Before anything, I would like to say how amazing that first round of panel presentations were. Everyone seemed to be an expert on their particular article and engaged the class the whole time. You guys really made me nervous for my panel presentation.
Anyways, I would like to respond to the first panel presentation on the article by Bernot Ortenderf. This was the article that was somewhat overtly making fun of Cushing Strout. The main point from this panel presentation that really stuck out in my mind was the one involving Scott Joplin and how analogous he really is to Coalhouse Walker. The story of how Scott Joplin wrote an opera was discussed and to give a brief overview: Scott Joplin wrote an opera that he was very proud of. The problem was that people of the time couldn't accept the fact that a black person had written an opera. That just wasn't cool in their minds. So no matter how hard Joplin tried, he couldn't get anyone to show his opera. This frustration is very palpable in Coalhouse Walker as well.
The scene that draws this perfect parallel for me is when Walker is playing music for the family and father makes the crass remark of asking Coalhouse to play some of those Coon songs. You can almost feel the gasp as Walker explains that "coon" songs are played by white people in black face; he didn't play that kind of music. You can sense in Walkers demeanor that he wants to break stereotypes and boundaries. He drives a ford, he is respectable, and he even goes so far as to ask for legal recourse for vandalism (I mean that with as little sarcasm to be conveyed as possible). Coalhouse Walker may be based on a character from another novel, but it seems to me that Doctrow drew a few too many parallels with Joplin to be ignored. This is all so wonderfully wrapped up when the newspaper couldn't find a picture of Walker so they just printed one of Joplin; basically the same thing, right?
I agree--I was amazed at how solid and authoritative all three panels were. They really did set the bar high for the rest of you. (But I was equally impressed with the consistently high quality of comments and responses among the class--the whole dynamic worked very well in your section.) And it helps that we meet in a bona-fide "conference room"!
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