tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756292796580291035.post8298029953077721157..comments2023-10-01T01:56:19.699-07:00Comments on You Made Me Theorize: Junot Diaz: Why race is still relevant in fiction.Joseph P. Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12757706787232014827noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756292796580291035.post-79591979037518723052010-11-05T18:15:35.628-07:002010-11-05T18:15:35.628-07:00I love Junot Díaz!!! I read Drown when I was lifeg...I love Junot Díaz!!! I read Drown when I was lifeguarding two summers ago and almost every story made me cry, either from laughter or from sadness. He is a wonderful writer and definitely one of my favorite alternatives to the Jonathan Franzens of the world.Kelseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08702407667939715244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756292796580291035.post-91713361411504305252010-11-04T09:29:55.301-07:002010-11-04T09:29:55.301-07:00* minorities
Also, the title of my UW20 "Spe...* minorities<br /><br />Also, the title of my UW20 "Speak English this is America," points to Foucault's themes of power and language, as well as our recently discussed chapter from "Representation" on the "other." In the US, a white dominated country, power comes with knowledge of the English language. Those who do not speak English or who have thick accents from another country are sometimes looked at as uneducated, and immediately become the "other."<br /><br />The title of my UW of course is sarcastic, as we explored writers of Latin America, Africa, and Asia.MMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11772474168388069197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756292796580291035.post-32529586265704356312010-11-04T09:29:36.131-07:002010-11-04T09:29:36.131-07:00Hey! Here's a relevant article from The Hatch...Hey! <a href="http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2010/09/20/News/Author.Kicks.Off.Heritage.Month-3933516.shtml" rel="nofollow">Here's</a> a relevant article from <i>The Hatchet</i>!<br /><br />Choice quotation: <i>"Even if you're the whitest writer on earth, you are writing about race, you just don't know it."</i><br /><br />Interesting how that whole consciousness/knowing thing comes up again. I do wonder if Diaz is overplaying his hand, though.Joseph P. Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12757706787232014827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5756292796580291035.post-28178549860866329422010-11-04T09:24:08.932-07:002010-11-04T09:24:08.932-07:00I'm sad I missed Diaz when he came to GW becau...I'm sad I missed Diaz when he came to GW because I studied his writing in my UW20 Class, "Speak English this is America." I think that he ties excellently with Anzaldua by inserting Spanish text in his English writing. <br /><br />I remember when reading parts of "Drown" and seeing the Spanish parts of the text. It added a cultural element that would be lost if the writing were entirely in English. Again, as I said in class, this follows right in line with Gates's challenge to literary theorists to incorporate cultural codes (Saussure) and language into text that is representative of that culture. Literary theory on black americans would be incomplete without some element of black vernacular or another piece of black cultural tradition.<br /><br />Likewise, literary theory/criticism on latin americans would be incomplete without reference to the Spanish language. Even if not everyone can relate to all of the cultural codes, it is important for literary theorists to represent the culture they are discussing. If they fail to do this, then the field of literary theory and criticism will become the "white dominated" field that bell hooks opposes. <br /><br />I feel that writers such as Junot Diaz and Gloria Anzaldua effectively represent their cultures through incorporating cultural codes and messages throughout their writing. Despite Anzaldua's Spanish writing among English text, I do not feel that her meaning is lost to non-Spanish speakers. Rather, the Spanish propels the meaning into a cultural realm where even the non-Latino can feel the cultural moments of her work.<br /><br />Thus, the incorporation of cultural codes isn't meant to alienate, but to share culture among various readers.<br /><br />As we study more ethnic writers (Gates, Baker, Anzaldua), I see responses that are quite the contrary of bell hook's argument that minoritys are "left out" of literary theory.MMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11772474168388069197noreply@blogger.com