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From: Angie Miles <readingam_at_prodigy.net>
Date: Fri, 13 May 2011 05:12:09 -0700 (PDT)
Of course Native Americans have been treated poorly in every sense in liter ature through the years, because they weren't writing their own stories and most non-Natives who did write about them didn't have a proper underst anding... and in most cases, lacked proper respect. This is why someone like Sherman Alexie is a breakthrough artist. He is writing what he KN OWS from a Native point of view, and while there is certainly poverty in his stories, true to his experience, readers also glimpse a balancing richn ess found elsewhere in his life and in the lives of those around him. Wh o among us is destitute in every way?
Similarly, the world began to see that African-Americans possessed more tha n the squalor of the slave quarters as African-Americans began to write w ith their own voices during slavery and Reconstruction. This has been tr ue for every ethnic and cultural group.
Elliot's point about the demonization of poverty itself is such an excellen t one. It's both the real and imagined states of poverty that have drive n the theme in literature. In the Rocking Horse Winner, the family wasn' t "poor", yet they never felt they had enough. In Great Gatsby... same t hing... deficiently small lives despite great wealth. The lack wasn't in the bank account. It was in their sense of self. Collecting cash, th ings... even people... doesn't remedy that kind of poverty.
I love Daniel Pinkwater's Doodle Flute and Jon Agee's Nothing. In each b ook, we see how ridiculous the urge towards consumerism can be... how confo rmity and purchase power don't necessarily lead to happiness. Still, I t hink that none of us would prefer to live in squalor, to go hungry and have family members die out of want of medicine or shelter. It matters how w e define need... how we define poverty.
Thomas Cannon was known as The Poor Man's Philanthropist. He used to g ive away most of his money. He gave it away by the thousands to people h e felt lived with integrity that should be recognized. He never made mor e than $30,000 a year, himself. He used to give away bookmarks with a drawing of a strong, slave woman and with this Og Mandino quote:
"...And be grateful for your lessons learned in poverty. For he is not p oor who has little; only he that desires much... and true security lies not in the things one has but in the things one can do without."
Yes. There is can be great wealth among those considered poor... just li ke there can be devastating poverty among those counted as wealthy.
Angie Miles www.happyreading.org
Received on Fri 13 May 2011 05:12:09 AM CDT
Date: Fri, 13 May 2011 05:12:09 -0700 (PDT)
Of course Native Americans have been treated poorly in every sense in liter ature through the years, because they weren't writing their own stories and most non-Natives who did write about them didn't have a proper underst anding... and in most cases, lacked proper respect. This is why someone like Sherman Alexie is a breakthrough artist. He is writing what he KN OWS from a Native point of view, and while there is certainly poverty in his stories, true to his experience, readers also glimpse a balancing richn ess found elsewhere in his life and in the lives of those around him. Wh o among us is destitute in every way?
Similarly, the world began to see that African-Americans possessed more tha n the squalor of the slave quarters as African-Americans began to write w ith their own voices during slavery and Reconstruction. This has been tr ue for every ethnic and cultural group.
Elliot's point about the demonization of poverty itself is such an excellen t one. It's both the real and imagined states of poverty that have drive n the theme in literature. In the Rocking Horse Winner, the family wasn' t "poor", yet they never felt they had enough. In Great Gatsby... same t hing... deficiently small lives despite great wealth. The lack wasn't in the bank account. It was in their sense of self. Collecting cash, th ings... even people... doesn't remedy that kind of poverty.
I love Daniel Pinkwater's Doodle Flute and Jon Agee's Nothing. In each b ook, we see how ridiculous the urge towards consumerism can be... how confo rmity and purchase power don't necessarily lead to happiness. Still, I t hink that none of us would prefer to live in squalor, to go hungry and have family members die out of want of medicine or shelter. It matters how w e define need... how we define poverty.
Thomas Cannon was known as The Poor Man's Philanthropist. He used to g ive away most of his money. He gave it away by the thousands to people h e felt lived with integrity that should be recognized. He never made mor e than $30,000 a year, himself. He used to give away bookmarks with a drawing of a strong, slave woman and with this Og Mandino quote:
"...And be grateful for your lessons learned in poverty. For he is not p oor who has little; only he that desires much... and true security lies not in the things one has but in the things one can do without."
Yes. There is can be great wealth among those considered poor... just li ke there can be devastating poverty among those counted as wealthy.
Angie Miles www.happyreading.org
Received on Fri 13 May 2011 05:12:09 AM CDT
