Then and Now : Finding My Voice

Then and Now : Finding My Voice

Elaine H. Kim korea

b. write the four levels of meaning to “Then and Now: Finding My Voice”.

Literal comprehension:  The writer loved all type of for rune telling. Male for tune tellers told her should be better wife and mother while female fortune-tellers told her life was full of fun and joy. While spending her teenage in USA the writer had to visit fortuneteller. She got remark that whatever goals shaped in her life that would be between 12 to 17 years. During that years sine was reading in junior and high school in USA being Korean American root. She felt being refugee and treated as an outsider. So called native American whites have them badly. During 12 to 17 years she faced many more challenges and victims of racial discriminations. To make her own true identity she wanted to be a cheerleader which was very much difficult task. Non-whites, Asians, etc. were victimized and dominated very badly by whites. Whites were given all golden chances and non-natives were taken as outsiders. Day and night Kim practiced a lot to get her mission of becoming a cheerleader. Lastly, she was selected as one of ten cheerleaders. Though it was great progress to her she didn’t open her parents identity, she wanted to be like real American girl with all styles and manners. She didn’t accept her parents advices also. But when she read the history of racism, Korean War discrimination she realized that she had done mistake. Only then she knew the value of real identity , why Koreans went to America, why whites behaved them like outsiders, etc. the knowledge from her study became a fuel to inspire people to educate and fight against racism, sexism and to fight for dignity and real identity.

Interpretation: This essay might be trying to tell us that we must live with our true and original identity. It is very much harmful going beyond the boundary of culture. There is ever bitter experience living being an outsider from out original culture. The writer Kim got a lot of discriminations injustices and challenges because she was living I USA and her root was Korean. This essay might also be trying to say that we can obviously be successful if we do something with full dedication and sacrifice. Likewise, for the writer to achieve her goal of becoming cheerleader she did a lot despite of a number of challenges and obstacles. Being a perpetual outsider she faced many inhuman treatments from the whites. If we have passion with mission along with dedication and tolerance (like that of writer) we can achieve our goal. It also highlights that sometimes bitter experiences can be stimulating factor to do more progress in life.

Critical Thinking: Most of the ideas presented in this essay are fully acceptable. If racial discrimination is there is great problem to live to be minor races. To progress among challenges is obviously challangsome. Beside this moral lesson we can ask some question of disagreement. Why does America claim to have true democracy if such discrimination is there in the nation? Can we still find similar discrimination while the president has become from non white? Is it real plight of all over the world’s people in American? Do people of 21^st century have real faith on fortune-telling? But other aspects of this essay are really convincing ones.

Assimilation: After reading this essay I felt pinched my self with my own behaviors. I have been living in the city away from my native village. To be popular with friends in town I changed my name address and other identity. I forgot my loyal parents, helpful villagers and true lovers in the village. I became like pure town hip-hop boy with all modern fashion. Now I have realized my mistake in running after town fashion forgetting my true culture. I regret now. I wish I hadn’t forgotten my real culture and identity. I shouldn’t have copied town’s fashion. I should have done according my parents advices that I had never paid any attention.

c. Both the Cabuliwallah and Elaine were treaed as “perpetual outsiders” What are the similarities in their situation? What are the differences?

 When other persons don’t behave you equal and think as others it is condition of being ‘outsider’. If such discrimination is going on for long time it is called a “ perpetual outsider”. Both Rahman, Cabuliwallah in clcutta from Kabul, Afghanistan and Elaine in USA from Korea have got similar experiences.

Both Cabuliwallah and Elaine were treated as perpetual outsiders.Cabuliwallah was not treated equally in India and cheated by the natives. Even Mini’s mother doubted and disliked him a lot similarly when Elaine went into her classroom, the classmates treated badly telling “Chink” and “Jap”. Even the mother of her classmate didn’t allow her to go there. In case of Cabuliwallah he has been separated from his Kabul’s culture and staying in Calcutta. He is also getting different types of experiences being isolated from his lovely daughter, Parvati, wife and society. In normal quarrel he was sent to jail for eight rears. Cabuliwallah situation touches our heart as an outsider and separated from original land, culture and people.

On the other hand Elaine Kim’s situation is also like of Cabuliwallah to some extent. She is behaved as an outsider in American and gets many insults from the native White Americans. Her originality is Korean. Elaine seems struggling in USA to established herself as a cheerleader where asCAbuliwallah is struggling to feed her family in Calcutta. The vision of Elaine seems more broad than that of Cabuliwallah Elaine wants to motivate all migrants to fight against racism and sexism. She wants to create her own cultural identity. Whereas Cabuliwallah’s vision is narrow. He is busy in selling goods and earning money for survival. Comparatively Elaine has got more discrimination and insults than Cabuliwallah.

Cabuliwallah has converted his daughter’s love in Mini and thought her as her own daughter. Cabuliwallah goes in jail for eight years. This is not same with Elaine. The ending the story shows his returning to his family and daughter. But the ending of the essay “Then And Now Finding My Voice” Kim determines to fight against discrimination and sexism. Thought there in surface condition, is difference between Cabuliwallah and Elaine Kim but real inner sentiment and the core fo problem is same the feeling of being “perpetual outsiders”

d. Compare Dr.Kim’s childhood and Educational experiences to those of Rich and Wright.

Both Dr. Kim and Richard Wright have similar discriminated and insulted childhood in America. Both of them were behaved as the outsiders in American racial environment. Both Kim and Richard Wright studied in USA. Elaine studied formal education while Richard Wright did self-study Kim got many insults in the school and day to day life whereas Richard Wright got insulted from going to library and reading books. Both had better childhood in the process of education. Both got experiences of discrimination and domination:  Elaine as an outsider whereas Richard Wright as a Negro. Both Elaine and Richard Wright struggled a lot to be successful to gain education and build their bright careers. Kim’s mission was to become cheerleader where as Richard’s mission was to know the reality of the world by reading. Both of them become successful to know the reality by reading they have got their reality and identity by study history books and others. Knowledge and study have helped to both to become successful and create personal identity. Education had become an instrument of an eye opener to both of them. Richard wright knew that better position and personal identity can be gained by study and knowledge.

Richard Wright’s interest in knowing about H. L. Mencken made him to make false library car and study a lot. Though  blacks were got given to go to library, Richard proved the quotation where there is will there is way Again, Kim realized her mistake in copying native American girls’ styles. She didn’t obey parents’ suggestions because she wanted to be the native like girls. But it was study of history, Korean War and History of racism. She realized her mistake. So childhood state and educational experiences have become stimulating factors to both of them.

In short we can say that both Kim and Richard Wright seem to have similar type of childhood and educational experiences. By studying them we can learn the lesson that we should have passion and dedication to get success in any field. Without challenges and problems no one can do progress. As Kim and Richard Wright we must always be struggling so that sooner and latter goal can be achieved.