Jalen's World Lit Blog

      The residential schools that Native Americans were forced to attend have always been something that was covered really quickly in my history classes. It was maybe a paragraph or two out of a single chapter, sometimes with a picture of one of the children attending the school, and that was it. It was made to seem tragic, but not explored in a way that allowed me, or anyone, to really give any deeper thought to it. Lecture B was interesting and heartbreaking for this reason- I had never given much thought to that part of our nation's history.      To hear a first person account of what actually happened there was eye-opening. The story about the man who lost his whole cultural identity- including his name and language- was really tragic to hear. When I think of settler colonialism, I don't often think of America- usually European countries come to mind, but it's important that we learn these stories so we don't forget the people that our nation has harm...

     In "The Secret River" by Kate Grenville, the character of Smasher Sullivan stands out as a powerful representation of the violence and brutality inflicted upon the Indigenous people by white settlers during the colonial period. He definitely shocked me as I read the novel.      From his introduction, where he brags about hanging an Indigenous person, to the end of the novel, Smasher's character is fairly static, showing little to no mercy for the people he encounters. However, one of the most disturbing aspects of Smasher's character is his dehumanization of the Indigenous people. He views them as obstacles and issues to be dealt with, rather than as human beings. This dehumanization serves to justify the violence and exploitation that white settlers inflicted upon the Indigenous people. By removing the personhood from the Indigenous people, it makes the killing, stealing, and other atrocities less morally reprehensible.      It seemed t...

      The relationship between Will and Sal in Parts 1 and 2 of the novel is one of the main focuses. In Part 1, they were a close pair, sticking together through poverty and still maintaining love and respect for one another, regardless of the challenges that London's classism posed for them. Their life in Sydney changes this dynamic, however. The main driver of this change is Will's desire to stay in Sydney, which I found to be relatable. Will understands that poor people and convicts are naturally looked down upon in London's extremely classist society. If he and Sal were to return they would still be viewed the same as they were before, even if they were wealthy. This, of course, does not justify his actions or lack of communication for me, but I can respect his reasoning.       This all culminates in Will feeling distant from Sal, realizing  "that Sal was afraid of him now. She'd seen what he was capable of and she was afraid. He didn't know how t...

     After watching the two micro-lectures on settler colonialism, I think that there is a lot to compare and contrast between There, There and The Secret River . Both stories explore settler colonialism, but from very different perspectives and situations. A lot of the difference stems from perspective and how that highlights themes and lessons within the story. There, There  explores the perspective of a people who have been the victim of settler colonialism, and how it has drastically affected their communities and identities within them. The Secret River offers the perspective of the settlers participating in settler colonialism, which should hopefully lead to a lesson on the dangers of colonialism and its effects.      There, There  is not arguing against settler colonialism- the story takes place long after Americans colonized the indigenous peoples of the Bay Area. Instead, it affirms that the people colonized are still prevalent and still ...

      I think that boats within the first part are an image within themself. While they seem insignificant, boats present  opportunity. specifically the chance to escape or move. Thornhill's entire livelihood consists of transporting people on boats to someplace they needed to be. To me, this is almost an analogy for the boat the Thornhill takes to Australia. What seems like a punishment is really an opportunity. It could be a way for Thornhill to escape London's strict class system and the poverty his family suffers from. Water is traditionally used as a symbol of freedom in literature because it allows for one to escape or find lands beyond their current one. Considering this, I don't think it is a stretch to see the boats as a means of accessing that freedom. It makes me think that Thornhill will find more success in Australia than he did in London.      A more specific example of boats representing freedom comes from Thornhill's failed heist attemp...

     The opening of the The Secret River  was at first jarring and sudden. We are introduced to Thornhill with little to no information about him other than his wife and children. The section has several different purposes within the story with its position at the very beginning of the novel.      First and foremost, it establishes the sense of 'foreign-ness' that Thornhill and his family feel in Australia. As readers in the modern world, it may be hard for us to empathize with them because we are more used to seeing images, videos, and more from other foreign countries, especially ones on the other side of the globe. Urban culture and cities have also created a fairly uniform look aesthetic for most places. So, Grenville places Thornhill's first (as far as we know at this point) encounter with the indigenous people of Australia at the front with very little context. It left me confused, which was the exact purpose of the passage.   ...