In this harsh world, everyone has their own tree and the branches of each tree represents a variety of meanings and the different lessons that people learn in their lifetime. Such is the case in the four literatures we studied: Raisin in the Sun, Almost a Woman, The Pearl, and The Learning Tree. However, just like the branches of two trees are not exactly alike, the characters in these literatures and the lessons that they learned are different and unique in their own way.
In Raisin in the Sun, Walter Lee Younger was the ‘learning tree’. He learned two very important lessons in the course of the story. The first lesson he learned was that he could only trust himself in life, and he learned this lesson when he was cheated by Willy Harris, who ran off with his money. This was a very important lesson that Walter Lee learned and it was definitely one of the biggest branches in Walter Lee’s “learning tree’. The other important lesson Walter learned was that his family was what truly mattered to him. When Walter Lee lost all the money, his family still loved him enough to forgive him, and supported him even after it was all Walter’s fault. This was the second biggest branch in Walter’s learning tree, and I personally think that it was very significant and made a great impact in Walter Lee’s life.
The second literature we studied was Almost a Woman, the story of Esmaralda Santiago. Negi’s learning tree’, I think was a lot different from any of the other characters in the literatures we studied. I think that one of the lessons that Negi learned was the problem with assimilation and people should just be like themselves. These branches go together in Negi’s learning tree because one thing basically led to the other. When Negi came to the United States, she tried to dress and act like an American, but her mother didn’t approve. Negi’s mother wanted her to be like a Puerto Rican girl, and this was one of the things that made Negi stand out from everyone else. It also gave her the determination to succeed and become an accomplished individual by being herself rather than acting to be like someone else.
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The Pearl was the third literature we studied and I would especially like to talk about Kino’s “learning tree”. Kino’s learning tree has two very important branches. The first branch, or the lesson that Kino learned was that being humble was the true meaning of happiness. I think that Kino didn’t realize this especially in the beginning of the story, which was the only time that Kino was happy. Before Kino got hold of the pearl, his life was great, and the “Song of the Family” was clear in his mind. However, that all changed after he found the pearl and he forgot what it was like to be humble. This leads to the second lesson that Kino learned, that family comes before anything else. Kino’s ambition of the pearl made him forget what was really important to him. Kino’s ambition of selling the pearl for a great price, cost him the death of Coyotito. I think I could say beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Kino’s learning tree was the loneliest, compared to the learning trees of other characters in the four literatures.
The last literature that we went over was The Learning Tree. Newt Winger’s learning tree’ has many branches or lessons based on discrimination. The lessons were quite different and unique as well. Unlike other characters in other literatures, Newt had to learn to do what was right. Even after Newt knew who really killed Jake Kiner, he wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to testify against Booker Savage. Newt was not sure how all the White folks would react to such news, and something like that would have probably caused racial violence. However, he went ahead and testified anyways, since it was the right thing to do. Another important lesson that Newt learned was to go on with life and not let anyone or anything hold him back. When Miss McClintock told Newt that he could never amount to anything greater than a chef or a waiter if he went to college, Newt was angered. He knew that he could do whatever he wants if he just tried hard enough. Newt especially showed this determination in the very end, when he told Sheriff Kirky that he will ‘make it on his own’.
Unlike some characters in the four literatures, my “learning tree’ hasn’t completely grown yet. However, it already has some of the same branches as Esmaralda Santiago (Negi), in Almost a Woman. I experienced the same lessons as Negi, especially about the part where people should just be like themselves rather than trying to be like someone else. When I first came to the United States, I tried to be like others rather than myself (a kind of assimilation), and it didn’t really go the way I wanted it to. Anyway, soon I learned to be like myself, and everyone seemed to enjoy my company after that. This was a very important lesson to me, and it was one of the reasons why I now have so many great friends. I personally feel that everyone should have this knowledge because it is the very soul of our identity, and what makes a person different–from everyone else…
