The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn- Does heritage determine who we are as
people?
Heritage is defined
as “legacy, inheritance,
tradition, or something possessed as a result of one's natural situation or
birth.” To me, parental expectations are a large part of the heritage passed
onto us as children; we are, by birth, more or less bound to our parents’
wishes. As a child of Asian descent living in America, I face many expectations
passed down to me by my heritage. Though my parents are lenient compared to
most, I still face the pressures of the Asian stereotype and am pushed to try
to succeed.
In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck
faces many different expectations set by his father. Huck’s father sets a very
low standard, expecting Huck to live an uneducated, lowly, and racist life just
as he does. He cannot even tolerate the thought of Huck becoming any better
than him—this would be an insult equivalent to Huck disobeying his heritage.
However, Huck realizes he cannot survive with his father and escapes, learning
to trust his conscience, and disregarding his heritage to become one of the
most moral and kind people of the pre-Civil War South.
But what if you are
forced to give up your heritage? Forced to comply to their master’s every wish,
slaves often had no choice whether they wanted to adhere to their traditions or
not. Being forced to assimilate into American society made them want to rebel
and hold on to their culture. Their efforts to reconcile with their abandoned culture
were embodied in the Harlem Renaissance. Perhaps in this situation, the
former slaves wanted to embrace their
heritage and wanted to be defined by
it.
Huck shows that
heritage does not determine a person. Everyone, no matter his birth or parental
situation, has his own free will and the power to be the person he chooses to
be; a person has the ability to completely defy tradition or to embrace his heritage. Just as Huck’s heritage does not define him, my heritage does not
define me either. I may be Asian by descent, but I am American by birth, and
defy many of the stereotypes and expectations placed upon me by my heritage.
I agree with you that people may try to push their heritage away if they feel smothered by it, but without it they may try to identify with it more.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully phrased, this post is exactly how I view the matter as well. People can choose to accept or reject their heritage given the circumstance of the situation. If society demeans one's heritage, said person is more likely to reject his or her cultural background. People should not formulate their inner beings based off of something they are born with. Heritage is nothing more than a label and a stereotype.
ReplyDeleteGood job Hannah! I really like how you started your post with your own personal experience with heritage and then related it to Huckleberry Finn. Your perspective about the slaves' culture is very interesting. Unlike some groups, perhaps they did want to be defined by their culture. I completely agree with your idea that a person can do what they want with their heritage; they can embrace it or they can defy it. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteThis is really well written! I liked reading your personal anecdote as well! I think your stand on the issue is very interesting. I had always thought that heritage was something that was a part of you no matter what. Your stand, that you can accept or reject it, is much more realistic. This was very interesting to read!
ReplyDeleteYour writing style is pretty enjoyable to read! I can relate to the parental expectations--they can be pretty demanding sometimes. I'd never really thought about the Harlem Renaissance that way, actually. Thanks for the new viewpoint!
ReplyDeleteHeritage definitely does not define a person, but it definitely also has an important effect on one. I think that we owe more credence to heritage than you give it in this essay. Other than that, good personal anecdote, I think everyone can relate. Also, this font hurts my eyes. :)
ReplyDeleteIt hurts my eyes too.. I couldn't figure out how to change it... Sorry. I'm working on it though haha
DeleteOkay. Got it! Better?
Delete