On Being The Target Of Discrimination By Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison narrates the portions of his earliest days in the semi-autobiography â€Å"On Being the Target of Discrimination†, where he recalls the effects of racism had on his life. Though his chronological writing, he uses the timeline of his childhood as personal evidence of the effects of racism in the upbringing of an African American child in a Post-Reconstruction Era America. A creative narrative written in second-person, all his arguments are supported primarily through anecdotal examples that inspire emotions instead of statistics or other hard proofs. His work has two central arguments: discrimination is an institute supported by the actions of adults, and the best solution to the issue of discrimination is with laughter and†¦show more content†¦The route the children are designated to take, in addition, is specified in the writing to inspire in the audience fear. The segregated school for Black students is located within a mass of railroad tracks, warehou ses, and red-light districts, all notably dangerous locations for children to be in. By specifically mentioning that Ellison had â€Å"forbidden words† added to his vocabulary, he implies that he had interacted with the many unsavory individuals in the area to the extent of learning immoral materials or skills (Ellison 4433). This emotional appeal enforces the idea that impressionable children are innocent and that their actions were forced upon them by the adults in control. It also appeals to the parental instinct to protect children and preserve their future. By being forced to maintain continuous exposure to dangerous environments and professions of ambiguous morality, the Black children are victims of tarnishing and possible injury by the White authority purposefully segregating the children to hazardous areas. The strategy in specifying the unfortunate circumstances the African American children are facing is for causing the White adults to appear as villains who impose professionals of socially denigrated on innocent children. In contrast, Ellison, despite not doing anything particularly virtuous, is designated the ‘hero’ to be cheered for along with all his associates and peers, who are also victims. The White villains are not the only adultsShow MoreRelatedRalph Ellison Racism1601 Words   |  7 Pagesmay be distorted or narrowed due to bias. Ralph Ellison narrates the portions of his earliest days in the semi-autobiography â€Å"On Being the Target of Discrimination†, where he recalls the effects of racism had on his life as an African American child in a Post-Reconstruction Era environment. A narrative story written in second-person, his arguments are primarily supported by anecdotal examples rather than statistics and other hard proofs. Nonetheless, Ellison effectively argues his position and perspectivesRead MoreBattle Royal, And The Planon By Ralph Ellisons The Lesson2010 Words   |  9 PagesThroughout the stories, â€Å"Battle Royal,† written by Ralph Ellison, â€Å"Of Mr. Booker T. Washington,† written by W.E.B. Du Bois, and â€Å"The Lesson† by Toni Cade Bambina, readers are introduced to two different protagonists who both happen to share a common feeling which includes a sense of invisibility. There are many factors which allow the characters within these stories to feel this way. The first factor is due to the profanity, along with the rude and cruel actions displayed throughout the stories whichRead MoreSystematic Blind Man s Bluff : Identity Through Vision2109 Words   |  9 Pages Systematic Blind Man’s Bluff: Identity through Vision in The Invisible Man and Their Eyes Were Watching God In present day American society, African-Americans’ skin color makes them into targets -- of violence, prejudice, stereotyping, and potentially of victimization. Police are trained to racially profile in their work, and the byproduct of this has been devastating; in 2015 alone the police killed about 102 unarmed black people. These happenings have sparked national outcry over institutionalizedRead MoreThe American Of African Americans1433 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction African Americans were once a target of slavery in the United States. Slavery was abolished with the creation of the 13th Amendment, but after that, came segregation among white people and African Americans. African Americans had to suffer from Jim Crow laws that prevented them from being treated the same as white people. Jim Crow laws lasted for about 80 years until all were abolished. Despite all the difficulties African Americans had to face in the past, African Americans had a hugeRead More Zora Neale Hurston and Racial Equality Essay1284 Words   |  6 Pagessaw Richard Wrights Native Son as evidence of blacks inferiority and savagery. Only intellectual, open-minded whites will get it. However, this is not the group that needs their perception altered. Maybe people between these two groups are the target. These individuals will still either understand or not, so there seems to be negligible benefit from this approach.    Does Hurston owe her race anything? When does anyone owe anything? Parents owe it to their children to raise them well;Read MoreAn Analysis of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn3099 Words   |  12 Pagesvery coarse type. He regards it as the veriest trash. The librarian and the other members of the committee entertain similar views, characterizing it as rough, coarse and inelegant, dealing with a series of experiences not elevating, the whole book being more suited to the slums than to intelligent, respectable people. The biggest historical moment in the life of Huckleberry Finns reception came in 1957 when New York Board of Education decided to remove it from City schools syllabus and declared

The Salem Witch Trials And Mccarthyism - 1327 Words

Throughout the history of family, characteristics begin to repeat sometimes skipping a generation or two. The fact that in one family traits continue to repeat constantly shows how a connected group will always have a repetition of a certain pattern—naturally the world has order so why wouldn’t the history of our world? The history of our world does have a pattern even though it is not always of positive events, simply because human tend to copy what they learn. Humans have done this forever because even as a baby you learn to speak by copying what you hear therefore history is a never-ending cycle of alike events but that doesn’t keep us from moving forward. In addition, when something negative is repeated it actually set us back from move onward with our future. Although, many teenagers feel that history no longer matters because it is in the past, the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism are prime examples of how history constantly repeats itself and influence h ow we live today for the reason that both historic eras consist of the following: they have similar history, connect in significant ways, and include comparable situations and themes that are evident today effecting us on a daily bases whether or not we realize. Salem, Massachusetts was the home of a theocracy government system meaning God was the leader of their society (â€Å"The Crucible† 19), which explains why they felt witchcraft was a threat to their lifestyles because that was considered as a demonic activity.Show MoreRelatedThe Salem Witch Trials And Mccarthyism782 Words   |  4 Pagesoccurrence. We saw it during the Salem Witch Trials, the Red Scare and more recently, in the situation of the Guantanamo Bay prison. Although the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism are differed in the fact that one was based on religion and the other was politically based, both events had striking similarities. In both events, innocent people were accused and mass hysteria was generated through public trials. As I previously mentioned, the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism were quite similar. For oneRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials And Mccarthyism1275 Words   |  6 Pagesthat history no longer matters because it is in the past, the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism are prime examples of how history constantly repeats itself and influence how we live today for the reason that both historic eras consist of the following: they have similar histories, connect in significant ways, and include comparable situations and themes that are evident today affecting us on a daily basis whether or not we realize. Salem, Massachusetts was the home of a theocratic government systemRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism666 Words   |  3 Pagesthe Salem witch trials and red scare, are often overlooked. These events symbolize times of despair, weakness, and slander, to which the essence of the events is nearly identical. The Salem witch trials can be closely compared to McCarthyism and the red scare, based on the similarities of suspicion, accusation, and prosecution. Despite the difference of roughly two hundred and sixty years, the outcome of such uprisings has remained unchanged. The morals discovered during the Salem witch trials failedRead MoreMccarthyism And The Salem Witch Trials1360 Words   |  6 Pages2015 McCarthyism Our job as Americans and as Republicans is to dislodge the traitors from every place where they ve been sent to do their traitorous work.(McCarthy, Joseph R.) McCarthyism is when people make accusations of treason without evidence, and take advantage of some extreme fear in order to send people they don’t like to jail or to death. Though wrong, it was used many times throughout history. I intend to explain how McCarthyism is comparable to what happened in the Salem Witch TrialsRead MoreMccarthyism : Salem Witch Trials1246 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the Salem witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts and McCarthyism all across America many of the traits were historically similar and based on little or no evidence. When looking back on witchcraft in the 1600s and McCarthyism in the 1940s and 50s life at the time had many influences and many things parallel; both were caused by fear and paranoia and resulted in destruction. The witch trials in Salem and the hearings all across America about McCarthyism were influenced by daily activities andRead MoreMccarthyism And The Salem Witch Trials1195 Words   |  5 PagesMcCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence (â€Å"McCarthyism†). The Salem Witch Trials was when more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were killed because of these accusations (Brooks). During the Red Scare like there are accusations of people committing treason during the Red Scare. In The Crucible people are accused of being witches during the Salem Witch trials. There are many similarities and differencesRead MoreSalem Witch Trials And Mccarthyism Are Similar Essay1230 Words   |  5 PagesOctober 18, 2016 How Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism are Similar In this process essay the reader will learn how the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism are similar. Both situations ended up taking on a mob mentality. The Salem Witch Trials started in 1690s when the Trials began, and by the end, over 200 people were accused of witchcraft. The people had a strong belief of the devil and were very religious. The outside threats that were surrounding the people of Salem had created a fear andRead MoreMccarthyism And Salem Witch Trials Essay1127 Words   |  5 PagesMcCarthyism and The Salem Witch Trials In Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible† it tells the tale of the Salem Witch Trials. At the time of the play, the McCarthy trials, named after Sen. Joseph McCarthy, were underway. Though, instead of hunting for witches, they were hunting for communists. These two trials may have happened at different points in history, but were in many ways the same. Whether it was death to job loss a lot of lives were changed on account of these trials. â€Å"The Crucible† and the McCarthyRead MoreThe Salem Witch Trials And Mccarthyism1353 Words   |  6 Pages†-George Santayana. The Salem Witch Trials show a lot about how this world’s beliefs grew and developed in early America and Europe. Much of the prosecution of witches started because of the Roman Catholic Church; they created the belief of witches that led to the Salem Witch Trials. The Trials in Salem were a time when the people were scared of magic and what it could do, that led to the deaths of multiple people. The McCarthy Trials also show a resemblance to the witch trials in Salem as the idea of whatRead MoreSalem Witch Trial vs Mccarthyism1208 Words   |  5 PagesA review of A Fever in Salem: A New Interpretation of the New England Witch Trials, by Laurie Winn Carlson, Ivan R. Dee, Chicago, 2000; 224 pp. $14.95 Paperback. ISBN: 1-566633095 A FEVER IN SALEM POSITS A biological cause for the early modem witchcraft epidemic, which resulted in the hanging of 19 people in Salem, MA, in 1692. Witchcraft persecution, Laurie Carlson writes, arose because of the strange behavior of the supposedly bewitched accusers. She concludes that the cause was a disease unrecognizable

Essay on Africa - 515 Words

Europe tried to take many countries, Africa being one of them. The European countries had an effect on Africa today throughout all the primes. Europe had an effect on the African way of life, that in some ways were good, and in some ways bad. Imperialism is defined as the extension or rule or influence by one government, nation, or society over the political, economic, or cultural life of another. European nations decided they wanted land in the mostly unexplored continent, and they took it, without the consent of the African people. Europe brought Christian ideas into Africa. Religion was changed from what it would have been to Christianity today. If you look at most of the countries in Africa such as Angola, Congo, Ghana or Zimbabwe†¦show more content†¦European Imperialist Policies made Africa lose history of their culture and brought racism to Africa. Europeans wanted to change Africans to be more like them, changing their religion, changing their life style and making them slaves. Slavery led to the loss of culture because after a while Africans began to think of themselves as lower class; since that’s what they were treated like. The Westernized minority, influenced by European culture and Christiani ty, first rejected African traditional culture. Slavery lead to people hating Africa, Africans and the African culture. Which leads to the Africa culture and traditions being diminished. Why would anyone want to practice a certain religion or traditions if they were labeled as wrong, or unethical. Traditionally, the majority of Africans have been farmers and herders who raised crops and livestock. When Europeans started colonizing they demanded agricultural and mineral products. Safer technology and ways of farming were learned and brought to Africa. European technology and crops were introduced and a modern exchange economy started. The technology was starting to grow, there were new machines and easier ways to do things Africans never thought of. Africa today has changed a lot from European countries and the imperialist policies. The Europeans tore into the African continent and succeeded in destroying the African way of life. Thousands of people wereShow MoreRelatedRelationship Between Africa And Africa987 Words   |  4 PagesAfrica could have developed trade relations with any other country but why with Europe? During the fifteenth (15th) century Africa developed a very unique relationship with Europe ¹. Before Africa and Europe established their trade relationship, the African s economic status was way ahead of Europe s.1 It was said that â€Å"The West African empire of Mali was larger than Western Europe and reputed to be one of the richest and most powerful states in the world.†2 Africa was known for its gold, whichRead MoreMultilateral Relations Between Africa And Africa1407 Words   |  6 Pages Introduction Africa, once regarded as ‘good for nothing but exploitation’, however, the block has gradually gained modest relations, and aspiring to cultivate a multifaceted partnership with major global political players in all directions from Left-Right, East–West, North-South, and South-South. The two major partners forged their own cooperation are Peoples Republic of China and United States of America and the partnerships they created are known as Sino - Africa relations named ‘Forum on China-AfricaRead MoreScramble for Africa835 Words   |  4 PagesEuropean powers were involved in Africa since the mid-1500s but had restricted their area of influence to only the coastal regions of Western Africa, where powers such as Great Britain established hubs for their highly profitable slave trade (David). Over a period of nearly three hundred years, European ships had transported more than 11 million people from Africa to different areas of the world, including America afte r the slave trade was abolished in Europe, and sold them into slavery (David)Read MoreThe Scramble for Africa1154 Words   |  5 Pages What was the Scramble for Africa? The Scramble for Africa was a period of time where major European countries fought over and colonized land in Africa, stretching from South Africa to Egypt. The scramble for Africa began shortly after the slave trade, and ended at WW1, and is a strong representation of the ‘New Imperialism’. The first country to act was Belgium, who colonized Congo at 1885, but soon, other countries such as Portugal and Great Britain joined in in order to not miss out. FirstlyRead MoreHunger in Africa905 Words   |  4 PagesSummative Task HUNGER IN AFRICA Christine Mande HEOR-02 Mr.Dragan January 18th 2013 Hunger is one of the most common problems in the world. It is such a dangerous thing. It kills more people in a year than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Many countries struggle with famine and they don’t have much help either. Countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Sudan are some of the countries that suffer from hunger more than others do. In Africa there are 60% of people whoRead MoreThe And Its Effects On Africa1550 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"In time, we shall be in a position to bestow on Africa the greatest possible gift - a more human face.†Ã¢â‚¬â€Steve Biko. The continent that the rest of the world looks down upon is struggling for a different reason than you may think. Though the white-washed, western world often believes Africa to be a land of inferior civilizations, inferior people, or inferior culture, all of these small civilizations that have spanned the continent for thousands of years cannot be blamed for any economic disadvantagesRead MoreThe Blessing Of Africa838 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"THE BLESSING OF AFRICA† God had deposited great wealth in Sub Saharan Africa and its lands holds the largest amount of the world’s wealth and treasures. Africa produces and export 60 percent of the world’s mineral resources, and supplies the largest amount of world’s precious stones. The nation of Africa is rich in metals, diamonds, gold, cobalt, beryllium, chromium, manganese, lithium, radium, oil, vanadium, metric tons, phosphate, copper, dolerite, granite, lead, bauxite, aluminum ore, QuartziteRead MoreColonization in Africa991 Words   |  4 PagesEuropean colonization effected Africa negatively, as it resulted in the continent being taken advantage of, people and resources exploited, and their economical standpoint being very low. By looking at Africa’s experience with the Berlin Conference and the effects it had, we can see how greatly the continent was negatively influenced. The Berlin Conference brought King Leopold II into Africa, but the world did not know that it would result in genocide of about 5,000 people in Sierra Leone. ContinuingRead MoreTransatlantic Trade Between Africa And Africa2039 Words   |  9 Pagestransatlantic slave trade occurred throughout the world and lasted well over four hundred years. Oversea trade between Africa a nd the Portuguese, along with other European kingdoms, formed, which began what is known as the transatlantic slave trade. Along with a variety of goods, copious amounts of slaves, roughly twenty-five million, were traded between the continents of Europe and Africa. Driving the trade were politics, economics, religion, business, and a desire for profit. Along with the majorityRead MorePoaching in Africa1243 Words   |  5 Pages Endangered animals all over Africa are on the verge of extinction due to human greed. It is very difficult to even fathom how many animals are lost each year to poaching. Animals are being stripped for their parts and left for dead. Poaching has completely exhausted animal populations in Africa, which damages the environment, and is affecting people all over the world both socially and through international relations. Poaching is a growing activity in Africa and it is dangerously depleting animal

Sense of Humor free essay sample

What is a Sense of Humor? Is it something we all need in life? Is it a bad thing to have it or a good thing? According to the dictionary and resources of online a Sense of Humor is the ability to perceive humor or appreciate a joke. Well I say that definition is vague, not enough proof to help what does it really means. I’m proving that there is more to explain what a sense of humor is. In my own definition I say that a sense of humor is being able to express the humorous, but there is more to that. The etymology of sense of humor that I found is the trend of particular mental experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement. The term develops from the humeral medicine of the ancient Greeks, which taught that the balance of fluids in the human body, known as humors control human health and emotion. We will write a custom essay sample on Sense of Humor or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Western humor theory begins with Plato, who attributed to Socrates (as a semi-historical dialogue character) in the Philebus the view that the essence of the ridiculous is ignorance in the weak, which are thus unable to react when mocked. The negation of sense of humor is taking something serious of joke, like sarcasm. Not smiling in a joke. Late to the punch line, explaining the joke and telling the joke. The process of a sense humor is to find your funny bone. This is the first step and probably one youve already got the answer to. There are various types of humor, from the witty humor of Mark Twain, to the physical humor of The Three Stooges, to the dark humor of George Carlin. Know the difference between being funny and having a sense of humor. Both are important, and its usually difficult to have one without the other—but its not impossible. You do need to have a sense of humor to be funny. Having a sense of humor means being able to laugh at or at least see the humor in lifes meaninglessness. You do not need to be funny to have a sense of humor. Understand background. What might be humorous, or even funny, could also be seen as clueless, or even tasteless, depending on the situation. If youve already got a sense of humor, you know what makes you laugh. If you dont have a sense of humor, you have a lot to learn! In either case, take in a funny movie or a YouTube clip on occasion. Comparing a sense humor has other cultures that have its own sense of humor. Compare of someone laughing and someone else smiling. They both obliviously get the joke because of a physical of a sense of humor is laughing and smiling. People of all ages and cultures respond to humor. The majority of people are able to experience humor, to be amused, to laugh or smile at something funny, and so they are considered to have a sense of humor. The imaginary person wanting a sense of humor would likely find the behavior persuaded by humor to be odd, strange, or even irrational. Though ultimately decided by personal taste, the amount to which a person will find something humorous depends upon a host of variables, including geographical location, culture, and maturity, level of education, intelligence and setting. For example, young children may favor joke, such as Punch and Judy puppet shows or cartoons such as Tom and Jerry. Sarcasm may rely more on understanding the target of the humor and therefore be likely to to appeal to more mature audiences. You can lose a sense of humor. Getting older may lose your sense of humor because responsibilities and adding stress. I have family members that have lost their sense of humor my brother and uncle. As they both would laugh at anything they both would hear on TV or online but now they wouldn’t have time to hear jokes as they grow and grow. So a sense of humor is abstract. In conclusion, sense of humor is express of humorous and ability to appreciate a joke. It is something we need in life, yes but it has to be developed. To me a sense of humor is a gift from God so we need it for our life. Sense of Humor free essay sample The person with a sense of humour attracts other people with a sense of humour and in trying to amuse his eager listeners, as people possessing a sense of humour usually do, he shows wit, intelligence, vitality and a zest for life. A sense of humour can also lift a person up from the troubles of everyday life. Any person with a sense of humour is able to laugh at himself and find something funny in the sticky situations he gets into. By laughing at mundane problems, such as accidentally dyeing an entire load of laundry pink or being chased round the block by someones poodle, he shows that he has, in a way, risen above these problems and, to quote Shakespeare who has a great sense of humour, he was born in a merry hour. A sense of humour also prevents people from taking life too seriously and, consequently, from worrying about everything that happens. We will write a custom essay sample on Sense of Humor or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Needless to say, a person who cannot laugh at lifes little ironies and there are a lot of ironies and worries will certainly not find life a barrel of chuckles. Once a person has lost his sense of humour, life can become drab. A sense of humour can also be educationally useful. It allows us to appreciate comedy not just slapstick and verbal humour, but also black humour and satire which usually have very serious messages to bring across about human nature. By laughing at black comedy or satire in plays, books or movies, we recognise particular traits in ourselves and in our newfound self- knowledge, we can change and correct our faults. A person who cannot find humour in the experience probably will not understand the message and, hence, is unable to edify himself. A negative aspect which comes to mind where a sense of humour is concerned is that a person might be tempted to take everything too lightly, and nothing seriously. A sense of humour is supposed to lighten the burden of life, not let it slip entirely off our shoulders. A sense of humour is not finding amusement in someone elses misfortunes. It is a human trait which is just the tiniest bit magical because it gives us the ability to laugh at ourselves and to make others laugh as well. A sense of humour is one of the most important traits a person can have. Without it, life loses its fascination and colour, one ceases to enjoy life, loses hope and plods steadily onwards to the grim prospect of a wooden box with his name on it. Nowadays, people have a lot of problems in many fields of life. When people have a stressful day, they may experience headaches or sleeping difficulties. Some people agree that a good sense of humor is one of the most important human qualities while other people have different opinion that a good sense of humor is important for life . I personally believe that a good sense of humor is one of the most important human qualities. As a proverb says, â€Å"Every why has a wherefore†; There are two reasons why a good sense of humor is important for life. . People who manage to overcome the being down in the dumps feeling are the ones who succeed. Moreover, who does not admire those who make others laughing out loud? If you can amuse your friends, they will always be delighted to spend their time with you which is a personal achievement. Secondly, communication with others will be a lot more fluent. You become more attractive to colleagues, friends and acquaintances. Not mentioning that one of the key moments in a love relationship is making your partner laughing.