Wright feels gratified after sharing his writing to his next-door neighbor because he has finally done something that sets him apart for the dull masses around him. Even when the girl doesn’t understand why he’s written his story, it gives him great satisfaction.
He can finally call something his own, and gives him a purpose of sorts in the world. Instead of just having to sit there and take what is given to him, Wright can now reach out and show himself to the world around him. He says that it is a terrible story, but he had made something that was his.
The girl might not understand and his world might view his desire to write as alien, but he found something that allowed him to express his view of the world and nothing can take that away from him.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wright's reaction to his mother's sickness
When Wright first sees him mother in such a pitiful condition, he is scared for her survival. He even forces his relatives to let him go to the hospital where the surgery to save her life will happen. But after her immediate survival, his attitude begins to change.
After she gets over a bout of paralysis, Wright’s mother tells him to just kill her. After that he shuts off feelings for his mother because he can no longer deal with her suffering.
But more importantly, Wright realizes something about himself. He decides that he won’t just sit back and live with the miserable life that has been dealt to him. Instead he is going to try and wring a meaning from what appears to be meaningless suffering. His entire life before his mother had her strokes was on disappointment after another. Constant hunger, both literal and metaphorical, has been all he’s even known, and he finally decides that the only way he can have a life is to try and make sense of the meaningless trudge of a life.
After she gets over a bout of paralysis, Wright’s mother tells him to just kill her. After that he shuts off feelings for his mother because he can no longer deal with her suffering.
But more importantly, Wright realizes something about himself. He decides that he won’t just sit back and live with the miserable life that has been dealt to him. Instead he is going to try and wring a meaning from what appears to be meaningless suffering. His entire life before his mother had her strokes was on disappointment after another. Constant hunger, both literal and metaphorical, has been all he’s even known, and he finally decides that the only way he can have a life is to try and make sense of the meaningless trudge of a life.
Wright's Jewish interactions
Wright’s Cultural heritage revolves around disliking other cultures. He goes to church and is taught that Jew’s are the Christ killers and should be distrusted and disliked. But on top of that, popular culture gives him even more direction.
His culture that he sees everyday tells him to avoid, distrust and hate people unlike him, and the most visible example of people to distrust is are the Jews. Whites don’t generally come into the black areas of town, which can be seen in his interactions with the white boys. So to have a white person owning a story right in the middle of black territory gives him a prefect target to go after.
Wright’s religious culture gives him an excuse to go after the Jews, but in reality this is just example of the general distrust the blacks have for the whites.
His culture that he sees everyday tells him to avoid, distrust and hate people unlike him, and the most visible example of people to distrust is are the Jews. Whites don’t generally come into the black areas of town, which can be seen in his interactions with the white boys. So to have a white person owning a story right in the middle of black territory gives him a prefect target to go after.
Wright’s religious culture gives him an excuse to go after the Jews, but in reality this is just example of the general distrust the blacks have for the whites.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Wright's hunger
Richard Wright is hungry because his family is poor and can’t afford poor, but like all good English books, there is a deeper metaphorical meaning. Wright has so much more to deal with in his life.
Wright is hungry for a wider view on the world. He has been stuck in a hellhole of a house with no way out. Every day is exactly the same as the next, dreary and unimpressive. He’s hungry for something new and he’s desperate to find a way to get that.
Wright is hungry for a wider view on the world. He has been stuck in a hellhole of a house with no way out. Every day is exactly the same as the next, dreary and unimpressive. He’s hungry for something new and he’s desperate to find a way to get that.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Case against school
I think that schooling is definitely something that is necessary, but for different reasons than Gatto says. He downplays the academic education that is given to children and also glosses over the positive social skills that are developed over their twelve-year career.
While school might train kids to be sheep, Gatto himself says that is to avoid if you know what to look for. But another aspect of socialization occurs in school as well. Kids learn how to interact with their peers in a way that isn’t possible without being with people their same age for extended periods of time. While yes, I know of home-schooled children who are extremely bright, they are some of the most socially awkward people I know. Haven’t never spent large blocks of time with other people, they close down and don’t know how to react once they are among their peers.
Also, the education that is given might at times seem useless, but I think that people need some kind of education. He says that he wants to give kids education but not schooling. Unfortunately the only other option I can see for schooling is home schooling, but there isn’t much ability for a member of the family to stay home every day to teach the kids. Also, while he points out that people like Lincoln and Franklin never had formal education, I don’t think that you can compare the world they lived in to the one we are in today. The cutting edge of learning these days is so much further along, that you can’t really teach yourself the knowledge necessary to do more that basic things.
While “schooling” as we have today might not be the best option, and it gives plenty of opportunity for conspiracy theories, it gives people education opportunities that wouldn’t be available to people who don’t have access to home schooling. The system has holes, but it gives people a boost in life that they can get nowhere else.
While school might train kids to be sheep, Gatto himself says that is to avoid if you know what to look for. But another aspect of socialization occurs in school as well. Kids learn how to interact with their peers in a way that isn’t possible without being with people their same age for extended periods of time. While yes, I know of home-schooled children who are extremely bright, they are some of the most socially awkward people I know. Haven’t never spent large blocks of time with other people, they close down and don’t know how to react once they are among their peers.
Also, the education that is given might at times seem useless, but I think that people need some kind of education. He says that he wants to give kids education but not schooling. Unfortunately the only other option I can see for schooling is home schooling, but there isn’t much ability for a member of the family to stay home every day to teach the kids. Also, while he points out that people like Lincoln and Franklin never had formal education, I don’t think that you can compare the world they lived in to the one we are in today. The cutting edge of learning these days is so much further along, that you can’t really teach yourself the knowledge necessary to do more that basic things.
While “schooling” as we have today might not be the best option, and it gives plenty of opportunity for conspiracy theories, it gives people education opportunities that wouldn’t be available to people who don’t have access to home schooling. The system has holes, but it gives people a boost in life that they can get nowhere else.
nonacademic education
I would say that I value the nonacademic education that school has provided me. There is so much more to life than just books and learning, and it’s during high school that I’ve gotten a window into this larger world.
I’ve heard many times that high school is the time to start figuring out who you are. What kind of people you like, who you want to date, the emphasis of school versus sports versus the hundreds of other opportunities. It all adds up and can make a mess out of your schedule.
But it’s during high school that I’ve started to sort it all out. Comparing my schedule and friends of freshman year to that of my senior year it is amazing. Freshman year I had so many things on my plate that every night I’d basically collapse from sheer exhaustion. Now, I fence and I go to the Lord’s pantry. My friends have changed as well, I no longer hang out with people from middle school really. We’ve just grown in different directions. Now my friends are all from high school and form a base that I know won’t evaporate like my friends from middle school because I’m much more sure of myself that I ever was in middle school. Even though I will still change during college, who I am is more certain than ever before.
The education that I’ve received in high school might not all be academic, but that part might be even more important than the actual schooling. I’m more confident and sure of myself. I know better now who I am.
I’ve heard many times that high school is the time to start figuring out who you are. What kind of people you like, who you want to date, the emphasis of school versus sports versus the hundreds of other opportunities. It all adds up and can make a mess out of your schedule.
But it’s during high school that I’ve started to sort it all out. Comparing my schedule and friends of freshman year to that of my senior year it is amazing. Freshman year I had so many things on my plate that every night I’d basically collapse from sheer exhaustion. Now, I fence and I go to the Lord’s pantry. My friends have changed as well, I no longer hang out with people from middle school really. We’ve just grown in different directions. Now my friends are all from high school and form a base that I know won’t evaporate like my friends from middle school because I’m much more sure of myself that I ever was in middle school. Even though I will still change during college, who I am is more certain than ever before.
The education that I’ve received in high school might not all be academic, but that part might be even more important than the actual schooling. I’m more confident and sure of myself. I know better now who I am.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Projects day 2
Today’s most interesting ad was the one about the pregnant woman drinking the non-alcoholic beer. I thought that this ad was one of the most creative ads all day and definitely brought my attention to the product that the ad was selling.
In modern society it is almost a rule that pregnant women shouldn’t drink. Alcohol consumption during a pregnancy can do terrible things to the baby, and any woman seen drinking during that nine months is scorned for putting her child in jeopardy.
Then to see a very pregnant woman holding a glass of beer automatically draws you attention. You can’t really move past the ad until you have figured out why this event is taking place. Its then that you see that its non-alcoholic beer and you can go Whew and move on.
The way that the ad draws in your attention and forces you to figure out the product that’s being advertised is pure genius and gives and amazing example of rhetoric used in the real world.
In modern society it is almost a rule that pregnant women shouldn’t drink. Alcohol consumption during a pregnancy can do terrible things to the baby, and any woman seen drinking during that nine months is scorned for putting her child in jeopardy.
Then to see a very pregnant woman holding a glass of beer automatically draws you attention. You can’t really move past the ad until you have figured out why this event is taking place. Its then that you see that its non-alcoholic beer and you can go Whew and move on.
The way that the ad draws in your attention and forces you to figure out the product that’s being advertised is pure genius and gives and amazing example of rhetoric used in the real world.
Response to projects 1
Of all the ads that I saw today, I think that the most thought-provoking one I saw was Christina’s ad about lines. Ha-ha not really. Really, the best ad that I saw was the picture of the Village of West Clay. I’ve always kind of seen that place as a creepy stepford wives sort of place, but I’ve never really looked at it for rhetorical value.
The comment that it is trying to reach back to an older way of life seems very true. The town center complete with open green and town hall shows that the village is trying to be like one of the old colonial villages out there in Massachusetts.
However, I think that their effort comes off as heavy-handed. Instead of harkening back to the good old days of America, it seems like this community is saying to the rest of the world we’re better than you and we don’t need to even leave the confines of our wonderful world to be happy.
The comment that it is trying to reach back to an older way of life seems very true. The town center complete with open green and town hall shows that the village is trying to be like one of the old colonial villages out there in Massachusetts.
However, I think that their effort comes off as heavy-handed. Instead of harkening back to the good old days of America, it seems like this community is saying to the rest of the world we’re better than you and we don’t need to even leave the confines of our wonderful world to be happy.
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