Chapter 1 was a very monotonous read for me...as I'm sure it was for everyone. Lucy gave an incredible amount of detail about many different important aspects of Yurok life. Relating to our discussion today, I think this is an attempt at survivance. She has created a written account about her tribe that will outlast the existence of the Yurok, should their tribe cease to exist. She includes the Yurok names for different people as well as their words for objects, seasons, numbers, etc. This is significant as well (though just adds more confusion for a foreign reader) since, as we've also discussed in class, language is often a very important factor in the preservation of a population/society/culture. This all said, the book seems like less of a story of her life, less like an autobiography and more of a written account of Yurok traditions and daily life with a few personal stories added in to exemplify specific aspects.
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Yes, chapter 1 was pretty hard to get through! It was boring at some points, but maybe that was just because I expected her to write more about herself. Which I guess she probably did since she identifies with her culture. But I was looking forward to reading more of the actual events that happened to her (similar to Winnemucca!).
ReplyDeleteI think you are right about the language thing. In her own introduction she did mention that she was going to give the names and things in her native tongue. I think that really adds to the book and it's message
I completely agree. Language is such an important part of culture, both from a speaking an writing perspective. Lucy seems to have realized that writing can reach further into the future than than the culture itself and wants to preserve what she can. I found the insertion of Yurok to be enlightening. It demonstrated a different perspective on time which is alway interesting. This definitely seems to be simply documenting Yurok traditions and culture, rather than really being an autobiography. Also, your dog is adorable!
ReplyDeletefirst of all i hate your dog. haha joking joking.
ReplyDeleteanyway, i think the first chapter is very important, although boring. i think that it is boring only because she words it in such a monotonous tone, if it was any contemporary writer i think they could make these accounts of indians interesting and fun to read about. however, even though the text is boring, its importance lies in the fact that it's preserving a whole culture of people.
btw your dog rules :]
There was a lot of information. It was kind of overwhelming. She was piling story after story and adding characters with no mercy. Though I also agree that the first chapter was very important. It set the stage, and revealed a lot of "ambiance" about the characters of the people and their relationships with each other. It also just reveals so much about the culture in subtle ways.
ReplyDeleteThe first chapter is a tough read, and y'all are right that Thompson's book doesn't seem to be an autobiography. I guess the question is what would we call this book, then?
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