No_Idea_I_Just_Want_to_Read_an_Essay_so_I_Had_to_Submit_One_(_I_Suck_at_Wrinting_Don't_Read_It)

Katie Fitzhugh Showalter January 8, 2010 English People in America For me living in an American society, but still practicing my Irish traditions, can make life a bit difficult. My entire family has grown up supporting the Irish ways, so we don’t consider ourselves American. We are people of Ireland. It’s the same for thousands of people all across the United States. Thus no matter where you live you will have to live be the ‘dominate’ culture, while you remain faithful to your own. This is the same for the little boy in Richard Lakes “A Fathers Plea”. Wind-Wolf’s father is writing a letter to his sons teacher, for she has already labeled Wind-Wolf as a ‘slow learner’, because he doesn’t know what all the other children, (who practice American traditions) know. For instance early on in life, Medicine Grizzliebear’s son Wind Wolf was carried in an “Indian Baby Basket” while he was being what one would call “educated in Native ways”. Within this Baby Basket his mom was free to move around freely, while the baby soaks up all the knowledge he can retain. Baby Baskets are important to ear development, “It is specially designed to provide the child with the kind of knowledge and experience he will need in order to survive in his culture and environment”(Lake 109). Wind Wolf is being brought up in an American society, however he is continuing to learn about his native heritage, and how to survive these two societies. Although Wind Wolf tries hard to balance these two cultures, in “a Hunger for Memory” there is no effort to balance two cultures. In this short story the young man was taunted in the beginning for descending of two cultures. In the end he had separated himself from his family, thus severing all connections with his culture. He says “ once upon a time I was a socially disadvantaged child” (Rodriguez 103) he was considered “ an extreame public alienation” (Rodriguez 103). By severing all contact he felt as though this would make him seem more American. When actually, all he would have had to do is change his attitude. Just like in “Going to Japan”, she manages to get past the differences of the two cultures she becomes open, yet confused and frightened. When the lady is eating in a Japanese restaurant she tells us “ I managed to wrestle these creatures to my lips with chopsticks, but it was already too late by the time I got the message that one does not spit out anything” (Kingslover 123). Even though she is in Japan she tries her best to fit in, yet retain some of the manners she knows from the American culture. Thus when traveling, and living somewhere where a compleatlly different culture is partaking in everyday lives, you will have to mix the cultures, like how they did in “a Fathers Plea”, and “Going to Japan”. Because these two texts prove that no matter where you are, or where you are living you must abide by the dominate culture, but remain true to your own. Kingslover, Barbra: “Going to Japan” Lake, Robert: “A Fathers Plea” Rodriguez, Richard: “The Hunger of Memory)