James had a very tough up and coming. His mom is a White jew while his dad was an African american. He didn't really know where he belonged or where he would fit in. A major scene in the book where his Identity is challenged and is forced to compare his mom to the others is when James’s mom went to pick him up at the bus stop. James asked his mom,” Why aren’t you like all the other moms?” He doesn't really understand why his mom looks very different from him. He always grew up with his embarrassing him. She would always ride a bike around in her predominantly Black neighborhood. This was her way to handle the death of James’ dad. She was always different and this leads to James not really finding a group to fit in. It makes his identity very different to embarrass because he didn't ever have a “normal household.” …show more content…
Things James did was more or less dropout of school, hanginout with bad kids, and smoking reefer. This is a physical representation of him trying to find a group to fit into and his trying to make an identity for himself. He didn't have to many options. “ I was finally the king in my house, the oldest kid with the power to boss and torture my younger siblings the way i'd been bose and tortured…” said James in Chapter 14. This is where he is shutting out and away from his family the way his mom did when his Father died. I can relate to James situation because i have been through this personally. I liked to shut out and not really talk a lot about it. Something i have done to really deal with it is doing sports and lifting. These to things help me really clear my
Another strong rhetoric device that was used in the story was emphasizing the “subject and audience” aspect of the Aristotelian Triangle. While writing this book, the author knew that most of his audience would not be people who know much about the ghetto. However, he still wanted to write a piece that would allow the readers to read the book and develop a strong understanding of what the it was like and be able to sway over to his side. He tried to make the subject as descriptive as he can to the audience to fulfill his purpose on educating the audience on the “other side of America”. He includes all aspects of the young boys’ lives: problems with the law, drug deals, deaths of close and loved ones, a bad school and education system, and the thought of knowing that nothing can be guaranteed where the two boys live. A description from a scene in the book shows one of the aspects of the young boys’ lives. When Lafayette (the younger, and more scholarly brother) saw that his brother, Pharoah (the misguided and troubled brother) did not get sentenced to juvenile hall, the book described the scene as “Lafayette was shocked when Pharoah walked into the room. One day they’re here and the next day they could be gone”. This scene covers one of the aspects of lives in the ghetto and how nothing is promised or granted to them unlike people in nicer parts of the country. Another topic covered in the book was about
He was offered a “Club cap” but James “gave it back” to his friend, Kris. They waited until Kris left the apartment building, then played a game of checkers. James had wanted to fit in with his friends in the “K-Bones” club but had realized that his brother was more important. He pushed his friend away to play games with Isaac. Furthermore, James has to “take care of” Isaac when his mother is at work. Even when he is trying to fit in with a devious club, he would still “hold Isaac’s hand” or even “carry him home”. James is a very nice and caring brother. This is logical because, that is what a good brother should look like. James must truly love Isaac as his brother, and admires his family more than his
As a boy, James questions his unique family and color through his confusion of race issues. Later in his life, as an adolescent, his racial perplexity results in James hiding from his emotions, relying only on the anger he felt against the world. It is only when James uncovers the past of his mother does he begin to understand the complexity of himself and form his own identity. As James matures, issues of race in his life become too apparent to ignore. His multiracial family provides no clear explanations on prejudices and racism, and when "[James] asked [Ruth] if she was white, she'd say, No. I'm light skinned and change the subject.
He doesn’t know if he even is himself. He wants is father like him, but he doesn’t want to be like him. His dad also loves hunting and “Being a man.” But James doesn’t want to kill animals and just wants to be loved. He wants to decide for himself who he wants to be as a person.
At the beginning, James doesn't allow others to sense any form of his weaknesses. He preferably let the world see him that he is tough and can take care of himself. The character of James makes me realize that we all have stories to tell about even if it is the war between you and your demons that you had encountered, may encounter or will encounter. I don't want others to see my weaknesses to make his/her own judgment about who I am. But somehow that opinions made you think about who are you in their perspective or point of
Both James and his mother Ruth struggled to find their cultural identities. Growing up Ruth hid her past from her children; as a result, James suffered struggling to stay afloat to find his identity. It was not until James became a young adult that his mother chose to paint the true picture of her rough past, helping James accept who he is and understand where he came from.
As James grew up he still kept a good relationship with his brothers and sisters. Since James is
When first starting to read this novel, the readers are immediately introduced to each of the characters: James, his mother, his father, his sister, both of their boy friends, and John, his coworker. It becomes clear that James does not like to socialize, and because of this, he does not easily open up to the people around him. Due to this reason, the book is mainly told through his thoughts. It is apparent that James only...
James’s initial words symbolize his provincial perspective and his inability to grasp reality. He is convinced, like many others, that
James through a Marxist lens, many noticeable aspects are acknowledged. For instance, a Marxist view of this novel unfolds the improper distribution of affluences. The deceptions used by the bourgeoisie to maintain their position of privilege is another observable aspect that is noticed through a Marxist lens. Lastly, it is proven that class determines the well being of an individual when examining The Children of Men through a Marxist theory. After analyzing this novel, it is learned that no matter how advance mankind moves forward in society, wealth is a key component to living a life in
We have learned our own individual personality can drive our sense of direction. The choices James made during his childhood where not his fought, he did not have the parental guidance during his developmental stage. Amazingly, he conquered all to obstacles to become successful.
Just think if James would not have been born in such a poor and terrible neighborhood, he may not have fight in him to have made it. And if he didn’t play sports as a child he might have got in trouble just because he was in such a terrible neighborhood, so sports kept his mind occupied and he didn’t get into too much trouble. James tried to help his neighborhood out by donating 1000 backpacks to the Akron and Cleveland areas (Contemporary C6). He knows how it is to live in a life like that, he wants to do everything to help, even though he really didn’t have anybody to help him. Even though the odds were against him he used that talent and went all the way.
Howland begins her analysis by looking at how James took an anecdote given to him one night at a dinner party and made the "tale purely American." To Howland, the very location of Washington Square stands for James' perception of "the stifling provincial life of America" in that it is "the object of Morris' aspirations; the prison of Catherine's confinement; the seat of the Doctor's power (sic)" (16). By confining the characters to the small world of Washington Square, says Howland, James created a "closed system" in which he could work his irony most effectively (5). She also notes how James changed the simple anecdote into an ironic contest of wills. He made the father the "heavy" rather than the fortune-hunter, and he made the father a scientist, a "scholarly doctor" so that he fit in with the American values of earning an income (or seeming to), and appreciating science (Howland 3).
James was an authoritarian parent. He was controlling, in-charge and no one questioned him. He would play the role of the doting father. When his children made mistakes, he made a point to criticize them. He often compared them to other kids that he felt were “more perfect.” When his often unspoken expectations were not met he would yell and scream striking fear into his entire family. “He’s not a warm, fuzzy kind of guy, and he’s not going to inspire feelings of intimacy. But when his system works, he can boast about one thing: His recruits tend to obey” (Dewar).
Throughout the story, James begins to pass his mother’s tests for being a man of the household. For example, James doesn’t show the pain of his toothache, trying to appear strong for his family. He’s also learning to hide his fear, which shows in the “bird event.” The biggest test of all perhaps is when James learns that dignity (“you’re not a bum, you’re a man”) is more important than the chill wind. The reader is left hoping with James that soon the sun may finally peak through the clouds in his life.