In the poem “America” by Tony Hoagland, the author discussed the American lifestyle, and the culture presently in his own perspective and opinion. I agree with his opinion about the people in America, and the atrocious reality that we are living in today. This present reality that Hoagland addressed reflects my view and my perspective not just about the people who lives in America, but innumerable people that lives on Earth. Hoagland, not just criticized the lifestyle and the way Americans are living, but also the materialism that exists in most of the people.
In Scott Russel’s response to an essay by Salam Rushdie, Russel makes an effort to show his audience that Rushdie’s thoughts and ideas on migration are not the entire population’s stance by referencing to the united states of America. By using devices and history, Russel is able to support his argument through the United State’s past, as well as using certain words and phrases to evoke emotion in the reader.
Everyone who owns a television has seen the “Somewhere in America” commercial at least once, which was published by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This commercial is full of emotions and most people, “Always change the channel because they can’t take it anymore,” (McLachlan). The most depressing parts of this commercial is the pictures because the dogs and cats are all beaten up and suffering from being abused and neglected by their owners. As a matter of fact, they are trying to make the audience feel sympathetic so they can join the ASPCA. The ASPCA tries to encourage audience monetary donation by using ethos by their tone, logos and pathos from the pictures and the statistics.
Percival Everett’s short story entitled, “The Appropriation of Cultures” explores themes of irony and absurdity. The irony lies within each and every page. The story begins with Daniel, who is a young and successful black man with a degree from Brown University. He is also a musician and frequently played old tunes with a group of musicians. The story then shifts as white frat boys make suggestions of what the musicians should play, “One night, some white boys from a fraternity yellow forward to the stage at the black man holding the acoustic guitar and began to shout, ‘Play ‘Dixie’ for us! Play ‘Dixie’ for us!” (91). As the reader, I was confused as to why Daniel would go ahead and sing the song. It’s clearly offensive because it is known
During a funeral for Reverend Clementa Pinckney, a Charleston shooting victim, President Obama delivered an influential eulogy. This eulogy turned out to be so powerful that it traveled throughout the internet and became known as one of Obama’s best speeches from the duration of his presidency. The speech resonated so well with many citizens because of its relatable content and connections to passionate issues in today’s society. The delivery of the eulogy played a gigantic part in its effectiveness to Americans as well.
Feelings towards a certain object, subject, or topic differ from person to person. The authors of “America” and “I Hear America Singing” express their feelings about the United States very differently in their writing. In “America,” the author constantly refers to the fact that America could be both a utopia and a dystopia at the same time. In “I Hear America Singing,” the author highlights the vast amount of jobs and chances at happiness that is in the land. Though both poems discuss the same topic, it is described dissimilarly and the authors present two different messages to the
A talk to teachers, written by James Baldwin, criticises the education system in the mid-1900s by directly sending a message to teachers about the flaws in the system. He argues that race should not hinder equality or the quality of education a child receives. Baldwin uses tone and diction that highlights the importance of his message. In addition, he uses several persuasion tactics to convince his audience of his ideas.
In the texts, "In Response to Executive Order 9066" by Dwight Okita and "Mericans" by Sandra Cisneros, a topic of American identity and perception of identity is shared. Both texts take a brief look at the lives, characteristics, and feelings of young girls living a bicultural life. In Cisnero's story, the girl seems caught between her two different cultures, and she struggles to connect with her Mexican heritage. In Okita's poem, the girl has a clear sense of her identity and place as an American. Culture is experienced and interpreted differently by each individual and each group of people. The expression of themes and topic in "In Response to Executive Order 9066" and "Mericans" shows that there is no one way or right way to be American or appreciate American culture.
Malcolm X delivered a powerful speech on April 3, 1964 at the Congress of Racial Equality in Cleveland, Ohio. Black people in America came together to receive motivation to fight for equality.In this speech Malcolm X inspires black people to take a stance and fight for their civil rights. Malcolm X uses rhetorical techniques to persuade his audience to push for equality between races.
Bruce Springsteen himself, the speaker, represents a young man who is ready and wanting to take a chance. He may want a companion, so he is asking his female friend (perhaps lover) to come on an adventure with him, to hold his hand while they both take a chance. Of course, Mary is cautious, so at the end of his plea, Springsteen tells Mary to “climb in” because “It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win” (Springsteen 1975). The singer represents the anxious, confident part of all of us that believes in destiny and taking
There have been many protest songs in the United States; the freedom of speech has contributed to powerful music and protest words that are written in song. The song that will be discussed throughout this essay is “American Idiot” by Green day. This song speaks volume about the uneducated “America” and puts emphasis on the destruction that reality television is making on the United States of America. Listening to the unspoken word and read between the lies, for that then you will understand.The song “American Idiot” was released during the 2004 presidential election, where George W. Bush was selected into office for the second term as President of the United States of America (source). Armstrong was inspired to write this song after hearing a song by Lynyrd Skynyrd on his car
In the novel “Song of Solomon,” Morrison tackles many aspects of racial disparity by relating events in the novel to occurrences in history. A few parallels can be seen within Guitar’s and Milkman’s discussion in chapter six. In their discussion, Milkman recently discovers Guitar’s involvement in a radical group called “The Seven Days.” The group’s purpose is to seek vengeance for unjust, violent acts carried out by whites. Additional, parallels can be made between Guitar and the radical civil rights activist Malcolm-X.
“But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation” (Martin Luther King Junior). In Martin Luther King Junior’s “I Have a Dream” speech, he declared that although America had treated him and other African-Americans unfairly, he refused to see the country as beyond the point of restoration. King had an underlying faith in his homeland that was steadfast. Similar to King’s outlook on his country, Claude McKay, the poet behind “America,” chose to keep his faith in his homeland in the midst of his struggles. Despite all of the hardships in his life, he remained optimistic. Through McKay’s poem, “America,” he conveys
On a cold February night, Bronx, New York was given the reprehensible news that New York resident, Amadou Diallo was murdered by local police force. Supposedly approached for the resemblance of a serial rapist on the loose, the conflict began once Diallo reached for his wallet (Juzwiak and Chan). The police took little risk in the situation, believing that Diallo had possessed a weapon, and shot at the unarmed Bronx man forty-one times, immediately killing him. New Yorkers and Americans alike were stunned by the latest occurrence of violence. Music icon and singer-songwriter, Bruce Springsteen is widely known his associated work with the E Street Band, as well as his own individual accomplishments; with notable releases such as the 1975 album Born to Run and 1984 number one hit “Born in the U.S.A,” Bruce Springsteen’s career has amassed to extraordinary bounds. Throughout his lifetime, Springsteen hasn’t been nervous to release songs with strong message.
Langston Hughes was an American poem born in the early nineteen hundreds, who became known as the leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He published many poems that brought light to the life of people of color in the twentieth century. There are three poems that the speakers are used to portray three major themes of each poem. Racism, the American Dream, and Hopes are all the major themes that Hughes uses to highlight the average life of a person of color. Theme for English B,” “Harlem,” and “Let America Be America Again” were three of Hughes’s poems that was selected to underline the themes. Meanwhile, the readers can learn something for each of the poems and apply it to their life. They can also noticed how Langston Hughes’s poems often contains hope and noted the possibility that both white and black people can live together in peace and harmony. And the poems also represent the average person of colors’ life and their struggles and frustrations towards the white community throughout the twentieth century.