The history of the Caribbean is a long and intersecting subject. Before Europeans discovered the Caribbean territories, they were primarily inhabited by indigenous tribes. It is a consensus among scholars that there were at least two main types of indigenous groups on the islands; the Taino, and the Arawaks.
European conquest began in the middle of the second millennium and consisted of many of the strongest European powers. Specifically Spain, Portugal, England, the Netherlands, and France who hoped to capitalize on the gold and other goods of the areas. Christopher Columbus was the first to travel to the Caribbean and his initial travels landed him in Cuba, the Bahamas, and the island of Hispaniola, present day Dominican Republic and Haiti. Columbus returned to Europe with small amounts of gold which he obtained from the Indians native to the island which he enslaved. This discovery of gold prompted other European nations to travel to the islands looking for similar wealth.
The impact of this conquest of the Caribbean by the European powers had severe consequences for the islands and their original habitants. The discovery of sugar cane in particular had a devastating impact on the well being of the islands. At this time, sugar was Britain’s largest export, and due to this, the Caribbean became their most important area of interest. The sugar cane fields led to the enslavement of the locals for their manual labor as their abundant work force allowed little worry of a decline in the demand of sugar. This exploitation led to rough economic situations for the islands even after the abolition of slavery in the 19th century. When the colonizers left the islands, they took much of the wealth with them leaving little opportunities for those left behind on the island. With no capital to work with, it is extremely difficult to get an economy off the ground and get the wheels of capitalism rolling. These days, the islands mostly depend on tourism as a means of generating a healthy economy. The coastlines of many of the islands are littered with elaborate and expansive luxury resorts. The islands are a hub for both American and European tourists with many major airlines having the islands of the Caribbean listed as a destination.
The economic and social state of the Caribbean set the mood for many of the works of literature that come from the island. Coming of age tales that illustrate the hardships of life in the Caribbean are very common. The poverty and constant violent state are common depictions of Caribbean life for those native to the island as well as the illustration of a totally different scene at the hotels and resorts on the same island.
Sources:
The history of the Caribbean - (http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43/index.html)
History of the Caribbean - (http://www.destination360.com/caribbean/history)
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
A Small Place
The very first inhabitants of the island of Antigua were a tribe of Indians known as the Ciboney. These Indians survived on the island for several thousand years before their mysterious disappearance. The first inhabitants of the island with a well established history were the Arawaks by way of Venezuela. They set up an enjoyable civilization for themselves by growing and cultivating a variety of crops.
The island does however have a dark chapter in its history, as do must Caribbean islands, during the 1600s and the beginning of the Caribbean slave trade. Since Antigua was especially rich in sugar cane, it was also a site for increased slavery. At one point, it was stated that upwards of 37,000 slaves were working on the island, and this does not include those slaves exported to other territories. Antigua was fully emancipated at the same time Britain abolished slavery in their empire, the year was 1834.
Currently, the population of Antigua sits at 69,000 with the largest city and only airport being St. Johns. The ethnic groups are made up of 91% black, 4.4% mixed race, and 1.7% white. Most of the native Antiguans are of African lineage due to the slave labor on the island as a result of the sugar cane fields and European conquest of the island. These days, the future of Antigua is on the rise. The institution of medical schools across the island is on the up and coming as well as increased tourism which is their main dependence for economic health. Several major airlines have Antigua listed as a destination. The beauty of Antigua cannot be denied with fantastic coastlines and beautiful turquoise ocean water, the place is truly a gem. White rock cliffs capped with lush vegetation surround the island.
Kincaid’s novel is a fascinating depiction of Antiguan life and history. The first part of the text mainly explains that despite the abundant beauty of the island, the day to day for its inhabitants is not nearly as gorgeous. Poverty, criminality, and corruption are rampant on the island. The second part of the text goes more into the history of the island. It’s history with the British as well as its history with slavery. Kincaid points out that this dark past could be responsible for some of the hardships the citizens face today. She finds it depressing that English is spoken on the island simply because this was the language spoken by the ones who enslaved them on this island. This to her is a constant reminder of the country’s regrettable history.
Kincaid also goes into detail in several of the sections about the gap between social classes in the text. She seems to resent the ones better off as she sees their “fancy cars” and “mansions” as results of corrupt work in a corrupt country.
Sources:
ANTIGUA'S HISTORY AND CULTURE (http://www.antigua-barbuda.org/aghis01.htm)
HISTORY OF ANTIGUA (http://www.wiol.com/antigua/history.html)
The island does however have a dark chapter in its history, as do must Caribbean islands, during the 1600s and the beginning of the Caribbean slave trade. Since Antigua was especially rich in sugar cane, it was also a site for increased slavery. At one point, it was stated that upwards of 37,000 slaves were working on the island, and this does not include those slaves exported to other territories. Antigua was fully emancipated at the same time Britain abolished slavery in their empire, the year was 1834.
Currently, the population of Antigua sits at 69,000 with the largest city and only airport being St. Johns. The ethnic groups are made up of 91% black, 4.4% mixed race, and 1.7% white. Most of the native Antiguans are of African lineage due to the slave labor on the island as a result of the sugar cane fields and European conquest of the island. These days, the future of Antigua is on the rise. The institution of medical schools across the island is on the up and coming as well as increased tourism which is their main dependence for economic health. Several major airlines have Antigua listed as a destination. The beauty of Antigua cannot be denied with fantastic coastlines and beautiful turquoise ocean water, the place is truly a gem. White rock cliffs capped with lush vegetation surround the island.
Kincaid’s novel is a fascinating depiction of Antiguan life and history. The first part of the text mainly explains that despite the abundant beauty of the island, the day to day for its inhabitants is not nearly as gorgeous. Poverty, criminality, and corruption are rampant on the island. The second part of the text goes more into the history of the island. It’s history with the British as well as its history with slavery. Kincaid points out that this dark past could be responsible for some of the hardships the citizens face today. She finds it depressing that English is spoken on the island simply because this was the language spoken by the ones who enslaved them on this island. This to her is a constant reminder of the country’s regrettable history.
Kincaid also goes into detail in several of the sections about the gap between social classes in the text. She seems to resent the ones better off as she sees their “fancy cars” and “mansions” as results of corrupt work in a corrupt country.
Sources:
ANTIGUA'S HISTORY AND CULTURE (http://www.antigua-barbuda.org/aghis01.htm)
HISTORY OF ANTIGUA (http://www.wiol.com/antigua/history.html)
White Noise
Postmodernism is a very hard to define genre of literature. Postmodernism is mainly defined by the common characteristics that are found within so called postmodern texts. Postmodern work relies heavily on the idea of metafiction. Metafiction is defined as “a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, exposing the fictional illusion.” Metafiction plays on the relationship between the fiction found in the text and the reality surrounding that fiction. Common characteristics and themes that can be found in postmodernist work include irony, black humor, fragmentation, minimalism, and paranoia. Authors associated with the post-WWII movement of postmodernism include, but are not limited to, Kurt Vonnegut, John Barth, Thomas Pynchon, John Fowles, and Angela Carter.
Don Delillo’s 1985 novel, White Noise is a great example of a postmodernist piece of literature. The novel can be dubbed postmodern due to the fact that it shares several of the traits found in the school of postmodernism. The first of these is the use of irony in Delillo’s novel. A great example of irony in the text can be found with the first reference to “white noise” in the book. A smoke detector goes off in the kitchen when Jack is talking to Babette. This is ironic because it is ignored by the characters and usually a smoke alarm means life and death for people, and to go even further, a smoke alarm going off can mean either it detects a problem or is dead itself with a dying battery.
Black humor is another theme of postmodernism that is prevalent throughout the text. The beginning of chapter six begins:
"Heinrich’s hairline is beginning to recede. I wonder about this. Did his mother consume some kind of gene-piercing substance when she was pregnant? Am I at fault somehow? Have I raised him, unwittingly, in the vicinity of a chemical dump site, in the path of air currents that carry industrial wastes capable of producing scalp degeneration, glorious sunsets?"
This self-questioning by the character of something so ridiculous is comical as they assert funny reasons for the result of hair loss. It is “black humor” because it draws humor out of something that is commonly not funny, in this case, activities that lead to birth defects. This excerpt can also be seen as an example of the theme of paranoia. The character is stressing something as inconsequential as hair loss.
Fragmentation is a technique common in postmodernist work and White Noise is no exception to this rule. The diatribe that kicks the novel off is an example of fragmentation found in the novel: “…soccer balls, hockey and lacrosse sticks, bows and arrows; the controlled substances, the birth control pills and devices; the junk food still in shopping bags—“ This fragmentation in the form of a list presents a variety of ideas to the author all at once. It is through these characteristics of White Noise that we can classify Delillo’s text as a postmodernist book.
Sources:
Postmodernism - Postmodernism In Literature And Art (http://science.jrank.org/pages/10807/Postmodernism-Postmodernism-in-Literature-Art.html)
Postmodernism (http://www.colorado.edu/English/courses/ENGL2012Klages/pomo.html)
Don Delillo’s 1985 novel, White Noise is a great example of a postmodernist piece of literature. The novel can be dubbed postmodern due to the fact that it shares several of the traits found in the school of postmodernism. The first of these is the use of irony in Delillo’s novel. A great example of irony in the text can be found with the first reference to “white noise” in the book. A smoke detector goes off in the kitchen when Jack is talking to Babette. This is ironic because it is ignored by the characters and usually a smoke alarm means life and death for people, and to go even further, a smoke alarm going off can mean either it detects a problem or is dead itself with a dying battery.
Black humor is another theme of postmodernism that is prevalent throughout the text. The beginning of chapter six begins:
"Heinrich’s hairline is beginning to recede. I wonder about this. Did his mother consume some kind of gene-piercing substance when she was pregnant? Am I at fault somehow? Have I raised him, unwittingly, in the vicinity of a chemical dump site, in the path of air currents that carry industrial wastes capable of producing scalp degeneration, glorious sunsets?"
This self-questioning by the character of something so ridiculous is comical as they assert funny reasons for the result of hair loss. It is “black humor” because it draws humor out of something that is commonly not funny, in this case, activities that lead to birth defects. This excerpt can also be seen as an example of the theme of paranoia. The character is stressing something as inconsequential as hair loss.
Fragmentation is a technique common in postmodernist work and White Noise is no exception to this rule. The diatribe that kicks the novel off is an example of fragmentation found in the novel: “…soccer balls, hockey and lacrosse sticks, bows and arrows; the controlled substances, the birth control pills and devices; the junk food still in shopping bags—“ This fragmentation in the form of a list presents a variety of ideas to the author all at once. It is through these characteristics of White Noise that we can classify Delillo’s text as a postmodernist book.
Sources:
Postmodernism - Postmodernism In Literature And Art (http://science.jrank.org/pages/10807/Postmodernism-Postmodernism-in-Literature-Art.html)
Postmodernism (http://www.colorado.edu/English/courses/ENGL2012Klages/pomo.html)
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Breath, Eyes, Memory
Unfortunately, there are many problems that currently plague the Republic of Haiti. This problems include but are not limited to Haiti is the third hungriest country in the world after Somalia and Afghanistan, the world’s fourth poorest country in the world, and adult literacy in Haiti is at about fifty percent (Shah 1). Haiti is also a location that is flooded with gangland violence which is most of the time motivated by political aggression (Shah 1). In “Breath, Eyes, Memory,” by Edwidge Danticat, characters in the story are influenced very much so by these accurate representations of the misfortunes found in Haiti.
On page four of the text, Tante Atie is portrayed as a character who is one of the fifty percent of adults in the country who is illiterate: “At one time, I would have given anything to be in school. But not at my age. My time is gone.” Tate Atie, as most of the illiterate in Haiti undoubtedly feel, has a longing for literacy but due to her current situation in Haiti feel like this is a missed opportunity in life and one that is no longer attainable. The problem is so widespread in Haiti that it is hard to imagine any of the characters in the book would not be directly effected by such a crisis.
Also the constant violence in Haiti is evident in the text very early on. While Sophie is being rushed to the airport to catch her flight for the United States, a scene of intense violence was witnessed by the main character: “A group of students were standing on top of a hill, throwing rocks at the burning car. They scurried to avoid the tear gas and the round of bullets that the soldiers shot back at them. Some of the students fell and rolled down the hill” (p. 34). Upon witnessing this, Tatie Atie asks Sophie; “Do you see what you are leaving?” (p.34). One of the main benefits for leaving Haiti for Sophie was living in a safer environment where the nation was not a constant state of political violence and unrest.
Hunger is another affliction of Haiti that is evident in the text. When remembering her times in Haiti, Sophie’s mother relates to her daughter how food was not easy to come by. She tells Sophie of how she would eat all that she could whenever she was a child due to her constant state of hunger. It can be said that because of this strained relationship with food that Sophie’s mother develops an eating disorder later in life.
Haiti is an incredibly poor country and the impact of this fact can be seen throughout the text. On page four of the text, Tatie Attie describes how she and Sophie’s mother were so poor that they needed to work in the cane fields as children just to be able to eat. Luxuries such as school were not available to them due to their socioeconomic situation. The widespread poverty in Haiti as well as the other dire conditions of Haiti mentioned above had a strong influence on shaping the lives of the characters found within the text.
Shah, Anup. "Haiti and Human Rights". Global Issues. (http://www.globalissues.org/article/141/haiti-and-human-rights).
On page four of the text, Tante Atie is portrayed as a character who is one of the fifty percent of adults in the country who is illiterate: “At one time, I would have given anything to be in school. But not at my age. My time is gone.” Tate Atie, as most of the illiterate in Haiti undoubtedly feel, has a longing for literacy but due to her current situation in Haiti feel like this is a missed opportunity in life and one that is no longer attainable. The problem is so widespread in Haiti that it is hard to imagine any of the characters in the book would not be directly effected by such a crisis.
Also the constant violence in Haiti is evident in the text very early on. While Sophie is being rushed to the airport to catch her flight for the United States, a scene of intense violence was witnessed by the main character: “A group of students were standing on top of a hill, throwing rocks at the burning car. They scurried to avoid the tear gas and the round of bullets that the soldiers shot back at them. Some of the students fell and rolled down the hill” (p. 34). Upon witnessing this, Tatie Atie asks Sophie; “Do you see what you are leaving?” (p.34). One of the main benefits for leaving Haiti for Sophie was living in a safer environment where the nation was not a constant state of political violence and unrest.
Hunger is another affliction of Haiti that is evident in the text. When remembering her times in Haiti, Sophie’s mother relates to her daughter how food was not easy to come by. She tells Sophie of how she would eat all that she could whenever she was a child due to her constant state of hunger. It can be said that because of this strained relationship with food that Sophie’s mother develops an eating disorder later in life.
Haiti is an incredibly poor country and the impact of this fact can be seen throughout the text. On page four of the text, Tatie Attie describes how she and Sophie’s mother were so poor that they needed to work in the cane fields as children just to be able to eat. Luxuries such as school were not available to them due to their socioeconomic situation. The widespread poverty in Haiti as well as the other dire conditions of Haiti mentioned above had a strong influence on shaping the lives of the characters found within the text.
Shah, Anup. "Haiti and Human Rights". Global Issues. (http://www.globalissues.org/article/141/haiti-and-human-rights).
Friday, October 16, 2009
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” revises the traditional slave narrative. The text exemplifies certain aspects of the slave narrative but at the same time it introduces new ones as well as revising old ones. The slave narrative was of the utmost importance to the earliest of black authors, and what was at stake for these authors was “nothing less than the Implicit testimony to their humanity, a common humanity which they sought to demonstrate through the very writing of a text of an ex-slave’s life” (Wall 60).
Traditional slave narratives were told in the first person point of view from the author’s perspective. The slave narratives can be categorized into three specific categories: tales of religious redemption, tales to inspire the abolitionist struggle, and tales of progress. “Their Eyes Were Watching God” would most suitably fit into the “tales of progress” category as Janie is a character who is very self-sufficient. Janie shows a type of independence not found in most of the classic slave narratives and tackles most obstacles on her own whereas most women represented in prior slave narratives were very reliant on others, especially males. In this capacity, Janie has shown that males have only brought her disappointment and heartache. It is not until Janie unites with Tea Cake that she is truly happy with a male counterpart.
Most slave narratives that were written in the past were catered to what would be their readers. The readers of these works were more often than not white, literate, and educated people. Because of this, the texts were written in a formal style and conformed to the writing techniques and language of the day (Wall 62). This is where Zora Neale Hurston breaks the mold of the typical slave narrative. She writes in the dialect of Southern black and it is visible in the dialogue written on the page. The dialect highlights the culture aspect of the novel found within the setting of Eatonville, Florida. By writing in this specific dialogue, the reader senses a stronger connection to the story being told and has a greater relation to the characters. It is simply amazing how dialogue alone can add so much to the plot and setting of the story. The Southern dialect added multitudes to the understanding of the attitudes of the residents of Eatonville, Florida.
Therefore, by changing the main character by adding a self-sufficient woman and reflecting in the text the language spoken by these members of the main character’s community, Zora Neale Hurston was able to redefine the slave narrative in a positive and uplifting way.
Wall, Cheryl A. . Zora Neale Hurston's Their eyes were watching God: a casebook. New York City: Oxford University Press US, , 2000.
Traditional slave narratives were told in the first person point of view from the author’s perspective. The slave narratives can be categorized into three specific categories: tales of religious redemption, tales to inspire the abolitionist struggle, and tales of progress. “Their Eyes Were Watching God” would most suitably fit into the “tales of progress” category as Janie is a character who is very self-sufficient. Janie shows a type of independence not found in most of the classic slave narratives and tackles most obstacles on her own whereas most women represented in prior slave narratives were very reliant on others, especially males. In this capacity, Janie has shown that males have only brought her disappointment and heartache. It is not until Janie unites with Tea Cake that she is truly happy with a male counterpart.
Most slave narratives that were written in the past were catered to what would be their readers. The readers of these works were more often than not white, literate, and educated people. Because of this, the texts were written in a formal style and conformed to the writing techniques and language of the day (Wall 62). This is where Zora Neale Hurston breaks the mold of the typical slave narrative. She writes in the dialect of Southern black and it is visible in the dialogue written on the page. The dialect highlights the culture aspect of the novel found within the setting of Eatonville, Florida. By writing in this specific dialogue, the reader senses a stronger connection to the story being told and has a greater relation to the characters. It is simply amazing how dialogue alone can add so much to the plot and setting of the story. The Southern dialect added multitudes to the understanding of the attitudes of the residents of Eatonville, Florida.
Therefore, by changing the main character by adding a self-sufficient woman and reflecting in the text the language spoken by these members of the main character’s community, Zora Neale Hurston was able to redefine the slave narrative in a positive and uplifting way.
Wall, Cheryl A. . Zora Neale Hurston's Their eyes were watching God: a casebook. New York City: Oxford University Press US, , 2000.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Stein & Cubism
Stein employs the technique of verbal cubism to literary words by breaking these words down from there literal meanings and reconstructing them from an abstract point of view. Stein attempts to recreate the emotional implications that a word has as opposed to the literal meaning of that word. Basically, what is trying to be conveyed is the feelings, assumptions, and attitudes felt towards words juxtaposed against their literal definitions. The repetition of words within a work is a trait of verbal cubism. (poets.org) In this essay, three poems from “Tender Buttons,” that exemplify this literary technique will be analyzed and interpreted.
In “Single Fish” the repetition of words is used in the first line of the poem: “Single fish single fish single fish egg-plant single fish sight” (p.32). Many of Stein’s poems discuss the physical appearance of the object she writes about. This poem falls into that category. Stein describes the scales of a “single fish” in line third line of the poem: “and nearly well painted by little things so” (p.32). With this line, Stein is describing the hundreds of little scales that comprise the exterior of a fish and give the fish its color and it’s individuality from other fish. She ends the poem with the line, “It is not the same,” (p.32) furthering this notion of a single fish’s individuality from other fish based on it’s minute, almost undetectable, differences in appearance through these hundreds of scales that work together to present the image of this “single fish.”
In “Orange” (p.38), this one line poem contains five words that are repeated throughout it. Stein portrays the orange as a unique food with features not found in any other food. She describes it as “new new not no not knealer knealer of old” (p.38). Oranges break the mold for fruits and don’t “kneal” to the traditional form of fruits. Like the fish described in the previous poem, the orange is something unique, set apart from others in its class. The repetition of “new” and “not” is used to emphasize the uniqueness of the object described. The last poem this essay will analyze is “Orange In.” This poem uses the tool of repetition more than any of the poems this essay has examined so far. For instance, in this piece the second and forth lines are identical, and towards the end of the poem the phrase “a no since” is repeated at length. This poem employs repetition in order to explore the theme of innocence. The phrase “a no since” when spoken out loud sounds very similar to the word innocence. After one loses their innocence, everything in their life seems less important, or dimmed down in a sense. Even the meal of breakfast, as this poem describes, becomes less interesting and more of a chore than a desirable meal. The first line, “Go lack go lack use to her,” (p.38) demonstrates how things seem to get less important once innocence is lost. “Pain soup,”(p.38, line 5) shows how after losing innocence, the gravity of that situation can be overwhelming and devastate even routine activities such as enjoying a meal.
Poets.org, "Picasso's Portrait of Gertrude Stein". (http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5927).
In “Single Fish” the repetition of words is used in the first line of the poem: “Single fish single fish single fish egg-plant single fish sight” (p.32). Many of Stein’s poems discuss the physical appearance of the object she writes about. This poem falls into that category. Stein describes the scales of a “single fish” in line third line of the poem: “and nearly well painted by little things so” (p.32). With this line, Stein is describing the hundreds of little scales that comprise the exterior of a fish and give the fish its color and it’s individuality from other fish. She ends the poem with the line, “It is not the same,” (p.32) furthering this notion of a single fish’s individuality from other fish based on it’s minute, almost undetectable, differences in appearance through these hundreds of scales that work together to present the image of this “single fish.”
In “Orange” (p.38), this one line poem contains five words that are repeated throughout it. Stein portrays the orange as a unique food with features not found in any other food. She describes it as “new new not no not knealer knealer of old” (p.38). Oranges break the mold for fruits and don’t “kneal” to the traditional form of fruits. Like the fish described in the previous poem, the orange is something unique, set apart from others in its class. The repetition of “new” and “not” is used to emphasize the uniqueness of the object described. The last poem this essay will analyze is “Orange In.” This poem uses the tool of repetition more than any of the poems this essay has examined so far. For instance, in this piece the second and forth lines are identical, and towards the end of the poem the phrase “a no since” is repeated at length. This poem employs repetition in order to explore the theme of innocence. The phrase “a no since” when spoken out loud sounds very similar to the word innocence. After one loses their innocence, everything in their life seems less important, or dimmed down in a sense. Even the meal of breakfast, as this poem describes, becomes less interesting and more of a chore than a desirable meal. The first line, “Go lack go lack use to her,” (p.38) demonstrates how things seem to get less important once innocence is lost. “Pain soup,”(p.38, line 5) shows how after losing innocence, the gravity of that situation can be overwhelming and devastate even routine activities such as enjoying a meal.
Poets.org, "Picasso's Portrait of Gertrude Stein". (http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5927).
Friday, September 18, 2009
...From The Desk of Alexandra Bergson
This locale, this great Divide, is unforgiving. I do fret that one day I will be unable to fulfill my father’s wishes and till this same land until my time is up. In eleven strenuous years, my father, Mr. Bergson himself, has been unable to make much of an impact on this rejected creation of God. This paradox of land, this puzzle of fields, this maze of ridges, I do not rightly know what to make of it, but pray that I will one day discover the answer that will lead to some form of prosperity, however small, that would accommodate our simple way of life.
It was my father’s dying wish for us Bergson’s to keep these acres and make the most of it. Unlike my Uncle Otto, I refuse to give up on the Divide. Life would be less worth living without formidable trials to test our endurance and perseverance.
It was my father’s dying wish for us Bergson’s to keep these acres and make the most of it. Unlike my Uncle Otto, I refuse to give up on the Divide. Life would be less worth living without formidable trials to test our endurance and perseverance.
-Alexandra Bergson, January 17th, 1885
(pgs. 12-17 in Mariner Books edition)
(pgs. 12-17 in Mariner Books edition)
The last sixteen years have not ceased to take their toll on me. My mother now rests beside my father in their respective graves on this great Divide, and I am certain they would choose no other place to be laid to rest than here among their countrymen. The influx of people to this region of the Midwest in recent history is astounding. My prayers have been answered and this land has yielded my abundant soil to till where the plow makes easy work dividing the soil in preparation for cultivation. My father had the right feeling about this land and his premonitions of this day proved to be correct. The good fortune that has come to the Bergson’s and this land is innumerable and I feel humbled as one of the recipients.
My brother Emil has really grown into his own by taking on the responsibilities of the farm and toiling for endless hours for the betterment of the family. Oh how I do wish his father could have seen what he has become. This truly is a great time for us and for all those who populate the Divide! I do not foresee how circumstances could get much better for the Bergson family.
-Alexandra Bergson, February 19th, 1901
(pgs. 45-50)
(pgs. 45-50)
This evening all of my brothers, except Emil of course, who is up in French country attending a wedding, are coming to dine with me. Oscar is bringing his young boys, aged from twelve to five years old, respectively, to dinner and I am overjoyed at the idea of spending some time with them. My nieces will also be visiting and I cannot wait to present them with the flower garden, my crown jewel of this humble abode. They are simply a treat to visit with and take great delight when I relate to them stories of the old days on the Divide and how it was for yours truly as I grew up on this land. I do not expect any surprise guests but do hope there are one or two, a little surprise and excitement would be more than welcome during these depressing, drawn-out winters.
-Alexandra Bergson, December 12, 1904.
(pgs. 58-64)
(pgs. 58-64)
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