Project Action Plan , Week 9, Lae Choo from In the Land of the Free

Topic 3: From a piece of fiction choose a female character on whom to focus, and create a project.

From a piece of fiction (short story, section of novel, or a play) choose a female character on whom to focus, and create a project that discusses some of the following questions: 

• What is the author’s attitude towards her? (how can you tell?)
• What is your attitude towards her? 
• How do (at least 2) other characters view her? 
• How does she view herself?

The female character I am choosing for my project is Lae Choo from the passage, In the Land of the Free, by Edith Maud Easton.

In the passage, Lae Choo is a Chinese woman, who was married to her husband, Hom Hing, they lived in San Francisco, Lae Choo, returned to China to give birth to their child, the Little One. Her husband, Hom Hing stayed in San Francisco and continued to work as a merchant, he owned a store and they lived above it. Lae Choo and her son had stayed in China longer than they expected because Hom Hing’s parents were ill and she needed to take care of them. Hom Hing had never met his son, who was 20 months old. Lae Choo and The Little One arrived under the Golden Gate bridge aboard, Easter Queen. Hom Hing met his son and as they were leaving the ship the family was stopped by two men with the initials U.S.C. on their caps. The Little One did not have any papers and none of the papers about Lae Choo had mentioned anything about a child, because he was not born when the papers were filed. Against the parents will they had to hand their son over to the men, until they could get approval from the government to let the child in to the US. It took the couple 10 months to get their son back.

The author’s attitude towards Lae Choo, is that she is a fighter and very strong, however she is also shown to be a victim.

My attitude towards Law Choo, is that she loves her son so much, that it is the love she has that helps her through one of the toughest times in her life.

The passage describes Hom Hing’s view of his wife as weak and heart broken. This is shown in the story with the following quote. “Her food she takes only when I bed her and her tears fall continually. She finds no pleasure in dress or flowers and cares not to see her friends. He eyes stare all night. I think before another moon she will pass into the land of spirits.” pg 326.

The passage describes, James Clancy, the young white lawyer’s, view of Lae Choo as

feeling sad for her and wanting to help, but then he uses his position to take advantage of the couple and the love of Lae Choo’s love for her son.

Lao Choo views herself as a very scared woman, but knows that the love for her child will bring him back to her.

Week 9, Weekly Analysis, Thurman

Literary Elements:
Characterization: is used throughout this passage, it is used a lot for the characters of Emma Lou and Hazel Mason. Emma Lou was an African American girl from Idaho, who came from a upper class family. She leaves home to go to college at the University of Southern California, which is primarily a white school but many upper class African Americans are also enrolled. Emma Lou is in search for friends at school with her same skin color and is hoping that she can be treated equally as everyone else. Characterization is use by giving us a brief description of Emma Lou's background, her search for fellow colored classmates, her disappointments, struggles and how all of these events leads to the change of her views and expectations.
“..in the colored social circles of Los Angeles, Emma Lou was certain that she would find many suitable companions, intelligent, broad-mined people of all complexions, intermixing and being too occupied otherwise to worry about either their own skin color or the skin color of those around them.” pg 438

Themes: Discrimination: Emma Lou is trying to go to school in a different state and area then her hometown, looking for equality for an upper class African American, in a school that is primarily white.
“Besides being disappointed at the drabness and lack of romance in college routine, Emma Lou was also depressed by her inability to make much headway in the matter of becoming intimately associated with her colored campus mates.” pg 442 This selection from the story tells me that Emma Lou really went to college to look for colored campus mates and the education was not her main focus, she was good at it, but it did not make her happy. After Emma Lou’s first year of college she returned home for the summer, discouraged and depressed, her college experience was not what she wanted it to be. “There was no place in the world for a dark girl.” pg 446 Emma Lou could not escape the challenge of being born a dark skinned girl.

Context: Through out the passage, there are signs of discrimination and inequality.  Although, this was a college that allowed African Americans to be students, they were not treated equally, still felt uncomfortable and not apart of the college experience. Unfortantally, still today many years later there is still discrimination, races that are treated unfairly and do not feel welcomed.

Reading Notes B, Week 9, Fisher

The First Oyster by M. F. K. Fisher

Miss Huntingdon’s School for girls: 75 boarders, 25 woman

Mrs. Cheever: uncomfortable, lonely, college graduate, super-lady, cook, snubbed by her colleagues

Christmas Party: oysters served, exotic:

“got one with surprising neatness into my mouth”

“The oyster in was still in my mouth. I smiled, with care, and stood up ..”

“The oyster seemed larger. I knew that I must down it, and was equally sure that I could not. Then, as Olmsted put her thin hand on my shoulder blades, I swallowed once, and felt light and attractive and daring, to know what I had done.”pg 571

“If I could still taste my first oyster, if my tongue still felt fresh and excited, it was perhaps too bad. Although things are different now, I hoped then, suddenly and violenty, that I would never see one again.” Pg 574

Old Girls’ Day – warn day in June, fun party, good food. “mean to all but the Seniors, who had to be nice to the returning alumnae.” Pg 568 “For moment, at least, in the year, we were greatful to her for our deliciously full mouths.” Pg 569

Southern California: climate considered tropical 

Demitasses – a small coffee cup  

The literary devices used in this story were characterization and point of view. The author used characterization as ways to describe how Mrs. Cheever appeared, thought and felt. The author also used point of view to describe how she and others viewed Mrs. Cheever in the different settings throughout the story.

This was not one of my favorite stories to read in the book, the story did not really spark my interest. The only thing that thought was interesting and funny was when she had the oyster in her mouth and described it. My father and husband enjoy oysters and I think they are gross, so it was funny to read her point of view of the oyster and eating it.

Reading Notes A, Week 9, Thurman

Emma Lou was a young girl who came to California to go to college at the University of Southern California from her hometown of Boise Idaho. “..in the colored social circles of Los Angeles, Emma Lou was certain that she would find many suitable companions, intelligent, broad-mined people of all complexions, intermixing and being too occupied otherwise to worry about either their own skin color or the skin color of those around them.” pg 438 This quote describes how Emma Lou felt about wanting to meet others that had the same skin color has her own but they also needed to be from a higher class, which she felt they would have because of attending the same college as her. Finding others that were the same colored face as her was difficult.

Emma Lou ended up meeting two girls, Hazel Mason and Grace Giles. Hazel from Texas, her father became wealthy due to oil being found on his land. Hazel was not the type of person, Emma Lou wanted to be around, she was not pretty, was loud and embarrassing, she even tried to leave her but they ended up as friends. Grace was also a student at the school, but was not on campus often, because her classes were located off of campus. These three girls were not popular and not invited to campus events or parties, they mainly stayed with each other off campus.

“Besides being disappointed at the drabness and lack of romance in college routine, Emma Lou was also depressed by her inability to make much headway in the matter of becoming intimately associated with her colored campus mates.” pg 442 This selection from the story tells me that Emma Lou really went to college to look for colored campus mates and the education was not her main focus, she was good at it, but it did not make her happy.

After Emma Lou’s first year of college she returned home for the summer, discouraged and depressed, her college experience was not what she wanted it to be. “There was no place in the world for a dark girl.” pg 446 Emma Lou could not escape the challenge of being born a dark skinned girl.

Week 9 Progress

 1. Review. 

How do you feel about your progress so far?  

I feel very good about my progress so far, I am very happy with the grade I have at this time. One of my fears when I was thinking about returning to school, was I what if I failed? I can happily say that I am not failing and have the motivation needed to transfer and graduate. 

What are the class assignments that you enjoy the most? 

Honestly, I am enjoying the readings, I have never been a huge reader. During my younger years of school reading, was difficult and I lacked motivation. In this class I have enjoyed most of the readings, some of them I have to re-read them to help me understand it better, some I have not been interested in and have been hard to read, and others I love and don't want the reading to end. 

Are you using any of the extra credit options?

I have used a few of the extra credit options, but since I have been able to stay structured and focused, I have been able to complete almost all of my assignments. 

 

2. Look forward.

Are there any changes you want to make for the second half of the semester, in terms of your participation in the course? 

I like the first half of the semester, it was challenging in the beginning, but then I have gotten used to the format and expectations. I think reading a free choice book is change enough. 

Any mistakes or possible challenges in finishing you want to avoid? 

none at this time. 

Something new you want to try?

Reading the free choice book, is something that I am excited to start and complete by the due date, I can't remember the last time I read a book from start to finish.