A Shift in Perceptions of Gender and Social Mobility

If you grew up and currently live in the United States, you are familiar with the American narrative of success. As a college audience, you are well aware of the economic purpose of being a student and the aspirations of social mobility we share. We can then deduce that regardless of whether you have made up your mind about your future career and life prospects, we share the commonplace of professional self- improvement through higher education, be it for the purpose of a promising career or the attainment of vital skills necessary to produce an enjoyable life. Our cultural narrative implies that we have the tools necessary to succeed; if we fail, it is through our own fault in not using those tools handed to us.

Political, social, and economic factors influence our daily life without our realizing it. It is easy for us, as Americans, to brush off the ills of the world (I'm not saying we do but rather that it's easier to). It's not that we don't care or don't know about it (because we see these ills online all the time); it's probably because we can't relate and because we are not directly affected. How do we compare a Haitian family living in a one-room shack with a common American family? A Wall of Fire Rising takes us through the quotidian life of a Haitian family living in poverty, where poverty is not the main focus as if the reading were an anthropological documentary but rather poverty completes the backdrop of the family's life.

We see the family playing, eating, getting ready in the morning, laughing, and feeling tense with each other. Like we think about this family and how they are affected by the socio-political factors surrounding them, so must we consider our daily life in relation to the bigger picture of our country, because when you think of Haiti, what comes to your mind? Much the same way, perspective about ourselves is crucial in understanding our place and privilege in this increasingly global, interconnected society. For example, worldwide, Americans are thought of as rich and entitled, but also highly motivated and devoted workers.

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Despite the fact that the majority of the class includes white/mixed women, I do consider that my story has themes of appeal. Consider that women now make up the majority of students in American universities and what this means as far as changes in gender roles in the professional arena. The story is definitely more of a study on masculinity in a Caribbean culture, but the themes of frustration and hope of changing one's economic position are no longer exclusive to men. The story also contains the vital themes of family and relationships which would normally be considered more appealing to women, but it stands true that all the themes mentioned are relatable to our class because of our changing perceptions and relations to gender.

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