Monday, March 5, 2012

I- Hotel: Storytelling

     The section begins with the characters together trying to make their way to Alcatraz Island so they occupy it in political protest for the unequal treatment of Native Americas as well as other minorities like Asian Americans.  The way the story is set up begins with the characters together helping a man named Jack Turtle launch his boat into the water to get himself across, Ria, Stony and Wayne have all come for the protest and wind up helping Jack. This is how all the characters initially meet and get acquainted. They make it to the island while Jack is storytelling the tale of Captain Jack (378). Ria is skeptical of the story, suggesting she does not believe in myths and beliefs giving her the appearance of being a realist (379). The purpose of the storytelling here is foreshadowing of the events that will take place later on such as the unsuccessful occupation, (Captain Jack was hanged after unsuccessful relations with the 'white man'), the injury Jack Turtle receives in the head and neck area, and lastly the escaping of a few of Captain Jack's followers and the protesters on the island (who, according to Jack Turtle, is the reason he is there today).  
    The next section moves forward to what Ria does while she is a student sewing and dress making. This moment is included in the novel to exhibit the strength of the characters and personal struggles for survival, particularly with Ria, "killing herself" with work (338). Ria must kill herself sewing clothes in order to survive and have money to feed herself, she is also trying to better herself by teaching others about business and running one. "It's funny how these things happen, how suddenly one collar leads to the sleeves and to the pockets, a range of sizes- small, medium, large, and extra large, plus fabric choices and slight stylistic changes," (385), this explains how beginning a project can quickly give a head under water effect when being stretched out in too many directions. The business must produce new designs and clothing, deal with a union and low wages, Ria educating her coworkers on the history of the U.S. as well as business all become extremely taxing on her. Her business fails but she moves onto her next project or possibly returns to school, she dealt with the hardship unable to stop because her ethnicity  and young age are working against her. 
    Chapter Three follows the path of Stony, a younger wander of sorts, and Jack but only long enough for Stony to leave Jack and sell his car. Stony saves Jack when he finds him on the ground bleeding from his head, and takes him to the hospital. When Jack wakes he gives Stony the task of selling his car and offers to let Stony keep half. Stony seems hesitant about his new responsibility because he has a youthful and aimless personality. Once Stony completes the task for Jack, Jack tells Stony about a dream he had about Stony that included a certain "fate" of being in Japan as well as a broken head (394). Stony does travel to Japan as predicted by Jack's dream and we assume his head breaks when he travels to his late father's village to discover his father's wife before his own mother and a half sister (398). Stony probably did not expect this at all when he went to the village partly to his immature mind and the lack of knowledge of his family's history. This is Stony's age working against him as he struggles with his multi-cultural ethnicity.   
       

No comments:

Post a Comment