How do you interpret the title? What do you find intriguing or unique about this particular testimonial?
Reader Interactions
Comments
Alyssa Brownsays
The title, “The Original Sin”, to me seems like it really doesn’t fit into the context of the story the woman told. Maybe it’s called “The Original Sin” because of all the labor Nellie Quinn and Francisco had to do; the laborious work that ultimately lead to him almost having his hand taken off. Yet, Nellie said that their boss is a nice man and he paid her the same amount of money as the men. So honestly, I’m not completely sure why the article is titled “The Original Sin.” In the end of the title, she says that she never understood how the arrangements were made in her new home. She said that maybe it was “one of Francisco’s secrets” and that “he always had secrets from [her].” So maybe he got the house in an dishonorable way? This is an expert from the autobiography by Anthony Quinn titled “Original Sin”, so it probably isn’t related to this specific story. Maybe Quinn had some problems in his life that he’s not too proud of.
I really loved this testimonial. It seemed really personal and it was a happy story, compared to some of the other stories we’ve been reading. I really admire these three people’s working ethic as they labored all day on the railroad. I really hope that I will have that kind of ethic in my life one day. They made sure that the railroad was perfect, even if it didn’t need to be. I thought it was really interesting seeing a different side of the foreign labor work perspective. Everyone in the story seemed genuine, from the engineer to the Canadian in the hospital. So maybe it wasn’t always an Us vs. Them situation. Even the man in the beginning of the story apologized for his behavior toward Francisco and offered him a job. I think it’s just an unfortunate situation that most Latino men were stuck with jobs that most people today could not contemplate doing. This couple was very lucky to leave their original situation and live in a grand and beautiful house. That’s probably how Anthony Quinn got his jumpstart into Hollywood. Although, I wonder if it was hard for Fransisco to get hospital care because he’s a Latino. In the other testimonials we’ve read, the workers weren’t treated with equal rights compared to the whites. In this story it seems as if they’re living in a better world, even if it’s only by a slight margin.
The term for the title “The Original Sin”, does not seem to fit in this context as there is not really a sin per say being committed. The sin could be the railroad operator letting women work on the railroad and paying them equally as the men or it could be the fact that the way Nellie felt she was lesser than men because of the way she was raised. Either way, I love that this testimonial is told through a woman’s eyes because before testimonials like this were only told through a male perspective, which is still a somewhat privileged perspective. Nellie goes over how men told her she would “just get in the way” or “I suppose that is what is meant by equality” but does not actually talk about what equality is to us these days in the twenty-first century. I liked how Nellie thought that living in a big house was such a problem for her because she was so used to living in a small house and living almost in poverty that it was nice to hear good news about her story and that people eventually came around to her and started to treat her with kindness and respect, something that not many people showed to Latinos during that time period.
“The Original Sin” being the autobiography it is, is composed of several stories in author Anthony Quinn’s life thus the title in context has no true connection with the excerpt read. Although, if associated with the assigned text I would say that “The Original Sin” would account for the extraneous labor and conditions both characters Nellie and Francisco had to endure while working in the railroad. Nellie pointed this out when she said “Sometimes it was so hot out there in the sun that the barrel of water we brought out in the mornings would be boiling hot.” & “There was too much work and little pay” After reading the story, I questioned, that what if Francisco was given better treatment as a Mexican because he was part Irish and as noted in the beginning of the selection wasn’t presumed to be of fully Mexican descent (at the Glamis). Moreover, I found this testimonial very interesting not only because it was an easy read but because it was a first-hand account of a woman. It stood out from many different testimonials and documentaries I’ve read and watched because in this family’s case they were offered help and the hardships they endured were not as bad as other immigrants’ when they came to America. This testimonial was very unique because a success story comes out of it, Anthony Quinn the author and a man who came from poverty and became a two-time academy award winning actor.
The title of the article “The Original Sin” has no correlation with the article after reading it. The article explains a woman’s life that gets better and better with only a single hiccup along the way. All of the articles and videos we have watched thus far have had the opposite connotation and message. In this article California was portrayed as a relief state to Nellie’s family. The testimonial stands out because of how rare the outcome of happiness and luck is when an immigrant family moves to California. Something I thought was significant in the testimonial was the differences in the way workers are treated. In the testimonial Nellie talks about how the man behind the counter refers to Fransisco and other Mexicans by saying, “I could use somebody that understands these people” emphasizing a negative connotation on “these people”. Even though the man is standing his ground and asserting dominance over someone of lower class, there is no direct harm or violence in the situation like there is upon coming to California. The social aspect of how people are treated is handled much differently but much better outside of the states.
The title “The Original Sin” doesn’t fit the story directly. Maybe the original sin(s) would be working a man’s job or living in that house without paying at the end of the narrative. There isn’t any other action that constitutes as a sin. Something I find intriguing would be the labor and devotion of a Mexican woman. Nellie Quinn story of almost fainting and how the 12-2:30 sun would be a crucial moment for the railroad workers was surprising in that a woman back then would work so profusely alongside a man. Also, the fact that the work of women would be thought of as something unusual. It could be a possibility that her actions could’ve been that of breaking breaking social guidelines.
The title, “The Original Sin”, to me seems like it really doesn’t fit into the context of the story the woman told. Maybe it’s called “The Original Sin” because of all the labor Nellie Quinn and Francisco had to do; the laborious work that ultimately lead to him almost having his hand taken off. Yet, Nellie said that their boss is a nice man and he paid her the same amount of money as the men. So honestly, I’m not completely sure why the article is titled “The Original Sin.” In the end of the title, she says that she never understood how the arrangements were made in her new home. She said that maybe it was “one of Francisco’s secrets” and that “he always had secrets from [her].” So maybe he got the house in an dishonorable way? This is an expert from the autobiography by Anthony Quinn titled “Original Sin”, so it probably isn’t related to this specific story. Maybe Quinn had some problems in his life that he’s not too proud of.
I really loved this testimonial. It seemed really personal and it was a happy story, compared to some of the other stories we’ve been reading. I really admire these three people’s working ethic as they labored all day on the railroad. I really hope that I will have that kind of ethic in my life one day. They made sure that the railroad was perfect, even if it didn’t need to be. I thought it was really interesting seeing a different side of the foreign labor work perspective. Everyone in the story seemed genuine, from the engineer to the Canadian in the hospital. So maybe it wasn’t always an Us vs. Them situation. Even the man in the beginning of the story apologized for his behavior toward Francisco and offered him a job. I think it’s just an unfortunate situation that most Latino men were stuck with jobs that most people today could not contemplate doing. This couple was very lucky to leave their original situation and live in a grand and beautiful house. That’s probably how Anthony Quinn got his jumpstart into Hollywood. Although, I wonder if it was hard for Fransisco to get hospital care because he’s a Latino. In the other testimonials we’ve read, the workers weren’t treated with equal rights compared to the whites. In this story it seems as if they’re living in a better world, even if it’s only by a slight margin.
The term for the title “The Original Sin”, does not seem to fit in this context as there is not really a sin per say being committed. The sin could be the railroad operator letting women work on the railroad and paying them equally as the men or it could be the fact that the way Nellie felt she was lesser than men because of the way she was raised. Either way, I love that this testimonial is told through a woman’s eyes because before testimonials like this were only told through a male perspective, which is still a somewhat privileged perspective. Nellie goes over how men told her she would “just get in the way” or “I suppose that is what is meant by equality” but does not actually talk about what equality is to us these days in the twenty-first century. I liked how Nellie thought that living in a big house was such a problem for her because she was so used to living in a small house and living almost in poverty that it was nice to hear good news about her story and that people eventually came around to her and started to treat her with kindness and respect, something that not many people showed to Latinos during that time period.
“The Original Sin” being the autobiography it is, is composed of several stories in author Anthony Quinn’s life thus the title in context has no true connection with the excerpt read. Although, if associated with the assigned text I would say that “The Original Sin” would account for the extraneous labor and conditions both characters Nellie and Francisco had to endure while working in the railroad. Nellie pointed this out when she said “Sometimes it was so hot out there in the sun that the barrel of water we brought out in the mornings would be boiling hot.” & “There was too much work and little pay” After reading the story, I questioned, that what if Francisco was given better treatment as a Mexican because he was part Irish and as noted in the beginning of the selection wasn’t presumed to be of fully Mexican descent (at the Glamis). Moreover, I found this testimonial very interesting not only because it was an easy read but because it was a first-hand account of a woman. It stood out from many different testimonials and documentaries I’ve read and watched because in this family’s case they were offered help and the hardships they endured were not as bad as other immigrants’ when they came to America. This testimonial was very unique because a success story comes out of it, Anthony Quinn the author and a man who came from poverty and became a two-time academy award winning actor.
The title of the article “The Original Sin” has no correlation with the article after reading it. The article explains a woman’s life that gets better and better with only a single hiccup along the way. All of the articles and videos we have watched thus far have had the opposite connotation and message. In this article California was portrayed as a relief state to Nellie’s family. The testimonial stands out because of how rare the outcome of happiness and luck is when an immigrant family moves to California. Something I thought was significant in the testimonial was the differences in the way workers are treated. In the testimonial Nellie talks about how the man behind the counter refers to Fransisco and other Mexicans by saying, “I could use somebody that understands these people” emphasizing a negative connotation on “these people”. Even though the man is standing his ground and asserting dominance over someone of lower class, there is no direct harm or violence in the situation like there is upon coming to California. The social aspect of how people are treated is handled much differently but much better outside of the states.
The title “The Original Sin” doesn’t fit the story directly. Maybe the original sin(s) would be working a man’s job or living in that house without paying at the end of the narrative. There isn’t any other action that constitutes as a sin. Something I find intriguing would be the labor and devotion of a Mexican woman. Nellie Quinn story of almost fainting and how the 12-2:30 sun would be a crucial moment for the railroad workers was surprising in that a woman back then would work so profusely alongside a man. Also, the fact that the work of women would be thought of as something unusual. It could be a possibility that her actions could’ve been that of breaking breaking social guidelines.