Sunday, December 29, 2019

Just Walk on by Black Man in Public Space Essay example

Sanchez 1 Evelyn Sanchez Mrs. Smith English 3 20 February 2013 Just Walk on By: Black Man in Public Space Brent Staples, author of â€Å"Just Walk on By: Black Man in Public Space.† discusses when the white woman he comes across one day late at night was constantly turning back as if she feared him for the way he looked. Brent highlights racism that has occurred to him during the 1970s. This encounter happened in an impoverished part of Chicago; he describes himself as a â€Å"youngish black man--a broad six feet two inches with a beard and billowing hair, both hands shoved into the pockets of a bulky military jacket† as he was walking late at night he did not understand why this woman was acting strange as if she feared him, and she†¦show more content†¦Widener University that he attended on a scholarship and received a Doctrin in Psychology. A little after that he became a teacher for a while. Another racial encounter Brent faced was in the late 1970s and early 1980 when he worked as a journalist for a magazine in Chicag o, â€Å"One day, rushing into the office of a magazine I was writing for with a deadline story in hand, I was mistaken for a burglar.† He had to go near someone who can identify that he actually worked there. Another time he experienced racism was one day when he was killing time before an interview and walked into a jewelry store in the city, and the owner excused herself and came back with an enormous Doberman dog lashing towards him; he looked around and just nodded his head saying good night. Brent also explores another incident where a black man working for a newspaper nearby Waukegan, Illinois was working on a story about a murderer who was born there. The police mistaken him for the murderer and the reporter was dragged out his car by gun point. If it wasn’t for his press credentials the police would have probably tried to book him. â€Å"Such episodes are not uncommon. Black men trade tales like this all the time† says Brent. After being so often mistak en for a criminal Bent learned to be careful for how he approaches people and place, also if he is walking to the someplace as others in front ofShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Just Walk On By : A Black Man Ponders His Power To Alter Public Space1456 Words   |  6 Pagesbegan to know the unwieldy inheritance I’d come into – the ability to alter public space in ugly ways.† Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space, was written by Brent Staples. Staples was born in 1951 in Chester, Pennsylvania. He graduated Widener University with a B.A and the University of Chicago with a Ph.D. in psychology. Staples worked to correct the myth that the American stereotype of black people are defined only by poverty, violence, and crime. To white people,Read MoreBlack Men and Public Space841 Words   |  4 PagesBlack Men and Public Space Essay In Brent Staples’ personal essay â€Å"Black Men and Public Space†, he tells the readers what happen to a young black man in an urban setting. He pinpointed that people often stereotype you because of color, race, gender, culture or appearance. In addition, the author expresses to us that he notices the space between him and other people, such as women on the street. Some people may disagree that women set a certain amount of space when walking by a black man on theRead MoreJust Walk On By Brent Staples Analysis740 Words   |  3 Pagesmost public sidewalks, stores, and churches are open to all sorts of people, certain types of individuals are treated like outcasts because of their race. In â€Å"Just Walk On By,† Brent Staples explains how his presence makes others scared and uncomfortable because of the assumptions put on black men. Staples tries various tactics, such as whistling and walking faster, in order to deal the way others act towards him. Staples is nt the only one to experience the power of altering public spaces. At theRead MoreAnalysis Of Brent Staples s Black Men Of Public Spaces And Issa Rae The Struggle1237 Words   |  5 PagesStaples’s â€Å"Black Men in Public Spaces† and Issa Rae â€Å"The Struggle† Staple’s â€Å"Black Men in Public Spaces† and Rae’s â€Å"The Struggle† address misperceptions with ethnicity. Staples and Rae share similar circumstances making it easy to understand each viewpoint. Culture settings and gender define the authors’ differences. Both essays give the readers different perceptions of African Americans’ lives. Staples starts the essay writing about how his skin color has a negative change on the public perspectiveRead MoreYoung Black Male850 Words   |  4 PagesSummary of Black Men and Public Space Staples Brent in â€Å"Black Men and Public Space† described the difficulties that a young black male may encounter during his ordinary life. It is explained that, even if you are a well-educated citizen, but you are a black man—more than six feet height with a not shaved face—you could face unfair prejudice and judgment all the time in street. At the very beginning of the article Brent start with â€Å"My first victim was a woman—white, well-dressed, probably in herRead MoreEssay on Black Men and Public Spaces Critical Analysis998 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"Black Men and Public Spaces†, Brent Staples is in his early twenties and is faced with the menacing crime of being a black man in the 1970’s. As Staples likes to walk the streets at night due to his insomnia, every stranger that comes close enough to realize that he’s a tall black man lets their fear take control of them as they avoid him to the point of fleeing. To the eyes of people (mainly women) at night, he was no different from any other thug or criminal who prowls the street. Having movedRead MoreJust Walk On By Brent Staples Essay1357 Words   |  6 PagesIn his essay, Just Walk on By Brent Staples explains how throughout his life, it is hard being a black man without having others discriminate against him because he is a tall, black man who works as a journalist in a predominantly white field. In Ta-Nehisi Coates book Between the World and Me Coates is addressing his son about the truth of being black in a society that is inherently races and the constructed stereotypes on them by those in power. Both Coates and Staples agree on the fact thatRead MoreWomen s Unfair Fear By Gill Valentine Essay1483 Words   |  6 PagesWomen’s Unfair Fear Today, the news is filled with stories depicting rape and murder incidents of innocent females. These heinous events cause fear in the public. However, these terrifying scenarios have a far greater impact on women. This scary thought has far more effects on women. This mental agony and fear dictates their path and sense of direction. This indeed restricts the places, facilities and the time a woman travels in order to feel and be safe. This is explained in the article The geographyRead MoreAlter Public Space Essay example635 Words   |  3 PagesIn the essay â€Å"Black men and Public Space† by Brent Staples, he talks about how being a black man alters public space in a negative way. Altering public space is changing how a person, place, or thing makes you feel. It can be negative but it also can be positive. Some positive ways altering public space can be a friendly smile walking into a room, beautiful new constructions, and planting trees to better the environment. Most people go about their business, especially in a classroom. Some studentsRead MoreAnalysis Of Just Walk On By Brent Staples1653 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"It was in the echo of that terrified woman’s footfalls that I first began to know the unwieldy inheritance I’d come into – the ability to alter public space in ugly ways.† Just Walk On By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space, was written by Brent Staples. Staples was born in 1951 in Chester, Pennsylvania. He graduated Widener University with a B.A degree in behavioral science and the University of Chicago with a Ph.D. in psychology (History). To white people, specifically white women

Saturday, December 21, 2019

The Decay Of The American Dream - 816 Words

The Decay of the American Dream The novel, â€Å"The Great Gatsby†, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, features the decay of the American dream during the 1920s. It is a critique of human actions and hypocrisy, with the main character being Jay Gatsby, a rich man who pines for his lost love Daisy. During the 1920s, America suffered the great stock market crash, which led to the nation’s despair. Fitzgerald mirrors this event through Gatsby’s great loss. At that time, America was full of distinct social classes and traditions. Fitzgerald portrays this through distinguishing the characters by their wealth, where they live, and where they work. Fitzgerald presents in the novel two different cities with a diverse variety of wealthy people. East Egg possesses the â€Å"old money† type of people, who are the original high class. Conversely, the inhabitants of West Egg are the â€Å"Nouveau riche†, wealthy but have only become rich recently. Inhabitants of West Egg live there because they are not rich enough to live in East Egg. The novel unfolds through the eyes of Nick Carraway, the novel’s narrator, who came from a noble family. Nick said, â€Å"My family has been prominent, well-to-do people in this Middle Western city for three generations. The Caraways are something of a clan, and we have a tradition that we’re descended from the Dukes of Buccleuch† (Fitzgerald, 2). He seems to be a very genuine character. He tries to revive Gatsby’s and Daisy’s love, and he becomes a true friend of Jay Gatsby.Show MoreRelatedThe Decay of American Dream in The Great Gatsby1289 Words   |  6 PagesThe Decay of American Dream in The Great Gatsby The American Dream is a worldwide known idiom and it emphasizes an ideal of a successful and happy lifestyle which is oftentimes symbolized by the phrase â€Å"from rags-to-riches†. It originated out of the ideal of equality, freedom and opportunity that is held to every American. In the last couple of decades the main idea of the American Dream has shifted to becoming a dream in which materialistic values are of a higher importance and status. TheRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1443 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Dream has run out of gas. The car has stopped. It no longer supplies the world with its images, its dreams, its fantasies. No more. It s over. It supplies the world with its nightmares now - J. G. Ballard In the classic American novel, â€Å"The Great Gatsby,† the author, F. Scott Fitzgerald exposes the harsh realities of the American Dream and its effect on society during a chaotic time in our nation’s history. This tragic but beautiful story takes place during The Jazz Age, just afterRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald992 Words   |  4 Pagesin this a time of boundaryless death, and urban decimation. The Great Gatsby is modeled towards the death of the American dream during the 1920’s. Based on the happening of the 1920’s, this model is certainly reasonable. F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Great Gatsby use the motifs of materialism, carelessness, and decay seen in the 1920’s in order to show a decimation of the American Dream, and the human race. Throughout The Great Gatsby it is very easy to recognize how the time period affected theRead MoreSymbolism And Symbolism Of The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald993 Words   |  4 Pagestragic tale of the corruption and decay of the American dream in the 20s. Three powerful symbols employed by Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby area green-light, the valley ashes and the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg to represent dreams and their unattainability, moral decay and decay of life, and the eyes of god watching us. The green-light is a light at the end of Daisy Buchanan’s dock, the woman Gatsby loves and yearns for and is a symbol for unattainable dreams. Jay Gatsby is a wealthy eccentricRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1318 Words   |  6 Pagesas his dreams, for the future. Because many people strive to become rich in The Great Gatsby, the result is moral and social decay. The valley of ashes represents social and moral decay, and it also represents the predicament of poor because the poor live in the filthy ashes and lose their passion as a result from living in the ashes. Lastly, I believe the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, which are a pair of eyes painted on a billboard over the valley of ashes, represent God judging American societyRead MoreWhat Techniques Does Fitzgerald Use to Convey the Main Themes in the Great Gatsby1638 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great Gatsby â€Å"What techniques does Fitzgerald use to convey the central ideas of The Great Gatsby?† The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is primarily a social commentary on the state of American society during the post-war period of unprecedented affluence and prosperity. Fitzgerald depicts 1920’s America as an age of decline in traditional social and moral values; primarily evidenced by the cynicism, greed and the relentless yet empty pursuit of prosperity and pleasure that various charactersRead MoreF. Scott Fitzgerald s The Great Gatsby1408 Words   |  6 PagesMaxim Sivolella The Great Gatsby Essay Symbolism In The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby written in 1925 by American author F. Scott Fitzgerald follows a young man named Nick Carraway who has just moved to Long Island, New York. As the narrator of the novel, Nick recounts the summer he spent there in 1922 and the events that took place, especially his encounter with the young, rich, mysterious and extravagant Jay Gatsby. As Nick spends more time with Gatsby he learns that Gatsby has a romanticallyRead MoreWhat Is The Valley Of Ashes In The Great Gatsby1311 Words   |  6 Pagesof the characters. The Great Gatsby has an abundance of symbols throughout the entire text, including the Valley of Ashes representing the moral and social decay of society in the 1920s, the green light symbolizing Gatsby s desire to have Daisy as well as the eyes of Dr. T.J. Eckleberg representing God piercing down upon and judging the American society of this era. One reoccurring symbol in the The Great Gatsby was the Valley of Ashes, a dull, lifeless and dark place for dumping all the ashRead MoreThe Decay of a Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby1582 Words   |  7 PagesThe Decay of a Dream in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚   The central theme of The Great Gatsby is the decay of the American Dream. Through his incisive analysis   and condemnation   of 1920s high society, Fitzgerald (in the person of the novel ¹s narrator, Nick Carraway) argues that the American Dream no longer signifies the noble pursuit of progress; instead, it has become grossly materialistic and corrupt. Fitzgerald ¹s novel is structured as an allegory (a story that conceals another story): the terribleRead MoreThe American Dream is a recurrent theme in American literature, dating back to some of the earliest600 Words   |  3 PagesThe American Dream is a recurrent theme in American literature, dating back to some of the earliest colonial writings. Benjamin Franklin, who is considered to be the epitome of the self-made man once said, â€Å"The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself† (Franklin). Furthermore it is the belief that every man, w hatever his origins, may pursue and attain his chosen goals; whether they be political, financial or social. However, the

Friday, December 13, 2019

Who is responsible for the downfall of Macbeth and how far does he fit the role of a Tragic hero Free Essays

string(50) " be scared of Macduff, â€Å"Then live, Macduff\." In my essay I am going to be writing about who is responsible for the downfall of Macbeth and how far does he fit the role of a tragic hero. During the play we see how Macbeth’s attitude changes. For example, at the beginning of the play, when he meets the witches, it is the witches want to meet him, â€Å"There to meet with Macbeth,† When he first meets them he talks in mannered voice. We will write a custom essay sample on Who is responsible for the downfall of Macbeth and how far does he fit the role of a Tragic hero? or any similar topic only for you Order Now However after he becomes a king, he goes back to meet the witches and he is more demanding. In my opinion, there are many people responsible for Macbeth’s downfall, Lady Macbeth, the witches and Macbeth himself. I am going to be discussing how they individually responsible and how they contribute to his downfall. For the second part of my essay I have been asked to discuss how far he fits the role of a tragic hero. A tragic hero is the main character who at the beginning is good, brave and noble but who changes because of a fatal flaw. A fatal flaw is a kind of mistake that is very dangerous. It could lead to lots of people suffering. I think Macbeth does fit the role of a tragic hero. He was born of Noble blood. At the begging he is a brave man, known as a noble man, and would do anything for his country and his king. â€Å"For brave Macbeth, well he deserves that name,† This tells us that people at the beginning people thought that he was brave. However, at the end becomes bad and kills the king, his friend Banquo and Macduff’s family. The fatal flow of Macbeth is his ambition and desire. His ambition and desire made his country and himself suffer. â€Å"My way of life is fallen into the sere.† This shows that he has realized his mistake, which is another thing related to the title ‘tragic hero’. At the end the tragic hero realizes their mistake. In my essay I will be discussing who is responsible for his downfall which leads him to become a tragic hero. Macbeth was based in the 16th century. Supernatural belief during the 16th Century was a huge part of the resulting deaths of thousands of innocent people. Many years ago, people couldn’t find any evidence to what caused the natural things like lightning in the sky, rain, birth and death. Because of this, they believed that natural things were controlled by the witches. They believed that witches can do various things, for example, they can control the weather, they can predict the future, they could fly, they could swim and also mostly they were women. Some women were put in the witch test. They would drop somebody in the water and if they can swim, they were witch and they would be punished to death. If they can’t swim, they would drown and die. In my opinion, the first people who could be held responsible for Macbeth’s downfall are the witches. At first Macbeth was a noble and a loyal man who would never even think about killing his king. However, the witches gave him the idea of becoming king. They prophesied his future. The prophecies were: 1 WITCH: â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!† 2 WITCH: â€Å"All hail, Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!† 3 WITCH: â€Å"All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!† These prophecies were saying that he is the Thane of Glamis; he will become the Thane of Cawdor and would eventually become the king. At first Macbeth didn’t believe in them. However, as soon he found out that he was the Thane of Cawdor, â€Å"He bade me, from him, call thee Thane of Cawdor.† He started to think about the prophecies again. â€Å"This supernatural soliciting cannot be ill, cannot be good. If ill, why hath it given me earnest of success, Commencing in a truth? I am Thane of Cawdor. If good, why do I yield to that suggestion?† On the other hand, the witches never told him to kill the king. They never told him he had to do anything. He could become the king like he became the Thane of Cawdor. In my opinion, we cannot really say they are entirely responsible for his downfall. God gave free will so he could have chosen not to listen to the witches. I think Macbeth could have ignored the witches’ prophecies like Banquo. Banquo was also given prophecies. The prophecies for Banquo were: FIRST WITCH: â€Å"Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.† SECOND WITCH: â€Å"Not so happy, yet much happier.† THIRD WITCH: â€Å"Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none.† Macbeth went on to not only kill the king; he also killed his friend Banquo and Macduff’s family. He did this because he thought that Banquo’s children would become the king and that the witches had placed a â€Å"barren sceptre† in his hand. So he tried killing Banquo’s son but was failed to kill him. He wanted his children to become the king after him. Also the witches were involved in giving him the idea of killing Macduff’s family. After he became the king of Scotland, he went back to the witches to find out more. They gave him three more prophecies, these prophecies were given by the witches’ master, and they were: FIRST APPARITION: â€Å"Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff; Beware the Thane of Fife.† SECOND APPARITION: â€Å"Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man, for no one given birth to by a woman shall harm Macbeth.† THIRD APPARITION: â€Å"Be lion-mettled, proud, and take no care who chafes, who frets, or where conspirers are: Macbeth shall never vanquish’d be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.† After hearing these prophecies, Macbeth felt invincible. He thought everyone is born of women so why should he be scared of Macduff, â€Å"Then live, Macduff. You read "Who is responsible for the downfall of Macbeth and how far does he fit the role of a Tragic hero?" in category "Papers" What need I fear of thee?† He also, after hearing the third prophecy, said â€Å"That will never be. Who can impress the forest, bid the tree unfix his earth-bound root? Sweet bodements, good! Rebellion’s head, rise never, till the Wood of Birnam rise, and our high-placed Macbeth.† These prophecies led him to kill innocent people, the Macduff’s family. I also think that Lady Macbeth can also be held responsible for her husband’s downfall. The witches gave Macbeth the idea of becoming the king but Lady Macbeth persuaded him to kill Duncan. Lady Macbeth urged her husband to commit murder and it was this action that led to Macbeth’s downfall but she did not know that he would go on to kill again and again. Nevertheless, she was just responsible for the murder of King Duncan but after he decided to kill more people, like Banquo and even Macduff to hide his sins. After Lady Macbeth receives the letter about how one of the prophecies from the witches came true, she calls upon the evil spirits. â€Å"Fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty.† She knows that Macbeth is a good person and he would not kill Duncan, â€Å"Yet do I fear thy nature: it is too full o’ the milk of human kindness.† In Shakespeare’s time women weren’t treated equal as men. She would’ve have had more powers because if Macbeth becomes the King, then she can become the queen. Macbeth, on the other hand, does not like the idea at first of having to kill his king to take his position. He gives lots of reason to not to kill the king, â€Å"First as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed; then, as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, not bear the knife myself.† He also says that Duncan has been a good king. â€Å"†¦Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office, that his virtues will please like angels.† Lady Macbeth becomes aware of her husband’s weakness, and persuades him, allowing his ambitions get the better of him, and believed that it was her responsibility to guide Macbeth to being king. She accuses him of being coward and not a man. â€Å"And live a coward in thine own esteem,† here she says that is she living with a coward. Also she says what she would do if she promised something, â€Å"How tender ‘t is to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums, and dashed the brains out, had I sworn as you have done to this.† This shows that she would have done anything she promised, although she is a woman, so he should do as he has promised to be a man. Macbeth tries to make Lady Macbeth understand the possible consequences for killing the king. He always tries to back down, â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business: he hath honoured me of late; and I have bought golden opinions from all sorts of people,† but she is always calling him coward and says he is not a man. He is scared if somebody finds out. He is ready to take on the consequences of the hereafter but he is afraid of the consequences of this life. â€Å"But, in these cases, we still have judgement here,† this confirms that he knows he is going to get punished on earth, which he is scared of. The final thing that is responsible for Macbeth’s downfall is Macbeth’s ambition. Macbeth could not control his urges to be King. He followed his ambitions without regard to humanity or the affects his actions would have on the people around him. He carried on and listened to his wife and the witches. Macbeth had a choice but he picked the bad choice and chose to kill the king and then later decided himself to kill again and again. â€Å"I have done this deed.† Lady Macbeth only manipulated him to kill the king, but the decisions to kill and Banquo and the Macduff family were his own. He decided to kill these people listening to the prophecies of the witches. He killed Banquo, and tried to kill Banquo’s son, because he didn’t want Banquo’s children to be the king. He decided to kill Macduff because of the prophecies that were given by the witches the second time. Evidence that shows that he wanted to become the king is he wrote the letter to his wife. He wanted support from his wife. He should not have written the letter to his wife and not let her know about the prophecies. He chose to let her know and chose to let her persuade him to kill King Duncan. Writing the letter to his wife informing her about the witches and their prophecies shows that becoming king was initially in his mind. Macbeth was not weak but his ambitions made him morally weak. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth was described as a brave warrior who was loyal to his king. The king also liked him, â€Å"And, when he reads thy personal venture in the rebels’ fight, his wonders and his praises do contend,† but like any other person, he had his fatal flaw. His fatal flaw was he had ambitions â€Å"vaulting ambition†. In conclusion I think that it was the witches and Lady Macbeth who are responsible for the start of his downfall. If the witches had not given him the idea of becoming a king then he probably would not have thought about becoming the king. If Lady Macbeth had not influenced him, then he probably would have stopped. However, Macbeth did listen to the witches and Lady Macbeth. Then he is the one who is actually responsible for his downfall. He is the one made the final decision and he is the one who led him self into the role of tragic hero. He made himself suffer, â€Å"My way of life is fallen into the sere.† How to cite Who is responsible for the downfall of Macbeth and how far does he fit the role of a Tragic hero?, Papers