The Complexity of Relationships Between Americans and the Representatives of Other Nationalities Through the Prism of Literature

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In the “melting pot” of the United States, intercultural relationships have always been complicated (Bayor 98).

Despite the fact that the numerous attempts at restoring the balance between the American culture and the culture of the minorities have failed so far, which can be traced in the regular instances of injustice and violence among the members of the minority cultures towards their family members and each other, as well as increasingly poor living standards, by using literature in order to shed some light on the given lack of justice, one can possibly improve the existing state of affairs by raising awareness and, later on, calling to action.

In her novel Trifles, Susan Glaspell touches upon one of the aspects that link the American culture and the cultures of the ethnical minorities together, i.e., the concept of a woman and her role in the society.

Despite the fact that her novel is focused on the life of Americans, Glaspell’s subtle description of the position of a woman in the American society clearly shows that the changes have to be done, and that these changes are worth being carried out: “Well, women are used to worrying over trifles” (Glaspell 169).

More to the pint, Glaspell shows that in a number of cases, the victims of the social prejudice are capable of fighting for their independence – all that they need is a little bit of help from the outside.

Even though the act that Glaspell’s novel does not portray the prejudice of the minorities, it manages to accomplish an even greater task, i.e., to show that prejudices exist among the Americans as well, and that only by joining forces, people can defeat these prejudices, both concerning racial issues and gender questions.

Another peculiar novel and a decent attempt at driving attention to the problem of marginalization, though this time being a race commentary rather than a gender issue, Toni Morrison’s Sula gives much food for thoughts.

Leading the readers deep into the cultural specifics of the Black people, and, which is more important, Black people of the present-day world, Morrison shows explicitly how deep prejudice can be rooted and how hard they can affect people’s lives: “Had she been any lighter-skinned she would have needed either her mother’s protection on the way to school or a streak of mean to defend herself” (Morrison 347).

What seems to be a mere misunderstanding about one of the two sisters being sinister and another one taking the blame unwraps into a massive social commentary on what makes people think that they are entitled to pass judgments on other people. By showing how quickly one of the main characters becomes ostracized, Morrison clearly calls the readers to not pass their judgments based on race, skin color, religion, etc.

It could be argued, though, that the authors writing about ethnical and cultural specifics of the minorities purposely put the emphasis on the sources of conflict between the American population and the representatives of national minorities, therefore, making the gap between the two only bigger (Rudolphi, Noya and Gonzales 86).

Indeed, when reading the stories mentioned above, one will inevitably realize the difference between these cultures. However, such literature subverts stereotypes instead of reinforcing them, and serves as the means to embrace the horror of racial clash and finally reconcile.

The American literature cannot be denied its potential as a major element of popular media. Therefore, such works as “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell and “From Sula” by Toni Morrison serve as a powerful eye-opener for Americans, making them fight injustice and make links with other cultures.

Showing the violent reality of life among minorities in the U.S., literature becomes an efficient tool in the fight for understanding the culture of the minorities and bringing order into the relationships between the latter and the citizens of the U.S.

Works Cited

Bayor, Ronald H. Race and Ethnicity in America: A Concise History. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2013. Print.

Glaspell, Susan. ‘Trifles.’ American Literature Since the Civil War. 166–175. n. d. PDF file.

Morrison, Tony. “From ‘Sula.’” American Literature Since the Civil War. 346–354. n. d. PDF file.

Rudolphi, Maria Frias, Jose Liste Noya and Begona Simal Gonzales. Ethics and Ethnicity in the Literature of the United States. Valencia: University of Valencia, 2006. Print.

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The Complexity of Relationships Between Americans and the Representatives of Other Nationalities Through the Prism of Literature

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