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Reading "New York Day Women" Through a Readers Response Lens

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Reading "New York Day Women" Through a Readers Response Lens

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Reader response lens wants us reading a text for personal meaning and relevance, with five questions to keep in mind while reading. The lens wants the reader to relate the story to their personal life in terms of the character, the events going on in the text or the setting of where it all takes place. Along with that, one should also consider thinking of how the text is different from their lives and how the story affects them. If, at all, how the text has made the reader more interested in the subject and how it has changed their world-views. I will take all these questions into account as I make my analysis on "New York Day Women," a short story from Krik? Krak!, by Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat, published in 1996.

"Eight Critical Lenses Through Which Readers Can View Texts," Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center, 2016.

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To summarize the short story, it is of a woman, named Suzette, who is on break from work and finds her mother wondering the streets of New York alone. Suzette decides to follow her mother around and notices that her mom was doing things out of the ordinary, like being in the streets alone to handing a drink she bought to a young boy. Here and there Suzette would reminisce about how her mother would normally act vs how she is acting now, up until she departs and heads back to work.

Danticat, Edwidge. “New York Day Women." Krik? Krak! New York: Vintage, 1996.

"Parks In New York City." Nyctourist.com. N.p., 2018. Web. 20 Sept. 2018.

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In order to fully relate to the short story as I should for the reader response lens, I have to think of my history when I was younger along with my present life.

Right away as the story starts, Suzette sees her mother down the street, "I have never seen her in this kind of neighborhood, peering into Chanel and Tiffanys and gawking at the jewels glowing... She is afraid to take the subway... Yet, her she is, my mother" (Danticat 127). Suzette is at an awe when she saw her mother in a place she would never think to see her. I can relate to this personally as when I was around 13-14 years old, my parents and I use to live blocks away from the nearest grocery store but one day while my father was out working, my mother decided she wanted to go to the grocery store and could not wait for father to get back to take us their, so she decided to just walk to the store. My mother and I walked about 2 blocks before reaching the light rail that would drop us off a block away from Cub Foods, but when the light rail came, I was shocked as the realization that my mother and I are actually about to take public transportation for the first time in our lives hit me. It was a fun experience and I enjoyed seeing my mother out and about not relying on my father to drive us around to get places. Just like Suzette in Danticats short story, I could not believe what I was seeing and I could not stop looking at my mother just how Suzette kept on following and watching hers.

Danticat, Edwidge. “New York Day Women." Krik? Krak! New York: Vintage, 1996.

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Although the article "All eyes on Lake St. Station crime" (Aug. 7) focused on an installation of several new cameras at the Metro Transit light-rail station, the story was incomplete and out of focus.

Lake Street/Midtown Station has grown to become one of the busiest on the Hiawatha Line. Customers board light-rail trains there nearly 2,800 times each weekday.

Throughout 2011, Metro Transit and the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization worked together to address community concerns about safety and comfort at the station. We identified promising initiatives that could be launched in a reasonable time frame.

Among them: More transit police patrols in afternoons and evenings; a more frequent cleaning schedule and improvements in station cleaning equipment; high-intensity lighting; music in enclosed vestibules, and additional video cameras.

Metro Transit implemented these improvements in stages, and the overall effect has been positive, according to Corcoran neighborhood leaders who used scorecards to track progress. One community leader said the station went from about a "three" to a "seven or eight" on a 10-point scale after early improvements were made. There is no question that these strategies, taken as a whole, continue to make the station a safer and more pleasant place, despite the article's focus on a couple of incidents.

Our police and operations staff both will benefit from greater coverage provided by the addition of higher-resolution cameras. Since introducing video on buses, trains, stations and other transit facilities, Metro Transit police have used footage in hundreds of investigations to identify and apprehend suspects. Operations staff members in control centers can also remotely manipulate cameras to understand developing events. Better cameras equal better awareness. The article's attempt to question their deterrent value misses the point. They are proven crimefighting tools.

While cameras are valuable, turnstiles are not, despite the article's inference that they represent a viable solution to reducing crime. Turnstiles are capital-, space- and maintenance-intensive and still often also require on-duty personnel to monitor them. Adding a barrier for all customers at one station will not hinder those sufficiently motivated to access station areas. On light-rail systems, walking on the track area to access station platforms is always possible even for those who could not jump a turnstile. That's why nearly every contemporary light-rail system employs a proof-of-payment system.

On the Hiawatha Line, that means sworn Metro Transit police officers enforce fare payment (evaders earn themselves a misdemeanor and $180 fine) and monitor the transit system for customers' well-being. Every week, officers check many thousands of fares. And month after month, compliance rates regularly exceed 99 percent.

Ridership on the Hiawatha Line continues to grow. Lake Street is, literally, in the middle of it -- one of the busiest spots in the transportation network as a connector of rail, bus, auto, bike and pedestrian travel. Incidents at Lake Street/Midtown Station have dropped even as ridership on the line continues to increase. Over the past six months, serious crimes like robberies and assaults, although very few, are nonetheless down. With the addition of hundreds more hours of police presence at the station, nuisance crimes like loitering, public intoxication and scuffles are addressed by officers onsite.

The project at Lake Street/Midtown Station has provided valuable lessons for other areas of the transit network. A similar comprehensive strategy involving a partnership with Brooklyn Center police over the past three months has added targeted patrols, implemented facilities improvements and stepped-up video surveillance. The result? Serious incidents have been reduced at the Brooklyn Center Transit Center by 40 percent.

Overall, transit crime has dropped about 45 percent over the past five years to 6.9 incidents per 100,000 customer trips. The vast majority of incidents are fare evasion citations and nuisance crimes.

The article missed the big picture. Reviewed piecemeal, the use of one tactic or another has been shaded to appear of questionable effectiveness. When brought into focus, the comprehensive strategy has proven effective in improving the safety and comfort of transit in the Twin Cities.

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Brian J. Lamb is general manager of Metro Transit.

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A busy transit stop, safer by the numbers

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Although the article "All eyes on Lake St. Station crime " (Aug. 7) focused on an installation of several new cameras at the Metro Transit light-rail station, the story was incomplete and out of focus. Lake Street/Midtown Station has grown to become one of the busiest on the Hiawatha Line.

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Through out the story, Suzette reminisces about things her mother has told her in the past. Many of the things her mom tells her are things my mother has told me.  "Why would we give to Goodwill when there are so many back home who need clothes? We save our clothes for the relatives in Haiti" (Danticat 131), The first thing that Suzette remembers her mother telling her came to her because her mom was looking at a dress that she was hoping her mom would not by for her otherwise it would end up at Goodwill or lost somewhere. My mother tells me this all the time whenever she sees clothes that I have never worn or that I have grown out of. I would tell her to just sell it and get some money back for herself but she always told me that it is better to bag it all up and send it back to our relatives in Mexico. My mother, just like Suzette mother in the story, cares for her family no matter where they are. The second thing Suzettes mother has told her comes to her when she is going back to work, "I will have all these little Suzettes in case you never have any babies, which looks more and more like it is going to happen" (Danticat 134).  Suzette remembers this line because she was thinking about the times her mother was sewing a doll and why she does it. Suzette and I are sorta alike in the way that we basically have the same kind of mother. My mother takes up sewing table clothes and from time to time will sew a dress for these dolls that we have around the house. It is such an interesting thing to watch, the craftsman skill that goes into making things like that and the time an effort my mother puts into making them really wows me and makes me think of how a sweet mother she has always been. Sometimes my mother too would joke about only having these dolls since none of her kids have had a child yet.

Danticat, Edwidge. “New York Day Women." Krik? Krak! New York: Vintage, 1996.

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Thanks to this, and to a wide diversity of traditions, customs, mestizaje and cosmogonies, Mexico is recognized as one of the main countries with a beautiful artistic production in the textile world.

In each of the corners of the country, there are textile artists, weavers and embroiderers who have been responsible not only to immortalize the techniques and symbolism of our ancestors in traditional clothing, but also to create true works of art. In the words of the Museum of Popular Art in Mexico City, they are "miraculous hands that convert needs and fears into spirit, works of popular art emerged from the biodiversity that shapes their natural habitat." When visiting different regions of the country, it is almost normal to be amazed by the shocking embroideries of the stalls or shops, to be astonished, even, for their very varied costs, and to wish to collect, even a small memory, the artisanal work of our origins.

But how to differentiate between a textile art from Oaxaca and another from Chiapas? What is the difference between the rebozos and huipiles of San Luis Potosí or the State of Mexico? What are the similarities of Guerrero and Oaxaca embroidery? The hard work and the beauty behind every piece .

There are many indigenous communities that have maintained their textile traditions, performing practices such as plant cultivation to produce threads and textiles as well as the most delicate embroidery. Originally, the embroidery was realized with the tip of a sheet of maguey or agave; However, today, the technique has evolved with metal water. The embroideries represent the dreams and aspirations of numerous Oaxacan indigenous groups, using the nature of the valleys of the region as inspiration. Most of the garments are made with cotton and some hoops to embroider the outline of the figures and then fill with a vertical past point. The embroidery is embodied in pillows, bags and vests.

The textile art is the most artisan production of Oaxaca, México, where we support around 60 families with our projects. Women weavers know a surprising diversity of techniques and ligaments that are applied in the clothes. And because there is a surprising diversity of ethnic, climatic - economic and mountain - social and economic groups. Huipil and rebozo have a type of ornamentation and colors used. Their designs are based on magico-religious symbols typical of each cosmovision and iconography, of the community identity and of its geocultural origins.

History shows us that serapes, in their original incarnation, were intended as an inexpensive outer piece of clothing first worn by the poorer working folk of Mexico and Guatemala. The original sarapes would have been worn like a poncho, either with an opening for the head to pass through or thrown over the shoulder as often seen in the movies. As a long rectangular garments or piece of clothing, sarapes would be wrapped around the body much like a shawl or blanket for protection against cold and the environment. Serapes refer to the traditional striped weave that makes up the serape blanket or serape which is worn like a garment.

The word "sarapes" refers to the traditional striped weave that makes up the Mexican blanket design of today. Serapes which can still be found today are made of a soft - usually cotton - rectangular blanket and may have an opening in the middle for the wearer to insert his head through. Serapes can be traced back to the Chichimecs people in the area of Coahuila, which is in north-eastern Mexico. These indigenous inhabitants migrated from the Casa Grande area of Northern Mexico to central Mexico. The descendants of these many people in present day Saltillo trace their roots back to the early Chichimecs. Saltillo is the capital of the North Eastern Mexican state of Coahuila now made famous for its locally woven multi-colored blankets. Serapes blankets are still created in the Saltillo region today, but have made their way into the modern culture and history of Mexico. Because of their relationship to the Saltillo region, they have also been called sarapes, serape, saltillos, falsa blankets or just plain Mexican blankets.

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Thanks to this, and to a wide diversity of traditions, customs, mestizaje and cosmogonies, Mexico is recognized as one of the main countries with a beautiful artistic production in the textile world.

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With similarities comes differences, but not many. Clearly the woman in the story,  Suzette, has found proceeded to sorta "stalk" her mother through out her break in order to see what she is doing and admire her. I have never done that, I watch and admire my mother when I am next to her or driving her around to places she wishes to go. Watching her as she finds clothes to buy for herself or furniture to put around the house. Since reading this short story, I do wish that maybe one day I could see what my own mother does when I drop her off alone in order to see if she is the same person or someone different like Suzettes mother. This story was very interesting from one page to the next,. The short story has made me wonder how others act when no one they know is around.

I did a bit of research and found an article (attached below) to help me better understand this phenomena of why we act differently in different situations. I found one about a mother who has concerns about her husband and daughters behavior. Although the roles are reverse here where it is not the daughter wondering about her mother. I think it is close enough that it can help put some insight into why Suzettes mother was doing things that she would never have guessed she would do.

Greenberg, Barbara. “Why Is Public and Private Behavior so Different?” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 27 Apr. 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-teen-doctor/201204/why-is-public-and-private-behavior-so-different.

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Dear Dr. G.,

My teen and husband are really confusing the heck out of me. First, let's talk about my teenager who is a young 14. She is rude and irritable with me much of the time. This is a recent development this year. I understand that this may be because she is a teen and they act this way. What I am having a really hard time understanding is why her teachers and her friends' parents see her as such a sweet goody two shoes. When I run into another mother who tells me how wonderful my daughter is I just can't believe it. I wonder if they are talking about the same kid. Likewise, when I go to teacher conferences and the teachers tell me that she is so polite I smile but I'm really frustrated and angry about why she acts that way at school and in a totally different way with me.

I have to also tell you that my husband is also loved by his co-workers and people in the community and they would never believe the moodiness that he shows his family. Now, I don't think that I'm perfect but I do my best to treat my family as well as I treat friends and co-workers.

I do not understand this difference in behavior for both my teenager and husband and would appreciate if you could shed some light.

A Confused Mother and Wife

Dear Mother and Wife,

You raise some EXCELLENT points that we have probably all struggled with to some extent.

First, let's address the issue of the difference between public and private behavior. Why is it that people are frequently on their best behavior outside of the home? If you polled a large group of individuals of all ages they would probably tell you that it is because people feel comfortable enough to vent at home where they feel secure that they will be accepted no matter what. I, on the other hand, feel that this is only one factor that goes into the equation. I feel, unfortunately, that people feel that it is okay to behave sloppy and sometimes insensitively at home because this is sort of an unwritten social rule. At work, people wouldn't dare to scream,yell, and be insulting because they don't want to lose their jobs. And,people don't insult-let's say-their friends' in-laws like they sometimes do in marriages because they don't want to be friendless. So perhaps individuals should me more sensitive at home and not let their guard of behaving sensitively down so quickly. Maybe the divorce rate would be lower if public and private behavior were matched a little more closely. And the old adage that you hurt the ones you love needs to be tossed out the window immediately. That is ridiculous and is often used as an excuse to justify unkind and hurtful behavior.

Regarding your husband's behavior-I think that you need to have a talk with him and explain how his behavior affects you. While you're in the midst of this conversation find out if you are doing anything that is upsetting him. Do this soon and often so tension doesn't build up and lead to insurmountable problems.

Regarding your teenager-it is so common for teens to be surly at home and lovely outside of the home. The good thing about this is that at least we know that they have the skill set to know how to act politely and in a socially acceptable way. What happens with teens is that in their clumsy attempts to separate from parents they become irritable and quiet. In fact, they often cut off parents because they are afraid that if they opened up to you they might upset,disappoint,or even bore you. In my book- Teenage as a Second Language-A Parents Guide to Becoming Bilingual I provide all kinds of tips about how to reduce that irritable and surly style. I would love to explain it all here but it would take me 256 pages.

Take comfort in knowing that there are ways to get your teen to come around. I promise. I hope that this has been helpful.

Good Luck,

Dr.G.

For more articles like this and to see the book please look at my website:

http://www.talkingteenage.com/

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Why is Public and Private Behavior so Different?

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Dear Dr. G., My teen and husband are really confusing the heck out of me. First, let's talk about my teenager who is a young 14. She is rude and irritable with me much of the time. This is a recent development this year.