Not-so-fun Facts About America with Howard Zinn

 

    As the average child grows up in America, the curriculum seems to have similar themes throughout the story of America's upbringing. It was a noble, almost romanticized journey by key individuals, who advanced the interests of the 17th century colonies, and then the United States. The expansion westwards in the 19th century was a tale of settlers on a benign journey to the West. The American Revolution was a war against overseas tyranny. And what about the fight for workers' rights and against the monopolies of the Gilded Age? Well, if you only learned through the curriculum of most schools, such a thing never existed. The Civil War, the American Revolution, and the migration westwards take precedence over such topics. 

    Howard Zinn's book, A People's History of the United States, doesn't follow the same sort of narrative, instead telling the other side of the story of America, adding facts that the average elementary school curriculum tends to omit. Zinn tends to focus on 3 main themes within his massive 700-page book, covering them in a more detailed and new light as compared to other history books. Those themes are the fight between Native Americans and Europeans, the cost of war, and economic/social inequality.

    Consider the way Indian-European relations are covered in this book. Over the course of my education, the first time I learned about the true nature of colonial expansion was in 7th grade. I had already learned about Columbus and the Mayflower, 2 consistent topics for social studies classes, many years ago. Zinn's book immediately discusses how Indians were pushed back via a cycle of betrayal and annihilation, in the name of advancing Western Civilization, which was in many ways inferior to Indian societies. The part in which Zinn covers the topic of European warfare against the Indians is perhaps the most engaging and best part of the book.

    Zinn also puts forward a new perspective on many well-known wars with famous battles, of which a decent majority made their way into mainstream history textbooks. He does make some mentions of well-known battles, but his focus is on the individual cost of war, and what this meant for military casualties, civilian casualties, and individuals behind the front. Zinn documents individuals and groups opposing needless wars for expansion, turning the tide of public opinion away from war, to such a degree that 2 well-known wars have ended as a result of public opinion.

    Yet the most striking, and possibly the most controversial, addition that Zinn makes is the consistent theme of a struggle between the wealthy high class, and the working lower class. In the early chapters of Zinn's book, he points out the vast inequality between the wealthy landowners and the servants, laborers, and landless craftsmen. The poor sometimes begin recognizing their plight, and rise up against said wealthy landowners, only to be repressed via a system of polarization, deception, appeasement, and force. Zinn fleshes out the concept of class conflict throughout the book, showing the brief times in which the poor majority, or 'the people,' score victories for themselves, even against the opposition of the wealthy.

    I only touched a bit on the different ways Zinn breaks away from the mainstream narrative in American history, offering a new perspective on the events we know from our years of education. Although A People's History of the United States shows clear bias in its depiction of war, social justice, and class warfare, if you can recognize the fact that Zinn is opinionated on many of these topics, you can read about the history of the United States, except now from the view of the people.

Nightshade City: an unexpected world

   

 From the very beginning of the book Nightshade City the tone and narration is very mysterious. You are thrown into a strange world, not knowing what is going on. The prologue especially leaves you with many questions about the story, such as who are the characters in the prologue are and when it takes place in the timeline. These are some of the questions that made me want to keep reading to find the answers. The curiosity and mystery in the book is one of the main reasons this book is a very fun read.

    The first two characters you are introduced to after the prologue are Victor and Vincent, two brothers. The brothers, after many pages of subtle description can be concluded to be intelligent and dynamic rodents, on the run from a underground society governed by rats. Even in the first chapter the author is able to humanize rats and make them seem almost just like us. Over time, it is revealed through context clues that this underground rat society lies directly beneath a city inhabited by humans, or Topsiders as they are called by the rat society. The city is the source of all of their food and the rats strange names for human objects or festivals, immerse you into the viewpoint of the rats. The story Nightshade City is told in third person, and does not focus solely on one character. The narrator frequently jumps between characters both bad and good, either introducing a new one, or continuing the storyline of a familiar character. The narrator helps express thoughts and goals each characters has, hinting at the possibility of character narratives coming together. The book's hinting and mystery leave you in anticipation, waiting for the next intriguing missing detail the book will throw at you.

    When two main characters, Victor and Vincent, are first introduced they are found running from the authorities in an attempt to avoid being drafted into Killdeer's Kill Army. The two brothers barely escape with their lives and flee to Topside, the rat word for above-ground, when the younger brother Victor questions why they are escaping. Vincent recalls his promise to their parents to protect Victor after they were separated during a flood that devastated Nightshade City and assures him that their parents would not have wanted them to join the Kill Army. This scene sets up the story nicely and hints at multiple adventures ahead for the brothers, one being to reunite with the rest of their family. The other being that the brothers see their escape as a sign that they must make a change in Nightshade City by revolting against the cruel leaders in power. The hinting and foreshadowing in the story set the scene for an exciting adventure to bring justice in an unexpected world.

    Although rats are often thought of as vermin, I think this story is a good reminder through the personification of rats, of the big impact humans have on our environment as well as the effect humans have on animals, which is frequently shown throughout the story. The thrilling and peculiar plot, and the stunning artwork helps paint a detailed image of the setting and characters, and helps immerse the reader even more into the story. I would highly recommend this book to readers who like an adventurous plot as well as fascinating fictional storytelling that will keep you reading.