Black Boy By Richard Wright Essay

Harper and Brothers in New York first published Black Boy, an autobiography of Richard Wright, in 1945. The Harper Perennial Edition, published in paper back in 1998 runs to 448 pages. There is more than one theme which runs through this work, of course, but the over-riding, end-all, be-all message which the author hammers home is that harm is done to fellow humans in the name of racial bigotry. Wright’s theme begins with the very title of the book. Black Boy is an epithet used to denigrate blacks as surely as is Nigger, the title chosen by Dick Gregory for his autobiography in the 1960s. Wright’s story takes place in the early 20th century. He sees racism as a child and as an adult. It is a major force in the development of his personality and influences virtually every facet of his life. In Black Boy Richard Wright explores the theme of racism and ultimately suggests that racism is culturally ingrained and it colors not only relations between blacks and whites, but it also affects relationships between blacks. Black people of the era did not want a young black to ‘rise above his station’ in life. Since Wright is reared in abject poverty his peers did not wish to see him try and break his metaphorical chains. His father is mostly absent and he has no strong male influences for the good. He relates how he got over on his father without being punished, â€Å"I had my first triumph over my father (at age 12). I had made him believe that I had taken his words literally (12). He was physically abused. The institutional racism of that day was called Jim Crow and particularly in the deep south of the United States it was a way of life. He grew up misunderstood even by his own people. Blacks of his day were not supposed to get ‘uppity’, meaning they were supposed to act subservient to white people because a black who disrespected a white person would bring down retribution on countless other black people who had done nothing. The blacks that should have had a positive influence on Wright as a child were either blind to his gifts or chose not to see. They not only did nothing to encourage him but also rather did all they could to hold him back. Likely it was so they would not draw attention to themselves or seem ‘uppity’ but the result was a gifted child who lost years of this life that could have been spent in pursuit of the arts. Wright has criticism not only for the white laws, the white establishment and the white race, but also gives a scathing critique of the black community as well. This book is an indictment of the adult black community of his era that refused to take matters into their own hands to educate and guide the children that so desperately needed such guidance. Wright tells his audience that it is not until later in life when he is exposed to literature that he has any idea of what he is missing. He doesn’t know such beauty and such profound thought even exists. Wright’s life is a struggle against the status quo in his native state and in the north where he finds himself as a young adult. White America does not want an intelligent angry young black man voicing his criticisms of the American way of life and blacks do not want him rocking the boat. This is years before Dr. King and even Brown vs. The Board of Education and no one knows what to do with Wright. Mostly they want him to go away. This in itself influences Wright’s attitudes toward his fellow blacks and reinforces the theme of racism being detrimental even to other members of one’s own race. Wright at first sees only two ways to react to his life, feeling caught as he is between the warring races. He can become subservient and bow to the inevitable. He can drink, steal, lie and fight, which he does at first, or he toss away the stereotype of the illiterate lazy black boy and become someone else’s idea of compliant, giving a graduation speech written for him, †You can’t afford to say just anything before those white people that night,† (175) his professor tells him, not allowing him freedom to speak his mind. Wright tosses off the yoke of conformity and does battle with whites and blacks as the need arises. He sees that it is not the white race alone that is holding him back. The metaphor Wright adopts to show his desire for knowledge is hunger. He tells the reader constantly of his incessant childhood hunger, never totally sated, (14) always wanting more than is available and he means for the reader to equate this physical hunger with his hunger for knowledge. He relates how he consumes food and Proust with equal passion. It is implied that it is both whites and blacks who withhold the food, both physically and metaphorically that he so desperately craves to fuel body and soul. Wright tells the reader that it is blacks that are first responsible for trying to quench the fire of his independent spirit but he rises above them and goes his own way, becoming what his heart tells him he must become. He relates how as a child he and the other black children were not given the education they need to rise above that ‘station’ and he blames not the whites but the blacks for the lack of recognition of bright black children who could do so much more with their lives had they but an education. He faults the black teachers and administrators of his school for kowtowing to the whites and keeping black children in ‘their place’. For these reasons Wright ultimately suggests that racism is culturally ingrained and it colors not only relations between blacks and whites, but it also affects relationships between blacks

Plot Analysis for “A Rose for Emily”

Plot analysis of â€Å"A Rose For Emily† William Faulkner’s, â€Å"A Rose for Emily† is a story with a southern gothic style. The tragic story is told to readers through an anonymous narrator that speaks on behalf of the town’s people, but is not close to Emily, the protagonist, personally. This narration helps sustain a level of curiosity about Emily since readers cannot gain personal insight into her life and psyche. It is commonly expressed that the two things of certainty in life are death and taxes, death being one of the main themes that runs throughout the story.There is a time when Emily seems to be above human certainty in the way of taxes. This aversion to one certainty seems to amplify the other in her life, because the rest of the story contains nothing but death; the death of people, beauty, ideals, everything that once guarded Emily from the rest of the world. Even though it is in vain, the protagonist’s motivation behind everything sh e does is to make time stand still, thus trying to avoid the other human certainty, death.As a result of the story beginning with Emily’s funeral, readers are introduced to Miss Emily’s struggle with her antagonist, time, through the setting she lives in. Miss Emily represents a bi-gone era, one that she veils her life of seclusion in, refusing to face the passage of time around her. Her house is in a state of decay just like her body, both marking their loss to time. It was a house that, â€Å"had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies†¦set on what had once been our most select street†(91).The house’s description seems to mimic Emily’s life because at one time she is described as a, â€Å"slender figure in white†(93) and it is said that â€Å"None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily†(93). It’s as if the house’s once desirable location imitates Emily’s one time desirability among suitors. This symbolism is used again when the house is described as, â€Å"lifting it’s stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps†(91). The house is more of an out-of-date nuisance than an object of admiration, as Emily herself was before her death.Faulkner’s use of the word coquette, points to his intention for readers to see the symbolism of Emily’s and the house’s battle with time, because a coquette is a woman who endeavors without sincere affection to gain the admiration of men. Since Emily at one time had the admiration of men, she continues to behave as if time has not taken a toll on her desirable appearance before men, thus making her act as if she is still above their law. The town’s mayor, Colonel Sartoris, promotes this thinking by remitting Emily’s taxes after her father’s death.The colonel spins a tale to explain, saying that the tax remittance is to pay back her father for money he loaned the town. A story no one believes according to the author, except a woman. The author says, â€Å"When the next generation, with its more modern ideas, became mayors and aldermen, this arrangement created some little dissatisfaction†(91). When the new mayor personally writes Emily to inform her she must pay taxes like the rest of the community, the author describes Emily’s reply as representing the forgotten past.The story says the mayor, â€Å"received in reply a note on paper of an archaic shape, in a thin, flowing calligraphy in faded ink, to the effect that she no longer went out at all. The tax notice was also enclosed, without comment†(91). Emily does everything as if no time has passed. As a result of Emily realizing she cannot stop time, she chooses to shut out the passage of time in the world around her, by living a secluded life. The narrator says, â€Å"After her father’s death she went out very little; aft er her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all†(92).It’s at this time that the narrator informs readers about a strange smell emanating from Emily’s house, a smell that the passage of time produces to betray her. Because Emily represents a time where people are limited by the role of class and gender in society, this limiting mind-set is what the towns people use as an excuse for the troubling smell. The author says, â€Å"the only sign of life about the place was the Negro man-a young man then-going in and out with a market basket. â€Å"Just as if a man-any man-could keep a kitchen properly,† the ladies said; so they were not surprised when the smell developed†(92).This same limiting mindset re-emerges when the Aldermen of the town meet to discuss a solution to the rising complaint of the gross smell. When the young man in the group of Aldermen, who represents the rising generation, suggests what he believes to be a simple solution of c onfronting Emily about the smell, he is quickly rebuked. The judge cuts him off by saying, â€Å"Dammit sir,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"will you accuse a lady to her face of smelling bad† (93)? Similar to Emily, the older men restrict their decisions based on tradition, thus denying the evidence that time produced to bring her to justice.In the end, it is the passage of time that plays the role of Emily’s antagonist. Despite her efforts of seclusion and refusal to change, time has its way with Emily and everything she clings to. One passage refers to a gold chain she wears with the end tucked in her waist; on the end of the chain is a watch. Emily carries her antagonist with her as if she believes its closeness will keep it from sneaking up on her; as if her own stubborn will set beside it, could stop the cursed mechanism from ticking forth its unpleasant reminder.

Fish Out of Water Essay

Every person has grown up adhering to specific set of standards, traditions and rules of conduct. People also conform to the underlying system and mandates of the society. These characteristics define the culture of the person; however, people do not follow a single culture with its set of laws and standards. Every person has its own cultural characteristics because each individual is reared in different societies with its own embedded culture and traditions. The difference in culture is often referred to as cultural relativism which means that every culture is equal and no culture is superior to others. Every culture has its own set of â€Å"systems of morality, law and politics† (â€Å"Cultural Relativism – Illogical Standard†). It is believed that every culture is valid and equal. Cultural relativism attempts to explain that the various aspects of culture such as religion, ethics, aesthetic and beliefs are subjective and largely depends on the individual within a particular cultural identity (â€Å"Cultural Relativism – Illogical Standard†). Given that each individual has grown up within a defined set of culture, there will be a point in a person’s life that he or she will experience being somehow out of place when put in a different crowd with new set of people. This may be called as a â€Å"fish out of water’ sensation. This means that a person feels uncomfortable with the surroundings and activities going on. We tend to experience this kind of feeling around people who are unknown to us, especially when hindered with a lot of communication and cultural barriers. An example of a fish out of water experience is attending a wedding ceremony conducted in pattern of a different culture. I was once invited in a wedding of my colleague who married a person from another culture. Unfortunately, the groom is the only person I knew in the whole crowd. He married a Korean and they followed a Korean wedding ceremony. It was a very uncomfortable situation for me because the Korean culture is very different from western culture and tradition. The two countries are separated by hundreds of miles of land and ocean and located at both ends of the world. Korean wedding is really a weird thing for me. First, Korean weddings mean joining of two families instead of two individuals, so most Korean weddings are composed of families of various generations. I was therefore intimidated to mingle with other people, especially to the members of the Korean families while my colleague is largely participating on the ceremony. Korea is a unified country and its people tend to look alike, think alike and act alike. There is strength in the people of Korea. Koreans may be residing in the United States and somehow follow some of the western trends. But they have retained some of the important rites and tradition of their culture. Koreans are also individuals from the eastern hemisphere where people are not so liberal. People tend to be conservative and sensitive on some issues unlike westerners that are open-minded and can cope with every type of conversation. Some issues are still taboo to Koreans. Issues of gender and sexuality are only some of the issues that Koreans are quite sensitive with. Communication is also a barrier and makes me feel more of the â€Å"fish out of the water. † Problems in communication and relating with others are some of the encountered problems in being out of place in an event or situation. Some people are having difficulty relating to others, especially those who belong to another culture. Cultural diversity is also characterized by difference in communication styles and attributes. The experience really tested my communication skills. First, I do not know anyone but the groom and he was busy on the ceremony. Starting a conversation is a little awkward for me because I do not want to offend people on something that I would say. There are only a few white men who attended the wedding and interrupting their on-going conversation may be rude and awkward. Most of the attendees are Koreans which have a different communication style. Koreans are quite covert and have the tendency of not showing themselves to others. In short, they are not initiators of conversation and communication with other people. Their actions are also firm and delicate and they move with grace. Language differences may also be a problem. Some of them speak native Korean language that may hinder our understanding of one another. It is quite hard to initiate a conversation with people from different cultural identity for the fear of misunderstanding and conflict. They also have their personal beliefs that they may be sensitive about. Intimidation is also a problem in starting interpersonal communication with other people. Fish out of water sensation is a feeling that a person may feel while dealing with events and situations where they feel different and deviant. However, overcoming this feeling is quite easy. First, you will never really get to know people when you do not approach them. Communication is always the key, along with politeness and respect. Overcoming this particular feeling in events that may make you feel uncomfortable will provide a good opportunity to learn other cultures, traditions and practices that may be helpful for you in relating with people of the same cultural identity the next time you encounter them. It will also be a good opportunity to become knowledgeable in intercultural communication which is vital in today’s global society. Work Cited â€Å"Cultural Relativism – Illogical Standard. † 2009. Cultural-Relativism. com. 26 March 2009 .

Progressive Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Progressive Era - Essay Example As Industrial Revolution receded into the background and new modes of production, manufacturing and economic management models emerged, the socio-economic impact of the period was exposed. Indeed, as argued by Anderson (1974), with all its economic contributions and previously unprecedented productivity and growth, industrialisation had given rise to unemployment, labor unrest and poverty. The working classes, as opposed to the middle and upper socio-economic ones, were the victims of disease and poverty. The wide-scale depression which beset America from 1893 to 1897 only compounded the suffering of this class (Anderson, 1974). Within the context of the socio-economic conditions outlined in the preceding, there was a lack of appreciation for childhood and education. Rather than be the recipients of steady and stable education, working class children were sent out to work for minimal wages. Their earning, however meagre, were integral to the survival of their families. There was, accordingly, little room for education or the consideration of the value of education, not just to the child but to the country itself. As the Industrial Revolution passed, implying the evolutio... The new methods of production had simply eliminated the need for child labor (Anderson, 1974). At the same time, the era gave rise to an educated, professional middle class. It was largely due to the efforts of this class that the Progressive Era came about. According to Dumenil (1990), as this class looked towards the conditions that the Industrial Revolution had reduced the working class and urban centers to, they saw poverty, slums, crimes, disease and corruption. They also saw a myriad of discriminatory practices, whether class, gender or race discrimination. Not only did this class, the progressives, establish volunteer organizations such as the American Bar Association, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and National Municipal League, among many others, to address the identified socio-economic problems but they exerted such political pressure as which incited reform. Teddy Roosevelt's Square Deal emerged in response to the stated (Dumenil, 1990). The issues and concerns of the era, whether civil rights, feminism, childhood or poverty, incontrovertibly impacted attitudes towards education. Apart from education being acknowledged as a right which all children should exploit to the fullest, greater focus was placed on the philosophy which informed education. As Roberston (1992) contends, John Dewey developed a philosophy of education which, rather than focus on children's absorption, often memorisation without assimilation, of a wide body of knowledge, emphasised the imperatives of personal growth. Dewey thought that children's freedom should be constructed, that it is not simply a product of their free will. He made a distinction between freedom based entirely on free will (doing whatever one wants

Jazz History-2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jazz History-2 - Essay Example Finally, in the post-War era, jazz had become an art form and not simply an instrument of low/pop culture. However, bebop was too abstract and improvised for many not only in the 1950s but also today. Some forms of jazz still have popular appeal, despite the near 60 years that have passed since their recording. Cool jazz is one of few jazz movements that retain popular appeal even today; its enduring quality seems to be in the perfect mean it finds between the artfulness of bebop and the catchiness of pre-War Swing jazz. Cool jazz is said to have begun during the Second World War, during which predominantly white Californian jazz musicians migrated to New York City, where they integrated with bebop styles being played in the clubs such as Milton’s Playhouse. Many of these musicians were trained and educated in formal schools. The Californian styles tended to mediate the sharp edges of traditional bebop, and created a new fusion of approaches to arrangements in the jazz composition. Bringing back this emphasis on arrangements harkened back to the old days of Swing jazz (Giola 51), when big bands required knowledge of the song’s form across the different instrument sections. Although cool jazz did not reintroduce the concept of the big band to the mainstream, what it did do was reemphasize the need for consistent instrumentation across performances, and lessening the need for elaborate improvisations. But nailing down a definition of Cool jazz, and jazz in general, seems to be a futile practice. As Ted Giola writes, â€Å"Jazz writers learned long ago, for example, that it is almost impossible to come up with a good, succinct, widely accepted definition of jazz itself† (Giola 360). Coming up with definitions, that is, is a waste of time because art grows organically through changes in its shape and texture, independent of critics’ generalizations. Because it

Future of 2020 Automotive Industry Research Paper

Future of 2020 Automotive Industry - Research Paper Example of the global financial crisis have been noticeable since early 2008, and the crisis has by now proved itself to be the most horrible economic crisis. It is almost similar to the Great Depression of the 1930s. The economic crisis had been impending for some time, ignored by many, due to the accomplishment of an extremely limited amount of products, like light trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). At this point, it is apparent that the automotive service sector, which is one of the leading service industries, is struck hard by the current economic and financial crisis. With global financial crisis as a starting point, the arrival of a new atmosphere in automotive business sector is expected. There is increased necessity to predict future prospects and to be ready for it. Clubbed with the current global crisis, various other factors too have largely affected automotive business; for example, problems related to energy, sustainable growth, technology growth, aging, natural tragedies , etc. Environmental alterations in the automotive business affect each part of the business, which include its structure and size, its positions and even more than that. Besides global economic crisis, on the whole, change is required to revamp the industry, to and to overcome all the troubles. The unexpected changes required in automotive industry must be established with a long-term view covering specific areas like generating new business, technology growth, organizational development, etc. There are also various other factors that influence the crisis in automotive industry. Those are long term and short term factors. The short-term factor is simply the unexpected and huge collapse of sales. In an industry or business with high level of fixed costs, this brings a dramatic effect on the companies. The preceding assessment of the impacts of the economic crisis, and the solutions for the problems, point out to the following conclusions: By referring to the alterations for automotive

A time that you communicated well Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A time that you communicated well - Essay Example Krizan, Merrier, and Logan, (19) in their book state that to have success in communication it is important to embrace facial expression during the communication process. We made gestures and statements, which were signs of agreement whenever it was appropriate. I went ahead to repeat what the representative was telling me once he was done speaking to me. It was a sign that I was listening and had an interest in his contribution to the conversation. Thus, for communication to be effective, it was my responsibility to take actions for my message. Taking responsibility involved sharing my own feelings in an open way and not speaking for another person. It involved using a lot of â€Å"I† in order to refer to myself and not others. This showed we both had integrity and we trusted each other in communicating in an honest and equitable way. Effective communication works well when there is collaboration; therefore, it was important to find common grounds where we had a win-win situation. The common grounds we had were some of the best courses the university was offering such as engineering and health sciences. Complexity witnessed during communication amplifies the importance of having feedback for clarifying misunderstandings. I had to ask for clarification whenever I felt I had not understood the representative on specific