One of the main topics of my essay is the religious diversity found among American people and the tension/prejudice that results from such diversity between people of different religious beliefs. Until thus far, we had not yet read a poem in the Spoon River Anthology that dealt with a religion other than Christianity. Therefore, I believe Yee Bow’s poem is very unique because it shows what life in Spoon River is like from the perspective of a non-Christian (who would definitely be a minority in the community). The townspeople’s forcing her to convert to Christianity may be a part of their effort in the “crusade to purge the people of sin”, but it is obvious that Yee Bow doesn’t appreciate what they are doing to her at all (she ended up being killed by the minister’s son “as if it were a prank”). It is also evident that the people in Spoon River look down on her because of her religion and view of life.

I find it very interesting that there is a Chinese woman living in a small town such as Spoon River in the early 19th century. The cruel way in which the people of Spoon River received her may have been also because of her unique outer apparence, since she is most likely the only Asian person in the town, if not only Asian person the white townspeople have ever known.

George Gray’s poem reminded me very much of the last line from The Great Gatsby (So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past), because of its use of the boat and the sea (in the quote from Gatsby, the current) as a metaphor for life and the journey in which one must embark upon in life. This poem relates to the idea of American dream we explored in the last chapter of The Great Gatsby: just as Gatsby struggled so much to reach his American dream of winning Daisy’s love and being satisfied with himself (and in the end failed and met his death), George Gray must also “lift the sail/ And catch the winds of destiny/ Wherever they drive the boat.” Daisy gave meaning to Gatsby’s life. After his dream had been broken with Myrtle’s death and the subsequent events that took place, Gatsby’s life was “a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid”, not knowing anymore what to do or where to go.

Reading this poem, it seems like George Gray truly understands what one must do to truly live his/her life to its fullest. It’s too bad that he came to this realization only after his death.

Of the poems in the Spoon River Anthology I’ve read so far, Robert Fulton Tanner’s poem stood out to me the most. We discussed in class what this poem was trying to say, and after re-reading the poem a few times, I agree with Nicole’s argument that this poem talks about God or (if not,) some other supernatural existence whose decisions we humans have no control over. I think this poem relates to the idea of the American dream (although not really directly). Robert Fulton Tanner’s opening statement “If a man could bite the giant hand/ That catches and destroys him,/ As I was bitten by a rat/ while demostrating my patent trap,/ In my hardware store that day” shows his torment and misery for the aspects of life that he cannot control in any way, while also revealing his strong desire to better his life and live the life that he himself chooses to lead by defying that supernatural power (although knowing that this would not be possible).

This poem also relates to Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston in that the main conflict in both Robert Fulton Tanner’s and Janie’s lives was their struggle against God: no matter how hard Janie tried to improve her life through her three marriages, God always seemed to make things difficult for her by arbitrary taking the things she held dear and keeping her from being happy for a long time. God (or the ogre Life in his case) controlled Robert F. Tanner’s life as well, and thus prevented him from being satisfied with his life.