"Fish Cheeks & Superman and Me"

The article “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan is a story about a young lady and her struggle to fit into American culture being raised by a Chinese family. Tan tells of her first crush, the son of a minister joining their family for Christmas Eve dinner and the devastating humiliation she experiences during the meal. She reflects later in life on the benefit of her family ensuring she was familiar with their culture and their traditions. Amy ruminates on her gratitude for being shown the way to her future through the eyes of her families’ past.

Sherman Alexie’s piece “Superman and Me” is a story about a Native American boy who pushes against the stereotype associated with his peers and follows in his fathers’ footsteps to feed his hunger to read and learn. In a reservation school program he ignores the peer pressure to conform to the non-tribal belief that they are all slow and pitiable. Sherman chooses not to subscribe to the undertones of racism and instead he reads obsessively and defies the odds to grow into a professional writer.

I have chosen to write about Alexie’s article because I found it to be exceptionally relatable. I am Native, an avid reader, an amateur poet and also consider myself to be something of the exception in my desire to excel in my tribal community.

Narrative writing practice: My little corner of the earth.

In my family there is a turn of phrase that is often used. “Every storm runs out of rain.” We use it as a form of encouragement with one another when life seems to be taking its’ toll. There is a place in the area that is very dear to me which in my opinion freezes time and helps create just such an opportunity for serenity and mindfulness. It is a little corner of the earth where the air sparkles with mischief and calm. The manifestation of dichotomy: Where the mouth of the rushing river meets the mighty power of the Salish sea. Seated in the sands of time here it is hard not to visualize all of the generations of children who have climbed this very coastline; Catching fish, crawdads, swimming and communing joyfully in a place that is free from any struggle. The crisp air is fresh in your nostrils with just a tinge of salt and kelp. When you exhale you can almost taste the dank shade of earth and moss across your palette. Breathing in your surroundings you may well become overwhelmed with the colors that the environment evokes. Sharp green leaves, with dark rich peat brown; Blues and golds as the sun hits the water; the silver lining of the clouds as they cover the trees is unmistakable. You can see and even feel the two mighty waters rushing to meet one another in an embrace as old as their friendship. If you recline with your face toward the tributary, the panoramic view is unlike any other place in the world. To the left you can see the valley unfold itself all the way to the cascade mountains. Behind you are trees, bushes and fields gently cradling you into this place of womb-like, comfortable isolation. To the right: the broad and sweeping waters of the sea; powerful grey-blue frothy waves come barreling haughtily into the lands where my bones belong. The rocks and drift wood on the bank briny, sun baked and water worn; clank against each other to tell the story of all of that has happened under their guardianship. Each gleaming ripple in the sand a silent homage to eons of experiences. The sedimentary stones show-off their layers. All of the eras of pressure and struggle joined together to form a beautiful and ageless, powerful wonder. It would be a challenge to marvel in all of the majesty here and not feel whole. The waters here are my own lifeblood and sometimes while enjoying the silt against my scalp I think that I may just feel the restorative influence of salmon returning to their home in my veins. From the berries to the sun, from the clear water to the sea, everything about this place is fecund and sacred. This little cove is in every way a place of peaceful worship.




I commented on Validia's blog and on Kim's blog

Looking at "Why We Lie" by Dan Ariely

To summarize the article “Why we lie.” By Dan Ariely from the Bedford reader, it is in human nature to be dishonest in one capacity or another. The rate at which people are dishonest is often affected by external factors. If a person observes someone else being dishonest they are more likely to be dishonest (Bedford 443) Or if one person thought another person, or a group of people could benefit from their dishonesty they’d be more prone to being false in reporting. (Bedford 445)

In paragraph ten of Ariely’s work he explains that we know that most people cheat, which then begs the question: What affects peoples’ willingness to lie? Throughout the article the study endeavors to see if the frequency of wrongfully reported information is related directly to the perceived cost or benefit of the falsehood.

During the study they performed a “Matrix Test” where participants were asked to self-report the number of correctly solved equations in a pre-allocated amount of time. When a student thought that they could inaccurately report, they often did. They wrongfully reported in larger numbers when the payout was a lower financial compensation than when it was higher; But, in higher percentages when it was an indirect payout. If the participant was paid with tokens that were then traded for cash, they reported more success than they had. When the person providing the test/reward was blind, the participants also reported more success than was truthful.

Interestingly how the honesty system was structured played a role in how information was reported. When the study incorporated theology by asking pupils to recall the ten commandments or to swear on the bible, all participants – even self-reported atheists were 100% honest (Bedford 444) However on a form that is seemingly innocuous like an insurance form, simply moving the signature line to the top of the form from the bottom resulted in more honesty. (Bedford 444)

My favorite part of the article was something that I took as a call to action. The author states “…although it is obviously important to pay attention to flagrant misbehaviors, it is probably even more important o discourage the small and more ubiquitous forms of dishonesty…” (Bedford 446) I found this concept striking because I believe it to be not only relevant to honesty but pretty universally true of all aspects of life - it is often made up of the small things.

 

Works cited:

                Kennedy, X. J., Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Ellen Kuhl Repetto. The Bedford Reader. 12th ed. New York: Bedfords/St. Martin's, 2013. Print.


I commented on Garret's Blog and also on Michael H's blog