Amy and Sarah Vowell are two very distinct people even though they are twins. They share something besides their mother, and that is their frustration, rage, independence and sense of adventure. Then thereҀs Anthony, the troubled and yet highly expressive teenager. I noticed, while trying to compare the two podcast segments, that although one group is considered more ӀeducatedԀ (the Vowells) and one is more ӀtroubledԀ (Anthony) that both live frustrating lives because of an unsettled identity.
For instance, at the outset, the Vowell sisters say how they donҀt look like twins because one looks Native and the other looks European. But they sound the same. Identity here is portrayed as looks, but through a podcast, the identity is portrayed through voice - which is one and the same. Their Trail of Tears pathway is visual for them, but is audio for the listener. This cancels out identity based on looks which is really great because it emphasizes that looks don't matter, it's voice. Automatically, the listener is submerged into their world temporarily. Sarah sets it up very nicely for us. I couldnҀt tell the difference between the two sisters when they were speaking and this added to the continuity of their observations and comments along the Trail of Tears. Their discovery of identity becomes our discovery of their identity too because it was based on their perspective and opinions rather than our guesses of identity which would initially be based on phenotype.
Both women are able to interact with an amazing grace thatҀs articulate and effortless even though they are on journey of discovery which takes a lot of effort. While Sarah and Amy try to retrace their trek to Tahlequah they become enraged at RossҀs Landing and want to quit while they can. Surprisingly their most effortless stop and discovery becomes their most difficult one to swallow.
Then thereҀs Anthony, in the other podcast we listened to. He has difficulties, just like the Vowell twins, but in a different context. He, like the girls, wants to quit while heҀs ahead. For Anthony itҀs because he canҀt find the classroom heҀs suppose to be in for his skills class. For the girls itҀs because they canҀt believe what has happened to their people. In a way these are both the same manifestations of the complexities of identity. They both want to continue but also want to quit. ItҀs interesting how they both have a very difficult time in order to catch up or move on and get ahead, the girls want to move and Anthony wants to sit still.
Why is such a rich and powerful idea of being Native American, or more specifically Cherokee, still so painful and frustrating for these younger people?
