Let's see if you are 'honest' and follow my directions:
Open SON OF ITALY on a page at random. RE-READ that chapter and the one before or after that (total of two chapters).
See if you discover something you had missed the first time. What is it? How does that relate to your own previous take on the book, or the conversation we had in class, or new thoughts and ideas?
In the COMMENT, specify what chapters you reread (don't use the number, give us a few clues) and the new stuff you discovered, and explain why it has new meaning for you.
REPLY to at least one comment posted after your own (yes, come back to read what other people had to say.)
After picking a random page in Son of Italy and rereading two chapters from the book, I noticed one sentence that means a lot more to me now than before I read the whole book. Before describing his passing through Ellis Island, D’Angelo tells us that many of the immigrants borrowed money to get to America “whose interest alone we would barely be able to pay when we got back.” The single sentence in which this was written tells me that America really was the only hope for every one of these people that decided to leave Italy. I don’t understand how going back could ever be an option, especially for Pascal and his father. His father was tired of working the land and never being able to really make any money. How could anyone think returning to Italy was ever a possibility, especially if you were going to owe more money than ever before?
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, once they all arrived in America and began working as pick and shovel men, they worked steadily for four years. Unfortunately, they earned a very small wage that didn’t help improve their lives at all. It seems to me that they were in a very familiar position. They needed to work to survive and they did, but no amount of work on the roads and railways was ever going to get them anything more than what they needed to live. D’Angelo stated plainly that all they received in exchange for their hard work, health and lives was a meager living. This is how things were in Italy, as well. I now realize the futility of their efforts to improve their station in life. In my opinion their lives were even less fulfilling than before because at least in Italy they had their families, communities, land and culture. In America they only had each other. Everything else was foreign to them.
In SON of Italy in the first chapter that I opened, thing that I discover was a man named Mario Lancia who met them and helped Pascal and his father on the trip to America, and when Pascal saw and enter the train he was nervous and agitated. and went he arrived in Ellis Island there was many confusion. The chapter has new meaning to because what I take for granted Pascal found amazing.In other chapter the part that I reread and notice the second time was this mother doing everything in her power to keep the idea of Pascal leaving out of his head.how a mother would do anything for their child.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I read the book I didn't notice the mother doing this for him. This part made me feel warm inside because I am a mother so I can relate.
The chapter that I opened up randomly was one when he described his first Real view of New York, when he and his friends were sauntering on the streets. I missed one thing when I first read it. Pascal was talking about Shady Side, a factory town. He mentioned that people in that town were barely living according to the higher concepts of life. But these people are on the same level of unhappiness as those who are always nervous and in a hurry to they offices. They all live gray lives, doesn’t really matter where. Because when he worked from dusk till down and saw nothing else he was happy. It is an interesting philosophical approach and I’m glad I’d noticed it this time.
ReplyDeleteThe second chapter was about stolen pocketbook. One thing I didn’t get right was that it was actually Matteo who dragged the thief to the police station, not that the thief ran himself in order to find a protection. Then it got even worse, because policeman was ready to put poor Matteo in jail considering all.
It made me feel sorry for a poor Italian guy and I felt once again how not fair were people toward foreigners
I remember the two chapters you read very well. This is partly because my two chapters overlapped yours, but also because these three chapters (the two you read and the one before) are my favorite in the book. D’Angelo is growing up, learning a lot about the new land he's living in and he seems happy, for the most part. Also, I was very pleased with how Matteo, Andrea and Pascal were able to handle the thief. It was satisfying to see some justice in favor of these men, especially when they deserved so much more from their adventures in America. At the end of your second chapter, did you feel the same sense of triumph that I did?
DeleteAfter reading over these chapters of life in slavery almost, I emotionally invested myself in the book more. Much more than before because know I am reliving Pascal's pain and journey. Plus, these two chapters are so detailed with anger and emptiness that rereading the chapter was an endless nightmare. I found it hard to continue reading the chapters because I had already read the chapters and it was torture to visualize it all again. People were being tricked in one part, lied to in another, and putting their life on the line just to survive ultimately. When Pascal went into detail how the commissary system worked and how you work so hard for your money and you HAD to waste it just to continue making money. I am so fortunate for work labor unions and laws. Yeah, I would never reread those chapters honestly. I am in the library and I feel so depressed and emotionally drained. I just want to go home honestly after reading those two chapters.
ReplyDeleteAt random, I chose the chapter that focused on Pascal and his return back to New York after many mishaps in Northern New Jersey. In this chapter, Pascals speaks of his return with his gang, back to the "headquarters", in hopes of finding food and a job, which ultimately became his prime interests. He spoke of being hungry, and his encounters with old friends, as well as being offered a place to stay which included a real bed. I seemed to miss his moment of defeat when reading this chapter the first time, as he mentioned that he became "lighthearted" after his many defeats, and began laughing at the foremen who would shout at him. I often described him as admirable because of his strength, but this moment seemed to me like a time of almost giving up.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to that chapter, the next one that I reread concerned Pascal and his interest in Aida. He spoke of trying to find his way around Brooklyn, and finally finding his way through the confusion. He described being able to hear the "supreme melodies" of Aida despite the loud noises and car screams that Brooklyn had to offer. I seemed to have missed his vivid description of being able to hear beauty through noise. His rendition of that moment felt real, and almost euphoric as I was trying to picture what that moment must have felt like for him.
After re-reading the random chapter I was able to understand that Pascual really didn't have the love for music like he did for writing. After he went to see Aida he was determined to learn an instrument do he can write a play. After several attempts and once the foreman came an paid for the mandalion and broke it. Pascual really gave up on music. He loves to sit in the box car alone so he could write the night away.
ReplyDeleteThis also bothered me the first time around. Why did Pascal give up so easily? He sticked around through hell, but gave up when someone broke his musical instrument? Maybe he just had a strong passion for literature/writing.
DeleteThis also bothered me the first time around. Why did Pascal give up so easily? He sticked around through hell, but gave up when someone broke his musical instrument? Maybe he just had a strong passion for literature/writing.
DeleteI re-read the chapter in which Matteo had his pocketbook stolen, and the chapter after. Something I noticed that had not before was the number of places Pascal’s gang went to work. It wasn’t just New York City, but different parts of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. I thought back to what was discussed in class about how travel fares were set at an especially high rate for foreigners to afford. The gang was working for low wages already, and then there were travel expenses which cut into earnings. Also, whenever they would travel to a new state, they would be in a new and unknown territory once more.
ReplyDeleteI feel more frustrated than I had in my previous reading. They had to work so much harder, and it seems like their hard work amounted to so little towards their own futures. I better understand why some immigrants left for their home countries. This is probably one of the main reasons Pascal’s gang left the country.
I definitely agree with everything you said. It made me frustrated as well reading the amount of places they went to, the fares, and the extremely low wages. Made me think of today how we make a living of work. It was completely different to what it was back then. Especially the treatment they were getting on top of it. Many times I tried to put myself in their shoes and I just couldn't do it.
DeleteWhen I initially read the book I overlooked The line when Pascal referred to himself as "green" . I'm not sure how I missed it . I immediately thought of one of my favorite poems "Nothing Gold Can Stay " by Robert Frost .” Natures first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold "America took a huge part of Pascals innocence. It changed him tremendously . We watch him evolve from a boy into a man. I did not understand it when the professor said that this was not a story of the American dream. I now I understand .
ReplyDeleteThe chapters I reread showed the difference between an American and immigrant personality . Pascal mentions that he and Federico are "gazing around delighted". He goes on to say that at the same time Saverio had a cold glare because he was Americanized . This is significant because in both The Italian and Son of Italy the characters are swindled by Americans that they befriend . It is an early exposure to life outside of the small village where everyone who seems worthy of trust, may not be .
I always wanted to get a tattoo of a libra scale with green on one side and gold on the other. I never knew how to display that on the body though. You should listen to the song "Green and Gold" by Lianne la Havas. Her whole album Blood is dope and it just popped out immediately when I read your post.
DeleteI will ! Thank you :)
DeleteThe chapter that I randomly re-read in the book was the chapter when Pascal's crew was disbanded due to unable to find a proper job. At that time, some of his friends and his father decided to go back to Italy. When I read until there, I was instantly being reminded of my parents used to come back to Malaysia just to take care of me, even though my parents did not do it because they couldn't find a proper job in U.S. . However, my mom decided to come back to New York because she felt that there's still better opportunity and lifestyle to have in here. This also reminded me of the discussions professor brought it up: "Not everyone left their own native country only because of the money they can earn, but also because of their future generations." This caught me so bad because I totally can understand it more after reading the text. Pascal sacrificed almost everything even though he know he could've go back to Italy and live an normal life ever after. But because of his passion in writing, he chose to endure all of his trials and circumstances just to pursuit the life that he wanted.
ReplyDeleteThis was one of my favorite chapters .. It was a turning point in the book . Pascal is on his own for the first time and any " green " that was left on his young body was gone after this event . He is strong and brave . Eventually his hardships and struggles pay off . He learns a new language all by himself . It's awesome .
DeleteI reread the chapter (and the one after) that introduced the commissary system to us. Later on in the chapter we witness the agonizing death of Andrea, and eventually the disbanding of the gang. One important detail that I missed the first time around was Pascal’s interaction with his father. Pascal's father was much saddened that his son was staying in America. The text even refers to the father as a, "broken-hearted man." Why was the father so upset? Did he really believe that there was no hope at all in America?
ReplyDeleteThis made me think about the other Italians who stayed in America. Did they also struggle through the same things as Pascal? It must have taken them some strong perseverance to continue on in America even when their friends and family told them there was no hope.
I feel as if that moment between his father & himself was heartbreaking. It felt like a moment of despair, and the father ultimately felt beaten down from experiencing so many mishaps in a new world. I can understand why the father felt the need to go back to his home. However, I too wonder about the lives of the other Italians in America. I wonder if they suffered as bad as Pascal and the rest of the gang.
DeleteThe page I landed on was when two characters were pinned under the derrick and the rest of the gang were trying to help them free. I continued to read that chapter and the one after when I released more that the narrator was very determined to know America and have a reason to still be there. Everyone else in the gang fled back home even his father. Not even his father could of stopped him from returning. As he said in the earlier chapter of the book, he wasn't expecting to come back to Italy at all one bit. He wanted to make a living in America doing something which he continued to research on. Narrator showed a lot of ambition and motivation with no signs of giving up. Reminds me of Michael Jordan in the NBA. He never gave up even when he wasn't great in high school. Continued to seek his strength to finally become successful later in his career.
ReplyDeleteMy random chapter happened to be the chapter when Pascal finds out that his father wants to go to America. "And what is it that saves the man and keeps him from being ground under the hard power of necessity? The New World!" I decided to read my chapters after watching the film, which deepened my connection with the text. It hurt me to know that so many immigrants felt like the new world was their only way out, but as we see the grass isn't always greener on the other side. to feel hopeless in your own country, to have to leave your family with the possibility of never seeing them again in order to better yourself; I don't think I connected with this or the message itself before
ReplyDelete