Class Summary 3/30

We began class with a free writing response to Things Fall Apart (chapter 11-end) in which we were able to share what we found interesting or compelling about the novel and bring to light any questions the novel had left us with. Afterwards, we viewed a video from 2008 with author of the book, China Achebe was celebrating 50 years after the publication of it.
Next, we shared the remaining passages from last class period pertaining to Umuofia as a community.
Here are some brief notes/thoughts on those passages:
Chapter 2: United by clan identity, justice is important, following the Oracle’s words, wrongs have to be paid
Week of Peace: not to be broken, communal, rest and fellowship are important in addition to work, service to the earth gods, the rules are sacred and must be followed. Violation of the rules requires punishment
Chapter 10: trial shows the importance of spirits; Evil Forest; custom of bride price; (exchange to build the community) importance of family; familial intervention within marriage
Chapter 5: The New Yam Festival. Community’s spirit of festivity and the importance of rituals of celebration; gathering unites them; connection to the land
Chapter 7: Death of Ikemefuna. Power of the clan identity; the la must be followed; role of the elder’s spirits; law and religion are intertwined.
Chapter 8: bride price. Marriage = is a bartering affair, the importance of negotiation; customs for compromise; woman is the object to be bought.

After this, we broke off into partners and participated in a "speed-dating" type of discussion about different themes of the book, such as: colonialism, Okonkwo: victim or tragic hero? fatal flaw of Okonkwo, gender!, sanctity of life and human rights...

Lastly, we had a large discussion about what we thought about human rights when there is a culture that sanctifies the killing of humans? and what are we to make of the portrayals of gender and women in the novel? We talked a lot about morality being relative tot he culture in which you are raised and the origins of these customs in general. Additionally, we talked about the universal treatment of women in most societies and how these gender roles are not specific to the Ibo people but that they occur throughout most cultures. Finally, we spoke about the ending of the novel and how the voice of the communal narrator is violated in the end with more violent and impersonal language and a shift in perspective as it ends with the Commissioner. 

Reading Response: Things Fall Apart

One of the central questions of the novel related to how we think about cultural conflict. What happens when two cultures' values come into conflict? What do we learn about the dangers of assuming one culture's superiority over another? What do we learn about a culture's inability to adapt or change? Use one episode from the novel, explore what Achebe wants us to see about the interplay between two vastly different cultural groups. This response is due by class time on Thursday, March 30.

Class Notes 3/28

Today in class, we started off by talking about which book from the first half of the semester we would eliminate if this class would become a two credit class. From there we began to talk about the elements of this class that were helpful to us and our learning styles. Some techniques for reading strategies were suggested as well. A few of the suggestions were to go to a quiet place to read, take the book with us everywhere we go, read before bed or first thing in the morning, divide the reading up between days, and skim the specific reading section first.

Larissa and Danny gave a brief historical background of “Colonialism in Africa” next. European colonization of Africa began in the early 20^th century and was mainly due to the economic reasons, like the European powers wanting more land and money. European countries had a fear of conflict and war and therefore they held the Berlin Conference. It was here that they decided African boundaries without a say from Africa, and developed the Berlin Act, which allowed imperialism between European countries. The British in Nigeria starting in 1884 caused divisions, poverty, disease, slavery, and lost traditions, while it also introduced cash crops, education, government structure, and international trade to the region. In Africa, there was no doctrine of ownership of land and they did not realize what they were signing when the Europeans forced them to give up their land.

After this, we listened to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in a TED talk. She discussed how impressionable English and British books were on her growing up in Africa. She also mentioned how surprised her roommate was to find out that she actually knew quite a bit about American things. Chimamanda described how too many people who grow up in the United States only have one perspective on people from Africa. Toni Morrison, an African American woman, also expressed how growing up in the U.S., she learned about Africa in this way and thought that Africa needed white people to save them.

After getting different perspectives on Africa, we began discussing the author of Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe. Written in 1958, his novel is one of the few to have an author with an African voice in this time period. Achebe was impacted by his parents’ conversion to Christianity and his schooling in the United States. Inspired by The Heart of Darkness, Achebe wrote his book at age 28. The title, Things Fall Apart, comes from “The Second Coming”, a poem by W. B. Yeats, written at the start of WWI. Achebe says in An Image of Africa that every culture has strange customs and superstitions and those who read Things Fall Apart shouldn’t be surprised at the amount of customs they read about. In this book, Achebe writes in both English and Ibo and has the narrator be the voice of the villagers. The setting is Nigeria mid 19^th century and throughout the book there are folktales told and binary opposition between ideas, like masculine/feminine, spiritual/physical, good/evil, individual/community, and strong/weak.

One of the big parts of the book is character development. In class we split into groups and were each assigned a passage of the book to read and pick out different character traits of Okonkwo. In chapter one, we see that he values his status, resents his father and therefore is motivated by fear of being like his father, and masks his emotions. In the next section, we talked about how Okonkwo doesn’t want to be seen as weak in front of his family, violates the laws of the clan, and loves his family but struggles to show it. After the death of Ikemenfuna, we see Okonkwo feeling guilty. “He tried not to think about Ikemenfuna, but the more he tried the more he thought about him.” (pg. 63). In chapter nine, Okonkwo shows a small amount of love and affection by doing all that he can to take care of Ekwefi when she is sick. “Ekwefi went to bring the pot and Okonkwo selected the best from his bundle…” (pg. 85) As we continued throughout the different sections, groups pointed out that Unoka (Okonkwo’s father) was seen as a coward, unmotivated, without a title, and “agbala”, which means woman or man without a title. Nwoye (Okonkwo’s son) cherishes the stories of his mother (pg. 53), wants to impress his father, and is very influenced by Ikemenfuna and develops a level of morality. Obeirika (Okonkwo’s friend) is the opposite of Okonkwo and questions traditions, cares for the earth and people, and regrets getting another title (pg. 69). We are going to start the next class with finishing up this activity.

The main focus of today was trying to understand the time period and develop more knowledge about Africa and European colonialism. We also looked at some other perspectives of this time period and learned background information about Chinua Achebe. Lastly, we finished class with talking about the characterization of Okonkwo and how the author describes him and uses his foil characters to develop him even more.

Class Summary 3/23

In today’s class, we talked about the ideas that Maus gave us about the Holocaust. One being the first generation survivors after the Holocaust and what struggles they might have faced such as Art’s struggles. We talked about the history of Poland before and after the Holocaust, and how the Jewish population was completely wiped out. The others who survived relocated to Israel and the Americas. We also talked about the lasting effects of the holocaust such as the emotional and psychological trauma.

In Maus, it shows an example of how someone might be affected by such traumatic experiences. Living in constant fear is something that these people faced. They were persecuted, tortured, killed. The first generation of the Holocaust survivors suffered for the rest of their lives even after years of it being over. They were forever marked by it.

Many Jews resided in Poland. They built lives there and they were stripped away.

We also talked about and responded to Maus. How does a graphic novel fit into such a serious period of time; It beautifully captures the emotions of the Holocaust and what types of things people were facing. We could see signs of how these events changed people forever. Their security was stripped away from them for no reason at all other than because of ignorant people.

We then got to how the class has been going thus far and what we have enjoyed or what we would have liked to change. I have really enjoyed the readings and the discussions we have had up until this point. I believe the literature we read helped me to better grasp the totality of what it means to have human rights. Our discussions in class also help bring new shared ideas between people and it helped me to better connect to the importance of studying these things.

Extra Reading Response: Retroactive Reflection

To end our study of Holocaust-era literature, for this extra reading response (which I will count towards the first half of the semester if you still need one), please write about at least two texts from the first half of the course, explaining one thing that reading them together has taught you. Focus on making connections: what themes have recurred? Where have you been reminded of storylines in other texts? How has your learning about this period been enhanced by having multiple perspectives? Make sure to choose one focused idea to tie your two texts together, and show us how they inform one another. This response is due by class time on Tuesday, March 28.

Reading Response #6: Maus

Some critics have argued that all history does not have a lesson to teach us. Writing about the Holocaust, Jonathan Rosen asks, "Why should we assume there are positive lessons to be learned from [the Holocaust]? What if some history does not have anything to teach us? What if it does not make us better? What if, walking through the haunted halls of the Holocaust Museum, looking at evidence of the destruction of European Jewry, visitors do not emerge with a greater belief that all men are equal but with a belief that man by nature is evil?" For this reading response, I'd like you to use Art Spiegelman's Maus to attempt to answer these questions. How does Maus provide an answer to Rosen's accusations? Do we learn something from this representation of the Holocaust; if so, what? As always, make sure to use particular evidence from the text to prove a focused point. Reading responses to Maus are due by class time on Thursday, March 23.

Throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, the United States did not have an official refugee policy.  The immigration procedure was slow and deliberate.  This gradual process was primarily lagging due to the quotas imposed.  To ensure these quotas were fulfilled with deserving immigrants, specifically those who could financially support themselves.  This requirement was enacted in response to the economic hardships state post-Great Depression.  Despite the persecution of Jews in Germany, public and government attitudes related to immigration were influenced by the poor economic state, intensifying anti semitism, isolationism, and xenophobia amongst the populace (The United States and the Holocaust).  In 1939, American consuls abroad also screened refugees on national security grounds, making an arduous immigration process increasingly more difficult.  Thus, immigrants waited, often for years, on a list.

Amidst the Nazi oppression, Jews in Germany could legally leave until fall 1941 (United States Policy and Its Impact on European Jews).  Until fall 1942, a fraction of refugees in France fled to the United States.  However, there was national fear the Nazis utilized this opportunity to smuggle spies and saboteurs in with refugees.  Therefore, immigration officials further tightened visa policies for immigrants and nonimmigrants (The United States and the Holocaust).

In August 1942, the State Department received a report from Gerhart Riegner, the Geneva-based representative of the World Jewish Congress (WJC).  The report revealed the Germans’ intention to physically annihilate the Jews of Europe (United States Policy and Its Impact on European Jews).  The department believed the report was a rumor, thus the report was never delivered to the President of the WJC, Rabbi Wise, the intended recipient.

Despite this obstruction, British Channels forwarded the report to Rabbi Wise and asked the State Department to investigate the content of the report.  Discovering the reports validity, on December 17, the United States, Great Britain, and ten other Allied governments issued a declaration denouncing Nazi Germany's atrocities and warning that perpetrators of such crimes would be held responsible for their actions (United States Policy and Its Impact on European Jews).  

In January, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, instigated a rescue protocol.  However, this action was done out of the compulsion of officials in his own government and an American Jewish community then fully aware of the extent of mass murder.  President FDR established the War Refugee Board, an independent agency assigned the position of rescuing imperiled refugees.  

Additionally, in June 1944, President Roosevelt established an Emergency Refugee Shelter out of the remains of Fort Ontario.   Nearly one-thousand refugees in Allied-occupied Italy were transported to this shelter outside existing immigration laws.  However, President Roosevelt assured Congress these refugees would return to their homeland when the war ended (The United States and the Holocaust).

In May 1945, Allied victory defeated the Nazi terror in Europe, ending the war in the Pacific August.  However, liberated Jews emerged from concentration camps and hiding places, traumatized, discovering a new world.  Lacking home and family and reluctant to return to their pre-war lives, an estimated 150,000 displaced persons fled antisemitism, violence, and Communism in eastern Europe.

Nevertheless, after the war, Immigration restrictions were still in effect in the United States, and legislation to expedite the admission of Jewish Displaced Persons was slow in coming (The United States and the Holocaust).  

President Harry S. Truman favored a liberal immigration policy toward Displaced Persons.  On December 22, he issued the “Truman Directive,” announcing visas would be granted to Displaced Persons within the existing Immigration quotas.  While immigration did not increase the admittance of Displaced Persons did.  Between 35,000-40,000 DPs, predominantly Jewish, entered the United States between December 22, 1945 and July 1, 1948 under provision of this doctrine (United States Policy and Its Impact on European Jews).

In 1948, Congress complied to the intense lobbying by the American Jewish community, and passed legislation to admit 202,000 Displaced Persons to the United States (United States Policy and Its Impact on European Jews).  Nearly 80,000 of these persons were Jewish and the remaining were Christians from Eastern Europe and the Baltics who were forced laborers (United States Policy and Its Impact on European Jews).

United States’ entry qualifications were incredibly inflexible and privileged certain refugees.  President Truman called the law “flagrantly discriminatory” against Jews (United States Policy and Its Impact on European Jews).  In 1950, Congress amended the law, invoking a turning point in American immigration policy, establishing a precedent for later refugee crises.  

Bibliography

"History of U.S. Immigration Laws | Federation for American Immigration Reform." History of U.S. Immigration Laws | Federation for American Immigration Reform. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017. <http://www.fairus.org/facts/us_laws>.

"The United States and the Holocaust." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017. <https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005182>.

"United States Policy and Its Impact on European Jews." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017. <https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007652>.

"United States Policy Toward Jewish Refugees, 1941–1952." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017. <https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007094>.

Adaptation Process for Jewish refugees in their transition to America

The outbreak of World War II in September 1939 severely damaged the refugee’s attempts flee the Nazi persecution. As the Germany military began to conquer through Europe, it became increasingly more difficult for refugees to flee to new places. In German-occupied Poland, the SS prevented Jews from migrating. Jews in Germany could only legally leave until fall of 1941. In 1944,  President Franklin D. Roosevelt began to take action to rescue European Jews, under the pressure from officials in his government an an American Jewish community. Encouraged by the Treasury Department officials, Roosevelt signed an executive order that established the War Refugee Board to stand for the rights of the imperiled refugees. With the help and assistance of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the World Jewish Congress and the assistance of other relief groups in America, the WRB assisted in rescuing and protecting tens of thousands of Jews in Hungary, Romania, and other places in Europe.

Many Americans disagreed and wanted to prevent the income of American refugees. In 1939, sixty one percent of Americans opposed the settlement of ten thousand refugee children, most of them Jewish, into America. In May that same year, twelve percent of Americans said they would support a widespread campaign against Jews in the US and another eight percent said they would be open to one. By June of 1944, polls citied in the “Jews in the Mind of America” showed twenty four percent of Americans believed Jews were a “menace to America.”

However, at the same time, seventy percent of Americans said in an April 1944 poll commissioned by the White House that they supported creating a temporary but safe haven in the United States where the refugees would be able to stay until the war’s end. Unfortunately, only one camp was set up at Fort Ontario Owego, New York, in which 982 refugees were paced there in August until 1944.

It was not until 1944 when America took specific action to help Jewish refugees, when Roosevelt, with pressure from his own government and American Jews, established the War Refugee Board to help bring Jews in Europe. Up until that point, several thousand refugees had  gained admittance into the United States under the German-Austrian quota from 1938 to 1941, which was not strictly limited to Jews. However, in June 1944, Roosevelt directed that Fort Ontario, a vacant US Army based in Oswego, New York, became an Emergency Refugee Shelter. Almost one thousand refugees in Allied-occupied Italy-most of which were Jewish-were brought to update of New York despite the existing immigration laws. Roosevelt told Congress that these refugees would be returned to their homelands after the war ended.

Many Jewish refugees tried to begin their new lines outside Europe after more than one hundred fifty thousand Jews fled eastern Europe due to antisemitism, violence, and Communism. Palestine ended up being one of the more favored destination of Jewish Holocaust survivors of Jewish holocaust survivors, followed by America. Immigration restrictions were still in effect long after the war, and any legislation to allow the admission of the Jewish refugees was slow in coming into existence.

It wasn’t until the years 1945 and 1953 that four hundred and fifty Jewish refugees were settled into the United States. A law was made in 1948 that was passed by Congress following intense lobbying by the American Jewish community, in which a legislation was passed to admit 202,000 displaced persons to the United States. Nearly eighty thousand of them were Jewish. However, entry qualifications were so privileged towards certain refugees to such a drastic extent, that President Truman declared the law “flagrantly discriminatory” against Jews. The law was amended by Congress in 1950, but by that time most of the Jewish refugees in Europe had gone to the newly established state of Israel. 

In all, 137,450 Jewish refugees has settled into the United States by 1952, according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Biography: 

"United States Policy Toward Jewish Refugees, 1941–1952." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2017.
<https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007094>.

“What Did Americans Say About Jewish Holocaust Refugees?” Uriel Heilman. December 03, 2015, 10:53 AM.

<http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/features/1.689782 >

"Reading" Response: Life Is Beautiful (last opportunity before Midterm)

In Roberto Benigni's 1998 film, Life Is Beautiful, we encounter a strategy for telling the story of the Holocaust that may seem unlikely, or even offensive: comedy. In your response, I'd like for you to explain how the film works to elicit a response from the viewer. Why laughter? What is the significance of the comedic overtones of the film? As you would use particular passages from a novel or story, you will use scenes as your evidence to argue for the most convincing interpretation of the film's reliance on comedy. You will want to think about the overall message, or the most important theme, that the film is grappling with, and how comedy serves the purpose of that message/theme. This response is due no later than Thursday, March 9, at the end of the day (11:59 pm), and it counts towards your total reading responses before Midterm (you must have two).

Class Summary - 3/2

Today in class we discussed chapters one through four of Maus.  Maus is a graphic nonfiction memoir by Art Spiegelman depicting him interviewing his father about his experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor.

In class, we discussed why the story is told in this way.  Upon receiving this prompt, we needed to identify what “this way” entailed.  In groups, this was examined and argued.  

Many groups highlighted the importance of anthropomorphism (giving human characteristics to animals) in telling the story.  Various significances were centralized.  In lieu of the Nazi cats and the Jewish mice, some stated the natural feud of the cat and mouse portrayed the roles of the time - predator and prey.  Also, the lack of human figures in the graphic memoir is in regard to the lack of human morality and human dignity.  Additionally, the use of animals and the comic genre makes the content more light hearted.  Therefore, appealing to a reader ignorant on the subject of the holocaust.  Thus, easing him or her into the despicable reality and possibly provoking curiosity and desire to learn more historical context.

Other groups claimed the graphic nature of the memoir provided additional understanding of the history.  Specifically, the frame narrative (a story within a story) is captivating and easier to follow with visual imagery.  Also, this device provides a clearer picture of how jews were viewed and treated.

We then identified impacting panels and ideas within the memoir. The majority claimed the scene of the mice hanging from the gallows was the most impacting. The panels visibly portrayed the maltreatment of jews. Also, the noose served the purpose of a mouse trap further solidifying the mouse-jew metaphor.

The class also acknowledged the scene of the grandparents being taken to Auschwitz. This ominous event portrays the commonality of death, dominance of the Nazis, oppression of the jews, and the exploitation of power. Although animals are used to portray this horrific event, the reader still feels solemn and somber. This reaction is by nature of the events about to take place, for they happened to real people amidst WWII.

After our discussion, Professor introduced terms related to the graphic memoir.

1. Maus is a graphic novel / nonfiction / memoir

Therefore, it is a literary and visual account

Literary in that it has…

-plot

-character

-narrative perspective

-frame narrative

Visual in that it has…

-composition

-arrangement

-value

-focal point

2. Panel: contained segment
3. Frames: individual boxes
4. Gutter: spaces in between frames
5. Captions: narrator's commentary
6. Speech bubble: dialogue

We ended class with more discussion on the midterm exam.  The guidelines and prompts have been distributed and are due Tuesday.  HAPPY WRITING!