Jose Marti

Jose Marti
Based on the assigned readings, I am totally interesting to analysis the canonical author -Jose Marti who was more powerful, influential, and motivating than entertaining as well as some aspects of his writing style. I chose the same topic in the last discussion forum because I truly love to read his works and enjoy embracing his thinking, purpose, meaning, and kept fighting for Cuba freedom. I will recap his back ground firstly in order to make readers have more general views about historical background at that time. Then I will move to tell different aspects of his mood during the phase of the United States posed for Latino in plain terms. I would like to share a little bit about Jose Marti‘s precarious but successful existence so that we will have a panoramic view of the social background at that time. Jose Marti is well-known as a Cuban national hero in Latin American literature. Looking at back his life as well as studying about his background, he was born in Havana, Cuba in a poverty family. Although his parents could not afford to educate him, thanks to his grandfather to provide financial support for his studies, he definitely made his family proud of him by studying very well. He was actively involved many different fields, such as a poet, a writer, a journalist, a professor, a translator, a political theorist. Moreover, he began his political activism at early age. Since Marti was young, he had proved his anti-American attitude profoundly. He seemed to conceive how perilous the United States posed for Latino in plain terms. At the same time he also noticed that Latin-American countries can take advantage from the reforms of the European or North American civilizations. This could help these countries detach themselves from the colonial heritage of Spain.
Besides that, Marti also admired the characterized work ethic of American society at that time. He recognized that his country need to be reformed and need to learn many active aspects from American society. For example, he encouraged Latin American countries to learn and recognize how important education is for the development of the nation. Moreover, Marti also called on his country to learn more modern techniques in order to develop the agriculture of Latin America.
Free speech and diversity were two of Marti's main ideals. He applauded the United States' Constitution which allowed freedom of speech to all its citizens, no matter what political beliefs they had. In his point of view, free speech was essential if any nation was to be civilized. Additional, he also understood the essentials of social-cultural diversity in America. He usually thought toward to the active aspects of diversification. With his ideas, he thought that this would help America become stronger and more effective because they can get together and work toward a common goal.
Although he was all for Cuban independence, he was also concerned with U.S.'s influence. In contradiction with his role as a key political writer for Cuban Independence, much of his works are centered on the U.S. The cause of this contradiction was formed from his own mood. However not everything was to be admired by Marti. He admired America's revolution and power, but despised their greed. For instance, he criticized acts of corruption among American candidates as well as dirty acts when they pulled the main political string behind the scenes. Moreover, the United States seemed to abuse its potential to overpower many things. Discrimination between various races also was one of the specific examples for that.
Freedom, liberty, and democracy are prominent themes in all of Jose Marti's works. He wrote and lectured on an enormously wide range of subjects as well as spoke at countless meetings for independence and for the Cuban revolutionary. Two of his most famous works I really love to share and mention are "Two homelands" and "Love in the City". Both two works was wildly spread whenever he went. Firstly, for the poem "Love in the City”, Jose Marti would like to give us massages about how relative between the modern city and love are. As he thought, globalization also brought a negative aspect that made people's emotion becoming more frigid at that time. Secondly, in the poem "Two homelands" he talks about how globalization has change the world. The purpose of this poem is to spread awareness of how he truly feels about the current state of affairs in Cuba. However, he should know what would happen for Cuba at that time.
In a nutshell, through out of Jose Marti's works, I have learned various aspects of U.S culture and Cuba's history. With real proofs, it is easy to recognize American viewed as a European- based state. They imitate Europe in many angle of problem from the structure of government, school, and even popular customs and trends. Therefore, Jose Marti did not want to use the same method U.S. did. He called upon his nation to create but not imitate. Although he loved and respected America, he wanted to see America more united and create to different ideas. I am truly moved and fired by Jose Marti as a revolutionary hero. The more I spend time to search about Jose Marti, the more he seems to give me an abundant source of inspiration to read. I like the way he communicated his own ideas to readers as well as reflected a certain part of society at that time.