Blog Entry #10

My own process of coming to a significant insight mostly came from reading "The Wife of his Youth" by Charles W. Chestnutt, and a little from Frances Harpers "Learning to Read" poem. In "The Wife of his Youth", I was questioning where the story was going to go just after the first section, mainly because it had seemed so random to me. However, I had realized who the old woman was when Mr. Ryder continued to ask her discouraging questions about the man she once knew. His questions were also very reflective of him which led me to believe that he must know the man she was talking about, or he was the man she was talking about. Some of the advice Mr. Ryder gives to Liza Jane (the old woman) seemed like some type of suggestion or foreshadow to the reader  about what really happened to this man. Mr. Ryder tells her "Perhaps he's outgrown you, and climbed up in the world where he wouldn't care to have you find him". This was an example of advice that Mr. Ryder gives Liza, which allowed me to realize he definitely had something to do with her, and must know who she is. This story to me overall was a bit shocking and different from our typical readings, but it definitely shows me the importance of skin color just after the civil war, and the value that Mr. Ryder puts on how light he is. Any association with Liza Jane would be extremely negative for him seeing that she is a dark African American who clearly does not have much money (judging by her clothes) and not nearly the same education as Mr. Ryder (you can tell this by Liza's diction). It's shocking to me how after the Civil War, any lighter skin African American would do anything they could to get closer to obtaining something even the slightest bit like the White man's social status. Mr. Ryder was willing to put someone important into his past in order to get himself ahead, and though he redeems himself by introducing his friends to Liza Jane as the wife of his youth, I still don't think he would have introduced her unless the majority of the society had agreed that he should have in fact, acknowledged her. In Frances Harper's poem, "Learning to Read" seemed mostly like an easy, understandable poem to me, but I liked how in the end she compares herself to being like a queen on her throne, because it shows us how much learning means to her and how much better she feels about herself knowing that she is able to read. "And I felt independent As the queen upon her throne".  Harper see's herself as a woman who is educated and able to read--also, as someone independent who does not need to rely on others in order to make herself happy or go through everyday life. Clearly, Harper places a huge amount of importance on reading which is not surprising seeing as how hard it would have been for her as a child and young adult to attain such an education during slavery. Being able to read gives her power--the power of knowledge. (Queen imagery hints this). This poem made me realize how important we all are in today's world to think that in today's world we don't even think twice about being able to read. Even some children in today's world know how to read as early as age 5. As any American today, we should be greatful and realize the privlleges we have (more than just literacy) compared to other countries.