Poetic Understatement - Essay Example

The words one chooses to express thoughts and ideas often point to a deeper meaning that underlies the obvious. If taken at face value, the words may be merely entertaining; if analyzed, they can translate into a rich panorama of life-changing discovery. Authors may title their work to specifically communicate just one of these facets to readers, leaving other facets to chance. Just as one may go to see a comedy in the movie theater and be blindsided by a compelling life lesson that the authors wove into the plot, a reader may be lulled into a false sense of security and expect only entertainment based on the title selected by the author of the work. In crafting “99 things to do before you die”, nila northSun selects a title that draws the readers’ attention with the promise of learning about those things that are imperative to accomplishing fulfillment in life. The poem references a list published in “cosmo mag” of “99 things to do before you die”, and goes on to explain how the magazine targeted a specific audience—rich people (northSun). The poem lists several of the line items included in the cosmo list including “div[ing] off a yacht in the Aegean”, “go[ing] to Monaco for the grand prix”, and “buy[ing] a round the world air ticket” (northSun). However, the purpose of the poem is less about how to live a fulfilling life than it is about the socio-economic and cultural disparities that exist across regions and ethnic groups within the United States of America. The author communicates this disparity directly as well as indirectly. The question, “so what’s a poor indian to do?” is a direct way of indicating that the Indian may not be in a financial situation to accomplish the goals listed by cosmo. northSun indicates that many of the line items on the cosmo list are “things only rich people could do” (northSun). The cosmo mag list appears to assume that readers will have access to a certain level of wealth. The magazine ignores the fact that many may never be able to pursue the activities described due to financial constraints. northSun highlights this point in the statement, “we certainly know you don’t have to be rich before you die”, indicating that many are born poor and die never having had a change in financial status. To communicate disparity indirectly, northSun creates a list deemed more “culturally relevant” (northSun). The list is poignant and compelling as it details things that would be within reach of the average Indian, along with other common people. One might applaud northSun’s ability to identify realistic goals, while weep at the idea that socio-economic status defines and limits the sorts of activities that one can undertake. There is a world of difference between “making love in a tipi” and “hav[ing] an affair in paris while discoing in red leather and sipping champagne” (northSun). The former is readily available, based on one’s culture and the availability of a tipi, the latter is something that many would need to plan and save to be able to do, if those wanting to make a trip of the nature would even have the means to do so. Many items appearing on the new list that northSun proposes are more along the lines of a guide to living than distinct activities that one could cross off a list. The new list suggests that one should “say something nice everyday to your mate, say something nice everyday to your children”, and “wash your hair too, and don’t forget your pits” (northSun). While following these guidelines could result in a fulfilled life free of regrets, the listed items lack the singular excitement of something such as the “go[ing] to rio during carnival” item appearing on the cosmo mag list. northSun highlights the difference between the two multiple times throughout the poem and one is left with an unsatisfying glimpse into both worlds, which may have been the author’s intent all along. A more apt title for this poem could be “Rich vs. Poor”, but this might not be intriguing enough to compel the reader to read the selection. Similarly, in “How to date a brown girl (black girl, white girl, or halfie)”, Junot Diaz discusses steps to take for a successful date with a girl who is from a potentially different neighborhood and culture. The early parts of the guide include taking steps to hide one’s status and origin, such as “clear[ing] the government cheese from the refrigerator” and “tak[ing] down any embarrassing photos of your family in the campo.” Diaz implies that a successful date with a girl from a different neighborhood and culture begins with laying a foundation of worthiness. He highlights appearance, “shower, comb, dress”, and education, “the directions were in your best handwriting, so her parents won’t think you’re an idiot” (Diaz). While the beginning of the text reads like a guide, offering very specific actions for one to follow, the tenor changes about halfway through and begins to uncover some of the challenges that teens face regardless of their background and culture. Diaz discusses the bullying that one might endure when he describes “Howie, the Puerto Rican kid with the two killer mutts” and how losing a fight on a first date will be the end of it (Diaz). Diaz goes on to talk about how uncomfortable dinner would be, when the couple is trying to get to know each other and the two are not sure what to say. He highlights the part culture plays in the conversation by pointing out how different girls might respond, and he advocates changing response based on the audience versus any real feeling, once again hiding behind a façade of trying to be respectable. This desire to be something different carries over into the personal part of the date as Diaz offers suggestions on how to compliment a white girl. He recommends “tell[ing] her that you love her hair, that you love her skin, her lips, because, in truth, you love them more than you love your own” (Diaz). He implies that the white girl will only want to be with the Hispanic for the sake of novelty and that after sex, she will withdraw and not want anything to do with him anymore. Diaz generalizes on how girls from different cultures will act and react, narrowing the future to a small scope based on what appears to be personal experience. Ultimately, this generalization and experience leads to an emptiness that Diaz appears unable to escape. Though it starts out as a guide for how to date girls from various cultures and backgrounds, it evolves into a personal testament of disappointment and frustration. Even when Diaz appears to get what he wanted from the date, the victory is hollow because it is meaningless and neither party is satisfied with the outcome. A better title for this text might be, “The Angst of Teenage Dating: a Treatise on Inter-Cultural Experience.” In both examples, the author selected a title that merely hinted at the message he wanted to convey. One could pick up the text to read it for enjoyment, based on the title, and find oneself drawn into something much deeper. While one is unlikely to feel cheated by such an experience, one may be disappointed that the reading did not deliver the entertainment the title implied. Read More