...The plight of African-Americans in history is one that fascinates many people. The trials and tribulations that so many people experienced has created a beautiful landscape of stories that express themselves in poetry, music, literature, paintings and film. More than all of this, it has created a select group of people whom the public now celebrates as national heroes. These people in times of great sacrifice have stood up not only for the rights of their people but for the rights of all people who face oppression. The ideas that these men and women embody will stand the test of time and will always contribute to the idea of human freedom. Frederick Douglass, born a slave, died a saving grace, is a man whose contribution to the abolition of...
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...A Paine in My….Douglass? According to Frederick Douglass, a nineteenth-century northern slave, “Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground.” Thomas Paine, a rebellious eighteenth-century Englishman, finishes and furthermore expands this thought, saying that “those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” While both of these men grew up in separate worlds, miles and years apart, their idealisms and life missions are very much alike. This is evident through the investigation of Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. Frederick Douglass is the...
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...The women’s right movement is an ongoing campaign to abolish inequality between the sexes on a multitude of platforms. The movement has been a prevalent part of history around the world, with origins as early as the 1500s with literature sprinkled with the mention of women having mind, reason and a voice that is equal to that of a man. This fight for women to be placed on the same level as men has seen much struggle and oppression that is still prevalent in today’s world. However, the fight for women in today’s world is labeled as feminism, which quite literally means the social, political, and economic rights of the sexes. Rebecca Lewin depicts feminism as a “model for a social state – an ideal, or a desired standard of perfection not yet attained in the world”. Lewin expressed this in 1983, and still today’s society has failed to reach this goal. Feminism has transformed into the second “F” word, where society labels feminism as a harmful, extremist movement. The feminist movement has become synonymous with man – hating, bra – burning, lesbians who engage in radical protests to ultimately eliminate men from society and become a female dominated world. Which, is why this world needs a continued women’s rights movement to eradicate the ideology that fighting for the equality of women is obscene or unnatural. Feminism eventually inspired the term “Herstory”, which emerged in the 1960s, a very exciting time in American history full of social change. Herstory aims to look at history...
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...November 28, 2011 The Surmount of Oppression In the reading of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave the author, Frederick Douglass, gave many examples of the institution of slavery and the hardships that the slaves suffered. There were different types of hardships that slaves had to go through each day. Frederick Douglass explains many of his and those of others around him experiences within the institution of slavery. Many were physical but the ones that held on to a person were the emotional hardships. Douglass encountered many hardships not only that he had to get through, but that of others who were oppressed, and had to overcome that tribulation. An example of that is when Douglass witnessed his Aunt Hester being punished by Mr. Plummer who was the overseer. Douglass states “He made her get upon the stool, and tied her hands to the hook. She now stood fair for his infernal purpose. Her arms were stretched up at their full length, so that she stood upon the ends of her toes. He then said to her, ‘Now, you d----d b----h, I’ll learn you how to disobey my orders!’ and after rolling up his sleeves, he commenced to lay on the heavy cowskin, and soon the warm, red blood (amid heart-rending shrieks from her and horrid oaths from him) came dripping to the floor. I was so terrified and horror-stricken at the sight, that I hid myself in a closet, and dared not venture out till long after the bloody transaction was over” (Douglass 45-46). Hardships were very common...
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...The Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Regiment was the first all African American infantry group enlisted into combat during the Civil War. Before 1863 black men were not allowed to enlist in the United States military. Although after the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln granting African American men to join the Union forces thousands of black men came to the North ready of battle. The acceptance of black soldiers was very controversial, and caused many white northerners to question the capabilities of black soldiers. State governor John A. Andrew supported the idea of African American soldiers and appointed Robert Gould Shaw to lead the first official organised regiment of black soldiers. These men would later become a model for future black regiment and racial justice in the military. The Soldiers of the...
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...issues that perpetuated throughout the novel. Northup was able to explore the fundamental issue of the role of female slaves during the post-colonial period in America, specifically the sexual exploitation of female slaves. Northup’s persona towards the dire treatment of black female slaves is that of extreme animosity and disgust. His stance against female marginalisation was presented through the use of stylistic features; namely, the inherent employment of figurative language when discussing the notion discrimination of black female slaves. The construction of his persona against of such treatment is conspicuous in: “He ordered her to be strip of every article of clothing. Ropes were then brought and the naked girl was laid upon her face, her wrists and each feet tied firmly to a stake…Patsey exclaimed continually, struggling fruitlessly and the flesh quivering at every stroke…Poor Patsey prayed piteously for mercy… My heart revolted at the inhumane scene… shrank beneath the the lash when it bit out pieces of her flesh…” Epps’ dire treatment of Patsey within the memoir is a paradigm of the ubiquitous treatment of female slaves during the post-colonial era. In the eyes of the cruel slave masters, female slaves serve the purpose of being an object of lust and torture. Being the fastest cotton picker, Epps derogatory dubbed her as the ‘Queen of the Fields’, making her a perfect target for his sexual desire and Mistress Epps’ perpetual jealousy that is evident in ‘The mistress...
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...Chapter 9 The Market Revolution 51. Complaint of a Lowell Factory Worker 1. The female factory worker compared her conditions with those of slaves because she felt like they were being treated like slaves by not being allowed to speak for themselves. She felt that they were awed into silence by wealth and power and was under tyranny and cruel oppression 2. She doubt the sincerity of the Christian beliefs of the factory owners because they talk benevolence in the parlor, compel their help to labor for a mean and paltry pittance in the kitchen. They manifest great concern for souls of the heathen in distant lands and care for nobody else besides their own. 52. Immigrants Arriving in New York City 1. The tone the reporter adopted regarding the immigrants is hostile because of how he describes the immigrants and how they looked. He described them having degraded faces with many stamps of inferiority. 2. The aspirations the reporter thinks are uppermost in the immigrant’s minds is hope, freedom, and a chance to work, and food to the laboring man. 53. A Woman in the Westward Movement 1. Moving west altered tradition expectations of women’s roles by proving that they could endure rough conditions from moving west. They were left to be lonely and the burdens of pioneer life. 2. Mrs. Noble’s main complaints about her situation on the frontier was carrying her infants and not being able to sleep because of thinking about wild beasts. She...
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...Society: Through the View of Many People African-Americans, Whites, Asians, Indians, Chinese, Japanese, and etc…They are all classified as ethnicities, that are judged every day in some shape or form. From day one to now I’ve learned more through the class of “Black World Studies” taught by Professor Coates. Coates gave me the intelligent insight on how Africans-Americans were able to succeed through the tough times of learning even when they could die from learning how to read. It was a sacrifice the slaves had to do that the time. When I read more articles and watched more movies, it showed determination, courage, heart, and attitude. When reading, it switched to a period of slavery to a period of the Civil War. After that I came to an author named Jared Diamond that gave his view on the world of slavery. In the article “How Africa Became Black” by Jared Diamond he argues that diversity resulted from the geography of Africa. Africa is home to five major human groups, blacks, whites, African Pygmies, Khoisan, and Asians. Thirty percent of the world’s language is in Africa. But as the years goes on were losing about 2 per week. Soon as the world gets older there wouldn’t be any languages in Africa. As race continues to grow in Africa there will be different types of languages being made and the previous groups (ethnic groups of language) wouldn’t exist anymore. As said in paragraph 8 of “How Africa Became Black” races are stereotyping, from Black to White, to putting the Zulu...
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...Racism is a form of discrimination that has a variety of definitions, depending on which dictionary one reads. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, racism is a belief that all members of each racial group has characteristics or abilities specific to a particular race, especially to distinguish it as being either superior or inferior to another racial group or groups. The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines racism as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherited superiority of a particular racial group. Racism, as defined by Webster’s New American Dictionary , is “a belief that some races are by nature superior to others.” The Macquarie Dictionary defines racism as: "the belief that human races have distinctive characteristics which determine their respective cultures, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule or dominate others." The common thread between all of these definitions seem to be the idea of superiority versus inferiority when comparing whites and blacks, in particular. Because of this notion of whites feeling superior and blacks feeling inferior, segregation still seems to exist, especially in high schools and on college campuses. Racial segregation in public schools was the norm across America in the early 1950’s. Although all the schools were supposed to be equal, most black schools were far inferior to the white ones. Linda Brown...
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...easier to miss the sometimes surprising moments of humor, but look for them because they give a fuller sense of the man. It was because of my letters that I happened to stumble upon starting to acquire some kind of a homemade education. I became increasingly frustrated at not being able to express what I wanted to convey in letters that I wrote, especially those to Mr. Elijah Muhammad. In the street, I had been the most articulate hustler out there — I had commanded attention when I said something. But now, trying to write simple English, I not only wasn't articulate, I wasn't even functional. How would I sound writing in slang, the way I would say it, something such as "Look, daddy, let me pull your coat about a cat, Elijah Muhammad —" Many who today hear me somewhere in person, or on television, or...
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... | |指导教师 |Bracher Andy | |起讫日期 |2009年12月~2010年5月 | |设计地点 |第二教学楼 | Acknowledgements Many people gave me support and help in the process of writing the paper. I’d like first to give my grate to my dear teacher, Andy, who generously gave me his kindly help and instructions during the whole process of my paper-writing. Then I’d like to give my many thanks to my classmates who helped me a lot with my information collecting and paper-polishing. Most important of all, I want to give my thanks to my mother university and all the teachers in the English Department, who educated and cultivated me to be a qualified graduate in the future. Abstract When Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin in 1852, the novel was a huge success. It talked about the slavery which was a controversial issue at that time. Many critics made comments on this novel. With the passage of time, attitudes to the book changed considerably. The history of African American in US has always been considered as a bitter story. In recent years, their status...
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...African American Studies Final Question Answers M5Q1 NOTES: 1. Which of the following best describes Henry David Thoreau's response to Brown's raid? |1.|Thoreau praises Brown and seeks to defend his memory against those who viewed him as a murderer or insane man| |2.|Thoreau is horrified by the violent methods Brown used, arguing that violence will turn many Americans who oppose the extension of slavery against the abolitionists| |3.|Thoreau argues that Brown should not be put to death as this would cause sectional strife and lead to a civil war| |4.|Thoreau is one of many abolitionists who plea for Brown's life to be saved| 3 points Question 2 1. Which of the following best summarizes the letters John Brown wrote to his family while in prison? |1.|Brown is very hopeful that his wife and remaining children will come visit him| |2.|Brown calls upon his sons to continue his work. Although he speaks in very vague terms, it is clear that he hopes they will launch another slave uprising so that his death will not be in vain| |3.|Brown is upset at the fact that some of his children are ashamed to be sons and daughters of the man who planed the raid at Harper's Ferry| |4.|Brown does not write any letters to his family members while in prison, a fact John Earle makes plain in his introduction| |5.|Brown is upbeat and speaks in mostly religious terms about how there is no need to grieve for their father| Question 3 1. Which of the following is TRUE regarding John...
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... Feminism is not one unitary concept; it is instead diverse and multifaceted grouping of ideas and indeed, action. The basis of all strands of the concept may be stated as that it concerns itself with women’s inferior position in society sand with the discrimination encountered by women because of their sex. “Feminism is a doctrine suggesting that women are systematically disadvantaged in the modern society and advocating equal opportunities for men and women.”(The Penguin Dictionary of Sociology, second Ed). The term includes many loose like liberal feminism, Marxist and socialist feminism, radical feminism. Liberal feminists work for equal rights for women within the framework of the liberal state; they did not question the structure –economic or political-of the state but they demand the rights and privileges given by the state should be equally shared by man and women. Marxist and socialist feminists’ link gender inequality and women’s oppression to the capitalist system. Women suffer a double exploitation as women and as members of the working class. Radical feminists disregard all questions of political and economic dispensation to concentrate on the roots of the problem. The central root of the problem is the system of patriarchy which leads to all kinds of discrimination against and devaluation of women. Politico-economic questions are not the roots but only auxiliaries. The concept of gender is the real villain and has to be demolished. Lately, more groups like Psychoanalytical...
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...A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE SIGNET CLASSIC EDITION OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S ROMEO AND JULIET By ARTHEA J.S. REED, PH.D. S E R I E S W. GEIGER ELLIS, ED.D., E D I T O R S : UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, EMERITUS and ARTHEA J. S. REED, PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, RETIRED A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet 2 INTRODUCTION William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is an excellent introduction to Shakespearean drama; teenagers can relate to its plot, characters, and themes. The play’s action is easily understood, the character’s motives are clear, and many of the themes are as current today as they were in Shakespeare’s time. Therefore, it can be read on a variety of levels, allowing all students to enjoy it. Less able readers can experience the swash-buckling action and investigate the themes of parent-child conflict, sexuality, friendship, and suicide. Because of the play’s accessibility to teenagers, able readers can view the play from a more literary perspective, examining the themes of hostility ad its effect on the innocent, the use of deception and its consequences, and the effects of faulty decision making. They can study how the characters function within the drama and how Shakespeare uses language to develop plot, characters, and themes. The most able students can develop skills involved in literary criticism by delving into the play’s comic and tragic elements and its classically...
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...critical theory today critical theory today A Us e r - F r i e n d l y G u i d e S E C O N D E D I T I O N L O I S T Y S O N New York London Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square Milton Park, Abingdon Oxon OX14 4RN © 2006 by Lois Tyson Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Printed in the United States of America on acid‑free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number‑10: 0‑415‑97410‑0 (Softcover) 0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) International Standard Book Number‑13: 978‑0‑415‑97410‑3 (Softcover) 978‑0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data Tyson, Lois, 1950‑ Critical theory today : a user‑friendly guide / Lois Tyson.‑‑ 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0‑415‑97409‑7 (hb) ‑‑ ISBN 0‑415‑97410‑0 (pb) 1. Criticism...
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