Analysis Of More Than Just A Shrine By Mary Gordon

In her essay, “More than Just a Shrine: Paying Homage to the Ghosts of Ellis Island,” author Mary Gordon argues that a separation exists between the descendents of early American settlers and the descendents of later immigrants. Through reflecting on her experience at Ellis Island, Gordon demonstrates her connection to the Americans who passed through as opposed to those who influenced immigration policies. Gordon provides examples of how those already in America affected how Ellis Island received foreigners. Even at the beginning, New Yorkers and officials fought over where to locate the immigration center without distracting from their new Statue of Liberty. Once in action, the acceptance process depended on the “political events and attitudes

During her trip, she thinks of her grandparents, and of their experience arriving in America as teenagers. She agonizes over their mistreatment. Relating to those who passed through, Gordon wants to tell the “ghosts” of the American immigrants that she prefers them to the Americans who “stole their names and chalked their weaknesses in public on their clothing” (Gordon 632). Gordon’s essay inspires me to contrast her trip to Ellis Island to my recent journey to Stone Mountain near Atlanta, GA. Unlike Gordon, I did not know much about my destination. I heard about this Confederate memorial while visiting Warm Springs, GA. A hotel manager described the carvings of prominent Confederate leaders on the side of the mountain. Out of curiosity, I decided to stop by on my way home.
Gordon’s familial background connects her to Ellis Island, but I had no expectation of feeling a personal relation to Stone Mountain. In fact, I was sure that this monument would inspire anger and hate. I recalled middle school history classes describing the Rebel States as evil monsters fighting to keep slavery as part of their lifestyle. High school focused more on the issues of state rights as an ignition to the Civil War; however, the South was the enemy, a regretted part our past. I was curious to see how and why it was immortalized on a

I soon realized that Stone Mountain was not what I expected. As demonstrated by their quotes, the rebel soldiers displayed their passion and willingness to sacrifice their lives in order to fight for what they believed in. The pride that motivated the soldiers to fight the bloody battle compares to the pride Gordon admires in the immigrants that allowed them to persevere throughout the poor mistreatment at Ellis Island. The soldiers fought ferociously against a country they used to call their home. They fought against their brothers and their friends. They fought for the rights they felt were being stripped away from them. These soldiers had wrong and immoral views, but they would rather fight than concede to a different belief