Americanized

This week’s selection of readings all orbit around the theme of integrating and adapting to the American lifestyle. Mukherjee’s “A Father,” Harjo’s “The Path to the Milky Way Leads through Los Angeles,” and Yamada’s “A Bedtime story” allow the speakers to explore how American views and ways of life are taken up by those who inhabit it.
In Mukherjee’s “A Father,” we see a family’s routine life in their new found home in America. The father of the family, Mr. Bhowmick, holds his Indian traditions strong throughout days as he goes through the motions of working and supporting a family. His traditions are challenged on a daily basis by a agnostic wife who thrives on the American customs and a daughter whose headstrong ideals brings disrespect to his mind and little love to his heart. Mr. Bhowmick seemed content with staying in India. However, the nagging of his wife led him to America, a place he views as the originator of a lot of the family’s problems. The final blow arises when the daughter, Babli, announces her pregnancy is from a sperm bank. Such shame causes Mr. Bhowmick to strike Babli in the stomach. Mr. Bhowmick’s character is obviously one who thinks highly of his customs and traditions. He is also a superstitious man who fears shame. His family had not only integrated themselves into the American lifestyle, they have adapted to the views of such. Balbi is described as an independent woman, the theme of an American female. Her views lead her to artificial insemination, a procedure common in the states. It seems that while Mr. Bhowmick has been keeping his tradition alive, the rest of his family has been Americanized.
“The Path to the Milky Way Leads through Los Angeles” focuses on how the American lifestyle has blocked us from seeing life and heaven in all aspects. “We can’t easily see that starry road from the perspective of the crossing of boulevards (Harjo 13-14).” Harjo analyzes how we have Americanized life itself, which in turn blinds us from experiencing true bliss. “But like crow I collect the shine of anything beautiful I can find (Harjo 28).” The speaker is still able to find the splendor of life through the smoke screen known as America.
Yamada takes a different approach through “A Bedtime story.” The Papa of the poem tells the story of an elderly lady who journeys for shelter. After being shunned away, she sleeps outside. Appearing to her was the world and all its beauty. She then thanks the people for turning her away, for their lack of generosity has opened her eyes to the world around her. Such a beautiful story is responded with the speaker’s saying of “That’s the end (Yamada 45)?” This goes to show how modern America has little compassion towards the richness the world has to offer. The wealth of the world is not seen through traditional vision, but is viewed through the eyes and minds of modern America. The three speakers show us through their works that the American views are adapted by the people who inhabitant it.