedure by which the writer resolves formal problems... what moves from recognition of identity to creation of a strategy for handling reality still is not literature until the individual author sustains her or his ethnic identity through a sequence of formal choices† (4). I am interpreting this to mean that as a reader of this literature, I should see and feel throughout the story (perhaps subtlety) that in some way, the characters mindset (and perhaps actions) in the story differ from my own specifically because of the culture they have grown up in in, which has shaped that character’s thinking. There are thoughts and feelings – ideas, I don’t understand without further explanation from the author, which is sometimes provided, and sometimes not. An example of this is in Brando Skyhorse’s novel The Madonnas of Echo Park, I find myself wondering what the significance of the jacaranda trees mentioned in different parts of the book. Looking up what they are, it becomes apparent to me as jacaranda trees are native toShow MoreRelatedEthnic Literature : Ethnic American Literature1381 Words   |  6 Pagesto introduce and analyze the topic of Ethnic American Literature. Specifically it will discuss the meaning and definition of Ethnic American literature. Ethnic American literature is a rich and varied treasure of poetry, fiction, drama, and much more. Written by some of America s greatest authors, this ethnic legacy opens up a world of diversity to readers, but it also illustrates the struggles and prejudice that still exist in our country today. Ethnic authors use their own experiences to illustrateRead MoreEssay on Ethnic Literature959 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican Literature Paper Randy Hale University of Phoenix ENG.301 American Ethic Literature Michael Cromwell December 24, 2012 American Ethic Literature Paper What makes American literature American? American literature is just that American literature. American literature is stories of people lives that are based on American standards. Early American standards where based around slavery and oppression but now they are based on freedoms like freedom of speech and press. America hasRead MoreAmerican Ethnic Literature Differs From American Literature1378 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican ethnic literature differs from American literature. The author’s background is considered to determine which category is fitting. American ethnic authors include immigrants who have arrived in the United States and become a citizen or first-generation Americans. American ethnic authors write in English, but sometimes use original language and speech. American ethnic literature often depicts life before America, as well life after arriving. American ethnic literature is important becauseRead MoreWhat Does Ethnic Literature Mean?994 Words   |  4 Pagesdoes ethnic literature mean? We all have some ethnicity in us that is different than the rest, so doesn’t that mean that all of our literary contributions make up that of American ethnic literature? Before the Civil War, many of the minority people of America started writing poems, songs, and other types of literature that helped describe what life was like in America as an outsider in the â€Å"white† world. These writings became the beginnings of what is now called American ethnic literature. EarlyRead MoreEssay on Why Read Literature?671 Words   |  3 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Nothing teaches us better than literature to see, in ethnic and cultural differences, the richness of the human patrimony, and to prize those differences as manifestation humanity’s multi-faceted creativity. Reading good literature is an experience of pleasure, of course; but it is also an experience of learning what and how we are, on our human integrity and our human imperfection, with our actions, our dreams, and our ghosts, alone and in a relationship that linkRead MoreCritical Analysis Skills Developed Through Writing a Reflection Paper870 Words   |  4 Pagesfeelings down about what I had learned in a class that I had to read literature and then interpret those readings into journal entries addressed to my fellow students. This left me a little intimidated. So to start the ideas flowing, I went back to the beginning. I looked up the â€Å"Week One Letter† to the student and re-read the description and goal of the course. Dr. Doe stat ed in the letter that, â€Å"we will be reading a variety of literature for a better understanding of the ideals, values, and attitudesRead Morephilippine literature1582 Words   |  7 Pagesenough to dry up the --- sea.   No matter how deep the   --- stream, its depth can be fathomed; the really difficult task is to find a good heart. Before the Christianization of the Philippines, Filipinos had established a heritage of precolonial literature consisting of epics, tales, songs, riddles, and proverbs. With the earliest discoveries dating back to 50000 years ago, this period of Philippine literary History is considered the longest. ---It is often forgotten that the tribal Filipinos hadRead MoreSocial Groups : An Essential Part Of Humanity1074 Words   |  5 Pagesactually an understatement. Social groups are practically omnipresent. It’s already possible to speak of a social group when two or more humans interact with each other and share similar characteristics. Think about women, immigrants, professions, ethnic minorities but also families, friends and church members. Only someone who lives as a recluse in complete isolation from society can be considered ‘non-member’. The importance of social groups is clearly present when you take a look at the mediaRead MoreReflecting on Literature and Community in The Lesson† by Toni Cade Bambara1101 Words   |  5 Pages Also, it is not uncommon for people to write about a fictional community that is based from their own community. As community affects how we write, writing can also affect the community. In other words, communities influence authors of literature and literature can also influence communities. Language is how we express ourselves. There are many different languages in our world. Within those languages there are different dialects. Those dialects are affected by the communities that use themRead More Personal, Social, and Cultural Contexts Established by the Frame Story in MAUS1635 Words   |  7 PagesPersonal, Social, and Cultural Contexts Established by the Frame Story in MAUS  Ã‚      The use of the frame story, an overarching narrative used to connect a series of loosely related stories, pervades literature. An example of a frame story on a large scale - tying together a whole book-length work, not a simple short story - can be found in Art Spiegelmans graphic novel MAUS. Each of the narratives six sections is framed with snatches of the interaction between Vladek and Art during the interview