Diversity_of__Flight_Patterns__and__The_Jewelry_

Diversity Involving “Flight Patterns” and “The Jewelry” Critical Essay #1 | | The short stories “Flight Patterns” by Sherman Alexie and “The Jewelry” by Guy de Maupassant were written in two different time periods but have similar themes. The authors come from different backgrounds as well, with Alexie being Native American and Maupassant being French. Despite their differences, Sherman Alexie and Guy de Maupassant both encourage diversity in their own way with “Flight Patterns” and “The Jewelry.” Guy de Maupassant’s “The Jewelry” is a story about a man who marries what he thinks is the ideal woman only to have her die young and find out later that she was anything but “ideal.” The story takes place in 19th century Paris, as told by the author in the opening paragraph and with the reference of the protagonist’s salary of 3500 francs per year. The story ends with a tragic dénouement since the protagonist, M. Lantin, remarries but is ultimately miserable with his second wife whereas he was very happy with his first marriage. Apparently, de Maupassant was very successful with this style of writing, and is regarded as the “unchallenged master of the short story in French” (Hawthorne 161). Even though his story was written over 200 years ago, it still resonates today with themes of love, despair, and the main theme of the story which is not judging a book by its cover. M. Lantin was very content and led a happy life with his first wife, even though he came to find out later that perhaps she had been up to no good. Everyone, including M. Lantin presumed her to be perfect: “The young girl seemed to be the very ideal of that pure good woman to whom every young man dreams to entrusting his future” (Booth 58). Appearances can be deceiving however, and ultimately it is presumed that the young woman was a courtesan, which is how she came about acquiring certain gifts of expensive jewelry. M. Lantin’s salary was very modest, but she made do and actually made sure they lived a lavish lifestyle with their means. Despite what everyone assumed about her, she was not what she seemed. A similar feeling is conveyed in Sherman Alexie’s “Flight Patterns.” The story is about a Native American named William who takes a cab ride from a black man named Fekadu and the stereotypes they have about each other’s races. The story takes place in present day Seattle and not only explores the two main characters races, but generalizations that society makes as a whole. William talks about not trusting dark skinned people at airports after the attacks of 9/11 despite himself being a dark skinned person. Alexie has a distinct writing style that conveys his culture and heritage. He talks about knowing a lot of American pop culture because he feels that he should. Some people say that his writing has in fact created an entirely new style. “Cutter argues that translation between cultures, languages, and dialects creates a new language that, in its diversity, constitutes the true heritage of the United States” (Cutter 315). William’s experience of being checked at the airport due to his dark skin is an often heard rumor that is seen as a truth through the eyes of someone who has experienced it. No doubt Alexie uses his own experiences in his fiction when thinking about ideas for stories. However, even William himself is not safe from making stereotypes or generalizations. When Fekadu picks him up in the taxi he “self-consciously tries to erase and class differences between them” (Booth 430). William assumes because Fekadu is a black man driving a taxi that he is beneath William and not his equal, neither academically nor socially. When Fekadu tells him William about how he studied physics at Oxford, William takes it with a grain of salt, thinking that the man is just making up a story. It is possible that Alexie is relating stories of his own account where perhaps he was unaware until later that he was making assumptions about someone based on race or creed. Both Guy de Maupassant and Sherman Alexie help to shed light on the matter of accepting diversity in their two stories. It is interesting how the themes of 19th century France still resonate today. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why de Maupassant has managed to stay relevant throughout the years. “The Jewelry” is a story of taking something at face value, only to find out it was not the case at all. Everyone thought the young girl was a perfect little angel, based on her looks and her mannerisms. It goes to show that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, and try to keep an open mind. Much the same is true with “Flight Patterns” albeit in a different style and time. William has his preconceived feelings about Fekadu, although his own feelings have been shaped by the mostly white American society. At the end of their taxi ride, William feels remorse for his feelings and an overwhelming emotion for his family due to the story Fekadu told him about never seeing his family since he left his country. It opens the reader’s eyes and should go to show that just because a black man is driving a taxi and has a scar on his neck doesn’t mean he’s a gangster or is ignorant. Also, just because a woman acts shy and appears to be a church going ideal woman doesn’t mean that she isn’t secretly hiding her own agenda and desires. The moral is that people should encourage diversity in everyday life. Perhaps instead of sheltering themselves with what is normal and comfortable, people should embrace other cultures and ethnic groups. Then society could learn things about other people that they never knew before. I learned a little bit about Native Americans from reading “Flight Patterns.” I’d never heard of Sherman Alexie until reading this story but I am glad to know his work now. It is always interesting to me to hear stories from a different point of view, specifically from a different culture. It is toward the end of the story when William gains a greater appreciation for his family due to his own self-realization of being predisposed to a feeling of superiority over Fekadu. In the same fashion, I was glad to read “The Jewelry” even though for me it seemed more of a tragic dénouement. I look forward to exploring more about each of these authors and delving more into their wonderful world of fiction. Works Cited Booth, Alison and Kelly J. Mays. The Norton Introduction to Literature, Shorter Tenth Edition. New York, London: W.W. Norton & Company, 2010. Cutter, Martha J. Lost and found in translation: contemporary ethnic American writing and the politics of language diversity. Chapel Hill: UNC Press Books, 2005. Hawthorne, Julian, et al. The masterpieces and the history of literature, analysis, criticism, character and incident. New York, Chicago: Indiana University Press, 1903.