"Disgraceful Persecution of a Boy" and "The Sandwich Islands"

"Disgraceful Persecution of a Boy"

This essay painted a sad picture of the social norms in San Francisco in Mark Twain's day. The essay argues that it is "disgraceful" to punish a boy for stoning a "chinaman" because everything about his society has led him to believe that it is right to do so. The boy in question actually has good intentions ("good" intentions meaning that he wishes to comply with the cultural norms of his society) and did not consider violent harassment against a Chinese man to be be a crime against humanity. This essay puts in perspective the extent to which the "white man" dehumanized the Chinese immigrate workers in California. However, it also voices Twain's critical attitude toward qualifying someone's "goodness" by noting his or her style of dress, how often he or she attends Sunday school, and to what extent he or she works at Bible study. In almost all of the pieces we have read for class, Twain seems at odds with his Christian faith and its manifestations in society. He continues to critique the closed-mindedness that so often accompanies Christians, though he often infuses his stories with elements of his own Christian spirituality. This story juxtaposes a socialized sense of Christian behavior and righteousness (i.e. stoning the Chinese man is right and good in the eyes of society and God) with a true sense of justice, which condemns violence against humanity (and humanity includes all peoples).

"The Sandwich Islands"

In this essay, Mark Twain begins to describe the islands with his observations, but shifts his observations to geography, then turns to culture and morality, next to bureaucracy, and ends with describing a rather unproductive economy. He describes the islands as a set of attributes as if it were at auction. He even includes descriptions of the "heathens" as being part of the package. Though the people are part of his description, they are not given any agency. The only characters that are given any description specifically are the "white men" that have assumed roles of power in running the island.

The essay ends by exposing Twain's description as the viewpoint of neo-colonialism. He is so overtly stating the vision of the islands and the native people as existing to be exploited that he mocks the neo-colonialist standing. He brings up the argument of annexing Hawaii into the United States. He says, "By annexing we would get all those 50,000 natives cheap as dirt, with their morals and other diseases thrown in." He has just implied that the native sense of morality is like a disease even though he previously stated that the natives have already been "Christianized." Though in his description, he has highlighted many wonderful and beautiful aspects of Hawaiian culture, this last part of the essay condemns all those native elements by presupposing the imposition of Americanism upon the islands through annexation. It is a bleak view of the forceful commercialization of Hawaii by the United States.

Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unmQl3wK83M

This is a video for an animated version of the short story. It is entertaining and another example of how Mark Twain influences our society.

Mark Twain says of Captain Stormfield, "He made no statement which he did not believe to be true." Then proceeds to tell the reader that, while Stormfield believes what he is saying is true, Mark Twain does not. This introduction makes the reader suspicious of Stormfield and curious to investigate what his tale may be. Yet another clever literary devise, a brilliant use of narrator by Twain.

The Story beings by contrasting with the typical notions of death. As Captain Stormfield lays near death, the doctor, carpenter, and shipmates talk about how dispose of his body after he dies. What is worse, they talk about how Stormfield is bound for hell. This turns the typical death sequence on its head. Usually, when familiars are gathered at the bedside of a dying person, there are tender words or perhaps tears. Twain has Stormfield's familiars bent on getting him dead and disposed of.

The journey to Heaven echos Stormfield's experience as a sailor. When he spots Solomon Goldstein, Stormfield uses terms that would be shouted on board a ship as they drift along through space. The classic images of a floating, white, glowing ghost is used in Twain's story. However, all of the life experiences and personalities of the ghosts are maintained.

When Stormfield arrives at his destination, he is surprised to find that Heaven is not what he expected; not what had been preached about. He spends some time trying to explain to Peters about earthly notions of heavenly customs: harp, wreath, halo, etc. Of course, he later comes to discover that such customs are specific to each mand and woman. Not everyone has the same vision of the afterlife, and Heaven must cater to everyone.

Also, Twain challenges the notion of "eternal rest" by making people have needs and restlessness in Heaven the same way people do when they are on earth. In fact, Twain politicizes Heaven into another version of Earth. Heaven consists of every individual's own satisfactory past-time and choice of existence. There was old age not because there was no alternative, but because people came to resonate with that reality. There was diversity because people could not help being whatever it was that they were. There was still division of races and misunderstanding.

Reading about Twain's argument about Heaven reminded me of a Buddhist tradition called "The Perfection of Wisdom." This school believes that nirvana equals samsara, and that liberation comes from becoming enlightened to this, not from getting out of samsara into a separate place called nirvana.