The White Space Rhetorical Analysis
Jasper Jonosky
Analytical Reading and Writing
Professor Faunce
8 Feb. 2023
Rhetorical Analysis of The White Space
In Elijah Anderson's The White Space, he effectively demonstrates issues of systemic racism in America through multiple types of rhetoric. Anderson is a sociologist and a professor at Yale University, who wrote The White Space in 2015 to highlight the modern-day segregation of minorities, particularly black people, in American society. Clear and eloquent usage of ethos, pathos, and logos is demonstrated by Anderson to convey his argument. The White Space is enlightening and should be read by anyone pursuing a better understanding of modern-day systemic racism and the struggles minorities face navigating it.
Andersons intended
…show more content…
He provides a logical outline for how racial segregation evolved over the past fifty years, which he uses as groundwork to build off and go more into depth about throughout the rest of the essay. He states that after the civil rights movement, the United States government went through a period of economic growth as well as reforms against racial segregation. This caused the black middle class to grow and spread out into predominantly white areas. The growing black middle class was met with mixed reception from white society, due to many white peoples deeply held prejudices. Anderson goes on to say black people living in these areas are now forced to navigate an environment shaped by prejudices ingrained in the majority of its inhabitants, which is essentially the thesis of the entire …show more content…
Something that's interesting about this section in particular is that it is one of the very few times Anderson uses ethos throughout the whole essay. He describes a personal account of a beautiful day when he was jogging through a majorly white town while on vacation. In the middle of his jog a red pickup truck stops on the road ahead of him and the white driver starts yelling “Go home! Go home!” at him. This account he provides is very effective in conveying that in a white space, even a black man simply going for a jog is deemed a threat until proven
Summary Of Black In White Spaces By Elijah Anderson
579 Words | 3 PagesThe book "Black in White Spaces" by Elijah Anderson is a perceptive investigation of the experiences of Black people navigating primarily White spaces. The effects of these experiences on Black people's sense of self and interactions with others are discussed in detail in Chapters 1-4. In the first chapter, Anderson sets the stage by describing his own experiences growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood and the impact it had on his sense of identity. He argues that these experiences are common among African Americans who live in predominantly white spaces, and that they face unique challenges in navigating these environments (Anderson 5).
Just Walk On By Brent Staples Summary
955 Words | 4 PagesIn his paper,"Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space," Brent Staples clarifies how for the duration of his life, others have oppressed him in light of the fact that he is a tall, dark man who fills in as a writer in a transcendently white field. As he clarifies, he initially acknowledged the amount of his appearance terrified others, especially a white lady, when he used to take late night strolls as a graduate understudy. While he comprehends that we live in a society that has turned out to be progressively savage and perilous, he feels disappointed that dark men, specifically, are as yet being judged and misconstrued in view of their appearance alone. For instance, he refers to two occurrences where he was mixed
Summary Of White Rage The Unspoken Truth Of Our Racial Divide Sparknotes
1035 Words | 5 PagesAt first I thought the title of this book and the very blunt rhetoric Anderson used throughout the book was a weakness because as a white person, I felt offended by terms like “white rage.” I felt that she was condemning an entire race for the action of a few people. However, after I forced myself to keep an open mind, I found that her forceful, white and black, right and wrong language really helps her argument throughout the book. Anderson wrote this book to display a trend in American history, a broad overarching concept, not to condemn or praise a race. I also came to appreciate that her language should not concern itself with my feelings.
How Does Mlk Use Ethos In Letter From Birmingham Jail
652 Words | 3 PagesEmotion has a way of worming through shields and walls, penetrating even the most guarded heart. No matter how stubborn and unrelenting one may be, emotion is even more stubborn and unrelenting. “There are those… like a mighty stream,” (MLK, pg. 263). The way MLK phrases what he wanted to say thunders loudly, rings clearly and boldly. Delving into detail of how the Negro is specifically suffering a loss of dignity and self importance by the segregation that treats them like petty animals, being herded, speaks much more loudly than simply stating that Negroes are degraded and treated poorly.
Discrimination In Tim Wise's 'White Like Me'
405 Words | 2 PagesOmar LAVISH Soc 217 Tim Wise – White Like Me In Tim Wise’s reading, the focus is how discrimination, prejudice and racism is due to the miscommunication between whites and blacks and how for a white man to understand the true evil that is happening would be for him to enter the shoes of a black man. This was mentioned by Wise as he said, “How else except by becoming a negro can a white hope to learn the truth” (Wise, 225). Miscommunication and lack of acknowledgments causes setbacks which in return leads to racism and discrimination and this was shown in “White Like Me” when a white man had to temporarily become black to bring out the truth.
Papers On Honky By Dalton Conley
1618 Words | 7 PagesHonky by Dalton Conley is a contemporary nonfiction novel about a white sociologist who grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in a predominantly Latino and African-American neighborhood around the late 1970’s, the early 80’s. Conley details his experiences in the book Honky which serves a sort of memoir and offers the readers a unique and insightful insight into the what life was like during these times, how the social constructs of class and race affected everyday life, and how the subsections of these groups created a system in which certain groups were afforded greater opportunities than others. Off the bat, this was a very interesting read that I wish I had come across sooner. "I've studied whiteness the way I would a foreign language,"
Stereotyping In Black Men And Public Spaces And Parallel Time
682 Words | 3 PagesReflection essays deal with an author picking an important event and contemplating all the possible meanings and outcomes. Many writers chose to pick an event that has happened to them or affected them personally. Black Men and Public Spaces and the excerpt from Brent Staples’s autobiography, Parallel Time, both deal with racial stereotyping. In both of the literary works, the stereotyping that occurs is handled in completely different ways.
Tatum's Theories Of Racism
846 Words | 4 PagesTatum uses the conflict theory to look at racism, economic and social inequalities. The power structure of the white dominant society in the United States, does not often recognize white privilege, while others do not believe this is a privilege at all. They believe that the power structure in the United States is one that if you work hard, everyone will have the same opportunity for success. This is an example of how white privilege helps racism to continue to exist. The inability to recognize white privilege helps to creates perception and ideals that racism in our society is a thing of the past.
Analysis Of Eldridge Cleaver's 'Soul On Ice'
969 Words | 4 PagesThe section of “White Woman, Black Man” further delves into his views of white women and the role that society has in shaping gender relations between black men and white women and also in influencing masculinity and femininity.
Black Men And Public Space By Brent Staples Literary Devices
721 Words | 3 PagesStarting off with the title, he immediately addresses the conflict, black men and public space. The title is intimidating but also draws curiosity from readers. This is because race issues and social issues in general are considered taboo and make some people uncomfortable
Shame By Cherokee Paul Mcdonald
995 Words | 4 PagesBy sharing his own encounters with racism and the resulting shame he felt, Gregory humanizes the issue and allows readers to connect with his experiences on a deeply emotional level. Moreover, Gregory's essay offers a powerful critique of systemic racism and the need for societal change. By highlighting his own experiences and the broader implications of racial discrimination, he prompts readers to reflect on the pervasive nature of racism and the importance of confronting and dismantling it. His narrative serves as a call to action, urging readers to actively work towards a more inclusive and equitable society. However, one potential limitation of Gregory's essay is the limited exploration of potential solutions or strategies to address the issue of
Rhetorical Analysis
1122 Words | 5 PagesPast leaders such as Andrew Jackson, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Marc Antony are evidence that society does not reward morality and good character in leadership. Society is drawn to leaders that have good rhetoric, propaganda, and charismatic personalities, and society supports them despite their immorality. Society is concerned about stability more than the morality of their leaders and will support immoral leaders in times of crisis to provide stability. In history there have been multiple leaders that have used rhetoric, propaganda and charismatic personalities to gain power, despite their morals.
Summary Of Just Walk On By Brent Staples
756 Words | 4 PagesThroughout his essay, Staples is able to make the audience understand what he has to deal with as a black man. Staples does this by using words and phrases such as, “...her flight made me feel like an accomplice in tyranny” and “... I was indistinguishable from the muggers who occasionally seeped into the area…” (542). By writing and describing how he (Staples) feels, the audience is able to get an inside look into how black men are treated and better understand why society’s teachings, play a vital role in how we see each other. Staples’ powerful writing also allows the reader to take a step back and see how as a society, people make judgements on others based on appearance alone.
Rhetorical Analysis On Blank Space
1584 Words | 7 Pages“Blank Space” Rhetorical Analysis Essay The popular electropop song “Blank Space”, by singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, won many awards including: MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video, MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video, American Music Award for Song of the Year, and iHeartRadio Music Award for Best Lyrics. However, this is not a surprise after all Taylor Swift is the youngest song writer ever signed by Sony/ATV Music Publishing house (A&E Networks Television). Just like other Taylor Swift videos “Blank Space” uses a lot of symbolism and figurative language, however, this time she incorporated satire and parallelism. She used these rhetorical devices in order to convey two messages to her young audience: unlike other music videos
Ignorance And Privilege In The Money By Junot Diaz
1670 Words | 7 PagesIt is almost as if the police department is avoiding the speaker’s neighborhood because it is an institution that even today, silently “accepts the inferiority of people of color”(Mills 219). Mills refers to this as the “heart of white ignorance today” and it is this that pushes the reader to identify as the type of person who “could take the change out of [his] mother’s purse without even thinking”(Diaz 1). It is this white ignorance portrayed by the police department that pushes the
More about The White Space Rhetorical Analysis
Summary Of Black In White Spaces By Elijah Anderson
579 Words | 3 PagesJust Walk On By Brent Staples Summary
955 Words | 4 PagesSummary Of White Rage The Unspoken Truth Of Our Racial Divide Sparknotes
1035 Words | 5 PagesHow Does Mlk Use Ethos In Letter From Birmingham Jail
652 Words | 3 PagesDiscrimination In Tim Wise's 'White Like Me'
405 Words | 2 PagesPapers On Honky By Dalton Conley
1618 Words | 7 PagesStereotyping In Black Men And Public Spaces And Parallel Time
682 Words | 3 PagesTatum's Theories Of Racism
846 Words | 4 PagesAnalysis Of Eldridge Cleaver's 'Soul On Ice'
969 Words | 4 PagesBlack Men And Public Space By Brent Staples Literary Devices
721 Words | 3 PagesShame By Cherokee Paul Mcdonald
995 Words | 4 PagesRhetorical Analysis
1122 Words | 5 PagesSummary Of Just Walk On By Brent Staples
756 Words | 4 PagesRhetorical Analysis On Blank Space
1584 Words | 7 PagesIgnorance And Privilege In The Money By Junot Diaz
1670 Words | 7 Pages