...conform or submit and the associated threat of separation and alienation from ‘the group.’ While some who suffer such alienation get lost in a dark world of low self-esteem, anti-social behaviour and intergroup conflict - others choose a path of reconciliation. They choose to see the positive possibilities of an us-oriented life and refuse to play the them-dominated role of the victim. Much modern literature explores variations of this theme in different ways. I have chosen four works that illustrate the phenomenon: Freedom Writers - a movie directed by Richard LaGravenese based on teacher Erin Gruwell’s book The Freedom Writer’s Diary; The Sneetches - a classic children’s book by Dr Seuss; The Power of One - a movie directed by John Avildsen based on Bryce Courtenay’s popular novel of the same name; and The Wave - a young adult novel written by Todd Strasser who is also known by his pen name - Morton Rhue. At the beginning of the film Freedom Writers, Ms Gruwell is attempting to teach her first English class, Room 203, which is full of gang and racial tension. She knows that they need to learn tolerance so that they can reclaim their shattered lives and gain a voice of their own. She tries many different teaching approaches to connect with and engage her class. This shows that she was trying to establish equality in the classroom and make enemies friends in order to help them see each other as people, not as problems or enemies. This is illustrated when she introduces...
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...Essay #2 Through exploring four separate texts, including 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address by David Wallace, Last thoughts on Woody Guthrie by Bob Dylan, The Man in a Case by Anton Chekhov, and finally Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki, a reoccuring theme emerged which strikes at one of the core questions of the human condition. Each text grapples with an unfortunate truth; people are often unhappy. These writers are concerned with picking apart the reasons for this feeling and attempt to describe the circumstances that cause people to feel unsatisfied with their day to day lives. With a focus on understanding what causes our perspectives to skew in this way, another question appears. What is it that these authors are trying to help their readers discover, and how can you define what it is that human beings need in order to feel fulfilled?...
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...Critical Analysis Essay “Letter from Birmingham Jail” In arguing, writers use different techniques to effectively convey their message to their intended audience. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" was a response to "A Call for Unity" by eight white clergymen in which King’s presence in Birmingham and his methods of public demonstration were questioned. King’s letter was not only a response to his presence in Birmingham, but he also used the opportunity to address the unjust proposals by the clergymen that Negroes wait for the legal system to abolish segregation and unjust laws. King uses rhetorical modes of persuasion such as ethos, pathos and logos to meticulously address and discredit the claims made by the eight white clergymen. Throughout his letter, King also makes many comparisons to effectively illustrate how the Negro pursuit of freedom was timely. To answer the question of his presence in Birmingham, King uses both ethos and pathos to explain why he is qualified to be present leading the demonstrations. To argue the perception of him being “an outsider coming in”, King first states that because he has organizational ties in Birmingham, he has an obligation to be available whenever he is needed. This statement discredits the notion that he is an outsider. To lay the foundation of his argument, King states, “But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.” This statement is used to make King’s presence seem less personal...
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...The Story of an Hour 1. There are many themes in The Story of An Hour; ‘heart trouble’ – which describes not only the physical affliction of Mrs Mallard but also the emotional suffering in her marriage. Three other themes that are prominent within this story are; death, freedom and oppression. Though, the themes of freedom and oppression can be seen as the main themes within this story, as we see the character of Mrs Mallard – a Mallard is a type of wild duck, which can be seen as being symbolic of her need to be free and to live for herself – struggle to cope with the apparent death of her husband. ‘She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment’, until she was alone in her room where she began to come to the realisation that she had the freedom to be herself, to be ‘free, free, free’ from the restraints of marriage. There is an inward struggle between Mrs Mallard accepting this new freedom, as when Mrs Mallard retires to her room she is told to come out of her room for fear that she would ‘make herself ill’, whereas on the contrary we see that ‘no; she was drinking in a very elixir of life’. Here we see the theme of oppressive nature of marriage appear. As a newly founded widow, she is expected to be upset just as she was expected to be happy in marriage, whereas on the contrary we see that in reality she was not happy then but only happy now her husband is dead. This use of dramatic irony, highlighting the contrast between the characters reality and what is expected...
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...Course Reflection Melissa D. McElhaney EH 245 Brenau University July 7, 2013 Carolyn Giddens Course Reflection The reading of the many texts has improved my reading skills. It has to an extent improved my writing skills too. As the authors took me to their worlds, I became so engrossed in their writing that I tried to imagine myself a writer. The books are spread across different timelines, so it was easy for me to reach into the social, political and economic conditions that existed during the writing of the books. Mary Wollstonecraft struck me as a very perceptive writer. Writing in an era that was male centered, she brings out some of the cultural politics that existed at the time. Her writing style, only rivaled by the stream of consciousness technique adopted by Virginia Woolf, is very clear and precise. From this, I gather that a writer should be clear in both prose and verse to communicate the message clearly to the audience. Other writers in the reading list also affected my writing and reading skills. For one, the numerous texts forced me to be keen and fast while reading the books. I think my skimming techniques have improved. I was quick to discern the central focus of the texts and go through the books as fast as I could. Reading all these literature enhanced my ability to understand different documents about women issues in society. They provided a multicultural approach to the study of critical feminine theory. The course content has proven very challenging...
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...Angelou wrote this particular poem to show the differences that still stood between the black and whites. Angelou represents the theme that “Even after a change, people may continue to hope and strive for even greater things;” she shows this through her use of extended metaphor and by understanding the historical context of...
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...style) Thesis Statement: “Death be not proud” by John Donne personifies death, as its title aptly prescribes. Giving death human traits allows the writer to blast him with colorful images full of sarcasm and a tone of defiance. The ultimate message of the author provokes the human soul to resist the fear of death. Outline: Introduction: Thesis statement Transition: Discuss the writer’s life in relationship to the subject of the poem Body: Discuss the poem’s form based on the 14-line Petrarch sonnet Evaluate the mood and tone as it changes through the thoughts expressed by the writer Review the uses of symbolism and imagery Review the poet’s theme based on mortality and hope Summary: Donne successfully encourages the reader to reevaluate the power of death The Death of the Power of Death “Death be not proud” by John Donne personifies death. The poem is an apostrophe. By giving death human traits it allows Donne to blast his vilified opponent with colorful images full of sarcasm and a strong tone of defiance. The title is drawn from the first line of the poem, as this is the tenth of Donne’s “Holy Sonnets,” according to Louis Untermeyer, in his work Lives of the Poet ( 136). The ultimate message of the author is to provoke the human soul to resist the fear of death and embrace the freedom of eternal life. “Death, which became Donne’s obsession, was always a leading theme,” states Untermeyer (135). Donne’s relationship to the subject...
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...Is it the law of nature that men have more rights than women? Fact is that men is physical stronger than women. Mary Wollstonecraft an English writer, philosopher, and advocate of women's rights. Wollstonecraft admits that there is a difference between the sexes, but criticizes the conclusion that men are above women. What is the message of the book? In our time the women mind are not in a healthy state. You can compare them to flowers. They have to beautiful just like a flower. A flower can be weak under the wrong conditions and break. Under the right conditions they can handle some real challenges and grow. Which challenges are you referring to? First and foremost the whole education system. Women are educated to be a good wife. They learn how to play piano and draw instead of read and calculate. What is your personal solution to all this? It is very important for women to find a husband, because they depend heavily on men financially. I want to encourage all women to make a stand, get an education and through that be strong and independent. As regards the men, I request them to be more chaste and modest, and women to grow wiser. Let there be focus in the individual, the freedom to speak your mind and to be yourself. I suggest that both men and women should be treated as rational beings and I imagine and hope that in the very near future a social order will be founded on reason. Article by Louise Date: 14 may...
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...Politicians and their speech-writers have an ability to take everyday events and represent them from whichever perspective suits the party vision, or the need of the hour as the politicians see them. In a polarized democracy, as in the United States at the end of the 1970s, it was relatively straightforward for either party to present its views as representative of the general view of the people. It is not necessarily the case that either view was the right one, but what mattered was, which view had the greater relevance for the listeners and people. Jimmy Carter made his case as the President that he had done as much as he could to fix the problems which beset American economy. He acknowledged that he had not been entirely successful, but put the onus on the American people's lack of confidence and the rising demand for energy. He promised to implement a model of shared sacrifice to combat the challenges of inflation and energy insecurity. He also offered to provide aid to the poorest Americans and cover increasing energy costs by a windfall tax on profits of energy companies. He asked Americans through their communities and cities to focus on energy conservation by leveraging public transportation and minimizing the unnecessary usage of cars. The proposals fitted together well, but the general tenor of his framework was an appeal to everyone to pull together and tighten their belts, to give up frivolous expenditure of energy, and to share the burden of the government...
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...African Americans have always struggled when it came to civil rights in America and most of the time they were silenced for speaking out the truth. Going all the way back to The Harlem renaissance Famous African American writers like Alain Locke or Langston Hughes used their platforms to speak out politically about discrimination of African Americans and racial segregation most of the writers of that time helped lay the foundation of the civil rights movement, it was an eye opener for many African Americans and because of that the community grew and became stronger. And with a stronger community African Americans started to realize who they were as a people. James Weldon Johnson was one of the many African American writers who was influenced by the Harlem Renaissance. In “Harlem: The Culture Capital” writes an about how Harlem was created. He...
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...Through “Our” Eyes Along with life and personal security, liberty is one of the most important key ideas to which our nation was established upon. An individual’s freedom to express their beliefs in any way, shape or form is what we Americans are proud of. It has become part of our basic human rights. However, it can be said that our nation has gone down the path of regression. Although we have made tremendous strides in becoming a better society, issues regarding our moral integrity come into question. What was once a nation of liberty, the United States has become a place conflicted within itself. Glenn Loury’s essay, “A Nation of Jailors” focuses on the compelling moral problems that are plaguing the American social structure. To further expand on the moral dilemma we are facing with our...
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...Even works of literature that intend to have a good message can be interpreted and read the wrong way. The novella, Oroonoko written by Aphra Behn, is a great example of this. Oroonoko is the story of the Royal Slave. It is written in the perspective of a white colonial woman in the eighteenth century. I found the novella to have a lot of subtle racial undertones despite the fact that during that time it was seen as an anti-slavery novel.(1) There have been debates on whether this novella is pro-slavery or anti-slavery? While reading, I decided that it was neither, but more so a novella from a revolutionist point of view. One of the first things that sticks out is the way in which she described Oroonoko physically. Behn stated that his face “was not of that brown rusty black which most of that nation are, but of perfect ebony, or polished jet.”(2) Pause. Using the word “rusty” to describe someone’s skin tone is never good, but when one thinks of rusty, it is something that was once white/shiny and now has just become old and discolored. His nose “was rising and Roman, instead of African and flat” and lastly his mouth “the finest shaped that could be seen; far from those great turned lips which are so natural to the rest of the Negroes”(2). With describing him physically she has reinforced negative African stereotypes by generalizing the look of the population. Not only that but these qualities she is giving him are all ones used to being seen in European societies. By giving...
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...Ali Alnasfan Mary Mullalond English 181 December 3, 2015 Literature Analysis: The Relation of the Works of African American Authors with Islam Introduction: The African American literature is full of enthralling stories, poems and riveting facts. The authors and poets have used various themes to express their depression, anger, plea and even hope. In this essay, various themes like racial discrimination, survival, honor and homeland will be discussed. Most of these themes that these authors have used in their work have a direct relation with the religion of Islam. All these themes have been discussed in Islam and the religion has provided answers to these problems. Following works will be discussed in the essay. 1. If we must die (poem) by Claude McKay 2. A Litany for Survival (poem) by Audre Lorde 3. I have a Dream (speech) by Martin Luther King Analysis # 1: If we must Die: Honor and honorable death is one such theme that is the main focus of the poem, “If we must die” by Claude Mackay. Claude McKay wants his people that are under threat from the white people and are being killed. He wants them to die nobly. Islam has given a huge distinction to the one who dies honorably i.e. in the way of Allah. This means if a person is doing something good, or is on his way to doing a going deed and dies, he dies a martyr. The Prophet [SAW] said: "Whoever fights to protect his wealth and is killed, he is a martyr. Whoever fights to protect himself, he is a martyr....
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...the movement brought along. People traditionally living in the country now gathered into urbanized areas in hopes of employment as farmland gradually developed into factories (“Introduction”, Pages 5-7). As a result, cities became crowded and unsanitary as this sudden influx of population was not accounted for in city works. The lack of a citywide waste disposal system created an environment where litter dusted the streets and smog suffocated the populace (Wood). In the heavily industrialized cities of the time, flora and other greenery became a rare sight. The people of the late eighteenth century became rapidly disillusioned by their surroundings and yearned for the better days of the past where there was more space to breathe and distance themselves to find spiritual meaning in their life (Wood). The people sought for a refuge from the turmoil of society and found that coveted solitude in nature, which became idealized as a meditative sanctuary where people could go to reflect upon life or draw inspiration. Each writer of the Romantic period came upon different interpretations from their experiences with nature and these varying perspectives are reflected in their works. Pantheism was a very pervasive theme found in the works of the Romantic Period. This shared sentiment did not come as a surprise as nature became personal havens found on Earth. Most Romantic writers found nature to be a place flooded with spiritual presence. One of the most popular poets of the period shared...
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...this way, that is is how an understanding of audience and social and cultural contexts is reflected. What I find interesting is how this relates to a concept I’ve learned from the Dorothy Bland article called the Rashomon Effect. This is a concept where people have different interpretations of the same event, but in this case, visual images. So perhaps I could look at something that gives me positive vibes, while another could potentially see it as negative. As for the genres and purposes of these images is that they do their own part of spreading an important message or issue (i.e. Black Lives Matter). But as far as visual images go, they have the freedom to represent themselves in their own unique ways stemming from messages that can be displayed in a positive, clever, or...
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