Powerlessness And Empowerment/Leadership In Welcome To Hell, By Eduardo R.

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“If I only knew then, what I know now” is a quote often said by your elders. That quote is very meaningful to the incarcerated men in Letters To My Younger Self. The men in this anthology of writings all have their regrets and wishes. Powerlessness and empowerment/leadership are themes that we can strongly connect with those entries of the inmates. Throughout this anthology, a few entries that I found most intriguing were The Lost Boy, , and A Dark Hearts whisper. In these entries, I found that from behavioral standpoint the environment the inmates were brought up in are what help exemplify the themes of powerlessness and empowerment/leadership. In A Dark Hearts Whisper, it exemplified was powerlessness and empowerment/leadership. Paul J.P. …show more content…

Eduardo 's childhood wasn 't so bad, but still had an influence on how he ended up in prison. We get to see the powerlessness and empowerment take place while he is in prison. Welcome To Hell is the title for a good reason. When Eduardo gets to prison any bit of power he thought he had; was now gone. “I was part of group mostly made up of young men barely out of high school we hairless and firm” (Eduardo 66). Eduardo using collective detail to convey the horrors of how young the inmates are. “You should expect to suffer even if you manage to follow the rules” (Eduardo 65). The lieutenant instills fear in the inmates by saying this. It makes them feel hopeless and Eduardo is now completely owned by this place. “Im gonna list your family, medical, and mental health history” (Eduardo 66-67). A physical description of Eduardo was put in to help bring the inmate to life. “I felt more naked at her interview than when I was in front of the stern-faced lieutenant” (Eduardo 68). This made Eduardo feel defeated, but she than asks Eduardo if he white or black. Eduardo responds, “black” (Eduardo 69). For the first time Eduardo began to feel empowered, he was able to be defiant. “My introduction into hell had worn down every muscle in my body. But in the blackness of night a Black man slept, victorious” (Eduardo 69). Eduardo little victory has gained him back a little bit of the life he used to have. In conclusion, Eduardo may be defeated by the prison, but the optimism he holds within himself will carry him a long

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