Elena Munk's Blog ASTU 100

In general, ASTU 100 has taught me various writing tools, how to read scholarly articles and fostered new perspectives. The topics that have stood out to me the most throughout the year were the ideas of reading ethically and the importance of marginalized people representing themselves. However, I found that the issue that changed my perspective the most was the purposes that autobiographies have and how they are framed. The framing and purpose of an autobiography, if not outlined by the author can be highly debatable, however, and whatever the conclusion both contribute to the story written in the pages. Framing can be done by the author themselves or another outside source, such as the publisher, but what it does is it attempts to find a market to sell to (Schaffer and Smith 14; Szorenyi 174). The purpose of a life narrative can reveal and broaden the experiences of one person to that of many, therefore highlighting a social issue, stigma, etc. Most of the works that we read discussed global and cultural issues or challenged previous ways of thinking about certain marginalized groups. The text that I found that highlighted this point very well is I am Rigoberta Menchu. Perhaps this is just because I have already done extended work on her text, but I feel as if her story certainly promotes a certain story. This was one of the first few primary texts that was studied in ASTU 100 and I found that it changed my thought process early on in the course. Although, since I did other research on it, maybe that is part of the reason why the themes it portrays have stayed with me throughout this year. Thinking of an author’s purpose never crossed my mind besides the vague idea that a writer is choosing to share their work for a reason rather than what that reason might be. However, this concept of autobiographies as purposeful for those besides the author has been prevalent through the other texts (some paired with scholarly articles) that we have read in class such as Maggie De Vries’ Missing Sarah, Ryan Knighton’s Cockeyed, and Fred Wah’s Diamond Grill for example.

Menchu’s purpose is to call attention to the injustices happening in her country, not only to herself, but to her fellow people as well. As widely discussed (and criticized) her work was written as a testimonio, which is meant to be understood as a collective story amongst the people (Smith and Watson 282). In the sections of Menchu’s writing that I have read, I have understood that her framing is to make the reader sympathetic to her cause (Schaffer and Smith 14; Szorenyi 179; Whitlock 79). She does this by sharing how she and her people have been oppressed and looked down upon by others. One story of discrimination she shares is how “if an Indian person gets on, [the bus] everyone is disgusted” and how despite being similar economically ladinos look down upon her and her people (Menchu 168). Her purpose to expose inequality in Guatemala is also highlighted through her juxtaposition of her own culture and how her people must fight against their persecution because they are different. For example, she discusses something her father told her about how “a man’s head wasn’t just for wearing a hat (we Indians all wear hats). It…was for thinking about what [they]…should do to try and change things” and by “things” Menchu is referring to the banning of certain ceremonies and cultural practices (Menchu 155).

This change of view for me is significant because it allows me, the reader, to look past the writer and to figure out the key issues or points the writer is trying to convey. Framing, particularly was interesting to study throughout the year because many sources challenged previous framing that has been done that should be changed, like DeVries does in Missing Sarah for example and what Jiwani and Young highlight throughout their article (De Vries; Jiwani and Young). When focusing on the higher level purpose and framing that comes along with a book it furthers the story. This outlook made me, when reading other books to take a further step back from the text to seek a deeper understanding of why the text matters or should matter to the audience.

Works Cited

Jiwani, Y., and M. L. Young. “Missing and Murdered Women: Reproducing Marginality in News Discourse.” Canadian Journal of Communication, vol. 31, no. 4, 2006., pp. 895-917.

Knighton, Ryan. Cockeyed, A Memoir. Toronto: Penguin Canada. 2006.

Menchu Rigoberta. I Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala. Edited by Elisabeth Burgos-Debray. Verso, 1984. PDF. Pp. 164-65

Schaffer, Kay and Sidonie Smith. “Conjunctions: Life Narratives in the Field of Human Rights”. Biography vol. 27, no. 1, 2004, pp. 1-24. Project Muse. doi: 10.1353/bio.2004.0o39

Smith, Sidonie and Watson, Julie. Reading Autobiography: A Guide for Interpreting Life Narratives. 2001 2^nded., University of Minnesota Press, 2010. Web p.282 http://muse.jhu.edu.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/chapter/898065

Szörényi, Anna. “Till Human Voices Wake Us: Responding to Refugee Testimony”. Life Writing. Vol. 6, issue 2. 2009. Pp. 173-191. PDF. DOI: 10.1080/1448452090293092. Accessed Jan. 19, 2017.

Whitlock, Gillian. “Testimony Incarnate: Read My Lips.” Soft Weapons: Autobiography in Transit. University of Chicago Press, 2006. Chicago Scholarship Online. Pp. 69-85 DOI:10.7208/chicago/9780226895277.003.0004

Vries, Maggie De. Missing Sarah: A Memoir of Loss. Toronto: Penguin Canada, 2008. Print.

Wah, Fred. Diamond Grill: 10^th anniversary. Edmonton: NeWest Press, 2008. Print.

the comment section was not allowing me to post, so:

Hi Dr. McNeill, if you are reading or re-reading my blog, I just wanted to let you know I had not noticed until now (Sunday night) that I had left out a citation. I just added it in now- “(Menchu 168)”.
Thank you,
Elena

In Fred Wah’s Diamond Grill he speaks in large about his family and their experiences of being a Chinese-Canadian family in the early to mid-1900s. Some main focuses are in stories shared about his grandfather like his fondness of gambling and his own father like settling into life in Canada (58, 19). Fred Wah (jr.) tells a narrative that is shared with other members of his family too however. His frequent mentions of family reunions (84, 87-88, 89, 140-41) or other histories creates a wide story that encompasses not only his immediate family, but aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Wah also uses other family members besides his father and grandfather to share his story, one being his “Ray, [his] oldest boy cousin” and another “older cousin” (87, 84).

Whenever Wah includes or introduces Ray, it almost always follows the same theme. The two of them are speaking and then the writing shifts to Ray speaking for most of the passage, explaining something to his younger cousin (87-88, 91, 93). The stories Ray shares are also typically not of advice for his younger cousin, but stories of his family’s life or that of the older generation. The same can be said of Wah’s other cousin, mentioned once, who talks about their parents when they were younger (84). It is interesting how Wah chooses to use his cousins as sharing these points instead of writing a prose himself and sharing the information as he does with other topics, like his father and Aunt Ethel being forced to move to China (5-7). Why would he choose to use his cousins for these explanations instead of himself?

The cousins, particularly Ray adds another layer to his/their complicated family. He is the vessel in which Wah is able to discover (and share) further information. In the simplest explanation it could be that Wah thought another voice would be more engaging for the read. However, Wah’s use of his cousins seem to be to share stories that include people past his immediate family and give the reader further knowledge on his history. They share stories that may not have been told to him by other family members-namely his father- and to answer his questions that he might not ask others, the type of topics cousins may talk about. A main example being the story shared about his father’s family when they were young and how they looked and their struggle with identity as half Chinese (84). Another being Wah’s questioning towards Ray about the different marriages between their parents and aunts and uncles, here they talk a bit about the small town of Swift Current where they lived (93-94). As well, having this information revealed through a discussion with another person unifies the concept of a shared history

Looking at Wah’s use of his cousins as an author however, it seems as if they are used by Wah to create links and chains to other stories that are similar to his own, but not quite and as mentioned previously, to share family history. As well, he introduces both as older cousins, which gives off the notion that they know more than he does in general and about the family. Ray is given his own voice multiple times in Wah’s writing, yet is used by Wah to only discuss events that include other family members and it is never revealed what Ray chooses to do in his life. His purpose is to serve as a storyteller to both Wah and the reader. To address my earlier question of why Wah would not explain these stories himself or even the need to include them, it could be that he tries to include the narratives to show how he is not the only one who has struggled as a Chinese-Canadian, so he includes particularly those who are older and those from the younger generation. He even acknowledges that there are others with similar identities to his own, stating that the “younger generation isn’t even half. [They’re] all chipped” (84). By using his cousins, in a way, he showcases that he is not alone besides his siblings in having a complicated heritage.

Works Cited:

Wah, Fred. Diamond Grill: 10th Anniversary. Edmonton: NeWest Press, 2008. Print.

The Humans of New York project started by photographer Brandon Stanton has ballooned into somewhat of a phenomenon acquiring about 18 million Facebook likes and produced two books (Stanton “About”), not to mention it has inspired similar projects even here at UBC and Vancouver (links here: https://www.facebook.com/humansofUBC/ and https://www.facebook.com/humansof604/). He even takes his project beyond New York and travels to different countries and documents people and their stories there. As his reasoning for these projects is not displayed on the website, it is interesting to explore his purpose and intent. Also how he as an ‘outsider’, tells the story of the people he photographs, while the photos are intriguing, I will focus on the writings accompanied with them.

When Stanton travels to other countries does he change his technique in questioning or sharing stories compared to what he does in New York? Is he correctly portraying people’s culture or is sharing culture even his intent? Schaffer and Smith discuss how “stories coming from local sites around the world…may lose their local specificity and resonance in translation” (Schaffer and Smith 11), does Stanton practice this?. Although Stanton is not translating entire books and it is possible that all the people he photographs also speak English, he still has a role in representing and conveying the stories of others from a culture different from his and his typical audience. The only way to really see how and what Stanton is trying to do, is by examining photos (and therefore stories) from the pages of New York and different countries.

Based upon the pictures I have seen from the Mexico photo gallery the stories do not seem to focus on the culture with only one picture having anything written in Spanish  and only one picture mentions Mexico by name, the rest are personal or vague stories (Stanton “Mexico”, photo links: http://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/98891134856/we-lived-in-different-cities-when-we-first-met, http://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/98472350856/ive-worked-to-eradicate-malaria-my-entire-life). In Uganda, however, there are a few stories that share how there is a lack of wealth in the country (Stanton “Uganda”). One person shares a story about rowing and how competing with European countries is hard because they are have better access to boats  (link: http://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/96215594381/i-row-16-kilometers-per-day-a-few-weeks-ago-i), while another describes how some days her family would go without food, but her mother would distract them (link: http://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/96022345441/they-sometimes-ask-me-about-their-grandmother). Despite a few differences, most stories from each country focus on romance, hopes and dreams for the future and an important aspect of someone’s past. I did notice however that the stories from other countries were quite a bit shorter than those from New York, often being only one sentence to about five, whereas in New York the stories were at least a paragraph long (Stanton “Latest Stories”, “Mexico”, “Uganda”). Overall, despite small differences, it could be argued that Stanton, in traveling is trying to show that even though places seem far away, the people are similar to those in New York, they have the same struggles and concerns. This is Stanton’s role as a collaborator, to appeal to a wider audience (Douglas 54-55), but in the process while showing the human experience as mostly universal he ignores particular cultural aspects. Only in the Uganda are there a couple of stories that share how there is inequality, but are not shaped in a way unlike the stories from New York. Similar to what Schaffer and Smith discuss about the work of human rights narratives, in trying to appeal to the globe, stories and their meanings are often edited, changed, and framed, but while Stanton takes direct quotes he chooses what pictures and stories make the cut (Schaffer and Smith 10-15). As well, with his success and increasing globalization, it seems natural that Stanton would want to find new ways to entertain his readers and prove that people are the same wherever one goes. This brief look is very limited however, as I have only compared Stanton’s work in New York with that of two other countries and perhaps his style of questioning changes with time over both New York and around the world. A few points appear to be clear though, his audience is the United States and the West (his original fan base), and the stories he shares revolve around poverty, family, and relationships.

Works Cited:

Douglas, Kate. “Lost and found: The Life Narratives of Child Asylum Seekers.” Life Writing, vol. 3, no. 1, 2006., pp. 41-59. doi:10.1080/10408340308518304.

Schaffer, Kay and Sidonie Smith. “Conjunctions: Life Narratives in the Field of Human Rights”. University of Hawai’i Press. 2004. PDF.

Stanton, Brandon. “About”. Humans of New York. http://www.humansofnewyork.com/about

Stanton, Brandon. Humans of New York. http://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/96215594381/i-row-16-kilometers-per-day-a-few-weeks-ago-i

Stanton, Brandon. Humans of New York. http://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/98472350856/ive-worked-to-eradicate-malaria-my-entire-life

Stanton Brandon. Humans of New York. http://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/96022345441/they-sometimes-ask-me-about-their-grandmother

Stanton, Brandon. Humans of New York. http://www.humansofnewyork.com/post/98891134856/we-lived-in-different-cities-when-we-first-met

Stanton, Brandon. “Latest Stories”. Humans of New York. http://www.humansofnewyork.com/

Stanton, Brandon. “Mexico”. Humans of New York. http://www.humansofnewyork.com/tagged/mexico

Stanton, Brandon. “Uganda”. Humans of New York. http://www.humansofnewyork.com/tagged/uganda

Life narratives can be represented in many different ways and contain various aspects that reflect the genre or key point the author is attempting to convey. In Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis and Malala Yousafzai’s I am Malala they both share some similar features within their storytelling that helps the reader fully understand their situations and characters. Both life narratives introduce the concept of sharing parts of their country’s past within their own story. This history differs from their own because it is something they have not experienced, but have only heard about. In the simplest sense the historical information provides a background to each of their country’s government and society that is referenced, but in a way also showcases the sentiments of each author.

This decision portrays their agency as writers, but what is important to look at is why each writer makes this choice. Establishing a person’s own roots in a life narrative is common, but often it is done through a person’s childhood or ‘humble beginnings’, interestingly, Yousafzai and Satrapi in their stories are more or less still children. While Yousafzai does talk about her birth and younger years (Yousafzai 13, 19-20), both feel the need to share their broad history because it contributes to their own. “The Water Cell” for example, features Marji’s father explaining to her how the Shah came to power and that she is descended from the king in power before him (Satrapi 19). This is an important moment for her to establish her identity to the reader, but also in her own life, it appears to be a realization of sorts. Yousafzai on the other hand describes the area of land she is from and intertwines it with other information in her life (Yousafzai 14-19). She seems to use history to explain her background, which is not entirely essential except for setting up the mindset and culture of her people (14-19). Both women/girls seem proud of their past and therefore see it necessary for the reader to understand that aspect of their life. They appear to have a strong enough relationship with their country, through the history, culture, people, etc. that there is the need for inclusion in a story about their lives because this information contributes to their identity.

The purpose for including the history however, is not only to portray the author’s background or necessarily written for the author themselves, but also for the reader, as mentioned previously. The question is, why do Malala and Satrapi choose to share historical information with the reader that are events that they did not live through themselves and as life narratives what is the significance of this? In terms of autobiographical works, the purpose goes beyond simple clarification for events referenced in the text, but could also be seen as informing the ‘outsider’. Using Satrapi and somewhat Yousafzai, the history spoken about defines the way they were raised or experienced life. While they do not experience these events first hand, in comparison to many of the other events discussed, they are entirely relevant.  Why is the use of non-personal history effective for life narratives? It opens up a story to the audience that goes further than the personal story of the author. In regards to the choice of the author to include this information, it contributes to their sense of self.

Works Cited

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Trans, Mattias Ripa and Blake Ferris. New York, NY: Pantheon. 2003. Print

Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. I am Malala: the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban. New York, NY: Little, Brown, & Company, 2013. pp. 3-9, 13-26, 154-164 . PDF.

1. Night in White Satin- Moody Blues

Go Your Own Way- Fleetwood Mac

American Pie- Don Mclean

Summer of 69- Bryan Adams

2. Bailando (feat. Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona)- Enrique Iglesias

Hotel California (Spanish Remix)- Gipsy Kings

No Vivere- Gipsy Kings

3. Doubt, Message Man, Stressed Out- Twenty One Pilots

Below my Feet, Ghosts That We Knew, Babel -Mumford and Sons

4. Burning in My Soul (feat. Brett Younker)- Passion

Mighty to Save- Hillsong

From the Inside Out- Hillsong

5. Wonderwall- Oasis

I Want it That Way- Backstreet boys

I Believe I Can Fly- R. Kelly

6. Numb, Bleed it out, The Catalyst, Waiting for the End, In the End- LINKIN PARK

I chose to make a music playlist to represent myself, the songs are a shortened list of songs (and artists) that I associate myself with. When I was making my playlist (which is based off of music that I have on my phone and therefore listen to predominantly) I separated them into groups and each section has its own reason for being grouped together. The whole experience was fun, but a little difficult because there are so many songs to choose from. As well, trying to establish a difference between songs I like and ones that represent me in a way (even though I like them too). The first group of songs are based in nostalgia; in that they were ones my parents (mainly my dad) played when I was kid. Within that group as well, some songs were only listened to on the weekend and others were for the car or road trips. The second group to me, is a representation of my heritage because my mom is from Spain. So there is some more recent Spanish music that I like to listen to and some more ‘typical’ Spanish songs. The third group is music that I like to listen to while studying or doing other homework depending on what mood I’m in- if I want louder music I’ll listen to Twenty One Pilots and similar music, but if I need only a quiet background sound I’ll pick Mumford and Sons. The fourth group is made up of Praise and Worship songs or what I suppose one could call ‘contemporary church music’. I’m a youth leader at my Church and fairly religious, so I included some of my favourite songs that we sing or I just like to listen to. The fifth group are songs that I equate with friends or particular events with friends. The sixth group and last grouping is the music I used to listen to when I am upset, frustrated, etc., I find the loud music to be a good outlet. Many of these songs do not exactly line up with an aspect of myself, but I find that they nonetheless represent me through my childhood, my family background, the time I spend doing schoolwork, my religion, my friends, and coping with difficulties.

In Dany Laferriere’s The World Is Moving Around Me he discusses his thoughts regarding Haiti’s reputation and how it is portrayed to the rest of the world. Based upon some of the sections we talked about in class on Thursday, I compared it to a Ted Talk that I had to watch for a Sociology assignment. It is by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie called “The Danger of a Single Story” and talks about how many people only have one idea of what a certain group, ethnicity, country, person, etc. should be like. These stereotypes are heavily based upon stories that are chosen to share and the media (Adichie).

In “Semantic Battle” in The World Is Moving Around Me, Laferriere talks about the way Haiti is perceived by the rest of the world, mostly synonymous with “poverty” and “corruption” (74-76). He then discusses the history behind Haiti, for example how they gained their independence and how that information often gets ignored (75-76). Haiti is viewed only as a country with constant issues which is their “single story”, in what the media portrays them as. Adichie describes a time when her roommate had a “single story” about her, which that since she is from Nigeria, her English is surprisingly good or listens to “tribal music”, even though as she explains English is one of Nigeria’s national languages and she listens to modern pop music (Adichie). She stresses the point that literature and media play a very important role in how the outside world treats and views others (Adichie). This can be connected to how Laferriere’s book includes not just the event of the earthquake, but memories and stories involving family and friends, as opposed to a third party’s view of the experience. He wishes to show how Haiti is more than what the rest of the world deems it to be. Chantal Guy and Ivanoh Demers in “January 11”, seem to somewhat break this need for ‘one’ viewpoint, by asking for Laferriere’s own story and history in regards to Haiti (131-132).

This concept of “single stories” shapes Laferriere’s writing because he seems to feel affected by the negative portrayal of Haiti. It is shown as a ‘weaker’ country and he tries to counter that by showing the strength of the people in the midst of a tragic event, by the stories he chooses to share. He also gives a background on the people he includes and introduces, creating a network of characters, exhibiting their own experiences both in life and after the earthquake. By calling attention to these people and their life works he also opens up to the reader a number of Haitians that have their own works (and art) that a reader could possibly look up, like Dominique Batraville (114). While it may not be the ‘main’ focus of the book, Laferriere does work to change the judgements placed upon the Haitian people through his storytelling.

Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. “The Danger of a Single Story.” TED. N.p., July 2009. Web.

https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en

Laferriere, Dany. The World Is Moving around Me: A Memoir of the Haiti Earthquake. Trans. David Homel. Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp, 2013. Print.

In an interview Shawn Conner from The Vancouver Sun had with Jason DaSilva, a filmmaker and victim of multiple sclerosis, he discusses how people react differently to him because of his disability. In India people stare and question him, whereas in North America he claims there is “an invisibility factor” (DaSilva). He explains that this “invisibility factor” makes it difficult for a disabled person to connect with the rest of society because “people don’t really talk to other people with disabilities” (DaSilva). Delving into possible reasons behind this blatant separation, it can often be due to people feeling uncomfortable because they do not know how to react to disabilities. It can be difficult to decide on whether or not to address a disability or how to do it without being offensive. Others may be more fearful of disability and therefore choose to avoid disabled people altogether. Either way, these attitudes, while not necessarily meant maliciously, only contribute to the exclusion. To further develop DaSilva’s “invisibility factor”, it reflects the stigmatization of and assumptions made towards people who are disabled with becoming ‘invisible’ as an outcome (Dasilva).

How disability is portrayed in the rhetoric of horror in Couser’s Signifying Bodies can be linked to promoting the “invisibility factor” because disability is shown “to be shunned or avoided” (DaSilva, Couser 34). It perpetuates the act of aversion towards those who are disabled (Couser 34), creating the type of separation DaSilva experiences (DaSilva). As well, Couser displays the “invisibility factor” through his summary of Ruth Sienkiewicz-Mercer’s I Raise My Eyes to Say Yes, which explains her time in an institution, despite having no mental limitations and her eventual freedom (DaSilva, Couser 42-44). By this event, she is invisible in the way that assumptions about her disability are made without further investigation and despite communication efforts, she is not understood until later (Couser 42-44). While DaSilva is outright ignored, Sienkiewicz-Mercer is neglected, both experiences are examples of how people with disabilities are given less of a presence in society (DaSilva, Couser 42-44). In conclusion, to eradicate this “invisibility factor”, society has to follow “the rhetoric of emancipation” that Siekiewicz-Mercer uses in her story (DaSilva, Couser 44). It focuses on addressing and dispelling stereotypes and marginalization towards those who are disabled (Couser 44-45), as well, people must be open to understanding disabilities and not fearing them.

Works Cited

DaSilva, Jason. “Q&A: Jason DaSilva’s disploitative point of view” Interview by Shawn Conner. The Vancouver Sun. Sept.16 2015. Web.  http://www.vancouversun.com/health/jason+dasilva+disploitative+point+view/11369008/story.html

Couser, G.T. Signifying Bodies: Disability in Contemporary Life Writing. University

of Michigan Press. 2009. PDF. Pp. 31-48

The jacket design for Malala Yousafzai’s I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education And Was Shot By The Taliban, is very powerful in it’s use of imagery. On the areas first visible to a potential reader, it includes two photos (front and back cover) with simple writing stating the title and authors. Most striking is the back cover which is typically dedicated to book reviews or a summary, but it is a picture of Malala and her father. In fact, no book reviews are included in the peritext of the book, the summary, however, is located on one of the inner flaps. It is possible the book reviews are excluded because the photo of Malala and her father pay greater tribute to the book than any review could. The picture is so effective because in the simplest sense as a reader who is viewing the book for the first time, it piques interest. While it could be assumed that he is Malala’s father his presence raises questions like what significance does he have? After reading the book, the decision in including him on the cover, reinforces the positive influence Malala describes him to have in her life throughout her writing (Yousafzai).  The specific picture and posing chosen reflects Malala’s admiration of her father for encouraging, supporting and advocating for her education, in addition to many other girls (Yousafzai). His proud smile and arm around Malala display his happiness over her work, the photo in general is charming. The picture would aid in sales because readers want to see the person behind the book and showcasing their (Malala and her father) relationship confirms what she has written.

Besides the covering, a particularly unique part of the peritext was that “A Note on the Malala Fund” was included after the acknowledgements (327). It talks about her hopes for education, mainly for girls and includes a link to the website (327). This page advertises her fund, but also showcases how she truly cares for the issues she has advocated for and despite setbacks, she will continue to work towards improving world education (327). As it is written in the first person, it seems like Malala chose to include this page in her book, which strengthens the reader’s opinion of her character. As well, that the book is not only about her personal struggles, but focuses on a larger purpose. Overall, the back jacket design and fund page are used to show Malala as a human being, who, regardless of being attacked, is still fighting for her beliefs (Yousafzai). They also expose two valuable aspects of her life-her father (and family) and her fund. These forms of advertisement portray Malala as ‘strong’ and ‘caring’ because her story while inspirational also features her as a past target (Yousafzai). She must be seen as confident, so the reader can then rally behind her.

Works Cited:

Yousafzai, Malala and Christina Lamb. I am Malala The Girl Who Stood Up For Education And Was Shot By The Taliban. Little Brown and Company, 2013. Print.

The Readings from Rigoberta Menchu’s I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Women in Guatemala takes place during a particularly horrifying and bloody period: Guatemala’s thirty-six year civil war. The civil war officially started in 1966, but disruption began when Colonol Castillo gained power with help from the CIA, overthrowing the president who was elected by the people: Jacobo Armenz, a supposed communist (Timeline: Guatemala’s Brutal Civil War). Ironically by dismissing a possible threat to the people’s freedom, it created a situation that offered little to no rights to the citizens especially the indigenous like Menchu (Menchu 158-160, 170-171). In William Blum’s ‘Guatemala, 1962-1980’s: A less publicized “final solution”‘ he describes the American presence throughout the 1960’s in which they trained troops and supported leaders they wanted to see in power. This outside involvement and influence gave way to a military dictatorship that led to a series of brutal leaders like General Garcia and General Montt who orchestrated the most killings and kidnappings (Guatemala CJA). Sadly, it seemed no other countries became involved until the rising death tolls from 1978-1981 gave notice to the “Inter-American Human Rights Commission” who accused the Guatemalan government of being the source (Guatemala CJA, “Timeline: Guatemala’s Brutal Civil War”).

As mentioned throughout Rigoberta Menchu’s book, most targets by the government were the Mayan people, who for years prior had faced discrimination and now genocide (Menchu 166-168). Among the many deaths of the indigenous people, her parents and a brother were included (Rigoberta Menchu Tum-Biographical). Menchu’s book was sold worldwide and educated many on the terrors in Guatemala (Rigoberta Menchu Tum-Biographical). In Malala Yousafzai’s I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, she describes the many interviews and blogs she posted about her situation as a schoolgirl under the Taliban (Yousafzai 154-156, 159). This follows the same concept as Menchu’s book, of how a life narrative can inform the masses of a struggle or issue that many people are suffering through. It educates people on global conflict beyond their own nation or community. For Malala she had people calling her for even more interviews, among them a student in America (163), while the UN assisted in bringing about official peace in Guatemala (Guatemala “Silent Holocaust”). Their (Menchu and Yousafzai) works were not the sole reason for outside aid, but gave insight to the public, since they were uncensored accounts and real experiences. Life narrative works, especially about tragedy, particularly draw sympathy from readers. Menchu and Yousafzai  intrigue the reader because their information was shared while their and their country’s endeavours were still in the midst of conflict. This idea of gaining support and spreading knowledge is entirely applicable to today. For example, in regards to recent events, the world seems to need a life narrative from a Syrian refugee, which would hopefully begin worldwide support.

Works Cited

Blum, William. “Guatemala, 1962-1980’s: A Less Publicized “final Solution”” Killing Hope: U.S  Military and CIA Interventions since World War II. Monroe, Me.: Common Courage, 1995. N.  pag. Guatemala, 1962-1980’s: A Less Publicized Final Solution.                       williamblum.org/chapters/killing-hope/guatemala Web. 17 Sept. 2016.

“Guatemala | CJA.” CJA. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2016. cja.org/where-we-work/guatemala

Menchú, Rigoberta. I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala. Ed. Elisabeth Burgos- Debray. London: Verso, 1984.           Print.

Miller, Talea. “Timeline: Guatemala’s Brutal Civil War.” PBS. PBS, 7 Mar. 2011. Web. 17 Sept.                                                               2016. www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/latin_america-jan-june11-timeline_03-07/

“Rigoberta Menchú Tum – Biographical”. Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 17 Sep 2016. http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1992/tum-bio.html

Yousafzai, Malala, and Christina Lamb. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. N.p.: Little, Brown, 2013. Print

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