"Looking For Work"
In the essay "Looking for Work" by Gary Soto, the author shows his excellent writing skills; the way he takes us back in time to his childhood through the magic of words is outstanding. There is no doubt in my mind that the influence of television is a strong subject on this essay. Soto's skills as a writer are without a question great. In this essay, Soto the adult has managed to write a vivid story of his childhood. "In July, while killing ants on the kitchen sink with a rolled newspaper, I had a nine-year-old vision of wealth that would save us from ourselves," this is how the author began his story. Later on, Soto explains how a nine-year old had a plan that would help his family overcome poverty. In addition, the plan would also help with social struggles common at that time such as racism and intolerance.
Soto has managed to inject humor even though the matters that the essay deals with could not be more important to our society as a whole. I cannot image trying to get my family to imitate another family from a television show. However, this is exactly what the author did as a child. Soon he found out that it would be an impossible task. As we continue reading, we find out exactly where his ideas of "the perfect family" come from. His ideas came from television shows such as "Leave It to Beaver and Father Knows Best." These shows had filled Soto's young mind with erroneous ideas of how a "perfect family" should be.
As a child, Soto was not able to differentiate between reality and role-playing on television. He was confused but he did not know it. Something that was clear on his mind was that if he wanted to succeed, he needed to develop a work ethic sooner rather than later. Therefore, he began looking for work around his neighborhood. He offered to "rake leaves" but it was summer so, there were no leaves to rake. A woman asked him to go buy her a Coke but instead, she got a Pepsi. He did not do his job well but he had begun to accumulate wealth or so he thought. "I tried to convince them that if we improved the way we looked we might get along better in life. White people would like us more. They might invite us to places, like their homes or front yards. They might not hate us so much." As I read this, I understood that all of Soto's efforts were not necessarily to get rich but to gain acceptance in society; a society that, had altered the meaning of "the perfect family" through the magic of television. Actually, this was no magic. This was more a tragedy than anything else.
"What We Really Miss About The 1950's "
"What We Really Miss About the 1950's" by Stephanie Coontz, is an essay that tries to break a myth that has been part of our culture for many years. The myth was that the 1950's were the ideal years to live in. I think that the author's aim has been achieved, at least in my case. I no longer think that the 1950's was a great decade to live. Perhaps, I am easily persuaded. However, the truth is that after reading the essay, it is very clear to me that the people who enjoyed prosperity were only a few. These few were the ones that years later, after the 1950's, created the myth of this "perfect time."
The difference between Soto's and Coontz essay is that in Soto's essay the victim of distortion of facts was only a boy; whereas, in Coontz's essay the victims of misrepresentation are generations. I think that the birth of this myth is the nostalgia that a few people had for this period, perhaps because they had enjoyed some kind of advantage. "The contrast between the perceived hopefulness of the fifties and our own misgivings about the future is key to contemporary nostalgia for this period," the author wrote. "We need to develop a historical perspective on where that hope came from," the author also points out. Having read that, I do agree that the 1950's were a better time to live in than the two previous decades. However, I still disagree that the 1950's were better than nowadays. Many of the rights and privileges that we enjoy as a society now were not even thought about in the 1950's. Therefore, for me to somehow wish I were living in the 1950's, would be like wishing to take a giant step backwards.
We have come a long way since the 1950's. The equality that we enjoy in the present time was a ridiculous idea back then. The economic ladder was full of obstacles for minorities including white females. Sexism was a normal practice. Bigotry was a common practice and not against the law. Racism was acceptable and not punishable by the law. "Sexual morality was preached about while practicing social immorality such as racism and waging illegal wars." In many cases, acts like incest, sexual abuse, and physical abuse went unpunished because they were not even considered crimes. So, my finale conclusion after having read this well written essay, is that for no reason would I ever change living in the present time; and that a man who would wish that he were living in the 1950's , is self-centered, and probably suffering from a severe case of narcissism. We all have the right to choose what we think is best for us. However, I am almost sure that after having read this essay, most people would not choose the 1950's as the best time to live.
The way I interpret these two excellent essays, I believe the authors are trying to place "a wake up call" to the readers "to not to go with the flow." As critical thinkers, we should always do our own research, especially, when it comes to matters of popular beliefs that could distort the reality of facts. In these two essays, it seems to me, that the authors don't really critique the real life families. Instead, the authors warn us about "the fictitious American families" and "the perfect decade of the 1950's." I think the authors challenge us to investigate, to research, and to find out the truth behind the myths.
Some Interesting points about the essays are: Soto never mentions his dad through out the whole paper. I wonder why?
In Coontz essay, there is so much information to disregard the 1950's as the ideal decade and yet, some people still think it would be an enjoyable experience. What are they thinking?
I noticed that as well. His dad was never mentioned. I took it as he grew up without one, well obviously. But i figured that maybe his father had just left at a super young age and he doesn't have much memory of him.. But i really like how in depth your responses were. I think I need to start focusing more on the reading material and less on what im am preparing myself to write about. But you showed really good examples of this.
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