...legendary disagreement between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. This intellectual debate sparked the interest of the Northerners as well as the racist whites that occupied the south. This debate was simply about how the blacks, who just gained freedom from slavery, should exist in America with the white majority. Even though Washington and DuBois stood on opposite sides of the fence they both agreed on one thing, that it was a time for a change in the treatment of African Americans. Booker T. Washington warned blacks that in order to earn the respect and equality from the white population, we must be prepared to start at the bottom. He meant starting at the bottom in jobs such as elementary teachers instead of college professors and manual laborers instead of CEO’s so we could earn the respect of whites. Washington knew that making strong demands wouldn’t get the black race anywhere, so becoming friends and earning the respect of whites seemed like a better option to him because it seemed to have better results. On the other hand, Washington recognized existing equally with whites wouldn’t be a simple task. Washington was often looked at as an “Uncle Tom” because of the things he did, such as advising blacks to remain in the South and to avoid politics and protest in favor of economic self-help and industrial education. W.E.B. DuBois was more popular among blacks compared to those views of Booker T. Washington. DuBois believed that America should give blacks what they...
Words: 559 - Pages: 3
...often receive violent opposition from violent minds” Albert Einstein This quote typifies the conditions in which both Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois were challenged with. Not only were they two exemplary examples of African American greatness, but they proved themselves to be two of the greatest leaders of the early twentieth century regardless of race. However, as Aristotle once said “people fear what they don’t understand, and hate what they can’t conquer” thus steps were taken to dismantle their “movements” at all costs. It was because of this the two were commonly pitted against each other in media outlets to create a rift in their collective following. Not that there was any truth to their “rivalry”, contrarily many times they admitted to seeking the same result for the black race. They were seen as rebels to society because of their hopes to replace the oppressed psyche of our race with one of self-efficacy and prosperity. They perpetuated the notions of equality, diligence, self betterment, unity and accountability to name just a few of the platforms they spoke on which so affected our race during their time. They arguably had the potential to rectify three hundred years of anguish and repression had they been able to follow their directives unimpeded, but now we’ll never know. Although both Washington and Dubois had very similar intentions for the black race, they came from entirely different backgrounds and thus had different views on society. Booker T...
Words: 2401 - Pages: 10
...of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois United States History 1828 - 1914 Instructor Stewart King Clackamas Community College February 7, 2012 Accommodation vs. Integration In March of 1895, Booker T. Washington delivered his now famous Atlanta Compromise Speech. In brief, Washington proposed that blacks accept segregation and focus on getting jobs rather than demanding equality. He also proposed that blacks concentrate on learning trades and how to work with their hands – not necessarily in becoming book smart. Perhaps even more central to his message, Washington argued that if blacks focused on equality they would never make it anywhere in society. In short, Washington’s policy was one of accommodation and not rocking the boat. (Washington) Washington was very clear about what he felt black intentions should be, stating that blacks should only be seeking opportunity – not for the right to integrate with white society. He wanted white society to see the good in all black people, and not as a threat to their way of life. Eight years later, W.E.B. offered a critique of Washington’s proposal. While DuBois respected Washington as a black leader, he felt that his policy of accommodation was holding back the black race. Contrary to Washington, DuBois felt that "the right to vote," "civic equality," and "the education of youth according to ability" were essential for African American progress. (DuBois) DuBois felt if blacks wanted change...
Words: 751 - Pages: 4
...Booker T. Washington “Up from Slavery” I detected a message in the first chapter of “Up from Slavery” other than the horrors of slavery, even though that message was painfully clear. The other message that I detected is that a shallow and indulgent existence deprives a person of developing rugged individualism, character and common sense. I felt this because of the sentences, “the black man got nearly as much out of slavery as the white man did. The hurtful influences of the institution were not by any means confined to the Negro.” “The slave system on our place, in a large measure, took the spirit of self-reliance and self-help out of the white people. My old master had many boys and girls, but not one, so far as I know, ever mastered a single trade or special line of productive industry.” The slaves seemed to possess a deeper sense of self and spirituality and realized that kindness toward other human beings and honor were more rewarding than material things. I was very surprised and awed by the fact that even though the slaves were provided with abhorrent living conditions and often endured immense cruelty at the hands of their masters, they still felt love and kindness towards them and they showed compassion towards the whites when they themselves fell upon hard times. One passage that confirms the importance of honor and the feeling of compassion is “In fear of “Yankee” invasions, the silverware and other valuables were taken from the “big house,” buried...
Words: 1142 - Pages: 5
...W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington could be considered the “twin towers” when it comes to black history in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although from different generations, their attention focused on the African-American struggle for political, social and economic equality. However, they sharply disagreed on strategies for black social and economic progress; to better understand their opposing philosophies, it is helpful to also consider their radically different backgrounds, which influenced their world-views. W.E.B. Du Bois was born in Massachusetts, three years after the end of the Civil War. His great-grandfather had fought in the American Revolution and his family had been part of the community for generations. Du Bois learned of his African roots from his grandmother, and was given a sense of destiny from his mother, who raised him after his father left home. Du Bois was a brilliant young man, working as a correspondent for New York newspapers while still in high school, and, with the help of influential members of his community, went to Fisk University in Nashville. His years at Fisk changed his life – there Du Bois met sons and daughters of former slaves, who embodied the cultural and spiritual tradition that Du Bois had glimpsed as a child. He also encountered the White South, and saw how they were destroying the achievements of Reconstruction. He saw the suffering of rural blacks when he taught school during the summers...
Words: 2076 - Pages: 9
...LIT 327 W.E.B DuBois’ Theory on the “Double Consciousness” & Conflict/Radical Marxist Theory as it applies to the Novel – A Lesson Before Dying DuBois’ theory on the “Double Consciousness” states, “After the Egyptian and Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world,--a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world. It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his twoness,--an American, a Negro; two warring souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder. The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife,--this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self.” This theory states that as a black man, one has no choice but to look at oneself through the eyes of others, “others” being the rich and powerful, the superior – white people. The way the rich and powerful sees you, as a black man, is the way society views you. A black man must always take into consideration the views and perception of the superior, rich and powerful in the American...
Words: 1462 - Pages: 6
...Insanity of Blanche Dubois The movie “A Streetcar Named Desire” contains many elements of insanity. The character that displays the most tragic insanity is Blanche Dubois. Blanche is from Laurel, Mississippi were she loses her home Belle Reve, after the death of her relatives. She then travels to her sister’s home where her actions lead her to insanity. She goes to her sister home as a fallen woman of society. She has a difficult time distinguishing between what is real and what is fantasy. Blanche Dubois is a complex individual who provokes strong reactions from other characters. The main factors are her lying, drinking and infatuations with men. Unfortunately, these actions drive her to the final breaking point and lead her to an insane asylum. Upon her arrival to Elysian Fields, Blanche is unimpressed with the surroundings. Here she hopes to escape her poor life and bad reputation. As she enters the apartment, she meets Eunice who leads her to her sister’s apartment. Stella and her husband Stanley arrive home, and Stella greets her sister warmly. She leads her sister to believe she is one who has never lived indignantly. Blanche is not there long before she begins to lie to her sister to make herself seem better. She leads her to believe she is there on a leave of absence from her job as a school teacher. However, the reality is that she was fired for having relations with a seventeen year old boy. Blanche also reveals that her family home, Belle Reve, has been lost...
Words: 918 - Pages: 4
...Blanche: A sympathetic Character she is Blanche in "A Streetcar Named Desire" is a character that throughout the play stirs all type of emotions. It can be difficult when trying to figure out if someone is a sympathetic character or not. With that being said despite the flaws that Blanche possesses she is still a sympathetic character. This can be supported examining the play. The beginning of the play Blanche automatically generates sympathy, as she is portrayed as the Southern wealthy woman who has a problem speaking to a black person in a normal manner. She has lost the family home Belle Reve and all the family members have died. She has come to stay with her sister Stella and brother in law Stanley (Williams 2191). This quote generates much sympathy for the character that have watched everyone die alone. “BLANCHE: I, I, I took the blows in my face and my body! All of those deaths! The long parade to the graveyard! Father, mother! Margaret, that dreadful way! So big with it, it couldn't be put in a coffin! But had to be burned like rubbish! You just come home in time for the funerals, Stella. And funerals are pretty compared to deaths. Funerals are quiet, but deaths–not always( )” Blanche goes on a spree trying to turn Stella against Stanley throughout the play. During Scene 4 Blanche is desperate to turn them against each other. She says to Stella: "He acts like an animal, has an animal’s habits. Stella cruelly rejects Blanche, in favor of Stanley. Stella ignores Blanche...
Words: 828 - Pages: 4
...The intense desire for power is a feeling that many human beings may have. In Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, the theme of power is very evident throughout the play. Stanley Kowalski’s hunger for power has led him to violence. He is a man who takes pride in what he does and his role as the head of his household. His brutal and abusive attitude is one that readers are made aware of the moment he comes into the scene. In the first seen he is seen hurling raw meat to his wife showing his animalistic approach to life. All of his authority is put into question when Stella’s sister Blanche comes over for a stay. Always Stanley’s power upon others is served with a side of violence. In scene three we witness what happens when he feels that he is losing power. Stanley has been losing money from the poker playing and needs to save face with his buddies. He complains that that the women are talking too loudly, and then complains again when Blanche turns on the radio. He gets up and switches it off himself. Blanche, who obviously doesn’t see Stanley as a threat, turns it back on and begins to waltz with Mitch. Then Stanley who has been drinking takes the radio and hurls it out the window as a sign of superiority and putting his foot down. When Stella tells his friends to leave he chases her and beats her. Stanley has been losing money from the poker playing and needs to save face with his buddies....
Words: 265 - Pages: 2
...How does Williams present Blanche in scene 1? From the beginning of A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams, it is evident that Blanche will demonstrate a contrasting persona to that of the other female voices, ‘her appearance is incongruous to this setting. She is daintily dressed in a white suit.’ The introduction to Blanche through the stage directions makes it apparent to the reader that Blanche will not blend in with her new surroundings and will believe herself to be superior to that of her peers: ‘looking as if she were arriving at a summer tea or cocktail party in the garden district.’ The conventional techniques used by Tennessee Williams such as stage directions and language devices allow the audience, from the offset, to understand the contradictory and hysterical personality that Blanche will show throughout the play- with the implication that her lies will lead to not only a physical, but mental deterioration. The other women in Scene 1 appear to be of a confident nature who will converse with one another, no matter the race or hierarchical status. However, when we are first introduced to Blanche it appears she is reluctant to talk to people of a different race, or of women who seems more lower class than herself. The audience are made aware of this from the stage directions ‘wearily refers to the slip of paper’. The word ‘wearily’ connotes the idea that she has a lack of enthusiasm to partake in conversation as she, perhaps, perceives herself to be of a superior...
Words: 977 - Pages: 4
...Orlando Davies-Vannelli Tennessee Williams maintained that he couldn't write any story unless, "there is at least one character in it for whom I have a physical dewire." In the light of this comment, discuss the role of desire in the play. There are many moments in the play 'A Streetcar Named Desire' where Blanche DuBois and desire are inextricably linked. Indeed, she arrives in Elysian Fields after taking a streetcar named desire. One critic has said that the journey which Blanche takes to get to her sisters apartment on a streetcar named Desire and and then changing to a streetcar named Cemetries reflects her overall journey through life. For example, in her youth she rode on her desires and during as well as after the play takes place, she changes to a morbid route, described as "Cemetries". In some sense, her quest for desire was as short lived as her tram ride. Another moment where the idea of desire is evident is when Stanley tells Stella that "I (he) am the king around here, so don't forget it." which reflecs his desire to have power and control over everyone in his 'domain'. This is one moment in the play where Stanley's true controlling ideas are shown to the audience. Through Stanley, Williams presents us with the idea that he is one who has achieved his desrie of being unnapposed in his society. An example of this is at the end of the play where Stanley isn't held accountable for a crime he has committed (the rape of Blanche) and his life goes back to how it was...
Words: 786 - Pages: 4
...[Insert hook] In the Pulitzer Prize - winning play, A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams, the author uses many literary criticisms, such as feminism, marxism, and psychoanalytical, to enhance the importance of each character's actions in order to create a masterpiece that consumes you instantly. Feminism is the most prominent literary criticism within A Streetcar Named Desire. Patriarchy is seen repeatedly in almost all of the interactions Stanley has with his wife Stella and her sister Blanche. In scene two of the play Stella doesn’t want Blanche around when Stanley has his poker night so she tells Stanley, “I'm taking Blanche to Galatoire's for supper and then to a show, because it's your pok'r night.” (Williams 32) and he replies, “How about my supper, huh? I'm not going to no Galatoire's for supper!” (Williams 32) to her. This portrays feminism because Stella knows that Blanche would call the men out on their audacious actions so she is trying to keep Blanche from stepping out of line, in the case that she has no right to be in a mans business, by removing her from a “mans night.“ Another example of feminism within this quote is when Stanley replies to Stella with, “how about my supper, huh?”. Their relationship is based off of the “traditional marriage”; in which males hold dominance over their spouses, so he expects that everything is taken care for him before his wife does anything for herself. In scene three of the play Stanley is having a good time drinking...
Words: 1984 - Pages: 8
...The Belle of Amherst is a play about Emily Dickinson, who is played by Julie Harris. Emily Dickinson was one of America’s greatest poets. Sadly, she was unknown during her lifetime. The play depicts Emily Dickinson based upon her poems, letters and her diary entries. Although she was a shy loner, she wrote about life and the sadness and joys of the heart like she fully experienced it. Watching The Belle of Amherst enlightened me on what Emily Dickinson was going through in her time. I learned that she was a jokester, baker and she also deliberately secluded herself. She purposely secluded herself in order to dedicate her life completely to poetry. Anyone could see that she truly loved poetry and she saw everyone as a rare creation, just like...
Words: 410 - Pages: 2
... I wonder what the driving force is within Stella’s marriage to Stanley Kowalski. Stella Kowalski abandons her aristocratic upbringings to live in unholy matrimony with Stanley Kowalski in the slums of New Orleans. Perhaps Stella’s lack of independence from her pampered past is the driving force within her marriage because Stella cannot survive the real world without Stanley. On the other hand, Stella and Stanley’s marriage could simply be built on a foundation of sexual desire. Their sexual relationship with one another is the most important aspect of the Kowalski’s relationship. The fact that Stella has declared her attraction to Stanley’s sexual aggression and the knowledge that Stanley’s violent aggression undertones sexuality leads the readers to believe that the latter statement suits the Kowalski’s marriage best. Therefore, it can be reasoned that the driving force within Stella’s marriage to Stanley Kowlaski is not Stella’s dependence upon her husband, but rather Stella and Stanley’s carnal desire for one another. Evidence suggests Stella and Stanley’s marriage is centralized on sex through Tennessee William’s significant inclusion of symbolism. Tennessee Williams covertly integrated symbolism throughout Stella’s confession of Stanley’s actions on their wedding night. Within the evidence provided, Williams symbolizes the absence of innocence through the absence of light. Stella mentions Stanley’s violent behavior on their wedding night to Blanche: “Stanley’s always smashed...
Words: 826 - Pages: 4
...Miss Ida B. Wells is a short two-woman play, written by Endesha Ida Mae Holland about the life and times of the titular character, Ida B. Wells. Ida B. Wells was a civil rights activist and journalist who spent a good amount of her career fighting against the practice of lynching. The University of Louisville theater program put on a performance of this play. This paper will analyze the performance aspect of the play, as well as the interplay between the performances and the written script. I would like to break up my analysis of the show and its script into several discrete sections. Firstly, I will discuss the script and its set-up. Secondly, I will discuss the stylistic choices made by the UofL theater department. And lastly, I will discuss the interplay between these elements that is responsible for the final product. Miss Ida B Wells is a clearly post-modern piece of work. Written in 1983, it is a 1 act, two-woman play, in which both actress’s do not leave stage at any point. Described in the script as a “Dramatic Biography”, the meat of the play is mainly a discussion of the life of Miss Ida B Wells. As a result of this, the play doesn’t truly have any sort of plot or dramatic structure, and rather takes the form of Wells One and Wells Two taking turns asking questions about each other’s life, telling stories about their life, commenting on these stories, and occasionally telling jokes or acting out the described scenes. Wells Two also acts out other characters such as...
Words: 641 - Pages: 3
