Amos and Andy Cartoon

This cartoon seems to include all of the prevelant stereotypes about African Americans during its time. When we first meet Andy he is asleep on the job, and we immediately get the impression that he is lazy and lacks work ethic. The characters all use improper, accented English. They are also physically exaggerated, particularly their lips. Several of the characters look very much like apes, and Andy's opponent is not only animalistic as he is, he actually transforms into an angry moose during the match. This relates to the scientific racism we have talked about in class, as the characters are closer to animals than humans, and thus give the impression of being "less evolved." The characters that aren't depicted as being stupid are merely strong and violent.

My guess is that the intended audience here would be white children. It seems to have very little point to it except to make fun of African Americans via stereotypes about them. It was created at a time when blacks were struggling with and/or against the color line, and whites were particularly concerned about it. I think it probably reflects the whites' concern, and thier desire to reinforce the "inferiority" of African Americans.

This also connects to class in that it is a cartoon, which is a format we have looked at as being significant. It makes a point in its exaggeration, which is partially diluted by the "innocent" feel. Unlike the newspaper cartoons, which are intended for adults, however, this allows an ugly message to be delivered to children in a less ugly way.

Reflection post: Amos and Andy

This short YouTube clip was a very interesting depiction of African Americans at this time. It was made in 1934, and it is clear that racism and the color line (as mentioned in lecture) is in full force. After watching this clip, I felt like it was a depiction of white peoples feelings towards African Americans during this time. As you can tell, all of the characters in the clip were African American, which means that it was probably aimed at a white audience. There is no way an audience of African Americans would be happy with a cartoon like this. All of the characters have monkey-like features, which is obviously an exaggeration of what African Americans looked like. The cartoon shows the characters with very big lips, which makes them look like monkeys. The writers of the cartoon also portrays the characters as southern, and almost makes them look unintelligent. All of the characters in the cartoon say "rassling" and not wrestling, which shows the southern slang.
I found it interesting with the way they portrayed Andy when he was wrestling his shadow. They make him look dumb, which is probably what the writers wanted to do. When Andy is wresting his shadow he runs into the wall and also continuously swings and misses when swinging at his shadow. What I took from this was that the writers wanted to portray the fact that African Americans are worthless. Andy can't even beat his own shadow, which makes him look like he is worth less than his own shadow. Andy even says "Can't even beat my own shadow". When Andy finally gets into the ring, they make moose look like a very ugly animal, and they even show him turning into a moose at one point. At one point in the cartoon, Andy rides moose like some sort of animal. One last thing that I found interesting was when Andy's friend gave him the wreath to put around his neck and Andy says that they want him to hang the wreath around his neck "like I was race horse" With this line the writers are trying to predict African Americans as horses and animals all together.
Overall, this is an extreme exaggeration of African American lifestyle during this period. They were looked down upon, and white audiences got a laugh with cartoons like this. These cartoons were a way to keep African American morale down, and to also entertain the white community. The color line is clearly in place. There is not even any white characters in this cartoon. The writers could use cartoons as a symbol of how they viewed African Americans.

amos and andy reflection

The characters in the amos and andy cartoon are clearly exaggerated figures representing African Americans. They are represented with greatly exaggerated lips and seen bumbling around in ways that reflect the minstrel music performances. The wrestling trainer is very ape-like in appearance, and Andy's wrestling opponent looks like a moose (to match his name). These figures are depicted as animals in appearance and in thier actions, which harkens to the theory of eugenics. This cartoon is representative of the sentiment toward African Americans at that time.
I am sure that his cartoon was intended for a white audience, as any African American who saw it would undoubtedly be offended, and rightly so. This cartoon was created in a post-WWI time when African Americans were struggling for rights against social (color-line) boundaries as well as unjust segregation laws.
In lecture last week he spoke about how cartoons use symbolic and exaggerated forms to make a point. I definately think that is the case here. African Americans are depicted as bumbling and stupid, or crazy and animal-like which reflects the way they were thought about in that era. In the reading of A chance to Make Good it talks about how race had become an obsession, and how race had become an important way of categorizing people and cultures. African Americans were seen as inefficient, incapable, emotional, and below everyone else. Even though many African Americans were intelligent and advancing in society they had a hard time breaking through these stereotypes, and were hindered by the laws that reinforced them. In the larger contest of this course this cartoon shows who was "in", in terms of the nation at the time, and who was "out".

Amos n Andy: View Video & Post a Comment

When viewing this clip I would like you to think about this week's lectures and readings. Your comment should include your response to this cartoon AND how this clip relates to this week's major themes.

For more information about the Amos n Andy show, click *here.*

Questions you might want to ask yourself include:

Who are these characters? Who might they represent?
Who is the intended audience of this video?
What is the historical context?
How does it relate to this week's readings and lectures?
How does it relate to the larger themes of this course?

Video: Amos 'n' Andy - 1934 Cartoon, "The Rasslin' Match"

discussion questions for "A Chance to Make Good" by James R. Grossman and "Go After The Women: Americanization and the Mexican American Immigrant Women" by George Sanchez 

Midterm ID Study Guide

Hello everyone,
Below are the terms you generated in section.

For your homework assignment, please comment on this entry with at least two additional terms from Weeks 1 - 4.

Week 5: Rebirth of a Nation

Theme/Concepts:
1. Asian immigration
2. cult of domesticity
3. reconciliation
4. imperialism
5. labor economy
6. masculinity

People/Organizations:
1. Akeley
2. Bellamy
3. Roosevelt
4. WRC
5. GAR
6. black soldiers

Places:
1. African Hall
2. Chicago
3. Philippines
4. New Frontier
5. California

Events:
1. Spanish American War
2. Civil War/Emancipation Proclamation
3. Remember the Maine
4. Mexican Revolution
5. WWI

Discussion Questions for 2/6/09

Discussion Questions
“Teddy Bear Patriarchy” and To Die For

1. What was the reasoning behind the nationalists’ perception of children as such a crucial component in the creation of the American patriotic culture (think about the role of immigrant children in particular)? What were some of the approaches used by social organizations such as the GAR and the WRC that targeted the education system and how did they differ? Has one group’s approach been sustained through the present day more so than the other’s? If so, why?

2. What were some of the main barriers inhibiting reunification in the immediate post-Civil War era? State some of the initial steps that were taken to reduce each side’s reservations about the creation of a national identity. What do you believe the implications were for American society as a whole as a result of the North’s abandonment of dedication to Reconstruction and the “race question” in its attempt to reunify the country?

3. What were some of the events and/or factors that culminated in the racialization of patriotism? How did this racialization affect the national patriotic culture by the end of the First World War? Pay special attention to the concept of “popular imperialism.”

4. What was the relationship between the state and the individual in the ideological battleground of patriotic culture? How did the intricacies of the first pledges of allegiance (written by Balch and Bellamy) help overcome the complexities of the nation-individual relationship? How effective was this in reducing the conflict between those who idealized the nation and the notion of civic duty and those who argued for the protection of an individual’s rights above all else?

5. How did the expansion of mass media across America serve to reformulate the nation’s collective memory of the Civil War? What was the significance of yellow journalism in the broader political context of national identity? How was the practice of “amnesia” and historical rewriting of the Civil War important in the creation of national patriotism?

6. What role did women play in constructing the new nationalistic notion of patriotism? Did their role change between the end of the 19th century and World War I? What were the differences between the roles of black women and white women during this period?

7. What is “Teddy Bear Patriarchy?” What were some of the problems Akeley and his contemporaries saw as a result of civilization and technological progress? What did they believe to be the cure?

8. What statement does Haraway contend the American Museum of Natural History and Akeley’s exhibit make? How does she connect Akeley’s exhibit to broader societal questions? How did Akeley’s engagement in these questions use education and science as a means for promoting his ideals for the construction of the nation?

Killing Custer Reflection

I found Killing Custer to be an interesting read, but I believe the author made a few mistakes that took away from his point. First, the author's writing style is scattered and jumps between the past and the present with little warning or explanation. Also, his chapters seem fairly arbitrary, and from the chapters we were assigned, it was difficult to get a grasp on a particular direction in which the book was going. Professor Haas mentioned that this was purposeful--that readers were supposed to be disoriented upon reading this book. However, I believe that if the author had more carefully organized the information in a more chronological and structured way, he would have been able to make a more powerful point and eliminated some of the readers' distraction.

Second, in chapter six Welch addresses some of the more heinous acts attributed to Indians, and states that during times of war, actions such as these almost become acceptable, given the environment and the things at stake. He compares these acts to gruesome acts in history, pointing out that Indians were not the only people susceptible to them. But, if he uses this argument to defend Indians' actions, then I believe he must apply that to the actions of the whites as well. Thus, things like killing the women and children would be more acceptible considering moral distinctions were blurred in the fighting. While this does not absolve whites of the responsibility for creating the fighting in the first place (nor do I actually think it is appropriate to employ this logic in either case), it is an example of his bias. That bias, however, is usually intentional and with purpose, as Welch believes that most, if not all, of history is written from a while male perspective.

Overall I really enjoyed the book. I had actually not had much exposure to the Custer myth prior to this, but I found the degree to which we have reimagined our own history fascinating. Welch did a very thorough job of exposing who Custer really was, and examining why we have made him what he "is" today.

Little Women Reflection

Although I had heard much about this novel, I had not taken the time to read Louisa May Alcott's Little Women until I was required to do so for this class.  I agree with many of the other students in our class that many of the "lessons" this book attempts to teach are now quite outdated; however, I think this book is still relevant to our society in many ways.  I found the bold statements Alcott made about feminism and conformity particularly interesting.  By making Jo the main character of the novel, Alcott seemed to be trying to advocate nonconformity.  This lesson is definitely still one that many books, movies, and television continue to stress.  Individuality has become increasingly respected and encouraged in our society, unlike the conformity and suppression of personality that was all too common in the 1860's.  Because rebellion is so valued throughout the novel, Alcott contradicts much of how the women of her time were expected to behave.  I also find it particularly interesting that many consider this novel to be somewhat of an autobiography.  Alcott, like Jo, struggled to adopt typical feminine characteristics and behaviors and was forced to suppress her desire to fight in the civil war.  I thoroughly enjoyed the way Alcott portrayed Jo.

Little Women Reflection

As many people have already said, by reading this book and discussing it in discussion as well as lecture it is easy to see why most every American to this day has heard of this book in some way or another. At the time the book was written you can clearly see the values the author is trying to portray through the characters. From the girls they all play a very significant role in the book. From Jo's tomboyish characteristics to Amy's ladylike aspirations they all have very unique characteristics that are significant when analyzing the time period the book was written in. Another character that I found interesting after we discussed it in class was Hannah, the March's servant.
This book is a classic novel that was written in a time where women were seemingly having trouble identifying themselves with society, and had this book to look to. Although this is an undeniably beautifully written and very significant book of it's time, I find it to be outdated to this day in age. There are specific things that can be taken away from it, but it is no longer the "guide to being a lady" that it once was. Jo's tomboyish and rebellious character would not be frowned upon in society today nearly as much as it once was. The need to be absolutely "lady-like" has become very different. Women and girls are still very lady-like in todays society, however there is no need to be the perfect lady while growing up, there is much more room to grow into one's own it seems. All in all this book was very interesting and fun to read, as well with the help of discussion it's significance to society back when it was written and to this day is very clear.

Killing Custer Reflection

James Welch's account of the strained relations between the white American settlers and the Native Americans during the 19th century sheds light on one of the most misunderstood relationships in American history. Although Welch delves deep into the alleged mistreatment of the American Indians by the white settlers that has been largely ignored by the mass media, the anti-American and pro-Native American biases he displays force the reader to take his writings with a grain of salt.
It makes sense that the United States would use the American defeat at Little Big Horn as a rallying cry to gain support for the westward and southward expansion of the nation, in much the same way the media used the "attack" on the USS Maine to rally the troops and gain support for the Spanish-American War. Throughout history, governments and media outlets have opportunistically taken advantage of events by manipulating their portrayals to the public and using them to persuade the public to back certain causes. Although this seems highly unethical, it has consistently been a highly effective method to galvanize a nation's people. Transforming ambiguous events into attacks against the national establishment, like the media was able to do by the way they framed "Custer's Last Stand", provides an effective way to sway a nation from ambivalence to passion. Welch fails to recognize that manipulating events in order to curry favor with the people has been and will continue to be a powerful governmental tactic.

Little Women Reflection

It is easy to see why "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott has been coined as an American classic novel. Although the language and the daily occurrences seem antiquated, the morals and values of the characters, such as family life, health, and happiness, are still prevalent in today's society, making this a timeless novel. The main characters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, all represent a different part of the proper (or in Jo's case, not so proper) woman of the time. It is interesting to reflect on how the role of women in America has changed since the time of the Civil War when the novel was written; however, many of the same values instilled in American women have remained the same. 

What I loved most about reading Little Women was the innocence reflected in the characters. In a time before television, Internet, cell phones, and blackberry's it was easy to stay young without contact from the outside world. It was like these girls (and Laurie) lived in their own little innocent bubble away from the violence and sex that we are exposed to in the media today. Instead, they created secret societies, and painted and read to pass the time. They took pride in pleasing Marmee and father.

I think that the technology of the Information Age of today has forced us to mature much faster than the children in the novel did. Without being exposed to such forms of technology, it was easy to stay innocent. Most of all, I thought it was relieving to read a novel like this. 

Little Women Reflection

"Little Women" Reflection Post

"Little Women" was an interesting novel that has been extremely influential throughout previous generations, and our generation today. The four sisters in this book all represent the various aspects and qualities of a woman, and her role in society. However, instead of simply being a guidebook for how women should act, Alcott instead chooses to introduce the reader to different characters. After the audience immediately develops an emotional attachment to their struggles and successes, it is easy to gauge the message Alcott was attempting to send to her audience at the time.
The juxtaposition between Jo and Beth shows the spectrum of appropriate women at that time period. Both Beth and Jo are very likable characters. Beth is perfect on paper; every parent's dream in a sense. Jo, on the other hand, tests the boundaries. Alcott makes Jo very likable, but she is a also a bit of a tomboy. The novel insinuates that despite her differences, Jo is still a great person, and a successful woman. Despite the fact that the novel is a clear guide by which women should strive to follow, Alcott does try to send home the message that it is the morality and heart of a woman that matters most.
Unfortunately, I believe this guidebook for women is outdated. Society has vastly changed, as none of Jo's actions now would be really seen as that unusual. It has a very traditional sense of culture attached to it, and I think this book would now be considered anachronistic. Despite being considered a classic, the novel is definitely more read for entertainment purposes as opposed to a guidebook, which was Alcott's intention. There are still some sects of society that would embrace the traditional sense of womenhood that the book promotes. However, I think it is still a little much to think that this book still has the power to effectively change the roles of women in today's society.

"Killin Custer" Reflection

James Welch's historical novel provides a stark contrast to the traditional American view of General Custer and the Battle of Little Bighorn. Welch's novel sheds another viewpoint on the trajedy that took place during the Battle of Little Bighorn. Instead of another book from the viewpoint of the whites, Welch's novel is from the viewpoint of the under-represented Native Americans. For this reason, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and found it very interesting. On top of this, it has drastically changed my opinion of the battle, and the Native Americans as a whole.

After reading this novel, my opinion of General Custer, the Battle of Little Bighorn, and the Native Americans has drastically changed. Before reading the novel, and taking this class, I had always thought of General Custer as a hero, and that the Battle of Little Bighorn was just another blunt example of the Native American's savagery, or at least the savagery that the American society portrays the Indians as having. Having now read this novel, I now believe that the whites were the savages, and the Natives, worn down by the concept of manifest destiny, were just defending themselves and trying to protect their land. Also, I believe that General Custer should be stripped of his heroic standing as he often killed innocent people, including women and children. This novel showed the many reasons not usually talked about in novels written by white Americans, that the Indians had for attacking General Custer's army. This novel provided many sad truths about the whites, and has drastically changed my opinion of the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Overall, while I thought the novel was very interesting and enjoyable, I found it difficult to read. Welch used a very unique approach to writing as he switched back and forth between time periods quite often making it very hard to know exactly what was going on. Other than that, I thought the novel was very good.