Blog entry by Brendan A Potter

Picture of Brendan A Potter
by Brendan A Potter - Sunday, 14 August 2016, 7:03 PM
Anyone in the world

The beginning of stories like this should be a trope by now. Poor family living in destitution hear about the great land of America, where everybody can be somebody and where opportunity just erupts out of the land everyday. Said family then decides to start anew by selling everything they own, usually not much, and use those funds to get on a boat to the promised land. I wonder if anybody has written a story about those people who come to the new world for more upbeat reasons, like adventure, marriage, or even greater success at their enterprise? From the Russian born co-founder of Google, to the power couple behind the immensely popular Forever 21 chain of clothing stores, the stories are there, if untapped. But I cannot forget the unique situations brought up by the time period as well as the protagonist's gender.

 
Yetta Solomon is easily my favorite character in this story. To be fair, nobody except the caricature of the business owner and the protagonist herself summon negative feelings from me. But Yetta is the standout voice. She's the one who tells the main character what she so desperately needs to hear. You're not educated enough to get a better position in life yet. You need to learn how to live the life you were given, "...take life like it is?". People are willing to help you better yourself, but it will not be some magical dream that makes all your wishes come true. Miss Latham is the other side of this. She tells the protagonist everything she's wanted to hear since she got to America.It's a nice way to end the story, but I feel it takes away from the cynical realism the rest of the story portrayed.
Associated Course: INGL3135-001-2016S1