Both “America is in the Heart” by Carlos Bulosan and Leigh Edward’s “Dolly Parton, Gender, And Country Music” are American classical literature with immense meaning in regards to the image of America. Written at times when America was undergoing immense changes both in rural and city settings, both literature unveils various scourges afflicting the American society in terms of gender, race and ethnicity, and the overall acceptance and interpretation of culture at their times. Through expressing these states in America, both books present divergent perspectives on a snapshot of America few people had at the time. In Bulosan’s case, the immigrant worker’s outlook emerges while in Edward’s case the perspective of a redneck woman deep in the Appalachian Mountains emerges. Nonetheless, although the books present divergent outlooks the comparison is evident in the suffrage both authors present within their niche.
Deservedly remembered for its exposure of the experiences immigrants go through within America, “America is in the Heart” by Carlos Bulosan is a fond masterpiece within literature that has stood the test of time (Flecha, Scholar & Britton, 2011). However, while this is the case, when Bulosan’s addressees center on Bulosan’s aspect, though eminently significant, they risk a disservice on their part since adding on enumerating the lifestyle of the Filipino-American, Bulosan also exposes American culture at that time. In addition, the book also draws from the personal experiences of Bulosan, subsequently providing book lovers with a synopsis of the United States from an unexplored outlook while attempting to adequately define and place the term “America:” the outlook of the immigrant living in America.
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The plan of “America is in the Heart” revolves around the personal experiences of Carlos who goes by the nickname ‘Allos’ and allows others to call him ‘carl’ while in America (Flecha, Scholar & Britton, 2011). At the book's opening, the protagonist appears as a young man working in a Philippine farm with his father. After working for a period throughout Luzon Island, Carlos immigrates to America and carries on working as a drudge up to the point whereby he discovers his passion and talent in English writing, commensurately pledging to revive the memories of his family members through spoken word. Through this realization, Carlos also uses literature to merge with the rhythm of the United States itself through the analysis of classical American literature authors such as Whitman and Melville. A stark contrast from the pain and prejudice of the American society, Carlos found himself scouring this classic literature, to provide him with an escape route for his mind and heart to explore and discover an unbiased side of the United States.
On a single occasion, Carlos narrates how several white men without any probable cause other than the color of their skin, ruthlessly assaulted him and his associates, only to undergo exemplary examination and care by a group of white men, and women while in the hospital (Flecha, Scholar & Britton, 2011). Such an experience and more shows the “paradox” nature of the United States explicitly summarized by Carlos. Therefore, much like the search for America by Carlos through the works of great American authors, readers of “America is in the Heart” come to the realization of an America in self-conflict; a theme also present in Edward’s “Dolly Parton, gender, and Country Music” as shall be discussed onwards.
According to Bulosan, at the time of Carlos’ immigration to Seattle, America had entered the Great Depression. In these long and treacherous years, two divergent halves emerge, thereby, initiating the initial vexation of the inconsistent nature of the United States. Experiencing both great cruelties and kindness, often simultaneously, this outwardly outlandish amalgamation often gets Carlos emotional as he struggles to comprehend the underlying meaning of this new behavior. Throughout his experiences, he witnesses immense prejudice ranging from spoken insensitivity to relentless sexual and physical maltreatment. Nonetheless, notwithstanding the adversities, Carlos eventually settles on a positive outlook on America: the intangible sense of hope regarding America’s potential and the benefits it portends in terms of kindness among its people (Flecha, Scholar & Britton, 2011). By the end of the novel, Carlos settles on the fact that America provides great hope; a country where great things can and often happen, the faint hint of pride and assurance of the great possibilities of America.
Through the recognition of the two half paradox in America and his forgiving stance of its ruthless conflicting nature, Bulosan depicts maturity in comprehending various contradictory adult and childhood interpretations of America. As such, his aptitude in not only making these conceptions known but also securing their evolution throughout American literature makes it a fascinating yet credible information source exposing the America in which he lived in. moreover, Bulosan inadvertently adds debate to the previously existing and across-the-board views of the interpretations of the meaning of the word “American.”
Similarly, Leigh H. Edwards’ “Dolly Parton, Gender, and Country Music” reveals various issues within American music and gender culture, effectively reevaluating the meaning and interpretation of the American South. On a foundational basis, there are numerous indicators to look at throughout Parton’s luscious and long career. Dolly, much like Carlos witnesses various occurrences throughout her life and her career that underlines the varied and divergent American culture and nature. Some of the different angles that emerge regarding this theme transpire through titles such as the 9-5 Dolly, the Jolene Dolly, and the Dolly of Dollywood (Gardner, 2018). In her book, Leigh amalgamates Dolly’s entire life summarizing her onset years of recording, her Appalachian upbringing, and her recent performances such as the Glastonbury Festival.
By approaching Parton in regards to the outlook on Media Studies, Edwards takes examples of Parton’s career that exemplify through discursive analysis. Such analyses are in the form of talk shows, album covers, tours, films and music videos, websites, and interviews among others. In addition to these, she draws theoretical reinforcement from feature film studies, reality television, theories of camp, and fandom, further reinforcing her underlying themes and exposure of the broader Anglo-American popular cultural fabric (Gardner, 2018). As such, Edwards extensively covers themes such as camp, authenticity, gender, class, and ultimately stardom. Doing this, she unwittingly flashes out the notion of the ‘Backwoods Barbie’ exemplified by Parton and juxtaposing her ideology. This theme is similar to Bulosan’s juxtaposition of America when he shows the kind albeit cruel nature of America.
Much like Bulosan’s work, Edwards conjures an image of America stiffed in the struggle against prejudice and presumptions. In it she reveals Parton’s career, mapped out in somewhat chronological order from the analysis of Parton’s Appalachian ‘mountain female figure’, and its association with an aesthetic considered trashy camp to the development of the “authenticity narrative.” Fundamentally, Parton fights the gender fight by questioning the ‘sincerity contract’ that permeates Country music. In this scenario, Edwards retells the already established history adding the methods used by Parton to review domesticity within middle-class norms. This shows a struggle in Parton’s career and her understanding and interpretation of her role in Country music. Albeit not similar to that exemplified by Carlos (racism), comparable struggles of prejudice, such as domesticity, as well as other gender issues, make Edwards’ work analogous to Bulosan’s work.
A major contrast between the two kinds of literature is the dis-chronologous and divergent examples presented in later chapters. Within the commencement of the literature, cohesion in regards to discussed concepts is present and further multiplies into subsequent chapters investigating Parton’s role in camps, films, and masquerades. Nonetheless, information relating to the Carter family, the country tramp and mountain girl, and the revelations of Parton’s childhood present information relating to her battle with religion and sexuality, which in essence, as major themes, are supposed to appear in earlier chapters (Gardner, 2018).
The final chapter in this arguable autobiography confers about Parton’s multimedia shrewdness as well as her position in digital environment relating to transmedia and fandom, thereby, fueling Henry Jenkin’s discussions on convergence culture. In this case, a convincing case ensues on the subject of her transmedia and televisual personality, which reinforces former works relating to Reality TV by Edwards. In conclusion, Edwards ends by describing authenticity in Parton’s perspective. In her description, she ties Parton back to the “Backwoods Barbie” narrative by linking the multimedia account of feigned authenticity to a walk through a park; further juxtaposing her initial themes (Gardner, 2018). As such, the kaleidoscopic nature of Leigh Edward’s “Dolly Parton, Gender, And Country Music” presents is major contrast with Carlos Bulosan’s “America is in the Heart,” which steadfastly focuses on prejudice, racism, American kindness, and hope.
Ultimately, both books are in effect exemplary in depicting American culture from divergent perspectives. While Edward’s is voluminous in terms of chronology and theme coverage from the twentieth century to the present modernized twenty-first century, Bulosan’s focuses on the twentieth century and the mixed perspectives and receptions of immigrants to the United States. Due to their extensive and timeless themes, both books have survived and surpassed various tests within the literature world; appearing on multiple fronts as in-depth, theme-based literature with immense relevance throughout the scholarly world and largely, the society. As such, these classics are central to the extrapolation of the image of America.
References
Flecha, D. M., Scholar, M., & Britton, J. (2011). The American Paradox Discovering America in Carlos Bulosan’s America is in the Heart. The Penn State McNair Journal , 13-29.
Gardner, A. (2018). Dolly Parton, Gender and Country Music. By Leigh H. Edwards. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2018. 270 pp. ISBN 0253031559. Popular Music , 37 (03), 514-515. doi: 10.1017/s0261143018000338
