Under the Feet of Jesus: Family

   At the end of chapter 3 there is subtle, or maybe not at all, symbolism in the family attempting to free their car.  It is their sole means of transportation to other farms and their home at times.  When it becomes embedded in the mud Estrella pitches in to free the car.  Estrella lays down a rock and sticks creating a path for the tires and giving them traction.  Perfecto guns it and "Arnulfo crossed his fingers.  The twins covered their ears.  Alejo lifted his head up and looked through the splattered rear window while Petra held her breath because the the black fumes of exhaust made her nauseous" (130).
  Each family member reacted in their own way, they are all so different.  Yet their farm work jobs keep them stuck and make them lose hope.  Every farm they visit brings them new experiences and allows each person do develop.  But really they are just stuck in a series of jobs that will keep them from other opportunities.

Under The Feet of Jesus: Food and Work

There always seem to be a large emphasis of food in this novel. Food is directly related to the work that the entire family does on the farms and affects their quality of life. The amount of food that the family obtains will determine how much money they make and will directly affect their quality of life. Also, if they do not work as well as the other workers, they may find themselves without jobs. Their kind of work is also extremely dangerous. Several of the workers get sick because of pesticides that are sprayed on the fields and often get sprayed onto themselves if they are in the field at the wrong times. There was also mention of children being born to workers with severe birth defects due to the exposure of the dangerous pesticides.

Although the families all live and work very closely with food, food for their family to eat is often obsolete. Many of the families go hungry and are in constant need of better food, and larger quantities of food. It is really horrible that these families are working with the food that better off families will end up eating while they go hungry themselves. It is not fair that they have to go through so much torture for the comfort of other people. In this way their line of work and their food struggles are ironic and disturbing. Even though this is a novel, this kind of situation happens frequently even today. What is it going to take for this kind of work torture to change?

Under The Feet of Jesus: Environment

It is interesting to see that the environment is as much a part of the novel as the characters themselves are. In almost every page of the novel there is mention of the environment and how it affects the characters. A lot of this may have to do with the characters lifestyle and work. Although the characters do not choose to work on horrible plantations, it plays a huge role in their lives. Specifically, the family works on a peach farm where they are working horrible hours and are doing very physically demanding work. Perhaps, if the family was not put in this horrible working situation the environment would not have played such as huge role in their way of life.

It is interesting to also look at how the author describes the environment. She often is very descriptive in how she describes the elements. She gives various details such as color, textures, and smells. She also does a fantastic job of giving the nature human and animal-like qualities. She says at one point that the road is like a long snake (Viramonte). She is equally descriptive when it comes to describing the characters as well. She often talks of how dark the workers skin is due to the extreme sunlight exposure from the very long work days. She said that a lot of the men when shirtless, look as if they are still wearing a shirt because of the intensity of their tan lines (Viramonte). Her attention to detail really captures reader’s attention and helps to make readers relate to the characters and their environment.

Under the Feet of Jesus: Self-Awareness

   From Estrella's point of view, her life is what she knows as normal.  She is well aware it is not an ideal lifestyle traveling to farms with her family, sleeping in close quarters or in the car, and working to the bone but it is what she is familiar with.  Mrs. Horn, one of her teachers, pointed out aspects of herself that she was not aware of previously.  Mrs. Horn asked, "how come her mama never gave her a bath" (25).  The voice of the novel explains that "until then, it had never occurred to Estrella that she was dirty"(25).  Many people aren't fully aware or self-conscious about themselves until its pointed out by an 'outsider.'
   Much of the content Viramontes writes about is probably an unfamiliar experience to many Americans. For Estrella it is all she knows.  Sleeping in untraditional accommodations and dealing with pesticides on an almost daily basis isn't shocking to her because everyone she knows is experiencing the same thing.  When an outsider, Mrs. Horn, points out her uncleanliness she is also pointing out her different culture and lifestyle.  She is so isolated in fieldwork in America with many other Mexicans she forgets that her life is observably different than any other American lifestyle.

Citizen 13660 and When The Emperor Was Divine: Style

The style that the two others choose to write their books was quite interesting and is what really set them apart. “When The Emperor Was Divine”, was a book that was written off of factual information, history, and stories that the author had heard from relatives that actually were placed in the holding camps. “Citizen 13660” was different in that the author was telling readers about her own personal experiences in the camps. The way that they books are written are so different because of the personal experiences that the two women have gone through. Since their personal experiences are so different, with some minor similarities, the two others were bound to have taken on two completely different writing styles.

“When The Emperor Was Divine” was written more like a novel, with a plot with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. The second book was a picture novel but was very factual. It was written all off of the authors experiences while in the camps with minimum background information and ends abruptly with the author being released from the camp. The two different styles also probably have a lot to do with how the two authors handle the trauma and violence of the camps. Otsuka is able to write in a more “story- like” way because she did not experience these horrors personally and may have made it easier to write a book with a lot of details and additional information. Okubo experienced everything in her book first hand, and may have wanted to stick to the bare facts, avoiding a lot of personal or familial background. It is tough to say if these are the real reasons why the others choose these styles of writing, but in either case there was a lot of overlap in historical details and both effectively got the message across about how horrible these camps were.

When The Emperor Was Divine: Culture

It was really interesting to see how culture was dealt with in this novel. Usually when immigrant cultures are in the United States it is not uncommon to hear how they lose a sense of their native culture and traditions. Usually this results in the individual or family becoming more "Americanized" and experience a shift more towards American/European religions and traditions. The most interesting part of "When The Emperor Was Divine" is that there was a slight shift towards more American lifestyles but there was also a large push to be more "Chinese".

Mainly, this was due to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was known that the Japanese military was responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor which leads to the discrimination and hatred towards the Japanese culture in America. This made many Japanese individuals and families try to become more "Chinese" and even children were told that, if asked, they should say that they are Chinese. It was really interesting because this is probably one of the few times that a group of individuals tried to take on a different identity that still wasn't part of the popular culture. This is probably one of the very few times this has happened in the United States that is also openly talked about such as in novels like this one; a novel based off of true events in history.

When the Emperor was Divine: Loss of Culture

   Upon finishing the reading the book and reviewing paradigm questions I realized that there was a severe lack of Japanese culture mentioned.  Otsuka mentions some Japanese items and cultural characteristics but they are either packed up in the beginning with all the other household belongings or mentioned to the children not to bring them up.  I feel as though it is a method Otsuka used to signify the decay of Japanese culture in Japanese Americans that went to the detention/holding camps.  This is also signified by the title.  The children are taught not to mention the Japanese emperor's name and therefore devaluing all things representing Japan.
   When they all returned from the camps it was implied that they lost a lot out of their time in the camps even though some characters mentioned that it was only a segment in their life.  It was not just a section of  their lives, it was a pivotal moment in Japanese culture in America.  When the father returns, he is not the same man he was.  He was easily upset and not as happy as he use to be.  His detention took some of his life and soul out of him.  Japanese culture was taken away from many of them.

Citizen 13660: Environment

The effect of the elements (environment) had an affect on the life of people in the camp.  The weather required the people to assume a new lifestyle in order to survive the latest environmental curveball.  Rain would leave things muddy and traveling to different places in the camp more difficult.  Getas (traditional wooden clogs) were used to get through the rain soaked earth, “Homemade getas took place of rationed shoes and boots.  Because of the mud puddles, some people built their getas a foot high.”(p. 161)  I wonder how they felt about using their getas in order to get through their day.  Did they feel smart, because they already knew of a simple solution to get through the mud?  Or did they not like the reminder of why they were put in the camps in the first place?

Miné Okubo mentions on a number of occasions the strong wind at Topaz.  On all occasions the wind is adverse and is usually harmful to the people, strongly blowing into their faces picking up the alkaline soil.  On page 183 the climate of Topaz throughout the year is described.  The harsh winters and summers would cause problems that all the people in the camp would have to get over.  If it was the heat, they had to choose to stay cool outside, with the bugs or stay indoors in the stifling heat.  There was no third choice, only one or the other.  All summer they would have to deal with such decisions along with trying to keep themselves busy or entertained.  I don’t think I could go through that for a whole year; it would be very difficult to do.  I feel bad for the ones who didn’t make it out, dying in the confined area of the camp.

Citizen 13660: US Representation

   Although Okubo was treated unfairly by the United States through Executive Order 9066 she remains fairly unbiased throughout her text and illustrations.  The text is descriptive of her experience bearing little emotion.  It can be gathered that she still holds respect for her nation, especially when she shares her experience through the process of dividing up the "loyal" and "un-loyal" Japanese Americans.  In an illustration she is sticking her tough out at one of the "rabble rousers" (176-177).  The text, however, remained unbiased and descriptive rather than personal.  

   The illustrations overall were comical keeping the mood light despite the controversial situation.  It is a reflection of her mood throughout the situation from my perspective.  She had to make what she could out of the situation.  Instead of demonizing the United States she created comical illustrations of her experiences.  At no point did any of her context give me the impression of anger towards the nation.

Lakota Woman: Family

Some of the traditions of Navite Americans  are described in this book.  For example: how a regular community was tied together.  They all helped each other out, mainly family – but basically everybody was family.  This tight-knit, communal structure was attempted to be eradicated  when the whites came.  In the book it is stated that the “traditions and customs [were] a barrier to what the white man called ‘progress’ and ‘civilization’.” (p. 13)  The structure was changed into a “nuclear family”, where only immediate family members helped support each other.  The Father and Mother would work to earn money and the grandparents would help take care of the children.  The kids were, in a way restricted in their learning because they didn’t have the wealth of interactions they could have had otherwise.  In the normal tradition a man was chosen (in a way like a godfather is chosen) who would take part in taking care of the children while teaching them things, like how to hunt.  This second man would be also called Father, because he was so close to the family and its workings.

When the government intervened they did change their culture and the Christian religion was pushed on them.  People accepted it because they believed it would help them, their family and their children to get a better life.

Lakota Woman: Gender

It was really interesting to see how differently men and woman look at gender roles in this culture. Much like the vast majority of the modern culture we live in today, men and woman often have conflicting ideas about what roles each gender plays. This is also true towards the end of the autobiography as well when it is disclosed how Crow Dog feels about the women’s role in their culture. In the United States, traditionally, and especially in the 1950’s, women were thought to have a housewife role. Their main responsibilities were to marry, raise children, cook, clean, and care for the nuclear family. It wasn’t until much later, and even very recently, that the way men and woman view the importance and roles of woman in the family and culture have started to shift. More women work than those that don’t, and it is very common for children to be put in daycare rather than having a stay at home mom that plays the 1950’s housewife role. Men also are experiencing changes as well. More men are sharing the responsibilities that formally were only “women’s roles” such as cooking, cleaning, and raising children.

Despite their being progressive shifts in attitude towards gender roles in most societies, it seemed as though some older more “traditional” gender roles were still held in place in this Native American culture. Although it seems at the end women are gaining more power, and are looked at with great importance, women still seemed to carry a large burden. Especially when the fights are going on among the authorities and the Native Americans, and the women were often left without men to help them. During this time the women had to take on all the responsibilities of two people. Crow Dog tries explaining to Mary how important the woman figure is in their culture and the symbolism behind the woman but there are still some issues that are yet to change. For example, while Crow Dog is in jail women are taking a more active role in a lot of the important ceremonies that take place on the reservation. There was even talk about an all lesbian group holding a ceremony which greatly upset Crow Dog. This helped to show that even though there have been a lot of improvements towards the equality of women and their roles in that culture, there is still more progress to be made before the two genders are truly equal. This not only shows how this culture is uniquely different from ours, but also how similar it is as well. Even in America women often are paid less for having the same profession as a man. While reading this autobiography some of the content may seem rather harsh and raw but it is interesting to think that Americans for a long time have also dealt with similar struggles in terms of equality and fair treatment.

Lakota Woman: Gender Roles and Identity

   Lakota women's role in Mary Crow Dog's generation differs from traditional white culture of her era but are still below men in an unofficial hierarchy.  Lakota women fight, drink, be rowdy, and do many things men do including fighting off cops.  Many of MCD's interactions with brawls are Sioux and white men fighting with herself inserting herself where she can.  No white women are involved in the brawls except if a woman angers MCD in bar when she is drunk.  In the AIM movement the characteristic of Lakota women being much more aggressive than white women but less than any man is revealed again.  The men led the AIM movement becoming a psuedo-warrior that women praised.  Women either attempted to be "free" with the warriors or become their wife.  Women participated in the movement that made its way all the way to DC however, men were always at the forefront.
  MCD addresses this disparity between the two sexes after analyzing another Native American culture, the Pueblo.  "I could not help noticing the great role women played in Pueblo society.  Women owned the houses and actually built them. Children often got their mother's last name, not their father's.  Sons joined their mothers' clans.  It made me a little jealous" (106).  She blatantly states her jealousy for the female hierarchy advantage in Pueblo society.  She subtly brings up her discontent with her status as a woman in her writing but rarely as open than on page 106.

Bone: Generation Gap II

   The development of the characters in the ending of the novel surprised me.  Mah's character was built as a traditional older woman.  One would expect a character, or at least I did, to be disgraced that their child is having premarital sex or moving in with their unmarried partner.  Therefore, Mah's response to Liela's decision to move in with Mason was surprising.  "Give it a test. Remember to have a way out,"  was not at all expect ().  I expected at least a small argument or passive aggressive resistance but not advice.  It made sense almost as immediately as I read it.  She had already been through a lot with relationships, things unspoken and left unknown.  Mah wanted what was best for her daughter and she understood that this non-traditional route could be beneficial in the long run.
   It made me realize that traditions are broken down by experiences.  Mah wasn't accepting of Leila's fast past relationship because she was "Americanized," what I first thought, but because of her failed marriage in Hong Kong.  Leila wasn't becoming "Americanized," rather she was deciding on her relationship based on what she experienced and saw in America.  It reflects the title of the book and superstitions, its not superstitions that change lives for the better or worse but those experiences change the direction a life heads.

Bone: HOME

It was interesting to see how frequently the idea of “home” was brought up in the second half of the novel. It has often come up in class discussions how ones upbringing and culture can have a lot to do with how they look at their home. This could be the literal location of where they reside, but it can also go even further and broader. These broader generalizations could be particular locations, objects, people, and memories that they associate with home. It was interesting to see that while Leila and the family is greatly struggling with the loss of the middle daughter Ona, Leila also starts to wonder what makes her “home”.

 For the longest time, Leila thinks that her home is where she resides, on Salmon Alley.  Leila thinks to herself “It was my address; it was home, where I lived” (180). After the loss of her sister she has the urgent feeling of needing to be at home where she can be closer to her mother. This is also where her roots are, and has greatly contributed to who she becomes as an adult. What Leila does not realize is that what makes Salmon Alley feel like home to her, are the memories that she has when she thinks of the apartment there. Not many of the memories that Leila has of the apartment are positive ones. In fact, most of the memories that Leila has of Salmon Alley are rather traumatic. She vividly remembers all of the times that Leon never came back home after her mother has an affair and the countless times that Ona was locked out when she was with caught leaving the house to be with boys. This is the same address where letters would come addressed to Leila from her biological father; the letters were always saddening.  Towards the end, this is also the same place where people came to mourn and pay their respects after the suicide of Ona.

It is not until the final pages of the novel that Leila gets in touch with her similarities to Leon and how he feels about home. She recalls a time when Leon tells her “…that what we hold in our heart is what matters. The heart never travels” (190). This is the first time that Leila shows a change in opinion about what makes a home. This is when she first realizes that her “home” is where her heart is. This is the place where all of the good and the bad memories are that help mold Leila into her own person. She now realizes that no matter where she is she will always have Salmon Alley in her heart. This leaves readers feeling optimistic that only good things will come from this commonality that she shares with Leon.

Bone: Generation Gap

   The generation gap between Leila and her parental figures, Mah and Leon, exemplify the differences between Chinese-American and modern American culture.  Mah and Leon are hard working, Mah more than Leon, making enough to keep the family stable.  They are not looking for careers but rather jobs that pay.  They don't have a background to build a professional career.  Leila and her boyfriend/fiance Mason are specific in what they want to do with their lives in terms of work.  Leila is very satisfied in her steady job with the school.  Its a lot of work but she seems to enjoy it a lot.  Mason works specifically on foreign vehicles, attempting to secure a stable job doing what he enjoys.  The focus on jobs differs, the Chinese-Americans are driven by money mainly in there new country willing to take what comes their way where as the new generation has the opportunity to be driven by a certain desired career route.
   Leila has however inherited many of her mother's qualities.  Her mother constantly stresses about money, Leon, and the family.  Lelia has found ways to relax (sex & drugs for example) rather than constantly stressing like her mother.  She still has many concerns for her family though.  When Mah goes to Hong Kong with Nina for vacation, Lelia still worries.  Mason has tells her "Don't worry...You worry too much" (93).  Through this examination of career paths is shows that the generational gap includes a new ideology adapted by the new generation but Leila's characteristics also show that one cannot be completely free of old ways.

Bone: Language

In the novel Bone the main character’s family speaks Chinese, English or both.  In some instances it creates a language between characters, creating interesting dynamics.  Those who speak both are left to translate and sometimes omit things as they are translating.  I had always wondered if people did this as they translated, it was nice to have it finally admitted.  Leila says in the book that she did it with her Mah, when they were told about Ona’s suicide.  The job that Leila has she got most likely because she speaks Chinese and can communicate with the student’s parents.

In the novel, Leila occasionally uses Chinese words to describe things and how it in some ways can express a feeling English cant.  That or it has a stronger meaning when said in Chinese.  This brings up questions about how a language, in a way, can constrain us.  You can only think about something within the words that you know.  That feeling that you get, when you can’t find a word to describe something, is an example of this.  By knowing two languages you are able to expand you vocabulary in a sense that you have more ways to describe something.

I feel like the character speaks Chinese also for the culture that stands behind it.  Leila could have been the daughter of any number of immigrant families that could speak some language.  I think the writer picked Chinese (not only because the writer is Chinese) due to the rich heritage, and the material that could be incorporated and used within the book.

Family Relations in "Bone"

                The familial relationships in the novel Bone are rather interesting and complex. It is hard to understand where Leila, the main character, stands in her relationships with both her mother and father. She does not make it very clear if there is a preference, or if she is closer to one parent or the other. She does however make it known what characteristics of her parents she dislikes, but it never goes much farther than that. Similarly, it is unknown how Leila’s parents feel about their children. It is obvious that the family is mourning the loss of their middle child and that they don’t approve of their youngest daughters lifestyle all the time. However, it is interesting to look at the kind of relationship that has developed between Leila and her parents as the first half of the novel progresses.

                It appears as though Leila has become the “adult” from a very young age. Her parents don’t get along as well as they used to, and readers are able to sense a bit of animosity amongst the parents. Leila’s mother and father often go back and forth using Leila as the middle man. Since the parents live in separate houses they use Leila as a kind of messenger which she strongly dislikes. Leia also has had to be a messenger in the literal sense in that her parents often used her to translate for them when dealing with people that could only speak English from the time that she was a young child and onward. This weird relationship that Leila has developed with her parents is affecting her on several levels, especially after the death of her middle sister. The parents often asked Leila why she didn’t know that anything was wrong, and why didn’t she see the signs? This seems a bit off, since usually when a child commits suicide most parents immediately place the blame on themselves. Why would they place the blame and ask such bizarre questions to Leila, who is merely the sister? Isn’t it the parents’ responsibility to know what kinds of issues are going on in their child’s life, and be the people that try and prevent such issues as suicide? This absence of parental responsibilities has caused Leila to grow up very quickly and often times she doesn’t have a parent to turn to because she has now become the parent figure in their nuclear family.