Overview: We worked through the writing process together, and it is time to submit a “draft” of your essay. I use the word draft, because writing is never truly finished. This is the most publishable piece you can provide at this time. We will be returning to this essay in the future, but for now, I would like to use these pieces as means of launching an informed discussion about the literature we have read thus far.
Directions:
1) Complete your essay and submit a copy on Turnitin.com
2) In this blog space, please post your introductory paragraph and thesis as a means of sharing your finalized concepts with the class. Of course, you are free to tweak and refine it as an abstract, as it will need to stand alone as a thesis. We will have a discussion and seminar on Tuesday.
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Overview : Toni Morrison has created a duality in Beloved, as at once the daughter Sethe murdered out of love, and as a former slave who lo...
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Directions : 1) Please read the following "Recitatif" by Toni Morrison. 2) Take notes . Read slowly, and try to visualize ... -
Part I: Freewriting Either in a series of bullet points or freewriting, explore the following as they pertain to you: “Nature” – Ethnici...
Nowadays, many people neglect the importance of representation in media. Instead of portraying characters of different races, genders, sexualities, and more in a positive light, filmmakers often depict these roles as stereotypes. The various clips used in “I Am Not Your Negro” demonstrate these misconceptions of race in film and TV--especially in the 1940s-1960s. In the documentary, the audience is introduced to two different stereotypes of African American people in media, where they are either poor and foolish, or heroic and self-sacrificing. Compared to the depictions of white characters, those of black characters are incredibly under-developed and, in some ways, repetitive. They are also often restrained in their roles, where African American “sex symbols” can’t even kiss their love interests onscreen. Clearly, these portrayals seem to reflect caricatures of African American people, rather than African American people themselves.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you used the media to apply the ideas we have been talking about in class rather than just the stories we read.
DeleteI agree with your point on how there's a misconception that representation in the media unimportant. Representation of people from TV shows and movies can definitely shape a person's perspective whether that is in a good or a bad way, especially in the case of African-American representation which is often a very narrow view that creates characters fulfilling negative stereotypes.
DeleteThe cycle of ignorance and denial is the constant that resents change and damages the soul. All the while those who demand to be heard shout into the cycle only to have their words muffled, pulled into the silence of the passive mind. The rebirth of awareness after ignorance is an uncomfortable process, necessary, yet impossible if one allows denial to pull them back in. Awareness can mean understanding the home you have left, what it truly was, and what it can be when changed. The home one leaves is the home one cannot return to. In “Sonny’s Blues” and “Recitatif,” the shared homes of individuals define their changing understanding one another as they grow while illuminating truths about white supremacy's relationship with America.
ReplyDeleteAudrey, I like how you've chosen to compare ignorance and denial to how awareness changes everything. The language used in your first paragraph is captivating and makes me want to read more!
DeleteI really like your phrasing in your first line when you talk about how the issues you describe damage the soul, I think it's very catching and interesting. Overall, the idea of awareness is something very valuable and is most certainly a very prevalent theme in all of our readings so far. I'm sure that your essay was able to carry this idea throughout and I think that would be a very interesting read.
DeleteI really love the last sentence to your introduction paragraph, which seems like your thesis, I can tell your essay would be well written. It would be hard for me to focus on both the understanding of each other as well as the relationship of white supremacy with America.
DeleteRacism is a complex issue with many contributing factors and underlying sources. The texts covered and the movie I Am Not Your Negro touch upon many of these ideas. While such events can largely be described, merely the tangible aspects are covered, while the underlying conflict is rarely seen. Following history, we habitually choose the simplest known path. As such, racism’s exploitation became intertwined with daily life and the psychological adaptations endured to change this entailed more than any law could ever try to fix. The changes both sides underwent to eradicate slavery were a complex personal progression and also a societal advancement towards mutual respect. Despite its negative implications, most people acted in self-interest, not in hatred and accepting their action’s harm took time.
ReplyDeleteHome is more than a location. It is the people, the ideas, and the perspectives that an individual identifies with long after they physically leave. It narrows their reasoning and behavior. James Baldwin’s dialogue on racial conflict suggests that it is not a natural state of animosity towards another group, but is rather perpetuated by the structure and experience of “home” in America. Private or public, concealed or jarringly revealed, at the hand of a group or an individual, racism has been a force in America and will remain present unless the cycle of both black and white community indoctrination is broken.
ReplyDelete- Emma
DeleteEmma, your wording is really good in this paragraph. It seems really well put together and interesting. Can't wait to hear more about where you went with this. :)
DeleteEveryday, as you walk through the world, you are bombarded by noise. Whether it be from the people around you, animals, construction work, a TV channel, etc. One of the most influential things you can hear throughout your day is music, whether it happens to be elevator music or a song on the radio; music you love or music you hate. It can become a part of your life in surprising ways, for example, helping you through mental health issues, drug abuse or even disputes between friends. The influential writings of James Baldwin and Toni Morrison, exemplify this belief. They show in their stories like "Going to Meet the Man", "Sonny's Blues" and "Recitatif", the influence that music can have on a person. It has the power to connect and bring people together in mysterious ways. This connection is made without consideration of race and/or gender, it’s something completely blind to a person’s social or economic status.
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you hook the reader in when you talk about noise/music at the beginning of this paragraph. I think it's a really interesting but still relevant way to start your paper.
DeleteYour intro paragraph really intrigues me. I like how you introduced your essay by talking about one of the five senses and used the description of being "bombarded by noise". I would love to see where you went with this idea in terms of music during the rest of your essay.
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ReplyDeleteSurroundings begin to shape one's character from the moment he or she is born. Young minds absorb everything they encounter. Their views on life are constantly changing based on the interactions they have. How a character is shaped based on his or her surroundings is a common theme in literature. James Baldwin, an outspoken civil rights activists, along with countless authors have explored this theme in their work. More specifically, their work has shed light on how the unequal education between African American and white children can go on to have adverse effects. With an education that lacks the proper funding for adequate resources, students in predominantly African Americans communities are put at a disadvantage and are far more likely to get trapped by the grasp of poverty.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting to think about when you're born, how you're immediately placed into a certain situation that directly affects you. Where you are and your surroundings are always affecting you but we often don't consider it. We're fortunate enough to have a nice school even though it may lack air conditioning and other things we consider necessary, it is better than the conditions many people are placed in.
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ReplyDeleteKristy, I really like your opening paragraph. It definitely makes me eager to see what more you have to say about the subject.
DeleteNo one is born racist. It is a learned behavior as a result of losing a person’s innate innocence and replacing it with hate and fear which manifests in racist ideas and behaviors.
ReplyDeleteSonsyrea Tate once said “You can leave home all you want, but home will never leave you.” This “home” is your personality and values. Although people may live different socioeconomic lives, the societal pressures of racism reach across the world. This society which you grow up in shapes your ideas and actions. In the works of Toni Morrison and James Baldwin, the uncomfortability of talking about racism creates confusion and breeds these ideas, sometimes to the point that the offenders may not realize just how racist they are because it becomes the norm and you are a product of your surroundings. These authors reveal the power that societal pressures hold in the development of an individual.
I really loved that you started with the quote from Sonsyre Tate, it was a really good way of showcasing what you were going to talk about later on.
DeleteLiterature has always been an outlet to express social issues such as race and discrimination. From as far back as history can take us until today, we use literature as a source of documentation for how our communities have grown and what still needs to be changed. The influences of our environments is how change occurs and how we move forward as a society. In Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif”, the idea of our surroundings influencing our lives is illuminated throughout the text. Morrison’s two main characters, Twyla and Roberta, bring to light the relation of race in an environment. These two characters prove how racism is something that is learned within a society, and has the ability to be changed throughout a person’s life. In Raoul Peck’s documentary, “I Am Not Your Negro”, we are able to see a personal view of how racism effects a society and how it is still an issue that has yet to be diminished completely.
ReplyDeleteI believe you're totally correct when talking about literature being an outlet for expression, it certainly is very important and has a lot of value in society. It does a good job of showing different perspectives whether that be that of the author, their characters or real life people around them. You reference great examples from our readings and I find it especially interesting how you might've possibly used "I Am Not Your Negro" in your essay according to your topic.
DeleteToni Morrison and James Baldwin showcase the factors in determining who a character grows up to be. Characters start off to be similar and innocent, but it is with their childhood influences that affects who they are as an adult. Everyone gives in to a single story until it is what they become. As Chimamanda Adichie says in her TED Talk, “that is how to create a single story, show a people as one thing, as only one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become”. Although it is the people that they are surrounded by, everything is skewed by the single story. The single story will spread until it becomes the only story known. The danger of it is a big factor in defining someone in their childhood because it affects their surroundings which will shape and influence them the most.
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I like how you looked beyond race and talked about character development in a new way.
DeleteIn literature, authors often place characters in situations in which they are caught between conflicting ideas or influences. James Baldwin uses Jesse from “Going to Meet the Man” to create a conflict within his mind between his natural instinct to treat people equally and the racist lessons taught to him by his parents and authority figures. His exposure to racist ideas throughout his childhood eventually overpowered his innocent instincts and caused him to become a hateful person. Jesse’s internalized conflict is used as a tool to express Baldwin’s message that racism is not present at birth, but rather something that is perpetuated through an ongoing cycle.
ReplyDeleteI think you have a really strong thesis and it makes me interested to see what you wrote in the rest of your essay.
DeleteIntro: I have a tendency to zone out in health class. Half the subjects are common sense, and the rest are too uncomfortable, so I zone out. However, I did have one takeaway from junior-year health; don’t become a heroin addict. The school had even brought in a former heroin addict and bank robber to make absolutely clear that a heroin addict is just about the worst thing you can become. On the surface, this would make Sonny, the troubled aspiring musician from Sonny’s Blues, a bad person. Long term addict plus dealing in a crack-house equals bad person; it’s easier than real math. That equation is simple, but it does not account for everything we learn about Sonny beyond the first six pages. Instead, Sonny’s story is a nuanced example how an oppressive setting can muddy the moral waters and drive anyone to dark places, even it their intentions never originated from a place of weakness or malice.
ReplyDeleteThesis: The moral standards for everyone must be taken within the context of their surroundings. One’s setting can have a massive impact on how traditionally morral they act, especially within the context of institutionalized racism and poverty. Focusing on how hard they try to stick to their morals, even if they act a-morally in the end is a better indicator of their true character than their worst actions alone.
I really like your intro! Good job connecting it to health class to hook your readers.
DeleteYeah, I really enjoyed reading your intro, and I held a similar thesis in my essay.
DeleteResistance is inevitable in the spectrum of racial tension. For many people, defying society’s standards and highlighting the flaws to the system comes with fighting those battles alone. In James Baldwin’s work of “Sonny’s Blues” he crafts a relationship in a story of brotherly love that is parallel to Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.’s separate views that eventually synchronized. The parallelism between Sonny’s Blues and Martin Luther King Jr as well as Malcolm X, are shown with the manifestation of indifference that are within the black community. Toni Morrison’s story, “Recitatif” represents the fight in relation to people’s color of skin and their one sided views. Both authors convey the importance of how one person’s point of view can impact another’s views, whether that be positively or negatively through parallelism with a sense of racial conflict as a universal experience.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting concept and comparison. I wonder if Baldwin intended this comparison in "Sonny's Blues." I'd definitely like to learn more about this idea.
DeleteI really like your choice of discussion. I think bringing up Malcom X and MLK Jr specifically makes your argument even stronger, and it provides the reader with a real life application of what you are trying to get across to them.
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ReplyDeleteNo author has a desire within them to use cruelty in their writing. Cruelty is not without purpose, it is not used to make the reader feel guilty, or to shock them to a point of disbelief like so often assumed. But rather, when an author uses cruelty in their literature, like Baldwin and Morrison so often did, it’s because a point must be made and this is the most effective way to do it. In Morrison's’ work in Recitatif, as well as Baldwin’s work, in Going to Meet the Man cruelty is used to reveal to the White reader something that is so often ignored, the disturbing reality of what our country was, and still is, in regards to racism. Getting uncomfortable is okay, ignoring the things that make you uncomfortable are not. Baldwin and Morrison use cruelty throughout their works of literature to achieve his purpose of exposing the reader to the true relevance of racism.
ReplyDeleteI really like your intro paragraph as well as your thesis! It all seemed really natural to me and I didn't feel like it was formulaic. I think your essay topic is unique as well and I like how you had different take on the short stories and documentary.
DeleteDoes it often cross our minds just how much we let the pressure of others and the fear of their judgement influence our values and decisions? Whether it be the simple phenomenon of high school peer pressure, or more complicated issues such as stances on important matters. One of these matters is the concept of race. Racism is a cycle and, although it has many direct consequences, it allows for indirect consequences as well. In particular, people can let society and its standards on race shape who they are friends with or who they associate themselves with. In the short story Recitatif, the author, Toni Morrison, exposes this through her two main characters Twyla and Roberta. Throughout their time in the orphanage and then their exposure to society, she demonstrates the necessity of human nature to conform to society's standards and beliefs by showing how the two characters ideals change depending on their surroundings and company.
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ReplyDeleteEducation is something that is rightfully extremely valued within society for the deep impact it has on raising the youth, the world’s next generation. What students are taught from young ages, both at home and at school, influence them for the rest of their lives. However, what is taught is not always the truth, or morally correct. Historically, education has been used to further oppress people of color. Whether it be through forced cultural assimilation of Native Americans in the classroom, eugenics, or even instances of racism in modern times, there has been a long-term utilization of the classroom to propel purposefully ignorant or hateful ideas on children. Education when done correctly not only helps students to know that 2+2 does not equal 5, but to fully understand the history of their world, alongside how they can better it. Woven throughout the works of Going to Meet the Man, I Am Not Your Negro, and Recitatif, are the ideas that lack of education or incorrect education within early life deeply influences generations to reproduce the same beliefs of the prior generation, oftentimes negatively correlating with race.
ReplyDeleteI think you've chosen a strong topic, showing that people are told how important education is, while at the same time being fed false truths and not the whole truth.
DeleteThe topic you chose to delve into is not something I even thought to discuss, but your introductory paragraph is incredibly strong. I like how you brought up specific examples of things children are taught to mindlessly accept in the classroom, as it immediately proves your point of how views are taught, not engrained in our minds at birth.
DeleteBaldwin argued the idea that people aren’t naturally filled with hatred, it is society’s influence that shifts the individual’s viewpoint of the world. He believed that being white didn’t make someone evil, and being black didn’t make someone subject to torment. Morrison’s “Recitatif” examines this societal divide through the evolution of Roberta and Twyla’s relationship, changing drastically over time when they are exposed to racism. As young girls, they faced the the world together, having an understanding for one another. They were filled with rage from their abandonment, unable to comprehend the emotions they were experiencing. This was reflected in their actions towards Maggie. They took their anger out on Maggie because she was viewed as incompetent, unable to fight back. She was the epitome of bruting anger lost in silence. Roberta and Twyla grew further apart through time and distance, linked solely by the faded memory of Maggie, unable to decipher what was the truth. Societal racism altered the relationship between Roberta and Twyla, altering their perception of each other based off of the color of their skin rather than their childhood friendship.
ReplyDeleteYou have a very great introduction. I loved the part when you said, "She was the epitome of bruting anger lost in silence." I think this is a very strong way of describing how Twyla and Roberta took some of their own frustration and placed it onto Maggie.
DeleteI think your claim and analysis is really strong. I completely agree that their lives were shaped by their perception of each other. Also, I think it may help strengthen your claim to analyze the fact that the race of Maggie was not mentioned.
DeleteThe setting of a story has the potential to alter a character completely. However, the setting alone is not the sole factor in affecting individuals; no matter the perceived strength or independance of a character, it is undeniable that their society plays a large role in shaping their identity, particularly during childhood and adolescence. Demonstrations of this power play are constantly represented in literature, though they are often subtle and nuanced. In the works of James Baldwin, he explores the effects that environments and the societies within them have on an individual’s social and racial views. The people that surround a character have the power to completely transform their views on such issues, as well as mold them into a uniform product of their society.
ReplyDeleteOverall I think your paragraph is really good and cohesive. You used great description and described the implementation in the text.
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ReplyDeleteI Am Not Your Negro and Toni Morrison’s “Recitatif” show the race relations within the United States and demonstrate the need for us to eliminate racial tension. Throughout “Recitatif” we see two young girls grow up, one white and one black. However, we never learn which race corresponds to which girl. We see how the author uses Twyla and Roberta as a way of shedding light on a new generation of Americans. Through them, the reader is able to identify the ways in which our actions and views of the opposite race have real implications. Similarly, in I Am Not Your Negro, Raoul Peck- the filmmaker- shows us chilling clips of beating, lynchings, and protests with the hope that we will not just accept these things as they are. Baldwin even says during the film, “You don't know what's happening on the other side of the wall, because you don't want to know.” Raoul Peck reveals things about Harlem- as well as other areas of the United States- that we wouldn’t otherwise see, in an effort to show us a new perspective of racial problems through the eyes of someone who has experienced them.
I like your implementation of this quote in your intro
DeleteYour ideas are really good Paige, and I think you mentioned some good examples. I think it might make sense to try to work a more specific central claim as "eliminating racial tension" addresses a broader picture than what you seem to be describing. Also, I think the quote you chose fits in really well with what you were explaining.
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ReplyDeleteNo one is born racist or prejudice it is something we pick up from our surroundings, whether that is the people around us, the geographical area we come from, or one’s personal experiences. People are much deeper than they seem; as we pass them on the street with in a matter of seconds we have decided a single story for that person. Baldwin illuminates the quote by Pauline Hopkins, “and, after all, our surroundings influence our lives and characters as much as fate, destiny or any supernatural agency”, in the entirety of his works with the complexity of his characters. Baldwin’s stories, Going to Meet the Man and Sonny Blues provide evidence that what matters is the effect of how one handles their defining moments, how they perceive the world and how the world perceives them because of it.
ReplyDeleteTrusting the reader - completely trusting the reader - to use a story as a lens through which to see an issue from myriad perspectives is ironically an act of both fearlessness and hopefulness. It is nothing short of audacious to confidently prod the reader to ruminate on a topic, especially one that is controversial, such as race, and push them outside of the limits of their own perspective with the expectation of sparking a broader conversation. In her TED Talk, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie suggests that misperceptions and stereotypes can be traced to a “single story.” The power of a single story, however, can be challenged and untangled when the underlying misunderstandings that drive that story are dispelled; and a bold author often employs misconception and ambiguity to make a profound and elucidating statement about the fallacies and misjudgments that are perpetuated by stereotypes and intractable social standards. Toni Morrison’s Recitatif is a unique and clever use of ambiguity as a vehicle to comment on stereotypes. In this piece, Morrison purposely omits specific details about her characters forcing the reader to examine their preconceived notions about socioeconomic and racial stereotypes. Similarly, in Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin peels back the layers behind a character’s flat persona to reveal a more multidimensional personality, and in so doing, shows us that every person is an enigma - a far more complex compilation than our initial impressions might first suggest.
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