The Long Song Analysis
The Writing of The Long Song
Every human being will in general, at some point in their life seek the answer to the most fundamental question about their existence. ‘Where do I come from? What is my heritage? Who were my ancestors?’. For most people, this question is easily answered by family, parents, grandparents, etcetera. This is possible because of stories passed down from generation to generation and these stories are often about all the remarkable things your family has accomplished, because who would want to remember the failures and hardship? Because of the fact that you look upon your ancestral history with pride, one’s heritage is often becomes a great source of inspiration, motivation and willpower, since we want to make our ancestors
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Pointing out that, she herself is of Jamaican heritage herself she wondered why anybody of slave heritage could ever feel any form of ambivalence or shame coming from an ancestry of slaves. Levy quickly manifests the fact that it should be a “(…) rich and proud heritage” (p.1, l.19) because it was only the strongest and smartest of slaves who would have been able to survive this terrible period in human history. As a result of her wanting to turn the feeling of shame and victimization into pride and hope, the idea for the novel “The Long Story” came to …show more content…
As Levy initiates her reach on the history of slavery in Jamaica, she finds out that it is usually presented from white people’s point of view, which is mentioned earlier in this essay. This fact is mainly fuel for today’s descendant’s anger and shame towards their heritage, because all the transcripts and texts are, exactly what Levy’s rhetorical question states: “harrowing [tales] of violence and misery” (p.1, ll. 29-31). However, Levy makes it her mission to prove that it is much more than that. Yes, it is a period of violence and misery, but it is also a period of survival, fierceness, pride and rebellion. Levy glorifies her slave ancestry and heritage and wants everyone to do so, because: “These were people who needed strength, talent, guile and humour just to survive. But they did so much more than survive, they built a culture that has come all the way down through the years to
Creating African Americans Chapter 1 Summary
485 Words | 2 PagesThis chapter addresses the central argument that African history and the lives of Africans are often dismissed. For example, the author underlines that approximately 50,000 African captives were taken to the Dutch Caribbean while 1,600,000 were sent to the French Caribbean. In addition, Painter provides excerpts from the memoirs of ex-slaves, Equiano and Ayuba in which they recount their personal experience as slaves. This is important because the author carefully presents the topic of slaves as not just numbers, but as individual people. In contrast, in my high school’s world history class, I can profoundly recall reading an excerpt from a European man in the early colonialism period which described his experience when he first encountered the African people.
Birmingham Jail Case
549 Words | 3 Pages1. Explain the author's primary point. The author seeks to bring to light the unfair treatment of the Negros by the whites in the places they live in. He also seeks to show that leaders only make empty promises to their people. Brutal cases are most among the Negros as they are attacked and their cases go unnoticed or ignored.
Rhetorical Devices In The Life Of Olaudah Equiano
1771 Words | 8 PagesWithin all major societies of the world exists a power struggle between the majority and the minority, the disenfranchised and the coddled. But no power struggle has achieved the same notoriety as the black slave’s plight in the Western world. From England to the West Indies and the Americas, black slaves suffered insurmountable trauma and subjugation. One of these slaves, Olaudah Equiano, recounts his experiences, both triumphant and pitiful, within the Americas and England to affect change in his audience and in the world. In his The Life of Olaudah Equiano, he utilizes specific rhetorical strategies to affect this change and to accomplish his goal.
Annotated Bibliography Of Slavery Today
943 Words | 4 PagesThe theme of slavery still, to this day, remains and the world doesn’t need to remain shy on this brutal topic. Gaspar, David Barry, and Darlene Clark Hine. Black Women and Slavery in the Americas: More Than Chattel. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1996. Print.
Frederick Douglass Response
749 Words | 3 PagesThe Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is an enticing tale of Douglas as he changes from slave to man. Near the beginning of the book, his first witness of a whipping reveals the entrance to the horrors that would come throughout his experience with enslavement. “No words, no tears, no prayers, from his gory victim…” (4) it displays the physical, emotional, and spiritual breaking of an individual; powerful words to create an understanding of the terror of slavery. Beating into absolute submission strikes a sense of sadness, pity, justice in the reader that encourages them to see slavery in a different light. Throughout his narrative he continues to attack these points to encourage similar feelings of pity and acknowledgement “to enlighten white readers about both the realities of slavery as an institution and the humanity of black people as individuals deserving of full human rights.”.
Frederick Douglass Literary Analysis
799 Words | 4 PagesThrough Douglass’s writing, the reader learns of how slavery takes its toll, not just on the slaves, but on everyone involved. Even the purest soul is destroyed, both the slave and the slave
Slave Girl
711 Words | 3 PagesThe media prominently portrays slavery to be bad because of all the pysical abuse that happened to slaves, but the silent attacker that effected most all slaves were the ones they couldn’t even see. Psychological abuse is no stable matter, because once the cracks in the foundation of the mind begin to fall a part, it is only a matter of time until the whole person collapeses. Harriet Jacobs was an inspiration then and is an inspiration now because of her strong will to keep going until her and her children were free, and leaving her memories in the
Long Black Song Analysis
643 Words | 3 PagesThe story titled the Long Black Song has a controversial balance of power that is shown throughout the narrative. As time progresses, the struggle between men and women is heightened and there seems to be a passive partner paired with a mastery one. Sarah, a married housewife, was portrayed as being powerless within her own race, but when compared to the white man, Sarah gained physical and mental strength because she was curious about how being with the opposite race would feel, as well as the fact that black men were exceedingly domineering. Sarah was portrayed as a very frail character when equated to her husband, Silas, because the black men are the most dominant partner within an ethnically similar relationship.
Frederick Douglass An American Slave Rhetorical Analysis Essay
732 Words | 3 PagesThroughout the narrative, the author includes his personal stories about experiencing the violence of slavery first-hand. For example, on page 20, he writes about the first time he witnessed a slave, his own aunt, getting the whip. “The louder she screamed, the harder he whipped; and where the blood ran fastest, there he whipped longest…I remember the first time I ever witnessed this horrible exhibition… It struck me with awful force. It was the blood-stained gate, the entrance to the hell of slavery…” The author including his experience of his aunts whipping, in detail, appeals to the emotions of the reader.
Of Mice And Men: Song Analysis
1094 Words | 5 PagesTheme: Friendship Song: “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” – Randy Newman “You've got a friend in me. You got troubles then I got them too. We stick together, we can see it through cause you've got a friend in me.” Justification: This song relates to the relationship George and Lennie had because even though Lennie was always getting in trouble, George was beside him no matter what. Also, when they got to the ranch, Slim said to them that is not common to see such good friends like George and Lennie, who travel together and look out for each other.
Frederick Douglass Negative Effects On Slaves
753 Words | 4 PagesFrederick Douglass’s narrative provides a first hand experience into the imbalance of power between a slave and a slaveholder and the negative effects it has on them both. Douglass proves that slavery destroys not only the slave, but the slaveholder as well by saying that this “poison of irresponsible power” has a dehumanizing effect on the slaveholder’s morals and beliefs (Douglass 40). This intense amount of power breaks the kindest heart and changes the slaveholder into a heartless demon (Douglass 40). Yet these are not the only ways that Douglass proves what ill effect slavery has on the slaveholder. Douglass also uses deep characterization, emotional appeal, and religion to present the negative effects of slavery.
Edward Morel: The Black Man's Burden
755 Words | 4 PagesThis excerpt is extremely important because it makes us better understand the status of African people, subdued by the European nations, and how the concept of slavery was perceived and addressed by
Essay Comparing Frederick Douglass And Harriet Jacobs
486 Words | 2 PagesAfter having read both Frederick Douglass’s Narrative and Harriet Jacobs’s Incident 1. How were Douglass and Jacobs similar and different in their complaints against slavery? What accounts for these differences? In both the inspiring narratives of Narrative in the Life of Fredrick Douglass by Frederick Douglass’s and in Incidents in the life of a slave girl by Harriet Jacobs the respective authors demonstrate the horrors and disparity of slavery in there own ways.
Sugar In The Blood Summary
1413 Words | 6 PagesThe book expounds more information on race information of the slaves in the land of the Caribbean. It further clarifies on the sexual relationship that existed between the masters who owned the slaves and enslaved women of color in the Caribbean Island. The author gives more light on the sexual assaults against young black girls had to undergo while in the hands of white planters who owned large track on sugar plantation on the Island, unlike the white who lived freely. Though Stuart is girl barely out of childhood age, she sees the glaring proof of affection as well as obligation on her part do something concerning dehumanization of women through sexual assault. Stuart knows pretty well that she can hardly speak of dedication or desire or choice in such unequal situation may be living in a hell of sexual assaults.
Song Analysis: Some Enchanted Evening
285 Words | 2 Pages1. After viewing the documentary and listening to each song by Rodgers and Hammerstein the song that made the most impact on me was the song “Some Enchanted Evening.” The song consists of very smooth and romantic melodies. Due to that I am a hopeless romantic I really enjoy the song lyrics and melody. The song was very catchy that I ended up singing the song for the rest of my day.
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