The Other Side of the Story

I think that in “Looking for Work” the author Gary Soto is trying to remember why and when he decided to become and fit in with “white people.” The author throughout the story stops and explains how he knew his friend and their relationship. Also, Soto interrupts the story to not only explains the relationships with other characters, like his best pal Little John, but to explain how they were treated differently in school. Soto explains that he was not a “good student” and he sat with the “stupids.” As I kept reading I thought that this perspective that Soto shows is both of adulthood and childhood. He has the point of view as a child only wishing to become rich and seek out the “American Dream.” However, as the author looks back on this childhood story he sees that times have changed and he has become his own “American Dream.”
As I was reading “What We Really Miss About the 1950’s” I thought that when Stephanie Coontz, the author, was introducing her point of view on the subject that, the 1950’s was the most preferred time to live, she used facts about the 50’s that income had increased and that families always go along and were always happy . I liked how she personalized a situation in he childhood where her mother had stood up for her at the public library. Also, Coontz compared the same situation with her mother and how she wished she could do that for her son to gain respect. However, in this modern world she could not take her son to a video store and “demand that he be allowed to check out absolutely anything he wanted (Coontz 33).” I think people misunderstand that why people thought the 50’s were so great was because of the event that took place prior to that time. I.e.: WW2, the Great Depression. I think people thought that things couldn’t get worse. Also, people in the fifties and later generations see that time period as the media portrayed it. Women and men in the 50’s were highly influenced by television such as “I Love Lucy”, Leave it to Beaver.” T.V., today, shows that society morals and values are frowned upon. To be an independent person or to go against all odds is viewed as courageous.
I think that both of these articles are great and helped me look at the different influences that I have in my world such as television, magazines, and books. I think that both of these authors are trying to point out the different point of views of racial and discrimination issues that people have and still face today. In “Looking for Work” the view that I think Soto had was that even though he was discriminated against as a child he still tried to be like the “White Families.” If he did then he would be rich, fit in, and become a happier person. He tried putting his belief on his siblings and tried working to fit in with the rest of society as the media represented it. When reading these two pieces I thought that “Looking for Work” was more entertaining than “What We Really Miss about the 50’s” because Soto’s story was more involved and you had to analyze what he was trying to say. I think that both of these pieces helped me look at the different perspective people had at the 1950’s.