I agree with you about the father being scared his son will lose his culture trying to conform. Children should not have to choose one culture or the other. Wind-Wolf is five years old and he does not have enough experience and knowledge in making this important decision. Wind-Wolf understands is he is treated differently because of his culture. It is understandable for Wind-Wolf to want to conform to stop getting bullied. The teacher should have done more for Wind-Wolf in making him feel more comfortably with his culture. I agree with you about being white being an advantage in our current society. People who are not born with a light skin color are treated differently. It is completely unfair that people receive privileges that they did
His parents were survivors of the schools and they still felt the shame to practice their own culture. His
Obviously individuality is important, but traditions that are continued create a bond between people that is unexplainable; no matter what has happened, they have something that no one can take away. Traditions create unbreakable relationships that are unique, and that is exactly what White is trying to convey to his son, and this is a lesson that everyone needs to
The Narrator has been invited to read his speech at a high end Hotel. He is brought their expected to impress the white audience with his intelligence. Instead he is used for the white mens entertainment. His grandfather had told him that if he were to continue to conform to the white mans racial prejudice that nothing would ever change. The narrator had thought for a second that they would actually care to listen to his ideas.
Apparently, taking the culture of being an Indian is supposed to save the child but, noticing how brutal this was laid out. Knowing teachers didn't only beat the students but, took away their hopes. This is important because it shows how cruel the world is. In fact, what if a teacher came and told you it is the worse thing to be white, African, Asian or Asian Pacific Islander, etc... Would this change the way you thought about yourself? This probably would start a conflict.
Great Post! The whole portraying to be white by the narrator reminded me of Rachel Dolezal who was in the news this past summer for being white but fronting as a African-American woman. I am curious as to why you think if his father had been more of a present figure in the narrator’s life, he would have developed a firmer black identity? From what I understood the father was white and (of course I am guessing here) but would doubt he knew much regarding African-American heritage, simply because he may not have been exposed to much of it, other than the affair with the narrator’s mother. I think your statement regarding his lack of participation in defending the race was well put, with his racial quagmire I don’t think he will ever find a
For most people, being mature is a challenge, and white people used to think they were superior in every way, when in fact, most people who are treated badly have a better understanding of maturity, and life in general. Now, we come to understand how equal everyone is, and that everyone plays an important role in our
Some may say it may cause a strike on homework because of the book or discussion. But, even though it maybe uncomfortable at the time, it will teach whites to understand how throughout history colored people were mistreated for their skin difference. Even if it is uncomfortable and angering it will help explain how to not repeat history with
In the essay, “A Genealogy of Modern Racism”, the author Dr. Cornel West discusses racism in depth, while conveying why whites feel this sense of superiority. We learn through his discussion that whites have been forced to treat black harshly due to the knowledge that was given to them about the aesthetics of beauty and civility. This knowledge that was bestowed on the whites in the modern West, taught them that they were superior to all races tat did not emulate the norms of whites. According to Dr. West the very idea that blacks were even human beings is a concept that was a “relatively new discovery of the modern West”, and that equality of beauty, culture, and intellect in blacks remains problematic and controversial in intellectual circles
Drew Hayden Taylor writes, in his 1991 essay, about his life being a First Nations man but looking “Pretty like a white boy.” He writes about how he witnessed and heard so much racism towards First Nations people because people thought he was Caucasian. Taylor tells us all through out his essay that he is judged by both races for not “looking the part” of a First Nations man. At one point Taylor tells his readers about an especially embarrassing moment while visiting a trapper woman and her kids.
The black-white binary, although easily understandable, does not address the many other race relations that whites have had with minorities. For example, the Native Americans are grouped in with the black part of
I shall be answering question number 7, ‘what do I think of Wining Boy’s explanation of blacks and whites?’, is that Wining Boy is explaining that white men can bend the law so that it suits them. While black men cannot bend the law to their will making them go to jail quicker. For instance just recently in the news, a black man got shot twenty times by white cops in his grandmother’s backyard his phone mistaken for a gun. The family of the black man is seeing no justice while the white cops that shot the black man is walking the streets freely.
Even as he is being beaten to the ground and punched in the face, he still needs validation from the white people to make himself feel equal. When people are put into situations where they feel uncomfortable, or where they feel out of place, they tend to latch onto some thing they know as familiar. For the protagonist in Battle Royal, that familiar thought was his speech. There were m at conflicts that arose and forced the protagonist to deal with the situation. The specific way that the protagonist dealt with these conflicts shows his true
Through this it is shown that the way the white man is talking is at a higher level than that of the speaker, who is a man of color. The amount of education received by each man contributes to this distinction, where most white men went to school, while the speaker was the only African American
It is not so easy being white. Of course, I do not have to deal with pervasive hatred and people treating me worse because of the colour of my skin. Sure, I come from a position of enormous privilege, allowing me the freedom to hone and explore my talents anywhere I wish. The reason why being white is so hard is because I still stand on the podium of oppression, my heritage stems from the subjugation of people of colour. Racism runs through my veins.
Instead of dwelling on discrimination and racism as a negative and preventing him from reaching his fullest potential, it allows him to become creative, in a way, and lets him to gain ground at making himself equal to society.