In both "The Lost Beautifulness" and "In the Land of the Free" the irony is freedom. In "The Lost Beautifulness" Hanneh and her husband came to America to enjoy a life of equality and freedom. Their son, Aby, joined the Army while Hannah saved all her pennies to paint a white kitchen for his return. Hannah wanted a white kitchen since she had came to the states; she equated them with the American Dream. "Ever since she first began to wash linens for Mrs. Preston, years ago, it had been Hanneh Hayyeh's ambition to have a white painted kitchen exactly like that in the old Stuyvestant Square Mansion" (1). Hannah saw Mrs. Preston's kitchen and thought that was what made her American and happy. Hanneh said, "...Shining up the house for Aby is my only pleasure" (1). She too felt that achieving happiness was by taking pride in her home. The unfortunate part of the story was shown through Hanneh's hard work and excitement. By his greedy nature, he landlord raised her rent after seeing how she had spruced up the apartment. He crushed her American Dream by telling her "The flat is worth five dollars more..." (5) knowing she could not afford it. Hannah starved herself and refused Mrs. Preston's money offer for extra income. "Nothing can hurt me no more -- And you always stood out to me in my dreams as the angel from love and beautifulness. You always made-believe to me that you're only for democracy" (7). Hanneh felt like all she had worked for was gone; all the freedom of Mrs. Preston would never be hers. She then went back to her apartment and destroyed her beautiful work before she was evicted. Aby came home from fighting for America's freedom to find his mother out on the street because she did not have enough money to achieve her American Dream.
"In the Land of the Free" Hom Hing and his wife, Lae Choo, brought their son across the border to America or the land of the free. Little one was born in China due to circumstances beyond their control. Hom wanted his son born there, but the health of his parents was failing and his wife was expected to take care of them. Little one was two years old when Lae brought him to America. All of the paperwork was said to be in order until the United States Customs questioned Hom about his son. "Where was he born? Has he been to America before?" (546) they asked. When the officers found out that Little one was new to America, more paperwork had to be verified and sent Washington. "I'm afraid that we cannot allow the boy to go ashore. There is nothing in the papers that you have shown us--your wife's papers and your own--having bearing any bearing upon the child" (546). For ten months Little One was separated from his parents. Lae was devastated and when the paperwork finally arrived she lit up like the sun. She went to the orphanage where Little One, now named Little Kim, lived. As she greeted him with outstretched arms "...Little one shrunk from her and tried to hide himself in the fold of the white woman's skirt. Go'way, go'way! he bade his mother" (551). The irony of this story shows how a Chinese couple came to America in hopes of raising a better family. Instead, they were greeted by officers who felt that Little One may not be their child. After taking him away for months, American women essentially brainwashed Little into one of them. I think the bigger question is, how can the "Land of the Free" treat people with such disrespect and injustice? A free land would welcome all and view equality as a priority, not as a complication to their social injustice.
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