Anonymous:
"Profound moments of
seemingly avoidable suffering are shared in both narratives. There was more at
play here than just the struggles of men in America. There was a comment on the
spiritual essence of America and humanity. Both men journey in hope of some new
and better opportunity and both men instead find incomparable suffering at the
hands of those who came before them. Many of the foremen and bosses who
demanded the suffering and the toil were immigrants long since turned by
American hardness. As the lecture mentioned, they had adopted a new “American
Identity”. This land made up of immigrants, who had once been as Beppo or
Pascal are, is unforgiving in both stories. The America painted in these
stories is not a free land, but it is a new land where people have the freedom
to test themselves and their luck.
I chose this quote because it contains some strong intuitions and insights. I am comfortable with the style as well, although this is an example of a text that requires "deep reading" or, at least, slow reading.
Read it slowly and let us know what you 'like' and 'dislike' about it (that's why I left it anonymous: I am inviting criticism and I don't want the author to feel it is about him/her. I could have chosen an infinite number of other passages for the same purpose.)
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about this is the part where the author says, "The America painted in these stories is not a free land, but it is a new land where people have the freedom to test themselves and their luck." Constantly we talk about " America the free" but is it really free? At what cost must one sell him self in order to make it in a free land. Or is it luck that allows some to succeed and some to crumble?
The best part of the quote was the ending which is supposed to be true but America does not stick to their word. Everything cost money but everything is also more expensive in America, especially living conditions.
DeleteAuthor mentions some great points, for example Beppo and Pascal both wanted to make their lives better but ended up in bigger mess. By viewing their experiences, we can tell that it was not the America these men hoped and wished for. Author talked about both stories as combined, which describes many similarities they shared.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jack. I love the last part of this long quote. America was always known as the land of the free and one that offered new opportunities. However, Beppo and Pascal did not experience anything remotely close to being free. Like the author of this quote states, this land was like a test for them to see how lucky they truly were. How lucky they were to survive the horrible situations they were in or if they were lucky enough to avoid them completely. In both these stories, Beppo and Pascal had not found who they were going to be in America, their new American identity which is why all they experienced was suffering.
ReplyDeleteThis quote is very sympathetic and inspiring. The author really brings up good points of the characters and the things they have experienced in their daily lives. Everyone is supposed to feel free in America but that is not the truth especially these Italian immigrants we are learning about faced many struggles.
ReplyDeleteThe part I like about this was when the author said, "Both men journey in hope of some new and better opportunity and both men instead find incomparable suffering at the hands of those who came before them. Many of the foremen and bosses who demanded the suffering and the toil were immigrants long since turned by American hardness." If past immigrants, who rose up the social latter becoming foremen and bosses experienced cruel treatments coming to America, then why do they inflict that same cruelness and pain on new immigrants? Does America change people? I think that in order to survive in America, a person can't be themselves but has to adapt to the American way of life. If that means becoming successful at the pain and suffering of other people's hard work, then some are willing to do so.
ReplyDeleteI like this quote the most because it does not sell an American dream. It gives advice that life in America is not pretty and clean, you must fight to be great here. The part that stands out most to me, relating to me previous comments is "American hardness", which I feel clearly describes every American lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, not selling the American dream.Of course I think America is great and opportunity is abundent here but the roads are not paved with gold. American lifestyle in this period of time was tough.
DeleteI agree, it makes plenty of sense. I always believed that the "American Dream" is hard to obtain as a person of color or as a person who was not born in good conditions. I believe that these characters (Pascal and Beppo) were able to thrive in society due to a mixture of hard work and luck, because in reality hard work alone could get you recognized but not all the time will it make you successful.
ReplyDeleteI agree, it makes plenty of sense. I always believed that the "American Dream" is hard to obtain as a person of color or as a person who was not born in good conditions. I believe that these characters (Pascal and Beppo) were able to thrive in society due to a mixture of hard work and luck, because in reality hard work alone could get you recognized but not all the time will it make you successful.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the word choice, it shows that the person is very opinionated about this topic and does, in fact, know what they're talking about. As I read slowly, I found it really easy to digest and I really enjoyed the style of writing. It would be hard to follow if I had read it rushed. I don't think there is anything that I dislike about this passage. Really great work.
ReplyDeleteThe passage is very well-written and the point of what the author is trying to say comes across quite well. I think of Fraternities, who haze incoming pledges because they themselves have been hazed in the past, instead of eliminating the tradition altogether. It's a rite of passage to be treated poorly by those who came before when immigrating into America.
ReplyDeleteI love the opening sentence. I feel as though I am about to read a (very well written) rhetorical analysis and that is an excellent thesis. I think the ideas presented are great- my only criticism is that the sentences further within the body of the paragraph could have been constructed so that they flow a bit easier. I found the prose slightly choppy and sometimes hard to follow.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how the author compares the men that Pascal and Beppo worked for. Those men that gave them work started out like immigrants as well. They could have been doing the same thing as Pascal and Beppo. This passage is also very well written. I liked when the author says, "Both men journey in hope of some new and better opportunity and both men instead find incomparable suffering at the hands of those who came before them". Both of the stories focus on the suffering the two characters had to go through and how hard it was to deal with their bosses.
ReplyDeleteThe last sentence to this quote is memorable. America is definitely not a free land as people thought-out to be. Just like my family that transition from Jamaica to America. They are surprised while saying America isn't easy. When in reality it really isn't.
ReplyDelete