‘Global’ can either be defined as being worldwide, international, or something that relates to, or encompasses, the entirety of something- for the purposes of this essay, I will be using the latter definition, with the ‘global’ referring to the whole of America and its culture. The texts I will be referring to are Junot Diaz’s This Is How You Lose Her and Lorrie Moore’s The Gate at the Stairs. In This Is How You Lose Her, the relationship between America (the ‘global’) and its cultural influence and the Dominican immigrants and their heritage (the ‘local’) plays a significant role, shaping the language of the text and the lives of the characters. The Gate at the Stairs is set in the aftermath of 9/11 (an event which had a massive impact
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The idea of the ‘American Dream’ is extremely pervasive and persuasive to those living in other countries, especially those that struggle with poverty and corruption. Americanisation, which is part of globalisation (as America is a global superpower), makes America seem attractive to foreigners, with its supposed values of freedom and equality, the well-known brands and their advertising which spread an idealised version of America, as does other American forms of media (TV shows, films, etc). The idealised America is in sharp contrast with the reality of living in America as an immigrant. Through the ‘global’ lens, America may seem a land of wealth and opportunity, but through the ‘local’ it can be seen as a place of hard manual labour and exploitation. This can be seen in Yasmin’s story, which describes her affair with Yunior’s father and her work in the laundry room at St. Peter’s Hospital. It shows the struggle of immigrants in America and exploitation of easily replaceable workers. Her ‘home’, where she lives with other immigrant workers, is cold and unpleasant-“Most people I know in the States have no friends here; they’re crowded together in apartments. They’re lonely, they’re cold, they’re worn.” (pg 60)- and she describes her work as “a donkey job” (pg 54). Her “American wage” (pg 54) may be more than what she was earning back in her home country but it seems to be barely enough. The harsh reality of the American Dream is seen in the conversation of the girls who work in the laundry room with Yasmin- the new girl, Samantha asks, “Does it get any better? […] Just worse, they say. Wait for the freezing rain.” (pg 56). This shows that they are willing to make their lives so uncomfortable to just be able to exist in America and to be able to say they have made it there. It also shows how difficult it can be to be
The idea of the ‘American Dream’ is extremely pervasive and persuasive to those living in other countries, especially those that struggle with poverty and corruption. Americanisation, which is part of globalisation (as America is a global superpower), makes America seem attractive to foreigners, with its supposed values of freedom and equality, the well-known brands and their advertising which spread an idealised version of America, as does other American forms of media (TV shows, films, etc). The idealised America is in sharp contrast with the reality of living in America as an immigrant. Through the ‘global’ lens, America may seem a land of wealth and opportunity, but through the ‘local’ it can be seen as a place of hard manual labour and exploitation. This can be seen in Yasmin’s story, which describes her affair with Yunior’s father and her work in the laundry room at St. Peter’s Hospital. It shows the struggle of immigrants in America and exploitation of easily replaceable workers. Her ‘home’, where she lives with other immigrant workers, is cold and unpleasant-“Most people I know in the States have no friends here; they’re crowded together in apartments. They’re lonely, they’re cold, they’re worn.” (pg 60)- and she describes her work as “a donkey job” (pg 54). Her “American wage” (pg 54) may be more than what she was earning back in her home country but it seems to be barely enough. The harsh reality of the American Dream is seen in the conversation of the girls who work in the laundry room with Yasmin- the new girl, Samantha asks, “Does it get any better? […] Just worse, they say. Wait for the freezing rain.” (pg 56). This shows that they are willing to make their lives so uncomfortable to just be able to exist in America and to be able to say they have made it there. It also shows how difficult it can be to be