Asch's Power of Agency

While reading Nathan Asch's "In Search of America," something occurred to me. There is power in agency. The way that Nathan Asch was able to give a voice to these people is extremely impressive. I found this story not only compelling and moving, but also telling of the real meaning of the word agent. This story is so raw and human, and it is hard to ignore some of the rather depressing details of the lives of the people Asch describes. The technique that Asch has employed to write this story is one that I cannot exactly give a name to. I can only describe what this piece did to me as a reader.

This story felt so personal to me. Not because I can relate to the impoverished workers living in subhuman conditions in shacks. I will not feign some sort of connection to these people on the basis of lifestyle, because really I cannot relate. But I can; however say this: Because of the way Asch described the struggles and hardships these people incurred, I could not help but feel for them. I feel connected to them on a very human level. As I was reading, these people were not just statistics of the working poor for me, they were real people capable of feeling real pain. I think the moments of interaction Asch describes with these people are responsible for my feeling of almost closeness to these people that couldn't be farther from me.

The ending of the story is so haunting. It lingered with me, and it really reinforced what I previously knew, but in a different way. There is a lot of power in agency. But more than that, there is power in the way an agent chooses to perform agency. "No. It would be too much like showing my insides. I guess not. Let's go in and have another beer." (306) This bit of dialogue resonates with me. For me, it was these moments of human interaction that struck me. This poor man, burdened by poverty and pain, had only poetry to turn to. And even that, he could not share with another human being. That is so tragic. This story made me really feel for and long to understand and help these people. I felt outraged and sad for them. I felt sad and scared for them. And prior to reading this story, I had never given these groups of people too much thought to be honest. After reading this story, though, my mind is reeling. I am obsessing over their struggles, and feeling a sort of guilt for my luxuries. As I am snuggled in my nice warm bed, typing this blog for a class that I have the privilege of taking as a white, middle class American, I am also sitting here pondering the groups of people that have absolutely nothing. And I am feeling their pain, as I am sure many of Asch's other readers are doing. All because Nathan Asch positioned himself as their agent and advocate. Well done, Asch. There's a lot of power in that.