In the Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N and the chapter "Mr. K*A*P*L*A*N and the Comparative, and the Superlative," Mr. Kaplan is asked to write a composition about his job and what it entails. He writes about his job as a "dress cotter" and the working conditions that surround it. This leads to something that resembles a cry for a workers revolution and overthrow of the system.
In the last book The Life Stories of Undistinguished Americans, many of the different stories talk about their own experiences working in factory setting. All of these stories seem to be very content with their working conditions, the most extreme form of rebellion to the system being joining a labor union.
Could Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, a story that is meant to be a comedy, be painting a more accurate portrait of immigrant working conditions, than the collection by Holt, or is this purely for entertainment purposes? If this comedy is being used as a soap box for the working class, why would Holt choose to publish pieces that make the struggle of the working class seem like just another stepping stone to the American dream?
I think the main difference between the two is reality and privilege and a person's comfort with what they have. While the stories we read in The Life Stories of Undistinguished Americans were about the same class as Hyman Kaplan the people were happy (for the most part) with opportunities they wouldn't have had in their home countries. Instead of focusing on what they didn't have in America they focused on what they were able to achieve in America. They still showed some inequalities but were still proud of what they accomplished. Hyaman Kaplan focuses more on what they didn't and draws attention to the problem in settling. It draws awareness, which I feel is the purpose.
ReplyDeleteGreat connections with The Life Stories of Undistinguished Americans!! These stories, however, are fictional, unlike Holt's collected stories, which purported to be "lifelets" or autobiographical stories.
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