At some point in our lives, most of us have judged a book by its cover. In other words, we have held prejudice against each other based on our outward appearances, but rarely considered what lies beneath the surface. In Langston Hughes’ 1959 poem “Theme for English B”, a professor assigns a speaker, a young African-American male college student, a one-page composition in which the student can write about a topic of their choosing. The speaker chooses to write about how, despite being African-American in a mostly white class, he is simply human just like everyone else. The craft of “Theme for English B”, including the sound, rhythm, tone, form, and figurative language of the poem, demonstrate the writer’s message that despite our differences,
Hayes is narrating the poem as if it is based on a true story or a possible story that could have happened. In the first stanza he paints us a picture that him and his white friend, M, were in the locker room alone. Hayes impersonated M.L.K and Ronald Reagan, which gave M the idea that it was alright for him to say "Talk like a nigger now. " Reading that line the reader may think that an altercation would occur but the narrator didn 't react that way.
In the article, “Achievement of Desire” by Richard Rodriguez, starts to discuss the conflict of scholarship boy between school life and his home life. When he starts to make progress in his education, he was becoming discouraged and embarrassed of his parents lack of education. Rodriguez admits his success is due to never forgetting his life before he became a scholarship boy, yet the new change that came from getting an education. After reading this article, I would have to agree with certain parts Rodriguez has to say, yet disagree after realizing individuals who take the values of academic culture will start to experience alienation from native communities. Richard Rodriguez describes the difficulties between balancing life in the academic world and life of a working class family.
Malcolm x; Statement clarifies that his homemade education with every additional book he read it, gave him a sensitivity to the ignorance of African american race. Sherman Alexie; statement states him realizing that a paragraph is a fence that held words, helped him identify that his reservation, his house and each person in his family were a paragraph with its own stories. Sherman Alexie; statement describes the expectation others had on Indian children, in which they were expected to be stupid, however these children did not live to that expectation outside school. Frederick Douglass; statement explains how the books he read relived one of his difficulty, however they brought more pain than the one’s he was relieved from, because the more
In Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man”, the main character, unnamed, reacts to injustice in a significant way, when he finally realizes that, even in the North, there is still discrimination among people. Throughout the novel, the main character grows and expands his knowledge of justice. In the beginning of the book, he starts out as a follower, and literally follows people in higher positions around (such as the Founder) and takes everything they say to heart. He begins to realize that the things he heard in his sheltered life may not be so great when he works in a paint factory.
The biggest headaches I get are from those students who have no training and no experience—yet they’re certain they have a divine gift or instinct for executive protection. These students are trainable, but they might have to repeat the class after some field experience to really understand what is new and different about this discipline. Repeating my classes is always free, and some lessons are much more real to students the second time around. I have a great track record with the quality of students who have come through my school.
Setting apart form his grades he was still a bit ignorant and stubborn for his parents to handle. This somehow was bought throughout his travels with people he met that only wanted to help but he would decline their offer. Throughout the novel, Chris traveled to many
uperman and Me Adelaida Urrea Sherman Alexie, in his essay, “Superman and Me”, recounts how he learned to read even though he lived in poor family inside a community where education was disparaged. Alexi’s purpose is to describe how kids are expected to fail academically since education is not cared for in Native American communities, and ignite change in the ways Native American children are educated. He adopts an inspirational tone in order to encourage other Native Americans to follow his example and educators to help solve this problem. Alexi projects an inspirational tone, through the use of diction to achieve his purpose.
In Ernest J. Gaines novel A Lesson Before Dying , the complex relationship between Grant Wiggins and Jefferson and their relationships between those in the black community and facing the oppression by the white citizens. Gaines wants the readers to learn from his novel that people do not have accept the way things are and make a better role for themselves in life even in the hardest circumstances. The relationship between Jefferson and Grant was a negative relationship that slowly transformed into a positive one, on both sides. Both men come from different backgrounds in the same black community and both feel the oppression by the white community.
Frederick Douglass was born a slave in rural Talbot County and he served a family in Baltimore. After escaping to the North in 1838, he settled in Bedford, Massachusetts, where he became active in the abolitionist movement. His mistress was kind she taught him the letters of Alphabet and she always instruct him and one day she changed and suddenly stopped teaching him because of the inequality of the people. A form of EOF student stated “For Douglass, gaining knowledge was more of a curse than a blessing because, as a slave, education made him aware that he had absolutely no alternatives to his condition.” I disagree because education is important, he could help other slaves, and he could break off from the black stereotype.
Poem #1 : 1. Does it use figurative language? If so, what kind? There is figurative language in this poem. The whole poem is an extended metaphor for decision making.
A. E. Housman’s poem “To an Athlete Dying Young” is a poem that depicts the coming of fame, and the death of an athlete. The speaker is remembering the life of the athlete, and is describing their death as a positive aspect of their life. He goes even farther than just describing their death by telling the reader why the death of an athlete is a positive part of their life. The elegy shows the relationship that the speaker might have had with the athlete, who has died and gone on to the grave. Housman’s use of metaphors, tone, and rhythm are all aspects that develop the theme of the troubles of becoming famous, and the eternity of fame that a life cut short brings.
Dreams are vital to live as they carry one to aim for the future. Without dreams, one's heart is lost, Dreams searching for another possible outcome. In the poem Dreams, Langston Hughes makes a theme statement that dreams have a purpose in our life and without dreams, one's goal can not flower in an open field. He uses many devices to portray the thematic statement and the ones that stand out the most are the personification, metaphor, and the tone.
In Royce Mann’s poem, “White Boy Privilege” Royce Mann expresses the personal guilt, he feels for the pre-determined higher rank of white males over minority groups. Royce Mann apologizes to multiple minority groups for the unfair advantage white males are given at birth. However, Royce Mann also reveals a love for the white male privilege because white males do not have to be self-conscience in numerous scenarios which repeatedly affect minorities. Royce Mann admits many white males present a fear of losing their privileges to other minority groups. Nonetheless, Royce Mann believes these privileges do not have to be taken away from white males for everyone to receive equal opportunity and treatment.
"Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” - Langston Hughes. And that's just it, plain and simple. For an African American in the 1900s, life was no walk in the park.