Tripmaster Monkey and Hollow City are both novels dealing with problems facing the culture of San Francisco: how it is fragmented, how that leads to the alienation of its own parts, and in Tripmaster Monkey a means of solving and mending such problems.
Maxine Hong Kingston’s Tripmaster Monkey gives a compelling and ambivalent portrait of San Francisco and the Bay Area in the 1960’s as a subversive and multicultural home to all walks of life. The same way that Wittman Ah Sing struggles throughout the novel to synthesize his own heritage and identity of being both American and Chinese, the city of San Francisco reveals the conflicts that arise from being both a Chinese community and a major metropolitan west coast city. This conflict is portrayed in Wittman himself at the beginning of the novel where he “considered suicide every day. Entertained it” (pg. 1). He does so because he does not know who he is, hence his attempt to identify with Hemingway (pg. 1), and in doing so create an identity. The scene where Wittman with his scruffy beard is given the “stink eye” from a more orthodox Chinese person in Chinatown (Stephanie’s lecture, 11/25) shows the cultural conflicts present in the community. They resent Wittman because he represents to them a push away from his culture, rather than a synthesis of two cultures, which is what he is, or yearns to be. San Francisco is shown as a place of conflict due to its insensitivity and misunderstanding of its own multiculturalism. This can be seen in the stereotypically Chinese looking phone booth that offends Wittman.
Hollow City is an analysis of the ways in which the more dominant and richer communities in San Francisco push out and make it harder for the more undesirable populations to live there. What this leads to is an overall lack of interesting people, art culture, and diversity. This ties into Tripmaster Monkey because the chapter “The Shopping Cart and The Lexus” of Hollow City deals with the attempts of the San Franciscan government programs to move the poor to other areas. This translates into campaigns against minority communities (especially Asians or Latinos for being undocumented), African Americans, seniors, and the homeless. Rather than encourage the growth and reconciliation of such communities into the rest of the population, the government tries to drive them out.
This is the exact opposite of what Wittman Ah Sing is attempting in Tripmaster Monkey. I find it quite interesting that both of these books are approaching the same problem, but from different angles, making the subject all the more illuminating.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The San Francisco Sports Contado
What status symbol best connotes the majesty and grandeur of a major U.S. metropolitan center? I can think of no better acquisition than that of a Sports team. When a city gains a major sports team it also gains a stadium (which can have many uses other than just sports), team and regional pride, increased tourism and revenue, as well as national notoriety. So how does a city obtain a major sports franchise? Well, unless the league that runs the sport allows for the creation of a new team, one must hope that an already existing team will move from their home to the city being discussed. This was the case with the New York Giants in 1957. Their attendance was slumping, and another prominent New York Major League Baseball team, The Brooklyn Dodgers was beginning to consider moving to Los Angeles.
While The Dodgers’ move to Los Angeles portrays the influence of the Southern California/ Los Angeles contado, the Giants’ move to San Francisco illustrates the pull of the Northern California/ San Francisco contado and begins one of the greatest sports rivalries of all time. I believe it is worth noting that Los Angeles and San Francisco’s feuds stem from being the southern point of power and the northern point of power respectively, in one of the most powerful states in the U.S. (leaving no centralized city of power or importance). The rivalry of The Dodgers and The Giants is a powerful example of how each city attempts to broaden its conceived power, influence, and importance; in other words expand its perceived cultural contado further, perhaps even in an attempt to encompass its rival city (in a more serious note many have died in this struggle as a result of the consolidation of California gangs into either the Surenos (southern) or the Nortenos (northern)).
Although both San Francisco and Los Angeles were happy to obtain a baseball team, the moves left the people of New York distraught to say the least as they were faced with the grim reality that their three team rich city had dwindled down to a rather ordinary looking baseball town. The dominance of New York baseball had become a victim to the pull of San Francisco consumption. One should also keep in mind the importance of baseball in American life in the Nineteen Fifties. The teams moves lead to New York’s own cultural contado shrinking as it was forced to share not only its baseball teams but its dominance of economic, cultural, and artistic influences with the rise of the great western cities.
The idea of the contado as the subordinate area, which helps feed the great consumption of a major urban city whether willingly or not, would hint at, when coupled with the opinions stated earlier San Francisco’s contado stretching all the way across mainland U.S. to obtain even New York as a region in its contado, at least in a small and symbolic way.
http://ebbets-field.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html
While The Dodgers’ move to Los Angeles portrays the influence of the Southern California/ Los Angeles contado, the Giants’ move to San Francisco illustrates the pull of the Northern California/ San Francisco contado and begins one of the greatest sports rivalries of all time. I believe it is worth noting that Los Angeles and San Francisco’s feuds stem from being the southern point of power and the northern point of power respectively, in one of the most powerful states in the U.S. (leaving no centralized city of power or importance). The rivalry of The Dodgers and The Giants is a powerful example of how each city attempts to broaden its conceived power, influence, and importance; in other words expand its perceived cultural contado further, perhaps even in an attempt to encompass its rival city (in a more serious note many have died in this struggle as a result of the consolidation of California gangs into either the Surenos (southern) or the Nortenos (northern)).
Although both San Francisco and Los Angeles were happy to obtain a baseball team, the moves left the people of New York distraught to say the least as they were faced with the grim reality that their three team rich city had dwindled down to a rather ordinary looking baseball town. The dominance of New York baseball had become a victim to the pull of San Francisco consumption. One should also keep in mind the importance of baseball in American life in the Nineteen Fifties. The teams moves lead to New York’s own cultural contado shrinking as it was forced to share not only its baseball teams but its dominance of economic, cultural, and artistic influences with the rise of the great western cities.
The idea of the contado as the subordinate area, which helps feed the great consumption of a major urban city whether willingly or not, would hint at, when coupled with the opinions stated earlier San Francisco’s contado stretching all the way across mainland U.S. to obtain even New York as a region in its contado, at least in a small and symbolic way.
Links for More Information
- Consolidation of Cali. Gangs: http://www.geocities.com/comandante_cruz/surenos/
- Giants Dodgers rivalry: http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/caple_jim/1432476.html
- Giants Move to S.F.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Giants
- Dodgers Move to L.A.:
http://ebbets-field.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html
Monday, October 20, 2008
Ginsberg's "Howl"
Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” is a haunting and beautiful poem that is written in multiple parts and deals with many facets of society and the human condition there in. However, in this analysis I would like to deal with part Two of the poem exclusively. This part of the poem deals with the idea of “Moloch” (Pg. 21). It means curse, and has a wonderful ambiguity in the way Ginsberg portrays it. The “Moloch” is that which we as a society have created, and that which we continue to create that poisons our inherent humanity. The production of droves of identical soldiers, machinery, buildings, factories, and pavement cover up the uniqueness and humanity of the world. Ginsberg portrays the Moloch as a paradoxical entity. It is subtly human in some ways, yet cold and inhuman at a closer look. This points out to the reader that the Moloch is our making, has gone out of control and taken on a life of its own. It is a curse against humanity, a curse humanity made against itself, and a curse that Ginsberg spits back.
Part Two begins with a short and symbolic description of the “Moloch” as a “sphinx of cement and aluminum...” (Pg. 21) that “bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination” (Pg. 21). This use of “their” refers to most of society, but probably excludes poets for they are blessed/tortured with the ability to see the “Moloch” hard at work all around them. “Cement and aluminum” are symbolic of the mass-produced and faceless objects and institutions the “Moloch” consists of. Just in this short description the reader is already shown that the “Moloch” is a seemingly living and conscious being.
It is very interesting to note how Ginsberg paints a picture of the “Moloch” as seemingly human, but in actuality not human at all. Part Two refers to the “Moloch” as having “fingers” (Pg.21), “ears” (Pg.21), a “mind” (Pg.21), “judgment” (Pg.21), “blood” (Pg.21), a “breast” (Pg.21), “eyes” (Pg.21), and “love” (Pg.22). However, all of these things end up being in relation to completely non-human attributes. The “mind” of “Moloch” is that of “pure machinery” (Pg.21) not a compassionate reasoning mind, but instead a cold, calculating and inhuman mind. “Moloch[‘s]” “blood is running money” (Pg 21), “eyes are a thousand blind windows” (Pg 21), and “love” is “oil and stone” (Pg 22). Money instead of “blood” flows through its veins. This conveys how the unblinking and heartless effects of capitalism are a core aspect of “Moloch”, and how it hurts our society. The eyes are often seen in poetic terms as the windows to the soul, but for “Moloch” they are “blind”, showing perhaps the lack of a soul. The fact that there are a thousand windows points once again to a faceless and indistinguishable monster. The “love” “Moloch” has is only that which is hard and cold (rock) or that which can be used for one’s own betterment (“oil”). This flies in the face of any normal definition of love and therefore fits perfectly with the inhumanity of the monster. “Moloch” is something made from humanity that contains no humanity at all.
I suppose the best way to fight the inhumane creations of humanity is to create something utterly humane. That is what “Howl” is; it is the emotional and turbulent ride through the many dimensions of humanity as it defies with an animalistic scream the inhumanity of “Moloch”. Ginsberg’s incredible use of contrast puts a kind of face on the shadowy monster. He puts our(societies) face on the monster. He is our making. He is our curse.
Part Two begins with a short and symbolic description of the “Moloch” as a “sphinx of cement and aluminum...” (Pg. 21) that “bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination” (Pg. 21). This use of “their” refers to most of society, but probably excludes poets for they are blessed/tortured with the ability to see the “Moloch” hard at work all around them. “Cement and aluminum” are symbolic of the mass-produced and faceless objects and institutions the “Moloch” consists of. Just in this short description the reader is already shown that the “Moloch” is a seemingly living and conscious being.
It is very interesting to note how Ginsberg paints a picture of the “Moloch” as seemingly human, but in actuality not human at all. Part Two refers to the “Moloch” as having “fingers” (Pg.21), “ears” (Pg.21), a “mind” (Pg.21), “judgment” (Pg.21), “blood” (Pg.21), a “breast” (Pg.21), “eyes” (Pg.21), and “love” (Pg.22). However, all of these things end up being in relation to completely non-human attributes. The “mind” of “Moloch” is that of “pure machinery” (Pg.21) not a compassionate reasoning mind, but instead a cold, calculating and inhuman mind. “Moloch[‘s]” “blood is running money” (Pg 21), “eyes are a thousand blind windows” (Pg 21), and “love” is “oil and stone” (Pg 22). Money instead of “blood” flows through its veins. This conveys how the unblinking and heartless effects of capitalism are a core aspect of “Moloch”, and how it hurts our society. The eyes are often seen in poetic terms as the windows to the soul, but for “Moloch” they are “blind”, showing perhaps the lack of a soul. The fact that there are a thousand windows points once again to a faceless and indistinguishable monster. The “love” “Moloch” has is only that which is hard and cold (rock) or that which can be used for one’s own betterment (“oil”). This flies in the face of any normal definition of love and therefore fits perfectly with the inhumanity of the monster. “Moloch” is something made from humanity that contains no humanity at all.
I suppose the best way to fight the inhumane creations of humanity is to create something utterly humane. That is what “Howl” is; it is the emotional and turbulent ride through the many dimensions of humanity as it defies with an animalistic scream the inhumanity of “Moloch”. Ginsberg’s incredible use of contrast puts a kind of face on the shadowy monster. He puts our(societies) face on the monster. He is our making. He is our curse.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Ferlinghetti Response
Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poems on San Francisco tell the unique stories of a city of multiplicity. A town who's differing and separate creeds, classes, races, opinions, and outlooks add up to a bittersweet portrayal of San Francisco as an ambivalent city on the edge of the western world.
Ferlinghetti utilizes juxtaposition and imagery to convey the vast contrast and complexity of San Francisco. the most powerful use of these devices is in "Yachts In Sun", a poem about the vast difference in classes, as seen in a view of the San Francisco bay. The power of this poem is in the way the "white yachts" with their "white sails" filled with pushing wind are shown to "freely pass" over the bones of "an Alcatraz con", "imprisoned" "fifty fathoms below" "the glass of the sea". The beautiful and cold imagery of the water as a burial place is contrasted to the pristine white boats in the warm sun. These white boats represent the well-off people in the city, who's expensive toys allow them glide almost insultingly over the tomb of someone of a lower class. In this sense, to the rich the ocean is a relaxing travel destination, but to a lower class criminal it is a treacherous, tormenting, and icy resting spot. The duality of the situation and the town, and the contrast of the two class figure's situations brings home the image of a town so mixed and jumbled with differences that there is no easy way to portray it other than to show those differences in action.
This bitter-sweet (mostly bitter) treatment of the conflicting classes of San Francisco and the eerily picturesque image symbolic of that dynamic works very well to portray the great multiplicities of San Francisco.
Ferlinghetti utilizes juxtaposition and imagery to convey the vast contrast and complexity of San Francisco. the most powerful use of these devices is in "Yachts In Sun", a poem about the vast difference in classes, as seen in a view of the San Francisco bay. The power of this poem is in the way the "white yachts" with their "white sails" filled with pushing wind are shown to "freely pass" over the bones of "an Alcatraz con", "imprisoned" "fifty fathoms below" "the glass of the sea". The beautiful and cold imagery of the water as a burial place is contrasted to the pristine white boats in the warm sun. These white boats represent the well-off people in the city, who's expensive toys allow them glide almost insultingly over the tomb of someone of a lower class. In this sense, to the rich the ocean is a relaxing travel destination, but to a lower class criminal it is a treacherous, tormenting, and icy resting spot. The duality of the situation and the town, and the contrast of the two class figure's situations brings home the image of a town so mixed and jumbled with differences that there is no easy way to portray it other than to show those differences in action.
This bitter-sweet (mostly bitter) treatment of the conflicting classes of San Francisco and the eerily picturesque image symbolic of that dynamic works very well to portray the great multiplicities of San Francisco.
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