After analyzing There There by Tommy Orange using the reader's response theory, the archetypal lens and the post-colonial lens, the reader's response theory was the most insightful lens which helped me further understand the book. I will be further explaining why I enjoyed using the reader's response theory and why the other two lenses did not provide as much insight. In my opinion, the reader’s response theory allows for more freedom than the other two lenses. There is no right or wrong way to react to a book. Due to the broad boundaries, I can grasp a better understanding of the text and easily relate it to my life and other books that I have read in the past. Also, through using the reader's response theory, I am still able to analyze the archetypal and post-colonial aspects of the text. For example, for my third point in my reader’s response blog, I used this quote. “We’d been over there to celebrate not celebrating Thanksgiving” (Orange 46). Applying the reader’s response theory, I was able to state how I initially was confused that Opal was celebrating not celebrating Thanksgiving, and state the post-colonial aspect of the quote referring to the origins of Thanksgiving. Rather than focusing on the very technical aspect of the text, I was able to focus more on the feelings of the author and my feelings towards the text which is why the reader's response theory provided me to most insight. Applying the archetypal lens for my story did not provide much insight. This book is made up of small stories told from or about different people's lives. Although these stories are all occurring around the Powwow event, there is not one single line of plot. There are different lines of plot for different stories. Identifying the hero or caretaker does not allow much insight for me because that is just the hero for one story. The other stories have different heroes and caretakers. The only part of the archetypal analysis that provided me with some insight was when I identified a symbol archetype. For my second point in the archetypal analysis, I analyzed this quote: “She didn’t know how to swim. Mostly she just wanted to be in the water. To go under and open her eyes, look at her hands, watch the bubbles rise in that bluest light.” (Orange 83). My point for this was Jacquie was able to get cleansed by the water and reflect on her past. This part of the analysis helped me gain a better understanding of Jacquie’s story in the book and other uses of water archetypes in other books. Lastly, the post-colonial lens did provide me some insight but my analysis was a somewhat less in-depth version of my reader’s response analysis. As I stated prior, the post-colonial lens analysis can be applied while analyzing a text through the reader’s response theory. Also, since I have taken it upon myself before reading this book to learn about Native people and their history, applying this lens did not allow me discover new things or come up with any new questions. The main reason why I chose this book is because I knew I would have a good understanding of the Native struggle. If I was more unaware of Native issues and history, I believe the post-colonial lens would be the most insightful lens for me because I would be discovering something new and creating questions I never thought of before.
Works Cited Orange, Tommy. There There. Emblem Editions, 2018 file:///Users/robynwalters/Downloads/There%20There%20by%20tommy%20orange.pdf Images "Snoopy Reading Gif" https://tenor.com/view/snoopy-reading-laughing-gif-11454553 "Survey finds 400,000 New Zealand adults didn't read a book in 2016"https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/books/95181375/survey-finds-400000-new-zealand-adults-didnt-read-a-book-in-2016
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This book merely focuses on the stories from Native Americans, thus, is it easy to identify multiple post-colonial lenses. I will be analyzing three points that I found in the book. Firstly, in Thomas Frank's story, he explains the upbringing of the average Native person in America. “Before you were born, you were chased, beaten, broken, trapped on reservation.”(Orange 157). His passage directly represents the negative inheritances brought unto many Native Americans as a result of colonization. All of the trauma and violence felt by their ancestors have been directly passed down to them. This passage also demonstrates how Native people's lives are not as valued as much as their colonists. This is their land that was stolen and they are living on small reserves with limited accessibility to necessities meanwhile their colonists are given a chance for a better lifestyle. Relating to my previous point, Blue’s story talks about her not being that connected with her Native roots since she was adopted by white people. “Almost all I know about my birth mom is that her name is Jacquie Red Feather. My adoptive mom told me on my eighteenth birthday what my birth mom’s name is and that she’s Cheyenne. I knew I wasn’t white. But not all the way. Because while my hair is dark and my skin is brown, when I look in the mirror I see myself from the inside out. And inside I feel as white as the long white pillshaped throw pillow my mom always made me keep on my bed even though I never used it” (Orange 149). Although Blue is Native American, she still feels white since her parents are white. Due to this factor, she has been given the luxuries of her colonists: growing up in a suburb of Oakland and living a life of privilege. Through her living this white persona, she is free form direct inheritance of violence and suffering and is treated like a decent human. It is evident through her story that cultural assimilation is the key to living a decent life. The more you act like the colonist, the more they will accept you. Unfortunately, for Native people who want to keep their culture intact, they are given a lesser quality of life and perceived as “savages”. Lastly, multiple stories are told by people who suffer from substance abuse, such as, Jacquie, Tommie, and Calvin. Studies have shown that Native Americans have the highest substance abuse rates out of all other races and ethnicities. Many of these people use substances to cope with the inherited violence and racism that derives from the colonization of Native people. “How you ended up getting fired was related to your drinking, which was related to your skin problems, which was related to your father, which was related to history” (Orange 162-163). Native Americans are almost 30% more likely to have a report of drug abuse in comparison to their white counterparts. Although they have such an alarmingly high number, Native people are least likely to receive treatment for their substance abuse issues due to the lack of accessibility on the reserves. This highlights the negligence Native Americans face due to colonization. Works Cited
Orange, Tommy. There There. Emblem Editions, 2018 file:///Users/robynwalters/Downloads/There%20There%20by%20tommy%20orange.pdf Kaliszwski, Michael. "Alcohol and Drug Abuse Among Native Americans" https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/addiction-statistics/native-americans Images "The Return of the Native"https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2019/11/rereturn-native-dwight-longenecker.html "Native American Gif" https://gifer.com/en/gifs/native-american While further analyzing this book, I have come across multiple archetypal symbols and characters. I will be analyzing three archetypes that I found. Firstly, Calvin demonstrates the caretaker archetype. Both of Calvin's parents are nowhere to be found, and Calvin’s sister has bipolar depression. Calvin is the stable, working man of the house, caring for his niece and sister. “When I got home from work I found Sonny and Maggie waiting for me at the kitchen table with dinner made and set. Maggie’s my sister” (Orange 75). Since Calvin’s sister is now on medications for her depression, Calvin is saving up to move out and get away from that caretaker position. It all aligns with what happens at the end of Calvin's story when his friends force him to come with them to steal the $50,000 cash prize at the Powwow. Although Calvin wants to move out and be free of responsibilities, I believe Calvin still enjoys and is fit for his caretaker role. Thus, I infer Calvin will not help his friends steal the money. Secondly, Jacquie Red Feather’s story uses the water archetype to display cleansing and life. “She didn’t know how to swim. Mostly she just wanted to be in the water. To go under and open her eyes, look at her hands, watch the bubbles rise in that bluest light.” (Orange 83). Jacquie is currently in Albuquerque for a substance abuse and mental health services administration conference. Jacquie dipping herself in water represents the cleansing of her addiction. Also, being in the water reminds Jacquie of when her, her mom, and her sister went on vacation. Jacquie is currently not living with her mom and sister because of her addiction, so with the water, she can reflect on her life. This reminds me of the book, The Catcher in the Rye By J.D Salinger. Likewise, the water and rain in this book represent Holden being cleansed from his youth. Lastly, Octavio and Charles demonstrate the villain archetype. Both Octavio and Charles make a plan to rob the Powwow event with their gun in hopes of attaining the $50,000 prize. Since Calvin is helping set up the event, they coerce him into joining in on their plan. “‘That’s funny,’ Octavio said. Charles lifted his head toward Octavio like: Whatsup? ‘That anyone would think you would rob the people you work with and think you could get away with it. That shit’s funny to me,’ Octavio said. ‘This is how we make it right,’ Charles said. ‘You’ll get a cut too, then we’ll be good, right, Octavio?’ Octavio nodded his head. Then he picked up the tequila bottle. ‘Let’s drink,’ he said.”. (Orange 80). Octavio and Chase's plan reminds me of the plan used in the movie Mean Girls by Mark Waters. Cady was coerced by Janis and Damian into sticking with a plan that would ultimately ruin Regina’s life alongside. In the end, Cady does not fully complete their plan. I hope that Octavio and Charles’s plan does not successfully work out as well. Works Cited
Orange, Tommy. There There. Emblem Editions, 2018, file:///Users/robynwalters/Downloads/There%20There%20by%20tommy%20orange.pdf Choy, Derrick. "The Water Archetype". 29 Nov. 2019 https://prezi.com/ovfr6kyr298x/water-archetype/#:~:text=The%20Water%20Archetype,rebirth%2C%20or%20cycle%20of%20life. Paramount Pictures Corporation,. (2004). Mean girls. Salinger, J. D. The Catcher In The Rye. Boston : Little, Brown And Company, 1991, c1946. Print. Images "Archetype Gif" https://dribbble.com/shots/241159-Archetype-its-a-gif "Pin on everything money" https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/272467846193336871/ "6 Swim Workouts That Target Your Belly"https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/swim-workouts-target-your-belly There There by Tommy Orange features stories told by numerous Native Americans living in Oakland, California. A few weeks prior to a Native festival called the Powwow, the several Native Americans who identify as “Urban Indians'' prepare for the festival while analyzing the setbacks and traumas they have suffered in their lifetimes, and through the inheritance of racism and violence. Right off the back, this title they identify with displays the segregation between the culturally assimilated Native Americans and the Natives who are living on reserves. Moreover, I will be analyzing the stories of Tony Loneman, Dene Oxendene, Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield, and Edwin Black. Tony Loneman opens up his story describing his first time seeing a “Drome” in his reflection at the age of six. I have no idea what a “Drome” is, but the word does sound like the word “drone”. Whenever Tony mentions this “Drome”, the D is always capitalized, which makes me believe this word has great importance. It is later revealed that the “Drome” is Tony’s fetal alcohol syndrome which causes alterations to his face. “The Drome is my mom and why she drank, it’s the way history lands on a face, and all the ways I made it so far despite how it has fucked with me since the day I found it there on the TV, staring back at me like a fucking villain.”(Orange 25). Secondly, As Tony is getting dressed in Native attire for the powwow, he comes across his reflection again. This time, he does not see the “Drome”, he sees his true self. “The Drome. I didn’t see it there. I saw an Indian. I saw a dancer.”. Automatically, I notice that the euro-centric standards make him feel less than what he is, and he can find comfort in himself through the embrace of his culture. This story reminds me of the book The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Both Lily and Tony feel themselves while connecting with their roots. Next is Dene Oxendene. His story is written from a third-person point of view which makes me feel not as connected to his story compared to the others. Dene’s uncle, Lucas, visits Dene to Oakland to work on a film. Lucas describes the theme of the film in a very ironic way. “It’ll be in the near future. I’m gonna have an alien technology colonize America. We’ll think we made it up. Like it’s ours. Over time we’ll merge with the technology, we’ll become like androids, and we’ll lose the ability to recognize each other. The way we used to look. Our old ways. We won’t even really consider ourselves half-breeds, half aliens, because we’ll think it’s our technology. Then I’m gonna have a half-breed hero rise up, inspire what’s left of the humans to move back to nature. Get away from technology, get our old way of life back. Become human again like we used to be." (Orange 36). Although his uncle is talking about supposed aliens, it is clear that this is a reference to what is happening to Native American people. I believe making a film in this manner will help reach the point across to people who refuse to believe in all of the impacts of colonization on Native Americans. Furthermore, Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield moves to Alcatraz island prison where she has been before to celebrate what I at first considered a weird celebration. “We’d been over there to celebrate not celebrating Thanksgiving” (Orange 46). I immediately started to question why this would be a celebration. I searched up the origins of Thanksgiving and found out that Thanksgiving originates from the meal between colonists and Massasoit, the chief of the Wampanoags after a land deal. Two years later there was another, similar meal meant to symbolize eternal friendship. Two hundred Native Americans dropped dead that night from an unknown poison. This makes me realize that this holiday meant for giving thanks to others derives from such a horrible event. I know the mainstream meaning is different than the original, but it makes me question if Thanksgiving should be still celebrated. Realistically, we are celebrating the day two hundred Native Americans died for no just reason. Lastly, we have Edwin Black. Edwin starts his story talking about how he has not made a bowel movement in six days.“I’m on the toilet. But nothing is happening.”(Orange 58). I am confused as to why this information has to be shared, like how does this contribute to the book? I started to think that this may be used as a metaphor, demonstrating how there is something in him that he cannot get out. Later on in the story, Edwin finds his dad on Facebook and learns about his Native heritage through him, which makes him feel more connected to himself. After finding his dad, Edwin is finally able to make a bowel movement. This confirms the predictions I made earlier relating to Edwin having something he cannot express. Finally Edwin found his culture and is able to show his true self. Works Cited
Orange, Tommy. There There. Emblem Editions, 2018 file:///Users/robynwalters/Downloads/There%20There%20by%20tommy%20orange.pdf History Editors. "Thanksgiving 2020". 27 Oct 2009 https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving Tanner, Alexandra. "There There Part I: Tony Loneman (1)." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 21 May 2019. Web. 25 Jul 2020. Tanner, Alexandra. "There There Prologue." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 21 May 2019. Web. 25 Jul 2020. Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. New York: Penguin, 2003 Images "Iser's reader's response theory"https://twitter.com/msoviero/status/978636257940078592 "Tommy Orange" https://www.prhspeakers.com/speaker/tommy-orange "Pithy And Pointed 'There There' Puts Native American Voices Front And Center" https://www.npr.org/2018/06/18/621011107/pithy-and-pointed-there-there-puts-native-american-voices-front-and-center |