Citizen By Claudia Rankine Essay

By writing Black Like Me, John Griffin was trying to write down everything he felt was important on his journey as a black man. One of the major things wrote down was the idea of white racism. Which is the belief that white people are superior to other races and because of that should run society. So, the main topic of the novel was social divide of whites and African Americans. As a black man John saw the contempt white people had towards African Americans, and just the overall condescending attitude emanated from these people.

In Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the doctor tells Mr. Norton and the narrator about how neither of them can see the real other. The doctor says to Mr. Norton, “To you he is a mark on the scorecard of your achievement, a thing and not a man; a child…” (pg 95). The doctor means that, generally, to white folks African Americans or those of another race are looked down upon and sometimes not even considered to be a real human; they are invisible. Successful white men, such as Mr. Norton, usually do not care about the African Americans they helped raise in some way, shape, or form; they only care about how it looks for their list of achievements. The doctor also says, “And you, for all your power, are not a man to him, but a God, a force—“ (pg

In the song “Frosty the Snowman”, which was written by Walter “Jack” Rollins and Steve Nelson, shows you that your childhood is one that you shouldn’t forget. As you become older, you might lose the memories of the happiness, joy, as well as imagination which made up your childhood. Throughout the song, the narrator does a great job emphasizing how fun it is to play during winter, and how important it is to never forget that by using dialogue, rhyme, together with imagery. The way dialogue impacts this song by authenticating that Frosty has turned into an actual living creature. Rhyming affects this song by helping the reader create an image of playfulness in their mind.

Claudia Rankine spoke at Georgetown University on Tuesday April 12, 2016 in Gaston Hall. During her presentation, she showed videos on police brutality, Baltimore riots, and talked about different poems in the book. The atmosphere was heavy once I arrived and the expressions on the audience’s faces were indescribable. Some people looked uncomfortable when Rankine discussed the topic of police brutality.

In a group with Anna Duncan, Nina Zhu and myself, we read the poem “Outbound” by Greg Williamson. We took the same strategy that was used when we deciphered the poem “On my First Son” by understanding the poem line by line. Going line by line, we were able to understand our assigned poem and have a conclusive idea for the meaning of the poem. As a group, we originally thought we had understood the poem, right before we moved on Nina

Ralph Ellison’s novel, Invisible Man, has many references to police brutality, discrimination, and white supremacy. The protagonist faces dilemmas that have him questioning his own identity, as well as the society he lives. This all begins after the death of his friend Tod Clifton; he watches the policeman pulls the trigger on his friend. Ellison makes sure that it is an important moment in the story to show that black people are continuously dehumanized, and the protagonist learns it the very hard way. He experiences it through oppression, growth, and loss.

When one refers to ‘Stranger in the Village,’ with a meticulous objective, they find that the series of complexities does more than document the behaviors of an isolated village. Woven throughout the essay, there are chances to absorb a seemingly endless category of philosophies, from the consequences of seclusion in association to ignorance, to the discipline writing requires and the concerns standing beside it. However, there are specific points Baldwin makes that, for a lifetime, will remain thought-provoking. It is the attentively assembled role of ‘The Negro of America,’ that strikes a bone of relation and searches to enlighten his audience. Sequentially, what manifests from the conceptual themes of Baldwin’s interpretations is a symbolic

It is natural to want the best in life, to live in bliss and to never experience pain or suffering. Still, no matter how tempting that life would be, can one really call it living never to experience pain or sorrow along with joy and bliss? When the time of the ending of our life’s story comes, it is common to reflect on our past and to take in all of the good and bad that we have encountered. Gwendolyn Brooks’ calm poem, “The Bean Eaters,” displays the life of an elderly couple reflecting on the bittersweetness of their lives. While their pasts were not perfect, the poem captures the harmony of the events that took place throughout their lives and the peace they are left with as a result.

In, “Not Just (Any) Body Can Be a Citizen”, author M. Jacqui Alexander explores, examines and expounds on the socio-political forces and machinations which have influenced the legislation in Trinidad and Tobago and The Bahamas, regarding specific sexual identities and manifestations. Primarily using the laws of both countries pertaining to sexual offenses, she discusses how homosexuality and other non-reproductive sexual acts and lifestyles have been outlawed in both nations. In her argument, she outlines how persons of such alternative lifestyles (including herself) have been carefully constructed as deviant, immoral and ultimately destructive to the moral and social fiber of the country. They are counterproductive to the state-imagined heteronormative, civilized state and, as such, must be criminalized and prohibited from enacting such “unnatural” behavior within the general society. More specifically, however,

Citizenship in the United States         Being a United States (US) citizen means a great deal to me. When I took the first step towards US citizenship, the last thing on my mind was to become a “model citizen” or having the same rights and obligations as a US born citizen. When I obtained my legal resident in the US, which is the first step towards citizenship, the main concern on my mind was “I am no longer on at edge about being deported.” This was a great relief for me, as all of my family resides in the US. This same frame of mind is shared among many people who take the first steps towards citizenship.