The Open Boat

Mikaila Garfinkel
English 48B
2/12/09
Stephen Crane

"...It was tragic. This fact was somehow so mixed and confused with his opinion of his own situation that it seemed almost a proper reason for tears. The water was cold."

This passage from The Open Boat is from the inner thoughts of the correspondent, who in actuality, is Stephen Crane's story. It is describing the scene where the men are knocked out of the boat, and into the freezing water of Florida. While it is happening to all the men, it is told from the correspondents perspective, so he is isolating himself from the crew, and while they probably all feel the same thing, he is making it appear as if the world is against him, him alone. This is the only time throughout the story that a character is on the verge of tears, and it is interesting the time that this occurs. It is not when the men are stewing alone, contemplating their own deaths, or are nearly starving to death. It is only when he is knocked off the boat, into January water, that he is overwhelmed. There are several reasons I believe that Stephen Crane chose to use this particular scene to convey such frustration and emotion, some of which we brushed over in class. However, I have a couple of my own thoughts on it as well.

As we discussed in class, the emotion being stirred from the correspondent is the idea that the "cold water" was the last straw that puts him over the edge. Not only is the crew lost at sea, dying, and all around miserable, but when thrown into the water, it is ice cold. Not only is it cold, but it is in Florida, where they dreamed the water would be anything but. Florida is thought of as a oasis, "paradise" place, and when the correspondents depiction of this is tarnished, it is enough to throw him off the edge. Not only can the idea of cold water be looked at on a literal sense, but it can also be viewed from a metaphorical sense, which is a common occurrence I have noticed among Crane. While of course there is water, because they are lost at sea, "cold" water can represent something else. The ocean is there only chance of survival, if it steers them in direction towards safety, and is also there chance of death. The water is cold, in that it is forcing their journey to be a struggle. Crane uses nature as "not regarding him as important" and this quote coincides with this idea. Nature has so much control over their lives, in fact, is the only control at this point in their lives, and "she" is cold by causing such an experience. Crane often also refers to the "seven gods" of the sea, and he is implying that the gods that are controlling their fate are monstrous in a sense. The ocean, or the cold water, is also extremely vast, and Crane uses the ocean to emphasize how insignificant all the characters, or in his mind, people in general, are in comparison to the world. He wants to show that an individual does not matter when looking at the perspective of the entire universe.

Maggie: A Girl of the Streets

Mikaila Garfinkel
English 48B
2/10/09
Stephen Crane

"His mother's great chest was heaving painfully. Jimmie paused and looked down at her. Her face was inflamed and swollen from drinking...Her mouth was set in the same lines of vindictive hatred that it had, perhaps, borne during the fight."

This quote is, rather obviously, describing Maggie's mother, Mary, after getting into a drunken fight with her husband, what appears to not be an uncommon occurrence. The scene is told, though from third person, implied through the eyes of Jimmie, and depicts Mary for what she really is, and how she is really seen. She is illustrated as not only a "stereotypical" poor Irish woman, with the poor home, unhealthy children and heavy drinking problem, but also as a woman that is in a lot of pain. Her eyes are described as "grown blue" and she has "tangled hair tossed in waves over her forehead". All these descriptions depict Mary as someone that is not only, "evil", but as a generally unhappy person, that doesn't even try to take care of herself. The pain in the chest can be "seen" by the narrator, so it is intended to convey that she is holding a lot of resentment and hatred (hence the mouth) inside of her. Mary's hatred, usually geared towards Maggie, could be thought of as jealousy, for Maggie is pretty and kind, unlike most "Rum Alley" kids (although by the end of the story, Maggie has completely changed). It is ironic that Mary finds Maggie evil, when Mary herself embodies most of the demonic qualities.


The quote stuck out to me, because it brought my attention to the fact that Mary was a raging alcoholic. While it is well-known that this was not uncommon for Irish immigrants, and the thus the birth of the stereotype, it was the first story I can recall that depicts a woman as an alcoholic. Many Irish authors, such as Frank McCourt, include male, or father figure, alcoholics (although in McCourt's case, it was factual since it was a memoir). While I was always aware that there were woman alcoholics, I think Crane chose a female figure for this role with great intention. I think he wanted to show the reader that the slums he was trying to depict included all sorts of people, including mothers. With a female antagonist, he is showing that all immigrants are effected by the downsides of the Irish immigration that occured, and flooded the streets with poverty and hard liquor. This is not the only time he chooses to defy the steretype, for he also make Jimmie very anti-relgious. While it is apparent, that many of these Catholics have sinned, they are still shown as "believers", such as Mary being against premarital sex. Jimmie being against religion is Crane's way of showing the reader that there are deviations from the "normal" or Irish stereotypes. Even if these deviations are negative, it is still a step towards going against the norm, perhaps a hint of optimism from Crane coming through.

The Squatter and the Don

Mikaila Garfinkel
English 48B
Maria Ampara Ruiz de Burton

"They are gentlemen, no doubt...Evidently he admired and liked them."


This quote is from the part of the story, in which the "Anglos", or the squatters, are conversing to one another. As they are talking, Senor Alamar and Mr. Mechlin ride up in a buggy, a sign of wealth, and the squatters find themselves in awe of their presence. Despite them being robbed of their rights by the US, these wealthy Spanish men still present themselves in a more than elegant fashion. They ride up in a buggy, another sign of their wealth, and attempt to propose a business plan with the poor squatters, whom are settling on their land. Don Mariano is the leader of the group, and is being robbed of his land, and of his cattle. Due to the legal situation at hand, for the US now owns his land, he cannot speak up about the thieves. Instead, he proposes a way for them all to make money, but the squatters are resistant to his idea, perhaps due to the intimidation of his "gentleman" way of carrying himself.

The reason that the story was so interesting to me, which is especially supported by the above quote, is that there is such a switch of roles, compared to the present times. In the set story, the Mexicans are the wealthy people, who are also depicted as intelligent, graceful and smart businessmen. The white people, or "Anglos", are the ones that are described as squatters. The word "squatter" has a negative connotation to it, as if they are homeless, and are obviously very poor. The Anglos are also poor at yielding a crop, they are not as smart when it comes to business, and are also thieves, as they are stealing Don's cattle (as well as his land). The reason it struck out to me, is because it appears completely reversed to the stereotypes nowadays. Now, it seems that the Mexicans that live in the US are thought of as very poor, working minimum wage jobs. They are also notorious for being involved in criminal acts, such as stealing and gang banging in the "ghetto". While this is purely based on stereotype, it is interesting to see such a drastic switch, in such a short time period. It is likely that "The Land Act" is a major part of why the roles traded. With the Californios not in control of their land, it is inevitable that it will be taken over, and the only place Mexicans will be able to go, is to the poorer parts of the area, much like the Jews, Chinese and other minorities throughout history. We no longer think of Mexican Americans as stereotyped such as Don Mariano, but that are what the "squatters" in the story, or Whites today, are though as. Reading the story, as both a Mexican, and a White, hit me on a personal note. It made me feel as if my White side is responsible for much of the discrimination Mexican people are forced to endure here in the United States, especially in California and other places close to the border.

Sarah Orne Jewett

Mikaila Garfinkel
English 48B
The White Heron


"The guest did not notice this hint of family sorrows in his eager interest in something else."

Sylvie's grandmother is telling her and Sylvie's family history to their guest, the stranger, but he is barely listening as he is distracted by something else. He has taken an unusual interest in Sylvie, despite him being a full grown man, and her being a nine year old girl. The girl becomes unthreatened by the stranger, and he soon becomes a friend whom the grandmother and Sylvie accept into their home. Sylvie and the hunter take an unusual close connection to each other,one that is almost too close for comfort when thinking about the age difference between the two. It is unusual that the Grandmother and hunter do not become as close to one another as the child and the hunter. While it is possible that he is interested in Sylvie because her grandmother mentions that she is friends with every bird and squirrel in the forest, and he is trying to to find the White Heron, the bird he has been after for many days, there are other underlying themes that can reside in this quote.

I chose this quote because, honestly, I found it to be incredibly creepy. One way of viewing the way the hunter is looking at Sylvie, is that he sees her as the girl that has the answer to his problems. She knows of the White Heron, and he is aware of this, so he could be playing up his interest in her, to gain her trust and get her to reveal where the White Heron lives. I also see the possibility that the hunter is looking at her in a fatherly way. The description does not depict him as creepy, or having immoral intentions at heart, and he could be interested in her due to her hospitality. While it is plausible, I do not believe that was the writers intention in the meaning behind his look. I think Jewett included it to come off as explicitly sexual. The fact that the little girl and her grandmother are alone in the woods plays a large role in this reasoning. They are far from civilization, and too willingly accept a stranger into their home, as if they too are eager for some company. But the fact that he is a full grown man, allows the boundary of acceptable to be crossed when he befriends Sylvie. The words "eager interest" subtly show the true meaning behind the look. Like them, he has traveled alone, and it would not be surprising if he would take interest in a girl, even so young. I also feel like the "White" Heron is symbolic as well. White is often used to represent virginity, and the Sylvie has the answers to the White Heron, as if she is holding on to her virginity. When she finds the bird, and chooses not to share the information with the hunter, despite her liking to him, it is as if she is choosing to hold on to her virginity, and not giving her morals aways. Although, the morals in the story are keeping her secrets with the animals she befriends, this as well could represent her choice in protecting her purity.

Sui Sin Far

Mikaila Garfinkel
English 48B
1/29/09
Journal: Sui Sin Far

"When my wife told to me one morning that she dreamed of a green tree with spreading branches and one beautiful red flower growing thereon, I answered her that I wished my son to be born in our country, and for her to prepare to go to China."

Hom Hing is saying this to the officer, and is explaining how he has been living and working in America a long time, and the only reason that his son was born in China instead of America, is because he wants him to experience the country he was born in. Chinese culture is notorious for being very traditional, and I feel that this quote exemplifies this notion very well because it illustrates that they want each other to experience the same things. The quote also shows Hom Hing's effort in trying to convey this idea to an American, and how the American does not understand. The flowery, over the top dream I feel is Far's way of portraying the stereotype of how Chinese are thought of as people that are into "fairy tales" and spiritual fantasies, as if they have little grasp on reality. It is also notable that Hing describes his son, not as his and his wife's son, but HIS son, which I think shows the importance of gender in China, especially during these times. It is also interesting that Hing wants their son to be born in China, when he is wealthy in America. It goes back to the idea of tradition, but it still draws some attention to the fact that he had his wife leave the wealth to birth their son.

The main reason I was struck interest by the quote, is because of the descriptions in the dream that can be implied as metaphorical. The first thing that I notice, is the fact that Lae only dreams of ONE flower, not multiple. In first reading it, I thought that Far includes flower to show the difference in expectations between Americans and Chinese. She can be implying that an American would be dreaming of many flowers, where as Chinese, who come from much poorer families, are perfectly content with one flower. As I continued to examine the dream, the tree drew more attention to itself. The flower can represent fertility, as the quote coincided with the story of their sons birth, and flowers often represent reproduction. The one beautiful red flower, represents their son. The flower can be red, because China was a communist country, and red is the color that symbolizes communism. Also, the tree branch is another clue that the flower is supposed to depict Lae's pregnancy. The tree branches are representative of a family tree, and the branches growing show that the family is expanding. Chinese culture is very adamant on the focus of ancestors and family, so the family tree is not an uncommon aspect of their life. While there are many possible interpretations of the meaning behind the dream, I feel strongly that Far wanted to show how beautiful the birth of their son is to them, and emphasize the pain that it causes to have him taken away.

Abraham Cahan

Mikaila Garfinkel
English 48B
Abraham Cahan
1/28/09

"It was anything but the world of intellectual and physical elegance into which she had dreamed to be introduced by marriage to a doctor."

This quote conveys the theme of "Americanization", and how it is often more desirable in theory, than in actuality. Flora has just married, and is excited to live the life of an American woman married to a Doctor, and be able to explore the scholastic life she has always dreamed of. Throughout the story, Flora is constantly thinking highly of herself, and percieves herself as more of an intellect than she actually is. Subconsciously, she is aware that her perception of herself is all fantasy, and that is why she yearns for a doctor husband, to help make her fantasy come true. When she finally marries her doctor, when she receives her granted wish, she finds that she is intimidated by its entire aspect. It is apparent throughout the text that Flora is clueless as to what "high class intellects are", for she reads books such as "Fireside Companion", which is described as "cheap reprints of popular books." When she convinces her husband to yearn for the lifestyle she dreams, he gives it to her, and she finds herself regretting her dream. Flora manipulates her way towards what she wished for, and it comes right back to her. The story can be seen as a lesson of morals, and how selfish intentions will not lead a person to the path they yearn for.


The reason I chose this quote, is it summarizes the theme of "Americanization", but also displays the idea that America is not always the "dream land" immigrants thought it to be. For example, Flora and Asriel live in the New York Ghetto, with other Jews. While they are tyring to assimilate, they are still surrounded by people in the exact same position as they are. America was thought of being a place where people could better their lives, and was a "melting pot", but the luxuriouss lifestyle is not always so attainable. Flora lived a wealthy life with her Father, a more Orthodox Jew, whom she constantly was differing in thinking with. She was born in America, so she was not raised to be an orthodox Jew. When she left the more "Non-American" way, she found herself more lost. She convinced herself that she didn't care about money, and that she would be more than content to marry a doctor and discuss books all day, but when the chance forced itself upon her, it is apparent that she had no clue as to what she was wishing for. I think that Abraham Cahan wrote this story to show how in actuality
"Americanization" was perceived as, and that assimilating isn't always for th better. Many Jews were fleeing to America at the time, and I believe her wrote it is almost a warning for them. Flora was given a luxurious lifestyle with her Father, and while she mocked his Jewish ways and refused to be part of them, he provided her a much happier lifestyle than her now American husband was going to.

Zitkala Sa

Mikaila Garfinkel
English 48B
1/23/09
Journal #5: Zitkala Sa


"Judewin had told me of the great tree where grew red, red apples; and how we could reach out our hands and pick all the red apples we could eat...The missionaries smiled into my eyes, and patted my head. I wondered how mother could say such hard words against them."

This quote uses the apples to describe the land that she yearns for so much, and eventually gets to experience. When she lives among the white people, where she is forced to assimilate, she realizes that her mother was right about the white peoples evil intentions. Her relationship with her mother is tarnished when she leaves to be educated but he white people, and it is only after her hardships, and detachment from her mother that she understands her mothers original feelings for the Whites, and the reason for her attempting to pass down this knowledge to Zitkala. This quote shows how easily children can be influenced. Sa is intrigued by the words of her young friend, and uses her friends experience to override her mothers. The missionaries make an even larger impact on Zitkala, for she doesn't believe that killing can come from such people that smile and desire for her to come learn, and live a more advanced life with them. Her mother, who once made the larges impact on her, is more of a nagging voice now. This quote shows how Zitkala is growing up, for it is a common action for children to desire other teaching then their parents when they start to grow older. Sa yearns to leave towards the East and be schooled, and doesn't take into consideration the hardship that would come from leaving her mother. It shows how the Whites were so deceiving to the Sioux and other Native American tribes, and unfortunately, Zitkala learns this lesson through her own personal experience, not her mothers words.

The reason for choosing this particular story to write about is because of the subjectivity of the symbolism, the meaning behind the "big, red apples." The apples are referring to the more advanced land, a land that she has never been too, and arouses curiosity. Once she lives the lifestyle she was so curious about, she discovers that the land is corrupt, and that her freedom lies only with her Native ways. The apples can represent a number of things. The first is the biblical reference, and the Garden of Eden. The apples could easily mirror the forbidden fruit, and the curiosity of Zitkala with the apples can easily mimic the story of the Adam and Eve. It is not a far fetched possible intention, for Sa was schooled in a Christian school, and so she was forced to swallow these stories at a young age. Another possibility behind the apples is the fact that apples rot. The beautiful image she pictured of the East disintegrated when she experienced it. Apples disintegrate as well, so the apples could easily be interpreted as the life of her dream; beautiful and big, and then rotted away once she live it. Although I do not know the time when the story was written, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" also struck a bell with me. The witch give Snow White the poisonous apple, which ruined the wonderful life she had with the dwarves (until of course her Prince comes, but it is a fairy tale after all). "Snow White" is an old tale, so I find it a possibility that Zitkala Sa could have heard similar stories when she was schooled among the White people.