Answer to discussion questions/ Yujin Jeong/ ISS2017

Comparing the experience of being oppressed in Sui Sin Far's "In the Land of the Free" with the oppressive experience in Dunbar's "The Ingrate"

In both of two stories, there are clear situations that the main character is oppressed. But I think there is a big difference in the way that how the main character get out of the oppressive situation and whether it will last or not.

In the story, "In the Land of the Free", the Chinese immigrants couple try to bring their son back from the authorities. However, they fail it over and over like they have sent the same letter that demands for getting their son back to the home more than fifteen times. Just because they are Chinese immigrants, they receive unfair treatment from the government. To get out of that oppressive situation, they pay some money to the lawyer and they get a chance to meet their child. They could temporarily solve the problem by throwing money, but it is uncertain that it would be continued in later situation of being oppressed.

In the story, "The Ingrate", Josh who is a slave of Mr. Leckler is taught how to read and write by his owner. Though Mr. Leckler is supposed to earn more his money by teaching his slave, it gives an opportunity for Josh to be free from slavery. Josh could forge the pass because he learned how to write and made it. He doesn't intend to learn something, but that leads him to desire to have freedom. If a slave learns how to read and write, they have ability to get out of slavery. Josh gets away from his owner and is fighting for maintaining his freedom, so I think that his liberty would be continued.

The real reason Mr. Leckler gives Josh a lesson

Mr, Leckler expresses himself as a good person, but there is sarcasm. Mr. Leckler said at first the reason why he taught a slave was that the slave was cheated out his earnings. So he gave Josh such instructions to permit him to protect himself from that unfair treatment. However, the real reason was that he made Josh more intelligent, hired him out to Eckley's farm and got more profit from his slave. Also, I think there would be another reason. Mr. Leckler wanted to revenge on his neighbor, Eckley, so he made his slave be taught how to read and write and sent him deliberately to his neighboring farms. By making his slave be compared with Eckley's slave in his farm, he felt superior to Eckley.