1 SPACE AND CULTURE
Edwidge Danticat, Westbury Court Joyce Carol Oates, They All Just Went Away Judith Ortiz Cofer, ilent Dancing !asil a"uels E#$%&'() #orth !runswic*, #J
2 SPACE AND CULTURE
In most cultures, space represents the wealth o the tr!"e, am!l# or $!n%&om' (hen one th!n$s o culture, there !s a lot to relate to) !t !s a "!% part o what "u!l&s ones character as !n&!*!&uals' Now, let us loo$ at how these three !n&!*!&uals &ealt w!th the &! erent aspects o the!r l!*es, am!l# an& en*!ronment' E&w!&%e Dant!cat &escr!"es her l!*!n% con&!t!ons !n her (est"ur# Court+ essa#, how her l! e chan%e& a ter a tra%!c !nc!&ent' Dant!cat an& her am!l# are !mm!%rants rom -a!t!, th!s also meant that the# are a "!l!n%ual am!l#, wh!ch spo$e .rench an& Creole' The countr# o -a!t! !s *er# poor, an& com!n% rom such a soc!et# !nto a &!*erse countr# that !s !lle& w!th wealth an& where a &! erence can "e ma&e or a "etter l! e' It !s onl# natural or one to %ra*!tate to the!r ethn!c %roup when mo*!n% to a stran%e place' .or th!s cause, Dant!cat an& her am!l# ma&e the!r a"o&e !n (est"ur# Court N/' The# l!*e& !n an apartment "u!l&!n%, wh!ch was "ro$en hal the t!me the# l!*e& there' Re%ar&less o the!r l!*!n% con&!t!ons, the# lo*e& each other' There !s alwa#s a stru%%le to pro*!&e or the am!l# com!n% rom th!s "ac$%roun& or perhaps !t !s 0ust %enerat!onal' The roles that the men an& women pla#s !n Dant!cat1s ne!%h"orhoo& !s that "oth parents ha*e to "e wor$!n% to ma$e what the# woul& cons!&er a &ecent l!*!n%, an& !t &oes not matter the t#pe o 0o", 0ust as lon% as there !s oo& on the ta"le, that !s most !mportant or them' Parents ten& to wor$ lon% hours, an& e*en two to three 0o"s at a t!me' Conse2uentl#, ch!l&ren are le t home alone "ecause the# cannot a or& ch!l&care' As a result, homes are "e!n% ro""e&, !res %et starte& "# ch!l&ren an& l!*es are lost &ue to the a"sence o parents !n the house when the# are nee&e& the most'
3 SPACE AND CULTURE
4n the other han&, 5o#ce 4ates &escr!"es her cultural e6per!ence !n 71The# All 5ust (ent Awa#'11 5o#ce1s am!l!es owne& the!r propert#, an& her ather &!& all the carpentr# on the!r house' The# appeare& to ha*e a &ecent s!8e house an& a lot o armlan&' The houses !n her ne!%h"orhoo& were m!les apart so the# coul& not e6actl# see or hear the!r ne!%h"ors 2uarrel or no!ses' 5o#ce1s mother &!& not nee& to wor$ so the# were &e !n!tel# the "etter hal o the!r culture' 9eh!n& 5o#ce1s armhouse &eep throu%h the potato !el&s there la!& a home the commun!t# calle& the (e!&el house+' Th!s house, wh!ch wasn1t actuall# owne& "# the (e!&el:s "ut rente&, was 2u!te !n amous !n the commun!t#' ;r' an& ;rs' (e!&el l!*e& !n th!s run&own home w!th the!r s!6 ch!l&ren' It was the tal$ o the ne!%h"orhoo& that, ;r' (e!&el woul& "eat an& a"use the %!rls' The commun!t# woul& o ten won&er as to wh# ;rs' (e!&el woul& sta# w!th such a man' 5o#ce1s ather was rom a "ro$en home h!msel , so he ma&e !t h!s &ut# to %!*e h!s am!l# a "etter l! e' -e wante& them to "e a close<$n!t am!l#, one !lle& w!th lo*e, space an& a &ecent econom!c status' There ore, one coul& sa# that 5o#ce1s am!l# was o the m!&&le class or the!r t!me, an& that the# elt sa e an& secure !n the ne!%h"orhoo&, wh!ch the# l!*e&' S!m!larl#, Dant!cat1s am!l# an& the Co er1s am!l# were also !mm!%rants' The Co er1s mo*e& to the US rom Puerto R!co !n search or a "etter l! e &ue !nanc!al &! !cult#' In a&&!t!on, the# l!*e& !n a t!n# apartment "u!l&!n% !n Paterson N5 !n wh!ch most o the!r ethn!c %roup res!&es' Co er re ers to th!s $!n& o l!*!n% to "e as o a
= SPACE AND CULTURE
71"eeh!*e11 l! est#le' The Co ers were not use to th!s t!n# space "ecause the# ha& a much "!%%er home !n Puerto R!co' Co er1s ather was a&amant a"out %ett!n% h!s am!l# out o the "arr!o thus, he !nstructe& them not to ha*e an# attachment to the commun!t# or the people that l!*e& there'+ In compar!son to the 4ates am!l#, the Co ers were 0ust as close<n!t an& !lle& w!th lo*e or each other' .urthermore, Co ers ather was the pro*!&er or the house, an&
the mother was a homema$er' The Co er1s ha& a s!n%le am!l# home !n Puerto R!co one that pro*!&e& them w!th secur!t#, pr!*ac# an& eel!n% o "e!n% ree' The Co er1s am!l# &!& not ha*e to worr# a"out the!r ne!%h"or1s part# mus!c throu%hout the n!%ht, the *o!ces that protru&e& throu%h the walls, an& the stran%ers l!*!n% un&er the!r loors an& a"o*e the!r hea&s' In conclus!on, space can cause one to orm a su"culture !n the %eo%raph!c locat!on that one ma# choose to res!&e &ue to !nance or am!l!ar!t# to ethn!c!t#' (h!le one ma# &o th!s "ecause o com ort, the ps#cholo%!cal e ect that th!s ma# ha*e on one1s l! e coul& pro*e to "e &ramat!c to ones character' Not ha*!n% enou%h space can "r!n% rustrat!on, con us!on, &!sa%reements, "ro$en homes an& l!*es re%ar&less o the cultural "ac$%roun&' 4n the other han&, ha*!n% enou%h space so one can ha*e some pr!*ac#, a chance to "reathe, can ma$e a "!% &! erence !n the am!l#' Commun!cat!on !s a "!% $e#, !t helps us to cope !n these s!tuat!ons an& to un&erstan& each other' Cultures are what orm each
> SPACE AND CULTURE person, an& whether one &ec!&es to ollow !t or "rea$ the tra&!t!on w!ll &e !ne one1s &est!n#'
Re erences Dant!cat, E' ?n'&'@' (est"ur# court' Retr!e*e& 4cto"er 1A, 2B13, rom http)CCwww'%oo%le'comCurlD saEtFrctE0F2EFesrcEsF rmE1FsourceEwe"Fc&E1F*e&EBCC$G.0AAFurlEhtt pH3AH2.H2.en%l!sh'"as&'$12'w!'usH2.mocars$!H2.colle%een%l!sh H2.(EST9UR/C4URT'rt Fe!E6/h!Ur2%IJ-C#w-NnoD/AGFus%EA.G0C N.#K6" LmwR%%;&15rU2.MaKtGUaw 4ates, 5' ?1AA>, 4cto"er@' The# all 0ust went awa#' The New Yorker' Retr!e*e& 4cto"er 1A, 2B13, rom http)CCwww'new#or$er'comCarch!*eC1AA>C1BC1MC1AA>N1BN1MN1KJNTN/NCARDS NBBB3K3=3J 4rt!8 Co er, 5' ?n'&'@' Silent dancing' Retr!e*e& 4cto"er 1A, 2B13, rom http)CCwww2'hawa!!'e&uCO aco"aCrea&!n%sCco er'htm
