English Final Project: Empathy

Below is the link to my Junior Year English class final project!
https://newtrier.ed.voicethread.com/universal/thread/12654347/

The Challenges of Reading

        Song of Solomon, written by Toni Morrison, is a challenging book in multiple ways. Not only is the content disturbing, but it is also hard to follow some of the events because of the lack of backstory, and jumping around in time. Out of those two challenging things with this book, the most challenging has probably the content itself. It has been hard for me to read some of the instances that refer to incest, violence, alcohol, and sex. When I come across a passage that has those topics included, I remember that this is usually only one person’s perspective, and that it could have not happened at all. In the passage below from chapter 3, it made me slightly uneasy that not only did Macon hit his wife, but Milkman hit his own dad. It made me think about the many possible consequences from the “fights”, which overwhelmed me, so I thought about something else (in this case it was that Milkman was maturing, and finding out what his purpose in life was). There are also other instances of abuse and sex, and at first, I skipped over them, but then I missed some key details. Now I think about how the event could have not even happened, or that some of the information is wrong. In general, Song of Solomon can be challenging due to the shifting timeline, vocabulary, and the substance.

Who I Am

My name is Lithuanian. In 1387 the country of Lithuania was Christianized from Paganism. Due to this act, many last names were changed into more Christian names: this means that my last name was changed to fit into societal norms, and is lost. Due to this change, my last name is now a Christian name. Also, my first name is based on a Catholic saint. Not only that but my name is a very common Lithuanian name (from the early 20th century). My name actually means “crown” in Lithuanian. My family is Lithuanian: my grandparents immigrated to the USA and Canada during WWII. That being said, though I would consider myself 100% Lithuanian, I am also American and Canadian. My grandparents immigrated here via boats, and came in through Ellis Island (USA) and Pier 21 (Canada). One side of my grandparents lived in Detroit and then moved to Indiana. Once they married, they moved here. For the grandparents who immigrated to Canada, they are still there. Only my mom moved to the US when she married my dad. Having said that I’m still 100% Lithuanian, I am also 100% white. Although I am a female, being white helps me be accepted by society. I am also Christian, so I celebrate Easter, and Christmas, and attend church. Being “white”, I tend to listen to classical music, and pop music (not rap), but my food is very varied due to my parents’ many travels and food experiences. Unfortunately, my family doesn’t have any legends, but we do have stories of fitting in. For instance, when my grandfather moved to Detroit, he worked at a factory, but lied about his skills so that he could get hired. This was due to society not accepting many immigrants, except those that we truly gifted. He did end up acquiring the skills needed and got a high position at work. On top of that, my grandparents in the US had to learn English to fit into society, while my grandparents in Canada had to learn both English and French. For them it was quite easy to learn without forgetting their homeland. For example, my grandparents on both sides were avid participants in the city’s Lithuanian community. They passed this love and heritage down to their kids, and eventually to my siblings and I. The fact that I’m Lithuanian has played a large role in shaping who I am today.