The Souls of Black Folk 2

Towards the end of the text, I found the last few chapters difficult to follow. I had to reread a few of them to try to understand what was going on because Du Bois often times switched the focus of the stories, making it tough to follow who is doing what. However, even though the last chapter shifted from a narrative tone to a more subdued, historical tone, I still really enjoyed how all of the chapters were tied in together through their importance as a “sorrow song”. By tying each of the stories into the sorrow songs sung by the “Negros”, the stories became not just about the characters in them but the entire African American community that not only sang them but lived them. The stories are not just accounts of the characters in them but of the hardships of an entire race. I was also surprised that I recognized some of the songs used as examples in the last chapter, many of which I did not realize were sorrow songs of this time period. For example, I recognized “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” as the song that the bird in The Lion King sang when he got trapped with the bad lions. I did not know, however, that the true origins of the song came from this time of slavery and racial oppression; I probably did not really think about it that much when I was a small child watching the Lion King either. However, I found it especially astounding that such songs are still remembered and being sung today. It is amazing to see how these songs have been passed down and how their history has been preserved.

The Souls of Black Folk

Both stories that we have been reading, “Up From Slavery” and “The Souls of Black Folk” have explored the period in American history shortly after the abolishment of slavery. Although they are both discussing the same topic, they use very different strategies to express the situations and events of the time. So far in “The Souls of Black Folk” the author has remained almost emotionless throughout the text. For the most part it feels as though events are being explained in a very bland manner with the majority of the explanation being a listing of pure facts. It almost feels similar to reading a history textbook. On the other hand, “Up From Slavery” is a much livelier, personal account.
The two texts also differ in the tone which they give off concerning their feelings toward the African Americans of the time. The author of “The Souls of Black Folk” expresses how the African Americans fought desperately for the betterment of themselves as well as for their race. He celebrates the African American culture by opening each chapter with what could possibly be a song sung during slavery or an account of the hardships of slavery. “He [a freed slave] would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world.” (page 215). Du Bois, author of “The Souls of Black Folk”, stresses the importance of fighting the hardships while still carrying the pride of the African American heritage. Booker T. Washington, author of “Up From Slavery”, is almost the opposite in his text. It seems like any African American who does not join the Tuskegee Institute is made out to be detracting from the image he is trying to set. It almost feels as though he is looking down upon a majority of his race who are not following his agenda. I have not decided which story I like better yet because Washington’s is more engaging but is sometimes offsetting in his viewpoints and Du Bois’s is less interesting but has a more positive take on the efforts of African Americans.

Up From Slavery

This biography of the life of Booker T. Washington is a fascinating account of how his family went from being enslaved to forming new lives away from their plantation after the Civil War. There are so many aspects of this story that I have taken me completely by surprise and are really astounding. The tone in which the story is written is especially unexpected considering his background in slavery. The story is not angry and Washington is not trying to persuade the reader’s opinions. He is simply telling the events that occurred in his life. I found it especially fascinating and unexpected when Washington told about his feelings for his white masters and plantation owners. “One may get the idea from what I have said, that there was bitter feeling toward the white people on the part of my race… In the case of the slaves on our place this was not true, and it was not true of any large portion of the slave population in the South…” (page 35). Washington then goes on to explain how distraught the slaves were when one of the sons of the plantation owner was wounded in the war. I would have never guessed that the slaves would feel this way. Every other historical account I’ve ever seen has conveyed how the slaves loathed their white masters, and who could blame them?
I have really enjoyed reading this story so far. It is easy to read and surprisingly intriguing. The way in which it is written is refreshing as well. I’ve never read a story about slavery, from a slave’s point of view, that has been so optimistic and has displayed such surprising feelings toward the people who had mistreated them. It is really impressive to witness Washington’s eagerness to obtain an education. It makes me realize how much we take it for granted now because we have to go to school and most people see it as more of a chore than an opportunity. I never knew much about Booker T. Washington before reading this book, but his story definitely makes me want to know more. I also would like to know what he would say about our culture today. I wonder if he would be disappointed in how we so easily overlook things that he had to sacrifice so much for.

Diary of a Shirtwaist Striker

So far I have really enjoyed this story; it is very interesting and also easy to read. The aspect of that I have found the most fascinating thus far has to be the transformation of the main character as the strike progresses. On the first day of the strike she is very disconnected. She does not take the strike seriously and does not act as if it even affects her. She talks about how she will have some time off and she continually tells of how she is laughing or finding amusement from the whole ordeal. As the strike progresses, however, her demeanor changes drastically. She goes from being jovial about everything to involving herself and taking the mistreatment personally. Her entries go from being bubbly in the beginning and become harsher as she describes the constant hardships of the women. After she sees how her fellow strikers are being beaten and battered she throws herself into the strike and is determined to see that justice is reached.
In the beginning she is not bothered by the strike and is not motivated to take part in it because she is not as hard up for money as most of the other girls. However she begins to notice how the women that she works with are often times the primary sources of money for their families, yet they make next to nothing. Often times she refers to the “Jew girls” which she comes to admire because of their desire for change and their unwavering work ethic. After witnessing these women return beaten after fighting day in and day out just to survive, she is awakened to the outrageous injustices of the working place. From that point forward, she internalizes the strike and it is no longer strictly monetary. It becomes a true fight for women’s rights. She seems to have found more of an identity and sense of self. She transforms from a somewhat carefree worker to a dedicated reformer. I hope as the strike progresses that she will continue to take bigger roles and have more of an impact.

Blade Runner

I, personally, did not like the movie Blade Runner at all. I did not like the story line or the character played by Harrison Ford. The voice-overs were very corny and often times detracted from the movie as a whole. However, there was only one instance when I enjoyed the commentary made in one of the voice-overs. I thought it was very interesting when Harrison Ford’s character was pondering why the replicant spared his life. Why would the replicant appreciate Ford’s life all of the sudden? The replicants lived an extremely unfair existence. They lived on the inferior planet which was incredibly bleak. They spend their lives in fear of these Blade Runners that were committed to exterminating them. Roy, the lead replicant, even asked, when he was pursuing Ford in the end of the movie, how it felt to live in constant fear. From that statement alone, it is easy to deduce that the life of a replicant was not much of an existence. To top that all off, Ford had just killed his only companion and the girl he was in love with. Why, after all of that, would he suddenly appreciate life, especially that of his enemy? What life had he even witnessed that was worth appreciating? His own consisted of constant fear and misery and Ford’s was not any better. Ford even went so far as to call himself a killer in his own introduction; he was clearly not too thrilled with his occupation either. So what, in that moment, did the replicant come to appreciate?

Life in the Iron Mills

Life in the Iron Mills, the title in itself is more of an oxymoron than an introduction to the story. The soot covered, bleak setting presents no signs of life at all. The stifling, constricting atmosphere entraps all of its occupants. “Here inside, is the little broken figure of an angle pointing upward from the mantle-shelf; but even its wings are covered with smoke, clotted and black.” (page 12). Not even an angle, a symbol of hope, can escape and is instead trapped by the debilitating smoke surrounding the iron mills.
Hugh demonstrates his view of what life is through his sculpture of the woman who is “hungry.” When questioned as to what the woman is hungry for, Hugh replies, “Summat to make her live, I think,-like you.” (page 33). He believes that the wealth of men like Kirby defines life. However, it is ironic that stealing the money, which in his eyes leads to life, causes his ultimate demise in jail. Even Kirby and the rich lack the compassion of life. Therefore, where is the life in the iron mills? It is not in poverty nor is it in prosperity. It is not at the height of status nor is it at the depths. Life simply does not exist in the iron mills. Death and hopelessness coat every aspect of the mills just like its stifling, black smoke.

Time Travel

Time travel and time paradoxes are themes often used in action movies. These movies are challenging for both the makers of the movie and for the audience. The writers and producers must create a film that stretches the imagination without being completely ridiculous and the audience must be able to suspend their disbelief in order to view the film without pointing out every detail that does not add up. Terminator 2 is a prime example of a film which tests the audience’s ability to buy into an outrageous plot which concerns numerous time paradoxes.
Sarah Conner and two robots are sent back in time to rescue John Conner, a future military leader. However the actions done during the film do not seem to change the future. Why don’t both of the terminators and John disappear instantly when Miles, the creator of the technology used to build the robots, and his inventions are destroyed? Does that then suggest that other inventors go on to create new technology to build the robots, and, if so, why doesn’t Sarah know about these inventors? This unchanging outcome suggests that the message Sarah wrote on the picnic table, “No fate” is, in fact, false and no matter what she or John do in the time period of this film, nothing will alter the events that are to come in the future. Upon learning this they should have both sat back and relaxed for the time being because the future is apparently inevitable. The only thing they can worry about right now is killing the evil robot that is indestructible, except for when it comes to extremely hot temperatures.

Missing Identity

In Ragtime, historical characters with preexisting personas are among the few that are referred to by name. Most of the other characters go by their position in the family, such as Mother, Father, Mother’s Younger Brother, etc. How is the character supposed to be viewed by the audience when they are so lacking in identity? How is the reader supposed to match a face to a character that is missing such vital information? Withholding such information is a strategy used by E.L. Doctorow to outline the focus on the celebrity and to make statements about the families during the era of Ragtime.
Evelyn Nesbit has a definite identity. She has the distinct and unmistakable face of Evelyn Nesbit. She has her own specific characteristics which everyone, even the reader, knows about. Why? Because she is the one and only Evelyn Nesbit and everyone is focused on her every move. The rest of the population, on the other hand, has no specific identity and just fits into their respective category. The Mother and Father have no one single face. There are millions of Mothers and Fathers and nobody cares about their identity or characteristics. The reader sees the face of every mother and father on Mother and Father. In this way Doctorow is able to generalize the personalities of an entire era through the actions of his characters. Every mother in the early nineteen hundreds was caring and dreamed of the possibilities of the future. Every father was dull and resistant to change. Every mother’s younger brother was fascinated by celebrities and a little creepy. Therefore by leaving out information, Doctorow is really providing more insight on a much broader scale.

Who Was That Guy?

Through the first eight chapters of E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime several characters have been introduced, some of which are fictional and some of which are true historical figures. The novel has multiple intertwining plots developing which becomes very difficult for the reader to follow at times. It has been challenging to distinguish which characters to focus on and which plots to follow the closest. Doctorow further confuses the reader by continually using pronouns or incredibly general names such as “mother” to refer to characters. Page number nine is a prime example of Doctorow using unspecific language as he refers to Houdini by beginning the following eight sentences with “He was…” or “His…” A plethora of characters are introduced in a miniscule amount of time, there are multiple plot shifts, and characters are seldom referred to specifically. I wonder if all of these factors are strategies Doctorow is using to confuse the reader. Forcing the reader to focus more intensely on following characters and plots could be an attempt to divert attention away from underlying plots. This leads me to believe that Doctorow may be planning a surprise ending.
Overall, I have really enjoyed the novel. I love Doctorow’s writing style and his descriptions. Although the novel has been a bit challenging to follow, the plots are very exciting and interesting to read.

Hank the Celebrity

Throughout Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court it has been difficult to decipher the motives behind the actions of the story’s main character, Hank. Although he has vastly improved the lives of the citizens in Arthur’s kingdom, he takes advantage of their naiveté in order to gain a celebrity status. He often seems more focused on pleasing the crowd with his flashy displays than improving the kingdom. For example, Hank easily fixes the well, but is dissatisfies because it does not require an impressive show. Despite its simplicity, he waits for a large crowd to form so that he can set off fireworks to impress the citizens. He loves being a spectacle and being admired by everyone in the kingdom. However, with every advancement he introduces he maintains his superiority by failing to educate the people. Hank takes advantage of their naiveté by claiming that everything he does is magic instead of trying to explain the mechanics. In doing so, he hinders the kingdom by making them perpetually reliant on his knowledge instead of being able to do things for themselves. If Hank does not inform the people as to how to build and fix things for themselves they will fall back into the cycle of being dependent on the monarchy as soon as Hank leaves. Therefore his time spent there would ultimately be useless. By failing to educate the citizens Hank is also comparable to the monarchy and the church, which he was originally fighting against. I wonder if, by the end of the book, Hank will realize this mistake and stop using his knowledge for flashy shows and celebrity status.

Social Discrepancies Between Centuries

Throughout different eras and time periods major cultural and social trends are established which influence the mannerisms of the inhabitants of the time. In Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court these discrepancies are clearly present when an industrialized, nineteenth century Yankee finds himself in King Arthur’s court. The Yankee’s tendencies are quite surprising, as he plans to manipulate the kingdom due to his advanced intelligence. He believes this dubs him superior to the rest of the citizens. His industrialized lifestyle has engrained in him the need to conquer others in order to be successful. Immediately he begins plotting and planning the ways in which he can save himself from being executed while manipulating the people in hopes of one day becoming the ruler. This position is not a far cry from his original nineteenth century position as an arms factory superintendant. The Yankee does not even regard the citizens as people as he often refers to them as savages or animals. The Yankee’s focus is primarily on himself and what he can acquire from this opportunity. The factory working, industrialized era in which he once lived instilled in its citizens the importance of getting ahead and desensitized them to the needs of others. The citizens of the sixth century, however, are vastly different than the Yankee. Being under the rule of a monarch has caused them to lose themselves and become mere stepping stones for the advancement of the king. The time in which they live has taught them not to question and not to stand up for themselves. The boy who befriends the Yankee is evidence of this because, while he may not be the most intelligent person, he practically renders himself a servant in order to accommodate the Yankee and avoid his wrath. The citizens’ acceptance of everything outlandish wizards like Merlin claim to be true is also a testament to the ways which they are scared into obedience. Because of these cultural differences, the Yankee is presented with a perfect opportunity to manipulate and take over the kingdom.

Black Metropolis

“They hate him for revealing the shaky, class foundations of their society, for reminding them of their sundered consciousness, for flaunting their hypocrisy, for sneering at their hesitations, for manipulating their racial hatreds to a degree that they had never dared.”(page xxiv). According to Richard Wright’s Black Metropolis, America’s attitudes and actions toward “Negroes” in post slavery times much resembled Hitler and his Nazi regime during World War II. Wright intensifies his presentation of the problem in America by frequently cataloging the feelings and plights of the African Americans. The piece has an unmistakable tone of dissent throughout its entirety and Wright’s view point is made very clear. However his purpose of bringing attention to the mistreatment of African Americans becomes slightly overshadowed by the end of the piece due to his criticism of the white citizens. Instead of focusing on the hardships of black citizens, Wright begins to waiver toward the end of the passage. The focus becomes shifted to blaming and generalizing white Americans and even to comparing them to Hitler. While there is no doubt in my mind that a vast majority of white Americans severely mistreated blacks, this shift ultimately detracts from the original point. The beginning of the piece translates Wright’s feelings much more effectively due to his intense descriptions. This stirring of emotion holds much more weight with the reader than the end of the passage which seems to digress and lose its effectiveness in some parts. The approach of pulling the reader into the heart of the problem is much more telling than involving him in an endless cycle of blame.