Theme Of Racism In The Bluest Eye - 924 Words

Racism, a word once used sparingly, has today become a part of colloquial speech. Although racism is an epidemic, so is same-race discrimination. In the novel â€Å"The Bluest Eye,† written by Toni Morrison, this idea of same-race discrimination is given the limelight throughout. The novel focuses on the African American community within Lorain, Ohio and the complexities of physical beauty and social status that lean over its residents. A character emphasized for her entitlement and being one who practices same-race discrimination, Geraldine has become even more despised than the incestuous and bibulous character of Cholly Breedlove. Through her obsession for cleanliness and social status, Geraldine symbolizes disconnection and same-race†¦show more content†¦She is â€Å"sugar brown,† exuberating with self confidence, has had higher education - and most importantly practices cleanliness religiously. Her job is more than taking care of her family, her job, or in this case passion is to achieve what most blacks can not, life as closely resembling that of a white family. Her home is like an illustration out of the Dick and Jane storybook: exquisitely organized, decorated with â€Å"a big red-and-gold bible[,] paper flower frame[s][,] [and] [l]ace doilies everywhere,†(Morrison89). Her home may seem organized, but her family is dysfunctional. Her love for cleanliness and social status go so far as to making her insusceptible to any emotional connection with her son Junior. Although Geraldine provides to all of Juniors physical needs, those being having him â€Å"brushed, bathed, oiled and shod,† she does very little to help raise him (Morrison 86). Junior, being a black boy, wants to converse and communicate with others who look as he does. But his mother always pushes him to be friends with the white children. So due to this he has developed a sense of entitlement. Soon, Junior’s entitlement leads him to victimize Pecola Breedlove. Inviting her into his home to show her kittens -he attacks her. Upon returning home, Geraldine, instead of scolding Junior, looks at Pecola’s uncombed hair, â€Å"torn dress [being pinned up by a] safety pin, [and her] muddy shoes,† right before cursing at her and kicking her out of her homeShow MoreRelatedThe Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison Essay1314 Words   |  6 PagesThe Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, encompasses the themes of youth, gender, and race. The African American Civil Rights Movement had recently ended at the time the novel was written. In the book, Morrison utilizes a first-person story to convey her views on racial inequality. The protagonist and her friends find themselves in moments where they are filled with embarrassment and have a wish to flee such events. Since they are female African Americans, they are humiliated in society. One of Morrison’sRead MoreRacial Prejudice in the Bluest Eye and to Kill a Mockingbird1416 Words   |   6 Pagesintroduced to the theme of racial prejudice through the experiences of the characters Scout and Jem Finch. The story is told from the perspective of Scout. In Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye, the reader is also introduced to the theme of racial prejudice through the experiences of Pecola Breedlove and Claudia MacTeer. The story is told through the perspective of Pecola Breedlove, and Claudia MacTeer. Both of the novels show different ways of illustrating the same theme. In the novel ToRead MoreAnalysis Of The Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison791 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"If only the eyes saw souls instead of bodies, how very different our ideals of beauty would be†. Toni Morrison shows, to the black community and to the world, how white supremacists and false convictions on beauty and self-worth can cause serious mischief if believed and taken to heart. Throughout the book, the character who exemplified the best repercussions of racism through her actions was Pecola Breedlove. A very passive little girl who was lacking self-esteem and parental guidance buys intoRead More Memoirs of a Geisha and the Bluest Eye Essay example900 Words   |  4 PagesMemoirs of a Geisha and the Bluest Eye Memoirs of a Geisha by Aurthor Golden and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison are two thought provoking books with a unique style of writing. Memoirs of a Geisha has a beautiful poetic grammar which captures readers imagination and brings the story to life. Morrison on the other hand uses combined voices to give varied perspectives with out resorting to authorial intrusion or preaching. Memoirs Of A Geisha and the bluest eye both contain graphic realismRead MoreRacism And Discrimination On African Americans1210 Words   |  5 Pagesthe impact of racism and discrimination on African Americans through her frequent use of symbolism.2 In The Bluest Eye, an extremely important symbol is blue eyes (Crayton 73). Blue eyes are used to symbolize racially based beauty standards and the power associated with whiteness (â€Å"Bluest† LitCharts). In the novel, society believes that if a person does not have white skin, he or she is not beautiful. Pecola Breedlove falls victim to this wid espread belief and longs to possess blue eyes. In her worldRead MoreWoman Is The Nigger Of The Wolrd: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison934 Words   |  4 Pagesfor years, not from the ‘Master Narrative’ perspective, that is the white male one’s, but from the exact opposite of this: an African-American girl. By doing this, she does not only awake pity for Pecola at the reader but also show how anti-black racism is constructed by social forces, interracially as well as intra-racially. Morrison represents African-Americans as people who suffer from the vacuum that white people create between them, the internalization of the white beauty ideal as well as theRead MoreThe Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison1189 Words   |  5 Pagesmembers in the community. In the novel The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, we are given an extensive understanding of how whiteness is the standard of beauty through messages throughout the novel that whiteness is superior. Morrison emphasizes how th is ideality distorts the minds and lives of African-American women and children. He emphasizes that in order for African-American women to survive in a white racist society, they must love their own race. The theme of race and that white skin is more beautifulRead MoreConfronting Social Identities in Society Essay1580 Words   |  7 Pagesexists in the world today, which includes but do not limited to self identity and racism. However, they somehow go unnoticed because at times people conform to what society thinks is the way to live. In my opinion, people believe they should act or feel a certain way because of what is broadcast on television, featured in magazines, and even brought into the limelight by celebrities. While Toni Morrison’s â€Å"The Bluest Eye† (1970) and Alice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use† (1973) both target ongoing social problemsRead MoreRacism in the Bluest Eye752 Words   |  4 PagesRacism in â€Å"The Bluest Eye† Several examples of racism are encompassed in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Characters who are members of the black community are forced to accept their status as the â€Å"others†, or â€Å"outsiders†, which has been imposed on them by the white community. In turn, blacks assign this status to other individuals within the lighter-skinned black community. In this novel, characters begin to internalize the racism presented by these people, and feel inferior. The stereotypeRead MoreThe Scrutiny Of Race And Beauty Within The Bluest Eye1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe Scrutiny of Race and Beauty within The Bluest Eye One of the significant themes that Morrison s, The Bluest Eye scrutinizes is the relationship between race and beauty. Rather how the predominant racial society’s point of view about beauty serves to degrade, ignore, and criticize different races by that compelling the affection of the domineering group by attaining the constancy of its eminence over less popular groups viewed by society. The Bluest Eye depicts the story of an eleven-year-old black

William Shakespeare s Hamlet - 978 Words

When it comes to the play Hamlet, there is a thrill seeking question to be asked; Is the plot of the play driven by revenge or corruption? The answer is debatably corruption; When one reflects back to what happens right before the play begins, when Claudius kills his brother, an individual would most likely lean more towards corruption driving the plot and, therefore, being the answer to the previous question. However, since the details of the incident are not completely revealed and there being no information on the brothers relationship prior to the incident, corruption can not be a concrete answer and revenge can not be completely ruled out. Claudius could have indeed been seeking revenge by killing his brother and marrying his wife, and there is more supportive evidence that leans towards revenge driving the plot due to what is actually being stated and clearly represented in the play. Therefore the plot of Hamlet is more likely to be presented as being revenge driven. Becau se of all the events that went on and the reasoning behind these events it is easy to see that revenge strongly drives the plot of Hamlet, in a way that the characters act on emotion rather than thought. Revenge drives the plot of Hamlet in a way that the main character Hamlet is out to avenge his father s death. Hamlet s father was killed by his younger brother, Claudius, who poisoned the King while he was asleep in order to take King Hamlet s spot on the throne. Shortly after the deathShow MoreRelatedHamlet : William Shakespeare s Hamlet1259 Words   |  6 PagesOmar Sancho Professor Christopher Cook English 201-0810 Hamlet Paper 23 May 2016 Hamlet Character Analysis â€Å"There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.†(Act 2, Scene 2, 239-251) Hamlet by William Shakespeare is one of the most famous plays written that conveys a multitude theme. But most predominant is the presence of Hamlet s obsession with philosophy of life, throughout the play Hamlet philosophy reviles his point of view love, loyalty, the importance of family and friendsRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet - Hamlet1160 Words   |  5 PagesPart 1: Hamlet Word Count: 1000 In what ways does Shakespeare s Hamlet explore the human mind? The play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, is seen to be an exploration of the human mind and shows the consequences our actions have when they are acted in pure impulse and emotion instead of being thought about. The character Hamlet makes majority of his decision in the heat of the moment, but had trouble deciding which action to take after intense consideration. The actions that Hamlet doesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet Essay902 Words   |  4 PagesTo be, or not to be; that s the question† (Act III, Scene 1, P.1127) is of the most widely circulated lines. As we all know, it is also the most important part of the drama, â€Å"Hamlet†, which is one of the most famous tragedy in the literature written by William Shakespeare between from 1599 to1602. The drama was written at the age of Renaissance that reflects the reality of the British society in sixteenth century to early seventeenth century. During that period, Britain was in the era of reverseRead Mor eWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1265 Words   |  6 PagesWe have all been guilty at some point in our lives of trying to act like a conflict we ve had has not existed or been a problem at all. In William Shakespeare s Hamlet we are bombarded with characters that are avoiding conflict by acting like they don t exist. Although majority of my classmates felt Hamlet was a play about revenge, I believe Shakespeare is addressing the issue of chaos and how it cannot be rectified by conjuring up a false reality; it only pushes the conflict into further disarrayRead MoreHamlet By William Shakespeare s Hamlet1936 Words   |  8 PagesWilliam Shakespeare s, Hamlet, written in the seventeenth century and first performed in 1602, is still a complex and intriguing play that encompasses many Jungian archetypes in relation to the setting and characters. This play was approximately four centuries old before Shakespeare reworked it for the stage. Hamlet is based on events involving the death of th e King of Denmark according to the Norse legends. This paper deals with a small portion of the entirety of the events in Hamlet. ScholarsRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1130 Words   |  5 PagesHoratio and Hamlet that demonstrate how he changes from the beginning to the end of the play. In the epic tragedy Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Prince Hamlet is trapped in a world of evil that is not his fault. Hamlet’s demeanor and attitude fluctuate over the course of the play. While Hamlet means well and is portrayed to be very sensitive and moral, at times he can appear to be overruled by the madness and darkness from the tragedy of his father s murder. His dealings with his dad s ghostlyRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1077 Words   |  5 Pagessuch as William Shakespeare have 4dictated their works in a way that allows for them to integrate common occurrences of new psychological findings into a text, giving them an opportunity to sculpt characters that differentiate themselves from one another. Psychoanalytical Criticism is the application of psychological studies incorporated into the findings of contemporary literature, principles founded by Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan are most commonly referred to in these texts. Hamlet is an identityRead M oreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1116 Words   |  5 PagesTeresa Fang Professor Moore Humanities 310 28 October 2015 To Seek Revenge or to Wait? Hamlet is a very enigmatic fellow. In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the theme of revenge is presented as a controversial one. Before the play was set, Prince Hamlet’s uncle and new stepfather, King Claudius, had taken part in the assassination of his brother, old King Hamlet. Old King Hamlet died without a chance to receive forgiveness for his sins. As a result, his spirit is condemned to walk the earthRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1163 Words   |  5 Pages William Shakespeare was a great author, who was able to break the cast of a one-dimensional character. In his play, Hamlet, which was set in the middle ages of Denmark, he was able to represent all of the protagonist’s, Hamlet, human intricacies, creating a round character. Hamlet’s character is fascinating, due to him being complicated. He himself insists that he has many cognitive and logical characteristics in Act I, Scene II. We are shown this when he tells the Queen, â€Å"Seems , madam? NayRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 2273 Words   |  10 Pages William Shakespeare was an English playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world s pre-eminent dramatist. Shakespeare is perhaps most famous for his tragedies. Most of his tragedies were written in a seven-year period between 1601 and 1608. One of these tragedies is his famous play Hamlet. The age of Shakespeare was a great time in English history. The reign of Queen Elizabeth saw England emerge as the leading naval and commercial power of the

Impasse in Race Relations

Question: Discuss about the Impasse in Race Relations ? Answer: Introducation In this essay "Impasse in Race Relations, Martin Luther King Jr. felt privileged to personally address all the Canadian audience that were present nationwide. He reminded everybody of the historical relationships that once existed between American Negroes and Canadians, hence considering both U.S. and Canadian citizen above just being the citizens of North America. King Jr. reminded the listeners about the role of Canadians as the North Star in the history of the struggle for America's freedom (Longaker and Walker, 2011). A Rhetorical Analysis of "Impasse in Race Relations, by Martin Luther King Jr. King Jr. recalled how the Negro slaves were imprisoned, dehumanized and denied education, but hoped for freedom on the north land. He mentioned about the railroad that linked the south and Canada, towards their road to freedom. He described, how in difficult times, they thought of escaping to Canada which was considered as a heaven by following the Underground Railroad. He did the mention the term Follow the Drinking Gourd, that carried a disguised direction towards the Canadian border by following the North Star. And while standing on its ground, it reminded him of the past struggles they had for freedom along with Canadian people. Luther did discuss how the Underground Railroad was not enough to free all the slaves but that was their only hope for the freedom. It did become a symbol of hope when it was impossible to think of freedom. He focused on how it took centuries to free the Negroes from slavery. Hence, he asked everyone to keep the faith and to think not only about freedom but how it could be achieved (Larrotta, 2016). In Paragraph 7, King Jr. mentioned the two phases of struggle which did play an important role in the recent past. The first struggle began in the early fifties when the doors to submission and subservience were shut by the Negroes. By adapting the conditions that offered non-violent resistance in the United States, they kept demanding for their rights and citizenship. To fight the brutal discrimination that was practiced in south, he recalled how they created a rebellion in the north. King Jr. also recalled how they marched on streets to mark their protest against slavery and for their freedom. He discussed boycotting the public transports in Districts of Montgomery, thus demonstrating the problem which occurred in Birmingham, and how they maintained non-violence, even during the courses of defying guns, segregation, dogs and clubs in Selma, and thus confusing the rulers in the south. Later their protests were supported by many white Americans as well and they collaborated for keeping the human dignity alive. In Paragraph 9, King Jr. explained the need for the Negroes and the whites to coexist together. He mentioned how Negroes were focused on freedom and whites on their personal improvement. Later when the laws changed and Negroes were given the opportunity for education and employment opportunities, it contributed to the overall sense of completion. Then the author explained about the second phase of struggle when the whites resisted against the involvement of Negroes in much higher level in the social structure. King Jr. also discussed the various racism problem that existed in the U.S. culture from the very beginning. There was a resistance from white in every field that made the goal of freedom out of reach from the Negroes, as they struggled to fight against this injustice and racism issued in the society. In Paragraph 11-12, King Jr. did a discussion on the riots that occurred from 1955 to 1965, that underestimated the violence suppressed by Negroes and bigotry of disguised action by white majority people. Then the contradiction occurred between Negroes and whites due to those series of riots. Also, the author explained how some Negroes turned to violence for fighting for their own position and survival and thus gave an extra edge to the white people (www.revolvy.com, 2017). In Paragraph 14-16, Luther Jr. emphasized on whether the guilt behind the riots was only applicable to Negroes and whether those issues gave new direction towards their struggle for freedom. Later, he referred to the ghetto outbreaks which he tried to elaborate through his writing, mainly emphasizing on two sentences written by Victor Hugo, a century ago. There Hugo mentioned that sins were committed by the souls when they are left in darkness. But the guilt is the one which does cause this darkness, but not actually committing the sin. The author compared sayings by Victor Hugo, with the condition of Negroes in the society which was built by the White Americans, as he explains how the discrimination in terms of behavior, social inequality and injustice has forced the Negroes to protest against the atrocities carried on them. Hence, he believes that the root cause behind the actual crime and riots were the white people themselves that created separate laws for Negroes living in slums and encouraging hatred towards this community. In Paragraph 18, King Jr. appealed to the society that the term whites do not relate only to the Americas white people community, but are referred to that section of people who are opposing the rights that the Negroes are privileged to and thus raising discriminating culture in their society. He also appreciated many white people who actually gave up their traditional culture to accept the Negroes and are concerned about their welfare. He explains how their fights are against the ideologies and policies that are set by the leaders of white people, not against the entire white people community. In Paragraph 20, the author took five specific elements that he thinks might have caused those riots- practicing pervasive discrimination, white backlash, unemployment, Vietnam War, extensive migration and urban problems. The backlash resulted due to the emotional outburst of the white people, who consistently tried to create pressure on Negroes to remain poor and unequal permanently. The author painfully explains how the old generation of Negroes had to go through various discrimination practices, but it was later opposed by the younger generation due to the restrictions forced upon them in their schools, neighborhoods, society and as well as job sector (Sunnemark, 2003). In Paragraph 21-22, Luther describes the situation of few Negroes who managed to step forward towards the economic and social ladder, since it was not easily achieved due to all the opposing forces of other communities that tried hard to bring them down. Also, this whole discrimination phase was enough reason to give rise to unemployment across the country during the 30's when the United States was edging towards revolution phase. According to the author, this created further rage and rebellion amongst the Negro people. In Paragraph 23, the author did mention about the effect of war that took place in Vietnam. It constituted 20% of Negro soldiers as compared to their 10% existence amongst the whole population count in America. Luther Jr. emphasizes on how this war had killed a huge number of Negro population as they attempted to defend Saigon government. In Paragraph 24, King Jr. described the ultimate cause of riots, which was due to the declining condition in urban life including air pollution, inadequate public facilities, and contaminated water along with financial crisis. The author explained the condition of Negroes during that pitiful phase. He also added the information on how the white people were provided free lands, facilities, and income sources, in contrast to Negroes, who were treated and denied any kind of resources after immigrating to America. He thinks all these conditions had fueled the causes behind riots violence by this community. In Paragraph 26-28, King Jr. expressed his personal beliefs that to never accept defeat, even if the situation seems worst. He focused on how these riots created an awareness amongst many political leaders from the white community, who agreed on the fact that the social injustice and discrimination was a huge factor in causing those riots and hence need addressing. They were addressing those issues not because of Negro welfare, but for sustaining peace in their own cities. And they were far behind from creating any government act at that moment. In the following few paragraphs, King Jr. demanded about a program, that will address all issues faced by the Negroes and provided them opportunities and stable source of incomes. He stressed on demolishing slums to rebuild them in a proper manner. The author was still convinced that all these were achievable using non-violence. Luther mentioned the society is not totally based upon justice but there was a certain injustice which did prevail. According to him, there were various presumptions based on so-called commitments towards justice in the name of national interest. Basically, that was a strategy for recorded stress that leaves unsettling slants stuck in a deplorable circumstance basic nationalism or clear callings about the ability to transcend or address the past. For those who live pleasing lives, they oblige getting some data about the esteem others have paid for their own comfort. That was some kind of understanding that forsakes their feeling more than to some degree vacant and more than a bit truly spent. In Paragraph 35-37, King Jr. strongly points out the negative aspect of riots that can only lead to defeat in their struggle for freedom. He hoped about the future possibilities that can be decided by the white leaders during the social crisis. He shared the fate of American Revolution that occurred in 1776, that gave rise to the democratic republic, against all the cruelties and violence by King Georg. In Paragraph 38-40, King Jr. discussed the Negro revolt that was necessary to remove social injustice and discrimination in the United States. The death of American Negro, Crispus Attucks in 1967, was the beginning of a new struggle to create a society of peace society with ample liberation for all the races and sects (Larrotta, 2016). Emotional association with the past for people or parties or individuals in it are not just a general methodology for genuine seeing yet rather pass on with them essential demand. Luther built up an emotional association with Negros and their struggle to begin to think in an unanticipated course, to get the past in a sudden way, and to consider all the more intentionally about its legacies. The way that they were not talented finds essential responses for aggravating solicitation or no bona fide way to deal with choose the unsettling emotions. References Larrotta, C. (2016). Creating Original Products and Infomercials to Study Rhetorical Analysis.Adult Learning. Longaker, M. and Walker, J. (2011).Rhetorical analysis. 1st ed. Boston: Longman. Sunnemark, F. (2003).Ring Out Freedom. 1st ed. [ebook] Available at: https://books.google.co.in/books?id=8bJ8SrMf9-wCpg=PA196lpg=PA196dq=A+Rhetorical+Analysis+of+%22Impasse+in+Race+Relations%E2%80%9D,source=blots=ixOriBIJnjsig=b8YBXzbY_fIxliIx-QkELYVQ46whl=ensa=Xved=0ahUKEwjR0rDg3-nSAhUDTY8KHbAQD-8Q6AEIGTAA#v=onepageq=A%20Rhetorical%20Analysis%20of%20%22Impasse%20in%20Race%20Relations%E2%80%9D%2Cf=false [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017]. www.revolvy.com. (2017).Impasse. [online] Available at: https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Impasseitem_type=topic [Accessed 22 Mar. 2017].