Comparison

In her poem "Be Nobody's Darling" Alice Walker suggests that being labeled an outcast is a positive and desirable identity. In an interview, when asked about this poem Walker went so far as to suggest that one cannot truly have freedom unless one becomes an outcast. Discuss Walker's poem in relation to one or more of the works we have read in class thus far. Would Maxine Hong Kingston, Louise Erdrich, or Jhumpa Lahiri agree or disagree with Walker's perspective on outcasthood?

Alice Walker stated that to be an outcast was to be free, a freedom of ideals, actions and thoughts. However in the short story by Jhumpa Lahiri Mrs. Sen is the outcast character and there is a conflict between how she is portrayed and how Alice Walker stated that they should be seen. Mrs. Sen was able to keep all of her ideals and traditions from her homeland and was still in contact with her family and others like her but she was an outcast to the society she had moved to.

While Mrs. sen was able to keep her traditions inside of her head and her thoughts she was in no way free as all of the things she was used to in her culture were impossible to do in the new, american culture she was introduced to. While this previous statement may prove Walkers point she was in no way free as she couldn't learn to drive and was unable to even go to the market to pick up a fish that she wanted to make dinner with. When she tried taking other methods of transport like a bus she had bothered people with the smell of the fish that she had bought. The one time she actually had tried to go out to the market herself and drive ended in disaster with her crashing into a lightpost and going back into her room after and simply crying with the loss of all of the things she was used to, completely contradicting Walkers point that being an outcast is a good thing to be.

"Be Nobody's Darling" and "Fleur"

The topic of being an outcast is a common theme in both of these written works. In "Be Nobody's Darling" by Alice Walker, being an outcast is viewed so positively it should be a goal of ours. She tells us to take our contradictions and wrap them around ourselves like a shawl. I believe that in that line she is telling us to wear what make us different proudly and not be ashamed of how society views us.

This same concept of being an outcast can be seen in Louise Erdrich's "Fleur". Fleur is a Native American woman who embraces her differences and uses them to her advantage at certain points in the story. She uses her strength to get a job at a butcher shop, and she uses her intelligence and courage to play poker with the men she works with. Playing poker in those times was strictly seen as a man's game, but that fact never bothered her and she accepted the challenge it posed.

In Mrs. Sens and No Name Woman culture plays an intensely important role. Lahiri Jhumpa describes her characters in great detail in Mrs. Sens. I believe she does so to illustrate not only an accurate picture of what the characters like Mrs. Sens look like but also to provide the reader with an equally accurate understanding of the characters' personalities. Maxine Hong Kingston also reveals important cultural characteristics in her piece, No Name Woman. She explains how the main character's aunt brought disgrace to her family by becoming pregnant. Moreover, her aunt, the no name woman, haunts her throughout her life. These are characteristics of Asian culture, which help the reader to understand the heritage and personality of the main character and her family. These two authors highlight the ideas of culture and express them in their works to bring understanding and relativity to the reader. Those who read No Name Woman and are Asian can relate to the cultural ideas in the story and the readers who aren't Asian are still at the very least learning about another culture. These two authors use culture to make their stories more interesting to their readers and create a higher standard of literature by doing so.

Comparison of "Fleur" and "No Name Woman"

In comparison of the two stories "Fleur" and "No Name Woman" there seems to be a similar debate. The controversy arises with the argument of how society may look or deal with one or many individuals as opposing the way of life that society may deem as normal. This can be considered as an "outcast." In both stories we see the similarity of how Fleur and "the aunt" were both driven out of their communities because they did not fit in.

Kingston states in her story "The real punishment was not the raid swiftly inflicted by the villagers, but the families deliberately forgetting her." This makes us understand that the aunt was out casted by society, along with being forgotten by her own family. As an outcast she was ridiculed and deemed unappropriate to her community for the act of adultery. In today's society adultery is frowned upon, but seems to occur almost regularly. The act of adultery is not ok, but someone who commits this crime would not be tortured for it, although they may be exiled from a church depending on their religious background. American families would not forget you because of it, making the argument that everything that happens within separate communities is handled differently from one to another.

Erdrich tells a similar story of an outcast in "Fleur" she uses Lillie's point of view by stating, "since that night she put me in the closet I was no longer afraid of her, but followed her close, stayed with her, became her moving shadow that the men never noticed, the shadow that could have saved her." This phrase helps us see that Fleur was also deemed an outcast and did not fit in, along with that Lilly is facing the issue of rejection. In that Lilly befriends Fleur, leading to a partnership in the classification of outcast. Lilly found a partnership and a sense of belonging, as opposed to rejection.

As we compare the two stories on how people can be considered an outcast from society, they may not be all that different from one another. Even though society makes its judgment on one another, no two people are the same. Being different is part of being human so as one is judged as an outcast, what makes the judger normal. Everyone makes mistakes,because he or she is not perfect resulting in becoming an outcast. Society is made up of ridicule and judgment, but when the judgment changes face now that out casted person must find them self in a similar situation. This forces one to come around full circle leading to a community or society of outcasts. This leads us to believe that in some way or another we are all outcasts based on indifference.

Scott Swan
Post #1

Alice Walker's Be No Body's Darling

In the poem Be Nobody's Darling by Alice Walker, Walker talks about how being an outcast is something to celebrate and something to be proud of--not something to be embarrassed about.  Alice Walker then says in an interview that one can never be free unless they are an outcast.  This is an admirable statement, though I'm not sure that Maxine Hong Kingston, in her short story No Name Woman would agree. 

In her short story, Kingston expresses the grief and pain that her aunt must have gone through because of her status as outcast.  She had committed adultery, and was now pregnant with another man's baby.  Because of what the town did to her, and because of how she was treated, she killed herself in order to get away from the looks and the stares that she received.  No one would ever take her seriously again, or even give her the time of day because of what she did, which leads me to believe that Kingston would not agree with Walker's connection between being free and an outcast. 

In Walker's poem, she seems to imply that as an outcast there are others who will be with you, that there are others out there, and that you are no alone.  Unfortunately, in No Name Woman, Kingston's aunt never really gets that chance, and the whole village seems to be against her; raiding her house, smearing blood on the walls, and killing their live stalk.  Kingston herself feels a sort of connection to her aunt, which is why I believe she would have the same feelings about being an outcast, and about not fitting in.  I believe that Kingston wants to find a place where she fits in, and where she is accepted, not a place where she stands out in a crowd and is an outcast.

Allison Weening , Post 1

Outcast

The idea of being an outcast can be seen in both "Be Nobody's Darling" and "Fleur." In "Be Nobody's Darling," Alice Walker describes an "outcast" as a good thing and something that sets you apart from everyone else and you should embrace those differences. Also, if you are outcasted, just find people that do not consider you to be weird or different. However, in "Fleur," Louise Erdrich describes how Pauline is an outcast because she does not look like Fleur and how no one pays her any attention. Fleur is also considered an outcast because she doesn't act like most other women because she dresses like men and she plays cards with the men. The stories of where Fleur came from and what she did to the other men also makes her an outcast.

Both of these readings focus on the same topic, outcasts, but have different views on whether its acceptable to be an outcast or not. I believe that there are certain circumstances where it's good to be an "outcast" and other times where it's better to not be an outcast. For instance if you are around people that are doing dangerous things or putting you in danger then it is better to just outcast yourself from them even if they make fun of you because there are plenty of people that will understand you and will be able to have fun with in a safe place. However I also think that it is important to stay connected to your peers and live an active life in society. People that surround themselves with other people that make them happy are generally happier people. It just seems to make sense to find people that will accept you and have fun with.

Taylor Wienke, Post 1

Be Nobody's Darling VS No Name Women

In the poem Be Nobody's Darling we discussed how the author Alice Walker thought of someone being an outcast as a good thing. I think that the author of No Name Women would disagree. Yes Walker does make a point in saying that in order to be really living you need to be an outcast to have your own identity. The poem in my opinion shows this perfect scenario of being an outcast. By saying things like Take the contradictions of your life And wrap around You like a shawl, To parry stones To keep you warm. The majority of human beings like to feel a sense of security and not to stick out from the norm. Most people tend to cover up their problems in life and cover up anything that makes them different, in order for them to blend into society. Be an outcast;
Be pleased to walk alone. This quote I believe also is "sugar coating" the idea of an outcast and assuming that people would be happy walking alone. In my opinion I think this is false, especially when people enter a new school, or community, they try to conform to the norm in order to be accepted right away and not to become the outcast.
In the short story No Name Women, you can clearly see right away about the point I said earlier, that most families try to hide their "dirty laundry" by the mother telling the author not to tell anyone about the story of her aunt,and she was even a little hesitant at first to even tell the author the story. This is because the mother didn't want her family to stick out, she viewed being an outcast as a bad thing. In the story the author tells the story of her aunt, and all the tragedy that happens to her because of becoming an outcast. Things like the raid on her home, sitting at the outcast table, and being afraid that she had dishonored her family because of her affair and pregnancy. If the author of this story thought of being an outcast as a good thing she would have focused more on the positives of her aunts life rather than the negatives. The story really makes being an outcast look very unappealing. Throughout the story she describes her aunt as a ghost. Showing how she is an outcast, she really isnt living or dead, she now just drifts and her identity in way is lost. If being an outcast allows you to gain a true identity or freedom for yourself, why would this author then describe her aunt as a ghost while she was living and dead, ghosts don't have feelings, ideals, or an identity. They really are not free in a sense they will never be truly in peace and their past will always haunt them.

Kenny Liszewski Post #1

Week 1 Blog

I think that in the short stories that we have read this week, all the women have been viewed as outcasts of society. In "No Name Women" the aunt was viewed as an outcast because she had had an affair and in "Mrs. Sen's" Mrs. Sen was viewed as an outcast by society because she didn't fit in with the regular American public. Their classification as outcasts was not only due to the fact that they had either done something wrong or that they were an outsider in a new place, but also that they were women. In Kingston's short story, the aunt is viewed as an outcast, so she decides to take her own life because she knows that there will be no forgiveness in her future. She also takes her child's life, leading the author to believe that it was a girl. The author comes to this conclusion because if it was a boy then there may have been a way for him to achieve forgiveness, but there was obviously no hope. This shows that just by being a women in her culture you were already a sort of outcast, easily shamed and blamed with no way to be forgiven. Mrs. Sen was also at a disadvantage. She was seemingly forced to come to the US because her husband, possible by arranged marraige, got a job teaching at a university. The move also forced her to almost give up her identity as an Indian woman and to become an American woman. Her struggle and eventual distaste for this transformation led to her being looked down upon and labeled as an outcast. The two stories are both centrally located around the idea that women are inferior and are more easily labeled as outcasts from society. I do feel that this is true, it seems like society is quicker to blame a women for a problem than a man.

Post 1: Mrs. Sen and No Name Woman

In Mrs. Sen and No Name Woman, i think that the best connection that could be made is the burden of the label "outcast". In No Name Woman, Kingston's aunt is not just humiliated for the adultery and the pregnancy that comes about her unknown relations but she is thoroughly punished. Her honor had been stripped from her by the villagers, her family considered her to be a ghost and in the end there is a family wide effort to make sure that her name, memory and existence are forgotten, but not the story of her shame. The representation that Kingston shows her aunt isn't even something that she feels completely comfortable with, she is sharing her story yet she shares her story as a precautionary tale, as something to show the fate of an outcast in the society which she lived. In Mrs. Sen, we see a similar story told by Lahiri. Although the label of "outcast" is not thrust upon her, she simply becomes one by being different than the people who she lived around. Being an outcast, not being able to take care of herself and ultimately her failure to integrate into the society that she was forced into by her circumstances caused her to break. Her inability to understand american culture, her frustration at her failed attempts to integrate into the new society and her love of her old life back in Calcutta where she fit in culminated in an emotional meltdown and a lack of proper judgement that led us to the end of the story where she crashes the car and locks herself in her room crying. Water is a very powerful symbol in these stories as well. The waves that receded at the end of Mrs. Sen's story and the well which Kingston's aunt drowned herself and her baby in, serve as reminders of the gift that mainstream society can give, and the pieces of ones life that it can take away, showing the risks that come with being an outcast.

Derrick Alma

Alice Walker & Fleur

In Alice Walker's poem, "Be Nobody's Darling," she gives the label of "outcast" a positive meaning and connotation. She encourages others to be different, be comforted in your uniqueness and to own your individuality. Walker reminds her audience that it is okay to be an outcast, in fact you SHOULD be one. Fleur embodies who Alice Walker would love others to be. Fleur doesn't play by society's rules and is certainly unique. She is mysterious, lively and very appealing to others because of her uniqueness. Fleur is also not the typical woman, and doesn't seem to mind it either. She breaks feminie rules by being active like a man and playing cards with them. Society seems to find Fleur to be an "oddball" and strange. Alice Walker would encourage Fleur to celebrate being an outcast and to be comfortable in her own skin.

Angela Feeney post #1

Be Nobody's Darling vs. Mrs. Sen's

Alice Walker once said that only by being and outcast you can have freedom. This is based

on and described in her poem Be Nobody's Darling. Walker encourages people to accept their

mistakes and differences in their lives, for these are what make you you. Society may look at

you with disapproval but you should just look right back in the same way. She does not want

anyone to tell us who we can and cannot be. Being an outcast makes you and individual and

independent. Just because everyone else is not the same does not mean it is wrong. Walker

wants us to be proud of our differences and not let anyone else tell us different.

This poem can relate to Mrs. Sen in Mrs. Sen's by Jhumpa Lahiri. Mrs. Sen was seen as an

outcast in American society because she still kept her Indian customs and traditions. It was

very hard for her to adapt to American life and still did not know how to drive. She was seen as

an outcast just because she liked to get her fish fresh at the market. The bus driver asked her

"What's in the bag?" and proceeded to tell her that the smell was bothering the other

passengers. But this is what pushed Mrs. Sen over the edge. She could not deal with her

differences in this society anymore and forced herself to adapt to their ways. Mrs. Sen wanted

to be independent but to also not be an outcast anymore. She forced herself to drive and ended

up making things worse. Mrs. Sen hated being an outcast. However, she did not receive her

personal freedom by being an outcast like Walker had said she would. Walker explains being

an a outcast as something positive whereas in Mrs. Sen's case, it was a very negative

characteristic.

-Bethany Davis (Post #1)

Blog Prompts For Week 1 (Walker, Kingston, Erdrich, and Lahiri)

Dear students,

Below are some prompts that you may consider blogging in response to should you need some inspiration for this week's post.

1) In her poem "Be Nobody's Darling" Alice Walker suggests that being labeled an outcast is a positive and desirable identity. In an interview, when asked about this poem Walker went so far as to suggest that one cannot truly have freedom unless one becomes an outcast. Discuss Walker's poem in relation to one or more of the works we have read in class thus far. Would Maxine Hong Kingston, Louise Erdrich, or Jhumpa Lahiri agree or disagree with Walker's perspective on outcasthood?

2) Compare and contrast the ways in which women are viewed and treated in the short stories we have read thus far by Kingston, Erdrich, and Lahiri. Are women in these stories viewed as outcasts of society? If so, why? Do the stories in question challenge the idea that women are inferior to men?

3) Both Maxine Hong Kingston's "No Name Woman" and Louise Erdrich's "Fleur" feature strong characters whose stories are told by outside narrators (Kingston's telling of her aunt's story and Pauline's telling of Fleur's). Why might Kingston and Erdrich have chosen to tell their stories in this manner as opposed to having their central characters speak in their own voices? What purpose might this serve?

4) Identify a passage that captivated you as a reader from any of the works we have read thus far and practice the steps of close reading on it. Make sure to give adequate reference to which passage you are blogging in response to.

Happy blogging!

Jeff