Sissy

In reading Sissy, I found that this kid broke the mold of any American child we've read about this semester! Sissy defies the 'normal' American boy in so many different ways! He's the all American woman in so many ways! "The school boys went to him as at home they went to their mothers or sisters" (546). Here is Sissy, a boy who is not mischievous or ambitious in the way we saw Dick or Tom act this past semester. But the boys don't even give him a hard time for being the way he is! I feel like Sissy would be the typical character in a movie who would get bullied because he is different from everyone else.

At the same time, I think that's what makes him so intriguing, "he made no effort to conceal his tastes and preferences, but openly pursued his girl-work and good naturedly maintained that it was more respectable and enjoyable than getting into the dirt "to mumble the peg", or than hopping about o none foot, and kicking a bit of china or brick across lines, as in "hop-scotch" (546). What is normal isn't appealing to him which I think makes him awesome and puts a new spin on the American child. This invites in the idea that people can follow their dreams and don't have to fit into this mold. Isn't this what the American dream is? Success and making things happen for yourself and Sissy does both. He is successful in things such as sewing, "Sissy was as expert with scissors and needle as if he had been born with them in his hand" (549) which alone gives him the tools to success but he also is well liked and is a loyal and obedient child! I feel like Sissy in a major way raises the bar behaviorally for the American child.

Short Story vs. Novel

The way I read novels, or longer stories, verses short stories are very different. I tend to find that when I read novels, it is easier for me to skim over the smaller details so I can get go for the bigger picture of what might be going. In short stories, I see the need to look further into what is being presented because what is being presented is a fraction of what we encounter in longer pieces. I also find that in short stories, the details grip you more. In The Yellow Wall Paper the woman describes the paper as having "a recurrent spot where the pattern lolls like a broken neck and two bulbous eyes stare at you upside down"(507). While this might seem like a trivial detail, it is the little things I find grip me in short stories. However, in longer novels such as the Wide Wide World, it is so easy to skim over the details especially when Ellen is crying...again. Missing out on the smaller details in the bigger scheme of things is not as big of a deal but in short stories, the it is in the details that the richness of the stories are found. Because of this I look for the details more carefully and therefore read more into the stories to seek out the details so that there can be richness in the plot lines. I feel like it is easier to get lost in a exert from a long novel where as because short stories are short, my attention is able to be kept for that short amount of time!

What's in a Name?

The difference of authors genders in this time period is essential to further understanding the texts. Gender roles were so well differentiated in the 19th century that there SHOULD be a difference in the ways in which they write. In the Wide, Wide World, it was quite obvious that it was written by a woman because of the emotions of Ellen and the intimacy between her mom and her. This could only be articulated as well as it is by a woman who has experienced similar relationships. In the way people and places are described we see chosen descriptive words that could indicate the gender of the author.

I find it interesting that Lord Fauntleroy was described as having golden locks of hair and the "greatest charm was this cheerful, fearless, quaint little way of making friends with people" (446). I feel like discussing interpersonal relationships in such a way is a very feminine thing to describe. Everything is "quaint" and "beautiful"...words that are entirely appropriate for women to use but may not be as acceptable coming from men. It is interesting how in the readings we have had, it is women talking about the American girl and men about the American boy. I feel like in the readings about the American boy, up to this point, everything is so straightforward and laid out for us. In writings with female authors, however, there tends to be more details and more attention spent to settings and relationships. We see this displayed in The Hidden Hand when setting of Hurricane Hall was described with such careful detail as was the features of Old Hurricane which set the stage for many interactions to come. I think that the readers approach to the text is different when the gender of the author is known.

Parenting

I found it interesting looking at the role of parents in the 19th century. Aunt Polly was Tom Sawyer's primary caregiver which I find interesting that in a lot of these novels we've read, many of the caregivers have not been a mom or a dad but given by someone else. Nan Grant was the wretched old woman who took care of Gerty and she "pulled the child into the house, amidst blows, threats, and profane and brutal language" (81). Gerty was beaten for no reason, she was just seen as an inconvenience to Nan Grant so Nan seemed to take any chance given to release her emotions on Gerty.

We see a sharp contrast with Aunt Polly who though she beats Tom, she feels remorse. "then her conscience reproached her, and she yearned to say something kind and loving; but she judged that this would be construed into a confession that she had been in the wrong,and discipline forbade that. So she kept silence, and went about her affairs with a troubled heart" (421). Tom probably deserved more than he got simply because he is a little stinker but seeing the compassion and remorse in Aunt Polly helps us to be able to understand the emotions behind the actions. Not that this justifies it, but it helps keeps the readers view of Aunt Polly remain positive. We can see that in a moment of fury, Aunt Polly let loose on her emotions but then was very sorry for what she did. For the audience that read this novel,it spoke to the parents because I'm sure that many parents feel bad about spanking their children after but don't apologize because then that means that their kids are above discipline and have no need to respect their parents. At the same time, seeing Aunt Polly remorseful can help to encourage children that being disciplined does have an effect on the discipliner and that getting a spanking doesn't mean that their parents or caregivers are bad and terrible people.

Ragged Dick

The image of the American boy is so drastically different than that of the American girl. I love the fact that Dick is so charismatic and funny! On page 336, it says "in spite of his dirt and rags there was something about Dick that was attractive". Nothing about a girl being in rags was ever portrayed as attractive. In fact, much of the time that was what made them damsels in distress. Even our fearless Capitola was taken in by a wealthy old man and cleaned up. It's almost this image that the boys of the 19th century were meant to get dirty! Living for yourself on the streets and making money and building a personality along the way builds character.

Dick is a hard worker. After cleaning three men's shoes "he had been up an hour, and hard at work..."(343). He earned his money and even said that "you don't catch me stealin..."(334). He was honest, for the most part, for the money that he possessed. This teaches boys that they are to work hard to support themselves while the American girl was meant to be provided for. We see the gender roles here clearly marked as one day the American boy will provide for his American girl and they are socialized into that at a young age!

Dick was very independent, he lived by himself, worked for himself and supported himself and even managed to have a little fun. The lack of discipline and structure in Dick's life allows him to live with a sense of independence that wasn't heard of with the American girl. The girls had very structured lives that gave way to proper young ladies while boys were encouraged to assert their independence and make something of themselves.

Insanity in the 19th Century

The introduction of insanity in the text adds a darkness that hasn't been introduced yet. In class it was briefly mentioned that back then, it was acceptable the lock up a woman in an asylum if she was viewed as crazy...not really taking into account if she REALLY was! It also plays into this "things are not as they seem" idea because it makes us read into her reasons for being there: is she REALLY legitimately crazy,which would call into question how much we can really trust her OR is she being put there for unjust reasons? I feel like Dr. Karnac played up to this: "He never answered my questions or entreaties regarded me as being without sense of will, insisted on my trying various mixtures and experiments in diet, gave me strange books to read and weekly received Hannah's report of all that passed" (234). He made her FEEL crazy, I know at least I would! Changing my diet, knowing I was being watched, and giving me strange books to read and ignoring me would be enough to drive me insane!!

The mother daughter relationship seen is very unique. "I believed her dead, yet I had seen her, knew where her solitary grave was made, and still carried in my bosom the warning she had sent me, prompted by unerring instinct of a mother's heart" (240). In the "Wide Wide World", Ellen and Mrs. Montegomery were very very close. Ellen adhered to her mother's teachings and advice because she wanted to make her mother happy. In the same way, Sybil stuck close to the warning her mother had sent her and in that adhering to what had been told of her. However, this is very different because it is almost like Sybil very much feels an intimate connection with her dead mother. That is something not seen in any other book that we have read! It brings up an interesting point of view of a relationship with the deceased. It changes my previous idea of mother/daughter relationships because the relationship wasn't one where both people were necessarily present. Sybil was present but the warnings of her mother and whispers were merely something Sybil FELT, there was no relationship is the physical sense which I believe makes it special and very intimate in it's own way!

Uncle Tom's Cabin

I just wanted to start off by saying that I believe that though this novel is a much darker piece of literature than what we've read before, I believe that the image of children in the novel are an image of hope and potential. In the beginning of the novel, Eliza was escaping for the sake of her son. He was going to be sold, taken from her and she wouldn't have it. In that, this boy is an image of hope in that because of him, freedom was the end goal. We also see the boy's compassion: "the boy wondered and grieved that she could not eat; and when, putting his arms round her neck, he tried to wedge some of his cake into her mouth, it seemed to her that the rising in her throat would choke her" (245). This boy's compassion and concern evoke a response of hope and potential not in the aspect of slavery but for humanity, that at such a young age, this child would tend to the needs of his mother.

I feel like in this story, though the horrors of slavery are discussed, there IS hope of a way out. When Eliza escaped and Sam and Andy were assisting Haley in the search for her Sam said that "I'd rather be 'clined to 'magine that Lizy'd take de dirt road" (251). In that, we see this support amongst the other slaves that they would willingly lead their master astray for a better chance of freedom. It's like they're saying "good for them for taking the opportunity to escape" and they're rooting for them the whole way. However, dealing with the realities of slavery in this time period was a very sensitive subject. We see the dark side and portrayal of slavery from Aunt Chloe before Uncle Tom goes "He owed ye yer freedom...I feel it's wrong. Nothing can't beat that ar out o' me. Sich a faithful crittur as ye've been..."(291). Injustice is seen here and the fact that Aunt Chloe knows she deserves freedom and no beating is going to change that, that sheds light on such a dark reality of this time. It is so hard to see the good and to see a "good" message come of this novel.

I think it is necessary though. Every piece of literature we've read so far has a good message, a good moral to it. This IS a good story with the GOOD message of facing the realities that slavery is horrible! However there were people of this time who did support slavery. I can imagine that this novel was the cause of much controversy of this time period.