Sanders Reflection - Katharine Burris

 Katharine Burris  

EN 376: Postcolonial Lit  


Revisiting Yesterday to Imagine Tomorrow


 

While comparing “Looking for Rhonda Honda” and “Old Man Alabama” by William Sanders, I found the treatment of the past and the present to be particularly interesting. The reader sees two different articulations of individuals attempting to change pre-established societal norms and ways of living, one by traveling to the past and one by envisioning the future. Therefore, the question then becomes, which is more successful in compelling change?  

The inherent constraints of changing the past can be seen in Sanders “Old Man Alabama” as a man finds out “how to fly through time” and afterwards “turned a lot of poor damn sailors into sea birds” (Sanders, 57). In this instance, I found Sanders to be commenting on the futility of making change in the past as the only thing Old Man Alabama could do was turn sailors into birds, which is clearly ineffective. At the end of the story, Old Man Alabama learns that he did not truly reach Columbus’ Mayflower, but rather some insignificant ship. Through this, Sanders suggests that changing the past is impossible, and one even believing they can do so is solely humorous.  

On the other hand, “Looking for Rhonda Honda” displays the possibility of changing the future if the agency to do so is present. In this story, the President has morphed from man to woman to pursue her true sexuality. When revealed, Noir encourages the President to “go back to Washington, back to the job, and the Family” and after her “coming-out press conference... the public ate it up, the Presidential ratings hit an all-time high” (Sanders, 260). Here, Sanders shows how individuals can make changes in the societal norms and expectations in current society. Noir states that “You can sweep anything under the rug if you’ve got a big enough broom” (Sanders, 260) suggesting that continuously sweeping these modern ideas under the rug will never lead to progress, rather just remaining stagnant in the past. If the President did not gain the courage to express her true sexuality, the public would have never seen this model of atypical characteristics at the time. Therefore, this capability is inherently dependent on the will of individuals to take part in change, therefore risking their own reputation and status to do so.  

By juxtaposing these two texts, Sanders makes clear the necessity for “people to wonder now and then” (Sanders, 60) as wondering about the past helps one to further advancements in the future. While we cannot change the past, we can learn from it and use it as a source of reflection and growth. While “Old Man Alabama” shows that it is impossible to change the past, “Looking for Rhonda Honda” encapsulates the possibility to progress in the future only if we make choices that reflect the reality that we want to live in.  

  

 

 

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