Continued: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Chapters 4-5)

Chapter Four:

1) Language is a huge accessory to the book, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. In the previous chapters Yunior would write with mild cursing but in chapter four when he is speaking about his own experiences with Oscar he uses curses more frequently, why do you think that is?

2) Chapter four, openes up with Yunior being portrayed as the first-person narrator. What is the relationship between Yunior and Oscar? Can Yunior be seen as Oscar's ghostly twin?

3) a) The novel is implanted with a variety of supernatural elements. The most obvious is a fukú that provides the drift for the entire narrative, leading the reader to wonder if the events are all a result of fukú. Do you think that Oscar trying to kill himself, but ending up surviving was a part of the curse?

 

   b)We learn that Oscar may or may not be cursed by the Fuku. Throughout his life, Oscar was warned of the family curse, and due to his Hispanic heritage, he believed it, lived by it, was ruled by it, and ultimately, it is was what brought him to his death. Do you think we are in control of our own destiny?

 

Chapter Five:

 

1) What is the symbolism of the Packard? Who was it used by, and what is it's significance?

 

2) Junot Diaz arranges the novel in reverse chronological order. What is he trying to show by doing so?

 

3) On page 243, Diaz writes,“So, which is it? you ask. An accident, conspiracy or fukú? The only answer I can give you is the least satisfying: you'll have to decide for yourself. What’s certain is that nothing is certain. We are trawling in silences here.” Why do you think he is speaking directly to the reader here?

 

Junot Diaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Chapters 4-5)

1. Yunior, in chapter 4, decided to help change Oscar's life because he himself was heartbroken over Suriyan; do you think Yunior had every right to get mad at Oscar when he no longer wanted to run or was he still angry at his break-up and was taking it out on Oscar? (Page 178)

2. At the end of chapter five (page 261) there is a paragraph that says Beli had a recurring dream with children in it; do you think there is a psychological connection with her mother and father who both, on page 236, had dreams of children in a house? If not who do you think Beli is dreaming of?

3. Abelard was given advice on page 221 to either sneak his daughters into Cuba, keep them under house arrest, or do nothing; if you were living in the Reign of Trujillo what would you have done to protect your daughter(s)?

4. When it came time to attend the party Abelard decided not to bring his wife and daughter Jackie, do you think this was the right decision?

5. Putting consideration into the fact that Trujillo didn't, as far as we know, sleep with Abelard's daughters but all of his papers and documents disappeared, do you think Abelard's arrest was a conspiracy since no one can give a straight answer about it?

Junot Diaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Chapters 2-3)

1. (For those of you who have not finished the book) The novel appears to be narrated by a third person omniscient narrator. The footnotes seems to take on a different narrator. What do these two different narratives contribute to the story?

2. How is the city of Patterson, NJ described compared to Bani, DR? How can this be approached in a "transnational" sense?

3. What is the significance (if any) of Beli meeting "the gangster" at a club in DR called Hollywood?

4. At the end of Chapter 3, what does NYC (America in general) represent to the Dominicans?

Junot Diaz's The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao: Questions for the introduction and Chapter 1

1. In the introduction, Diaz uses relatively academic rhetoric sprinkled with slang and causal language (i.e:" No matter what its name or provenance, it believed that the arrival of the Europeans on Hispaniola unleashed the fuku on the world, and we've all been in the shit ever since" [1]). What effect, if any, does this rhetoric have on the reader? Does it enhance or hinder our understanding of the "fuku" Yunior is describing?

2. Why does Diaz decide to write extensive footnotes on certain terms and people, such as Trujillo (page 2) or "parigüayo" (pages 19-20) and omits to define others?

3. What effect does omitting quotation marks in the dialogue have on your understanding of the text? Why does Diaz choose to do so?

4. Why does Diaz choose to decide the first chapter into subcategories such as "Amor de pendejo" (36) and "The Moronic Inferno" (19)? Does it have an impact on our digestion of the chapter?

5. It's often emphasized that Oscar is the opposite of what a Dominican man should be: "he wasn't no home-run hitter or a fly bachatero, not a playboy with a million hots on his jock" (11). How is masculinity emphasized in Oscar's world? How does this idea of masculinity affect the way Oscar thinks of relationships? Consider Oscar's uncle and Oscar's relationship with Ana.

6. What do the characters of Olga and Martiza tells us of the role of women in this novel? Similarly, how does Oscar's sister, Lola, differ from the rest of the women introduced thus far?

7. What effect does Oscar visit to the Dominican Republic have on him? How does it relate to the idea that the Dominican republic and Northern Jersey are extensions of each other?

8. How does family help define Oscar? Throughout the text, the narrative is interlaced with interjections from Oscar's mother. What effect does this have on our understanding of character development thus far?

9. Oscar deals with a great deal of "othering" by family, friends, and foes alike. How does Oscar offer any parallels between other trans-nationalistic narratives we've discussed?

10. As we've been forewarned, this text is riddled with Dominican slang, specific fanboy terminology, and unfamiliar historical figures. Now that you've read the first chapter, was it difficult to follow the text or easier than you expected? Do you think Diaz intentionally tries to confuse the reader or educate them forcefully?

Nancy Foner " Transnationalism Old and New

1. Foner tells us about immigrants that come to America, work for a number of years, with the profits they make they would buy land in the countries the originally came from. they would then return back to America and keep sending money back and forth as so. do you think that these immigrants are mis-using America and its opportunities? taking jobs away from other deserving Americans, just for there own benefit? (65)

2. Just as with " Old Nationalism" do you think that America is the culprit behind some of todays diaspora's against immigrants? (68)

3. How do you feel about non-naturalized immigrants holding massive political rallies and political demonstrations, without proper citizenship? (68)

4. With new technologies constantly being introduced, do you think this could hinder job opportunities for immigrants, as well as non immigrants? (74)

5. How do you feel about Dual- Citizenship? Can it create problems for the United States? (75)

James Baldwin , "Encounter on the Sein" , "Stranger in the village"

1) What is the cruel psychological warfare that negroes are subjected to when leave U.S. ghettos ? (pg 118)

2)How has the negro "learned to anticipate: as the mouth opens he divines what the tongue will utter"? (pg 120)

3)Do you think it is better to be an African living and not knowing the pains of "the american experience" or to be an african in america who has lived , witnessed , and overcame these struggles? page (pg 122)

4) page 166 quotes "He(white man) is inescapably aware , never-theless , that he is in a better position in the world than black men are, nor can he quite put to death the suspicion that he is hated by black men therefore" . With the growing roles in society for black men or black people in general do you think these ideals still remain?

1) How AND why has the African-American man become 'the invisible man' in Paris? (118)

2) How is being in Paris similar to living in America for African Americans? (121)

3) How do French Africans experience Parisian life? Is it similar to the way in which African Americans do? (122)

Stranger In The Village by James Baldwin

1. On page 153 of the reader Baldwin states "People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them." What does this quote mean? Provide evidence from the text.

2. What is it that the villagers fear from this stranger? What impact does being a stranger in the village have on James Baldwin?

3. In Baldwins opinion, what is this idea of "the black mask"? What is the mask concealing? How does this notion of the mask bring about the idea of black identity?

4. Do we still see these themes (racism, prejudice, and discrimination) presented in the essay in today's society? If so how?

Homage To MR.Hughes

Paule Marshall Homage To MR. Hughes 　　 1) A. Do you think that a writer/ societal figure in today’s society who speaks out against America would be selected to travel the world all expenses paid like Marshall? B. If so , who do you have in mind and why ? 　 2)During the briefing in the State Department office do you think there was a reason to leave Marshall’s folder out where it was easily visible.? Refer to page 132 3) On page 139 -140 when Marshall discusses the African House incident ,do you think Hughes was angry towards the ignorance of the European audience or was it something else? Refer to quote “there was monumental work still to be done he concluded”

When We Were Kings

My Questions on the film:

1. At the beginning of the film, the focus flashes from Ali, Zaire performance musicians, and other related images, to footage of the Ku Klux Klan among other images of suffering in Africa and Pre-civil rights America. What do you think was the purpose of introducing the film this way?


2. Ali makes it clear he's fighting on Team Africa. What is Foreman fighting to represent? Did he have a choice? As an American, do you see Foreman as the antagonist?


3. *SPOILER?* What do you think was Foreman's "succubus"? Why did he lose? Assuming this fight is more than just a boxing match, what is the succubus in the greater picture?


4. Today, do we have celebrities who hold as much iconic and political weight as Muhammad Ali? If so, whom? If not, why is that?


5. I have to ask, why "When We Were Kings"? Why not, for example, "We Will Be Kings"?

All the World's A Fair

1. Would the supporters of the world's fair agree with Randolph Bourne's vision of a transnational America? why or why not?

-How was the world's fair used as a government tool?

-How did the world's fair meet the agenda of the U.S. government?

2. What is a "symbolic universe" as described by Robert Rydell?

-What kind of people would you find at the world's fair?

-What about the other members of society?

-Is their social world comprehensible?

3. what message was the U.S. sending out to the rest of the world?

4. "The sheer number of fairgoers testified that the expositions struck a responsive chord in the lives of many American" (pg 107)

What kind of responsive chord do you think Rydell is talking about?

Trans-National America

1) How does Bourne's concept of Americanism differ from those of his contemporaries during the time of this essay's publication?

2) I found a particular quote from this essay very interesting. "We [Americans] act as if we wanted Americanization to take place only on our own terms, and not by the consent of the governed (101)." Can you think of any modern examples of this?

3) According to Bourne, what is America's relationship with England? How does he feel about this relationship?

4) How are the Early colonists similar to the immigrants of this time? How are they different?

5) How has the ruling class treated immigrants? Why does Bourne believe that this is the wrong approach?

6) Bourne uses the South to justify his argument. What is his argument? How does the South as an example prove his point? (pg 103)

7) What does Bourne fear will happen to immigrants in America? Do you think his fears have become reality?

8) Is Bourne in favor of Nationalism? Why or why not?

Our America

1) Marti writes that the governments of Latin America should not be imitated from foreign governments, but that they should be created to suit the needs of a country. Given your knowledge of Latin America’s political history, would you say that Marti’s conviction was recognized?

2) What does Marti mean by “the natural man”? Why does he seem to hold him in high esteem?

Jose Marti: Our America

1) What is Marti's attitude toward the United States and/or Europe?

2) Why does Marti constantly use the rhetorical device known as antithesis (i.e. two opposing ideas)?

3) Do you think Marti was successful in his initial request to create new ideas? Why or why not?

4) Marti refers to Latin America as a woman, while depicting "her neighbor" as a man. What effect does this have on the image of Latin America at this time?

Jose Marti Our America Questions

1) On page 290, Jose Marti expresses his thoughts about how he believes that any form of government that exist in a land should be from the land. Would you say this is Marti being a nationalist or that he doesn't want any foreign involvement in Cuba? Why?

2) On page 291, what is Marti's main problem between the educated and uneducated?
Also, what are his beliefs on proper education?

Soldiers of Fortune Discussion Questions

1. How does this story reflect or resemble ideas we have seen in prior narratives, including Columbus' journals, John Smith's account, and the Panama Canal documentary? Think about how the native Mexicans are viewed by the Anglo newcomers, like Clay and Van Antwerp and how Anglos like Clay intervene in South American affairs for their own benefit.
2. How does the news that Miss Langham will be coming to Mexico affect the way Clay now views the land which he is in command of?
3. Does the fact that this story is written in third person enhance its effectiveness as a literary piece by enabling us to read different viewpoints or does it inhibit our ability to fully connect with any of the characters on whom the narration tended to focus?

Soldiers of Fortune

Hi Class..
Here are my questions for discussion from "Soldiers of Fortune":

Review the paragraph that begins on the left of p.66 and ends on the right for the first two questions.

1) Miss Langham talked about the approval of Mr. King. She says "her own mind approved, and as as her heart was not apparently ever to be considered, who could say that it did not approve as well?" After reading the rest of the story, why does the author say her heart was not considered? In some cases how can this idea be tied into today's society?

2) Miss Langham describes King as a good man and spoke of his accomplishments, but why does she say he "may never do a great thing"?

3) Do you believe Clays speech to the workers was similar to Theodore Roosevelt's "The Strenuous Life" speech? Why or why not? (pg. 80)

4) Does Clay have a valid argument against the opposition? How can this scenario be tied into other historic events? (pg. 88)

Streeby, Roosevelt, & Twain

What part does God and Christianity play in the idea of American exceptionalism, in the "natural right" (Streeby, p.50) of Americans to expand to foreign lands? Do you believe what Twain says, paryodying that, "Christendom has been playing it badly of late years, and must certainly suffer by it... so eager to get every stake that appeared?" Based upon your knowledge of the various wars mentioned in the readings, (the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the US-Mexico War, et al.) do you believe that the "white races," as referred to by Roosevelt, were expanding upon every nation that seemed less civilized or in need of intervention because of "unchecked control", or were they choosing the nations specifically, purely for the benefit of its own economic growth and racial expansion?

As read in Roosevelt's address to the Methodist Episcopal Church, "control" is the "prerequisite condition" for the "moral and material advancement of the peoples who dwell in the darker corners of the earth." (p.56) Given the result of European and American expansion into foreign nations, (take for example, the nation of Sudan that Roosevelt mentions; its recent succession of South from North Sudan, combined initially by the British out of either lack of understanding the region or because it was easier to lump them together and control them as a whole) is this a valid statement by Roosevelt, or were the expansions morally and materially deteriorating to the natives of those lands? In short, who was the primary benefactor of imperialism: the natives or the "intruders," as Roosevelt refers to them?

Is the term "expansionism" merely a euphemism for "imperialism"?

What role did the social and antiwar movements, as well as the "movements of people of color working both outside and inside the academy," (Streeby p.53) play in the emergence of "revisionist scholarly work" that took a critical, rather than compliant, look at the expansion of the United States around the world?

“Empire” by Shelley Streeby

1. Why does the word “empire” have a negative connotation in terms of the United States and its foreign policy?

2. How did the effects of the U.S.-Mexican War become an important catalyst in causing the later conflict known as the Civil War?

3. Many people who favored the U.S.-Mexico War believed in manifest destiny. Democratic Review editor John O’ Sullivan argued that it was “our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions” (page 51). Why was manifest destiny not associated with the imperialism of building an empire?

4. How did the Cold War enable historians to view the interventions of the United States around the world as not being imperialistic?

The Many Voices of Roosevelt

Hey everyone,
Here are my questions based on the three readings, enjoy!

1. In his address of "The Strenuous Life" given in 1899 , Roosevelt preaches that the "highest form of success, comes not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger" (57). How does Roosevelt use rhetoric to advocate the importance of leading a life of "toil", verses the life of a "timid man"?

2.Three years following his speech of "The Strenuous Life", Roosevelt gives his "Administration of the Island Possessions" address in 1902; In the speech, can you identify any areas areas of the text where he uses the ideas from"The strenuous Life? How is this connection crucial to the message he is trying to get across?

3. Seven years later, Roosevelt gives his speech, "The expansion of the White Races" in 1909 at a church, how is his language different compared to the previous speeches? Do you think it has to do with the his audience? What message is Roosevelt sending about the expansion of the white race?"

4. In the small blurb before the speech of "The Strenuous Life", it states that, "This is perhaps the most important essay in the canon of the American empire". Do you guys believe this? Do the ideas presented by Roosevelt, still apply to your society today?

Hemispheric Jamestown

1 - From the start of the text, there are a few occasions where Don Luis's ability to interpret is questioned. Why does Don Luis intentionally interpret in ways that seem to side through the "perspective and emotions" of the natives? Do you think this was one of the signs of him betraying the priests?

2 - The priests writings indicate that "three of Don Luis's followers miraculously fall down dead after attempting to open a chest belonging to the slain Jesuits" (p.39) Do you believe this to be true, or just a story the priests proposed to ensure a fear of god, or rather a miracle, in order to shed some hopeful light on the massacre from a religious standpoint?

Hemispheric Jamestown

1) On his first journey back to Ajacan, accompanied by Dominican missionaries and backed by an army, Don Luis failed to find his homeland. On his second voyage (this time undertaken without an army) Don Luis successfully led the Jesuits to Ajacan. Might these facts support the idea that Don Luis planned the massacre in advance?

2) Why was Alonso de Olmos spared? Brickhouse, after all, alludes to the “twinned roles of Don Luis and Alonso as bilingual interpreters and cross-cultural internal narrators” (28). Do you think Don Luis felt a kinship toward him, and to what extent?

3) Why was Alonso’s account of the massacre elaborated upon (and often completely altered) by different authors? What purpose does it serve, particularly from a religious standpoint? As Brickhouse puts it, “How does one tell a conversion story in which the central figure of redemption apparently converts back?”

4) Finally, consider the “frame narrative” structure of both accounts. How reliable are these sources? What do they add to our understanding of Jamestown’s beginnings, and what do they leave out?

(*For anyone interested in further reading, Rogel’s full record of Alonso’s story can be found here.)

Independence and Dependency Issues: Group Therapy & Couples Counseling

1) Why do you think Latin America “failed” or rather which of the causes had the most downturn effects leading to their “Supplementary Existence” status? Could these have been avoided with a more American approach?

2) On page 145 (2^nd paragraph) Fernando-Armesto describes a different outcome of the civil war. Something I’m sure we’ve all considered at one point or another, but never described quite so fittingly. Do you think Brooklyn College would have any place in this southern north? Or any CUNY/SUNY? Who would we be in relation to a different American order? As NYers this is simply unfathomable, but really, where?

3) The rest of the world is going haywire over democratic desires; what can they learn from our first state of democracy? From Europe? The French? Latin America? Starting out with anarchy & tyranny, aren’t they doing the democratic thing backwards?

4) And finally (& I know this is extra, but I’m just wondering) where the heck did Canada go? Besides a single sentence blurb on 121-122 they have disappeared in the evolution of The Independence Era & The New Dependency. What’s up with that?

The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles

     The excerpt we read from Captain John Smith's work discusses his encounter with the Powhatans.

1) Why do you think John Smith writes his narrative in third person? How does this point of view affect the representation of events or the perspective of the reader?

2) On page 29 Smith writes, "As for the danger of our enemies...for your riches we have no use...for we have a rule to finde beyond your knowledge." Why doesn't Smith just rage war against the Powhatans instead of discoursing back and forth?

3) Who are Powhatan's Dutch-men?

Notes on Columbus' Journals

Students: the photocopies cut off a few sentences that may prove useful.  Here are a few.

P. 107 (bottom-left): "Accurate estimates of Indian populations before Columbus arrived continue to elude historians, but the destruction of up to four-fifths of the original population of Hispañola [present day Haiti & Dominican Republic] in Columbus' lifetime provides an essential starting point for any reading of his written representation of Indians."
P. 107 (bottom-right): "In the journal of this eventful voyage, Columbus puzzles over unexpected compass readings recorded during his travels."

P. 108: One of the footnotes indicates that Las Casas (who reproduced the Journals) is quoting Columbus at length here.  Another footnote says that Columbus' party is exploring various islands of the Bahamas.  (This is before they reach Hispañola and Cuba).

P. 109: Footnote 6 reads, "A variation of Bohío.  Columbus translated this name as "abounding in gold."  It most likely referred to the island that Columbus renamed La Isla Española (known as Ayti [Haiti] or "mountainous land" to its natives).

P. 110: Footnote 9 indicates that Las Casas stops quoting Columbus directly here and begins referring to him (and their party as a whole) in the third-person: "he" and "they".

P. 117: Footnote 2 indicates that the changes Columbus notes in the astrology "contribute to Columbus's conclusion about the earth's shape."