https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/06/lolas-story/524490/
React to this story. It is so poignant. What is the author's argument. What do others say about this piece? It is very controversial. Look up some stuff and tell us what you think.
After reading the title at around 1 am I knew that I was going to find this piece of interest. "My Family's Slave" since when do those words not entice someone to stop and read even apart of the article. Slavery has been taught and shamed during American history classes, this was not a proud time to be an American citizen. Hell, we even had the civil war over slavery, our country split into two different sides to fight over keeping slavery or abolishing it. We often times however do not hear of slavery in other countries and what their traditions are for slavery. Often times as mentioned in the article the person goes into slavery willingly and is as we would call it a house slave. Manila is where this story of Lola begins, her being 18 years old and accepting the offer of working as a slave for an army lieutenants 12 year old daughter, not knowing of how her life had been sold for the rest of her life. The mother then went on to grow up and eventually get married which then Lola followed the authors mother and did what she was told. After having four children the mother and father relied very heavily on Lola after moving to the US to take care of the children. Lola had to be kept a secret because slavery during that time was illegal and Lola was an illegal immigrant. The author grew to love Lola as a motherly figure and tried to stand up for her all he could as a child. As he grew older, after his mothers death he took Lola into his home and told her she didn't have to serve him and his family but that she could relax. Lola died after 12 years with the authors wife and children. Throughout the piece the author jumps between telling about his family and Lola and traveling back to where she was born and giving Lola's ashes to her family. I read the comments to gather what other people thought of this article and most people said the four children should have done something or talked to the mother about her treatment of Lola and I reply to those here saying that the son did talk to the mother and tried to help Lola, one took her into his home and treated her like family. I read comments like this and I just come to think of how some people can read the article and still come to opinions and questions that are answered in the piece. This situation for Lola and the family was obviously not an easy one to solve, Lola had no family in the US, nowhere to go if she ran away, the authors family was her only place to stay. I can say that this was slavery in a different form from what we as students have heard it mentioned. Being a slave does not mean that you work in the fields all day, sleep in the shack outside, and is whipped or beaten daily. A slave can be simply what Lola was, a prisoner for the owners own amusement and comfort.
ReplyDeleteI had many of the same thoughts you did about Lola and how she didn't have many places to turn to. She was truly caught in the middle and was conflicted in what she was supposed to do. I can't imagine having those feelings. Good blog!
DeleteI felt the same way as you especially as far as what Lola could've done to get out, she didn't have anything or anyone to turn to. I liked your thoughts and opinions they really expressed how you felt about the piece, good work.
DeleteThe authors argument in this touching story was that sometimes the ones you treat the worst still treat you the best. Lola was treated with dirt her entire life, yet she still treated the entire family with respect and listened to their wishes. She was loyal her entire life and devoted her life to doing what the family needed, even if she was still getting screamed at and forced to do things normal people wouldn't have to do. Instead of taking advantage of the mother when she became old and ill, Lola was devoted to making it easier on her in any way she could. She could've ran away, went back home, or turned in the family, but instead she stayed with her.
ReplyDeleteIn the comments of this piece, people argue back and forth about it. One comment I read was that the kids should've turned their parents in for keeping Lola as a slave and freeing her from the torture of every day life. But another person argued back that he was only a kid and didn't fully grasp and understand the situation and what Lola really "was". He didn't realize she was a slave until he was older, in which Lola had been so accustomed to taking care of the family she knew no other way of life. She didn't know how to take care of herself and wasn't up to par with the new technology in the world. Most people are against the parents but some people blame the children for not reporting Lola's situation.
I think that the parents were wrong in this situation in many different ways. The children did what they could for Lola, they tried to help her and they treated her with respect, instead of yelling at her. The parents were also wrong for exposing the kids to a bad lifestyle. They exposed the constant yelling but they also exposed them to the illegal ways of having a slave. The parents are to blame in the entire situation because even if the children were able to report their parents, they were afraid to, as well as for most of their lives they didn't understand.
We also had many of the same thoughts. I was so angry at the parents for brainwashing, or rather attempting to, into thinking Lola was completely fine. Good blog!
DeleteHoly cow. This seems so unreal to imagine, but crazy things are happening all around us and we don't know about them. Alex Tizon and his family kept their secret locked up from everyone around them for many years. They moved quite a few times and no one ever investigated about Lola and who she really was. My first reaction to this story was how much of a potential life Lola was deprived of. Towards the end of her life she showed amazing signs of how smart she was capable of being. She was never able to find the love of her life and start a family of her own. Her family in her mother country must have thought she was dead for the longest time. The author clearly knew this was an important story to tell. I believe he was trying to make the argument that no one should be deprived of living their life to the fullest they can. Every human should have the right to live to the best of their ability and to in any direction they can. Tizon's family, mostly his parents and grandfather, didn't respect this basic human right. They felt no sympathy whatsoever towards Lola and how long she spent away from her family who continued to care about her her whole life. I also do realize their are many cultures who treat people like Lola was treated, but when the author's family moved to America, you should assume they would see the difference in cultures and possibly realize how harmful and unethical their actions were.
ReplyDeleteI immediately went to the comments section to see what kind of thoughts different readers had on this story. I don't know whether I was surprised as to what I found or if I expected most of it. People were throwing each other's customs and traditions at each other, blaming the sons, or blaming the parents, even blaming Lola. There was no one in this author's story that was completely innocent. To a point, I believe Lola knew she may have been better off living in America rather than struggling for survival in her mother country. The author spoke about that once on how many of her siblings died of sickness or were killed. He also spoke about how dangerous the weather can be in the area Lola used to live in with her family. Life in in her home country was unpredictable. I didn't see many of the comments addressing that. There was either the side of people who were extremely sympathetic towards Lola and her life or the side that were angry about the illegal immigrants issue. I can't say I didn't have many of these same reactions. The author knew she needed to become a citizen and he took care of that issue as quickly as he could. Both reactions, I believe, are important to this story.
This story is extremely sad and it also serves as a reality check for those living in the United States that anything can be happening right beside you and you would never fully know.
I liked how you also added how you thought that Lola thought and how she was better off in America. I believe that's true and I also believe she only thought she could make it if she stayed with the family. Great work.
DeleteThis was one of the most difficult thing we've ever read for our blogs, not only because of how long it was but because of its content as well. It doesn't seem real. It felt like it was fiction. Through patheos, the authors argument was that slavery is wrong. The controversy around this involves sympathy towards Lola or the kids, or anything. I felt sympathetic towards both of them, and the mother as well. She was in a bad relationship with her husband and father. She wanted Lola because she was the only constant in her life, but didn't know how to treat her right. They loved Lola, all of them, but didn't know how to show it. Sadly, they loved what she did for them more.
ReplyDeleteFamily is something everyone depends on whether the relationship is direct or the relationship is just as close friends. When something is troubling me, I go to my family for help. I go to my mother or my sisters for guidance. When I feel alone or scared I go to my father for protection. As he holds me in his arms that are much bigger than mine I feel safe. Reading this story has made me realize how important family is and family should never be overlooked. The moral of the story is that family is important and no matter who you are, you aren't better nor less than someone else. This story about Lola is very touching and was not easy to read. Not because the diction was advanced or that the writing was archaic, but that the story was true and the pain behind the text wasn't made up. Lola was enslaved her entire life never able to see her parents after she was taken by the grandfather and handed down to his daughter, not even when her parents died was she granted her wished of attending their funerals. Lola had no family and when she thought just maybe the family who kept her as a slave could be her family they abused her a treated her as an animal. Lola was promised food and shelter when she was first enslaved but the shelter she got was not was she hoped for. Shelter is a place you can feel safe, for me my fathers arms. Lola didn't have shelter. All throughout school I've learned about many Soave stories that were depressing and I couldn't imagine a world with slaves. However, this story is by far the most touching and completely awful story. God created man in His imagine and in His image we are all equal.
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