The Free Change the World History has continuously shown one thing, that the most successful people resist the desperation for acceptance, just to be considered, “normal”. The need for acceptance becomes a barrier to reaching personal freedom, happiness, and truth. Rather, it creates a barren wasteland, where your true identity cannot bloom, but withers, leaving a deceitful and false personality that remains on the surface. This only creates guilt, distress, and stress-- from hiding one’s real self in pursuit of approval. Yet, the people who learn to accept themselves and overlook others’ opinions end up finding peace and success. Rising above the misery of letting others pick out blemishes and pin on “perfections”, they find the bravery …show more content…
“Raymond's Run”, by Toni Cade Bambara embodies the theme of being yourself, shown in the main character, Squeaky. While dealing with her disabled brother, she must live with her mother’s expectations; cloaking her true self to be a “strawberry” or “fairy”, shunning the real, athletic side of herself. The poem, “Caged Bird”, shares a similar resemblance to “Raymond’s Run” for the themes they share. The poem demonstrates how the free bird dares to claim the sky, climb, and reach new heights, while the caged bird longs for freedom from discomfort and rage. Just like the poem, the “Raymond’s Run” protagonist Squeaky goes through a stage where she is forced to act like a girl, and do girly things, such as wearing dresses and white doll shoes. Soon, she learns to follow her calling and break through the shackles of gender identity. Squeaky learns to accept the way she is instead of succumbing to the gender stereotypes and feminine expectations set by her mother and the …show more content…
Similar to the bird in the poem, Squeaky is not afraid to show everyone who she is, despite the negative reaction from others. She has embraced who she is, and has learned to appreciate that, no longer acting the way others intend her to. Just like the free bird who is ready to take on anything, Squeaky is bold; not afraid to do what she wants regardless of what others say. Both texts emphasize working on self acceptance and defying others’ opinions, and doing what you want to do because you love it. This is seen in the story, as Squeaky learns to be who she pleases to be, no longer caving into her mother’s unrealistic notions. Rather, she wants to improve the things that make her herself, and not believe in things that are not true, as this quote illustrates: You’d think she’d be glad her daughter ain’t out there prancing around a Maypole getting the new clothes all dirty and sweaty and trying to act like a fairy or a flower or whatever you’re supposed to be when you should be trying to be yourself, whatever that is, which is, as far as I am concerned, a poor Black girl who really can't afford to buy shoes and a new dress you only wear once a lifetime cause it won’t fit next year. (p. 32, lines
Now that we all have this knowledge and have a language to deal with it visually, it’s the time to start dealing with some of the more playful things. We’ve accepted privilege, we’re conscious of all these major issues that the generation before us laid down. — Rashid Johnson
Bayou Farewell is an eye-opening book that spells out the trouble of the eroding wetlands of South Louisiana. Many Americans have no idea what is happening to the wetlands of Louisiana so this book teaches everything about it. I felt like this was a very educational and emotional book but it showed just how people are being affected by this horrific problem. Mike Tidwell did an amazing job writing this book; I learned so much from it.
Throughout a lifetime, one can run through many different personalities that transform constantly due to experience and growing maturity, whether he or she becomes the quiet, brooding type, or tries out being the wild, party maniac. Richard Yates examines acting and role-playing—recurring themes throughout the ages—in his fictional novel Revolutionary Road. Frank and April Wheeler, a young couple living miserably in suburbia, experience relationship difficulties as their desire to escape grows. Despite their search for something different, the couple’s lack of communication causes their planned move to Europe to fall through. Frank and April Wheeler play roles not only in their individual searches for identity, but also in their search for a healthy couple identity; however, the more the Wheelers hide behind their desired roles, the more they lose sense of their true selves as individuals and as a pair.
She compares herself to two different women on Grand Isle who are under the same conditions. By these comparisons, Edna becomes aware of her own individual identity separate from society. The first line foreshadows her relationship with society as the narrator describes, “A green and yellow parrot, which hung in a cage outside the door, kept repeating over and over: “Allez vous-en! Allez vous-en! Sapristi! That’s all right!” He could speak a little Spanish, and a language which nobody understood, unless it was the mocking-bird that hung on the other side of the door, whistling his fluty notes out upon the breeze with maddening persistence” (1). The image of a caged bird represents Edna as she cannot break free from her domesticated role in society. The bird cannot be understood by anyone which ultimately describes Edna later in the novel as she is alone in her awakening because people around her don’t realize how oppressing their society is. The mockingbird is the only one who understands the parrot, as Mademoiselle Reisz, who happens to be unmarried, understands Edna’s struggle. Mademoiselle Reiz is distant and reserved from society because she does not fulfil the domesticated role of a women. She lives alone without a husband or children while devoting her life to music. Edna struggles with being an artist as she sees how Mademoiselle Reisz’s independence from marriage and motherhood makes her a lonely outsider. However, it is her isolation from society that allows her to understand Edna. Edna recalls a strange conversation with Mademoiselle Reisz, “She put her arms around me and felt my shoulder blades, to see if my wings were strong, she said. 'The bird that would soar above the level plain of tradition and prejudice must have strong wings. It is a sad spectacle to see the weaklings bruised, exhausted, fluttering
Not fully but, somewhat she brings it a bit overboard and really shows why she wants to actually be this way, the term “black.”Many feminist, marxist and critical race theory play a big part inside the world of Birdie’s. The reader usually sees this through imagery since, the book is written by Birdie, and her past experiences. A example through this idea, is the fact of body shaming with Birdie’s mom. In the text it states; “Sometimes I would try to move my body to some Pat Benator Song, or a Rolling Stones classic, and kids would watch me and laugh nervously, saying ‘she must think she is a disco.’” (Senna 260) This makes the reader realize and show how Birdie has an exoticization for black culture even though she is a bit black, but nobody can tell. Taking away from black culture, and making it into more of a white culture, since this isn't more of a black culture type of song. She is just trying to live her life, but clearly she is trying to show off due to the fact that she is trying to hide her true jealousy. Furthermore, Birdie seems lost, she makes the reader feel like they are following her dreams, who can think that something like this can be real for a person. Something to represent this from the text is; “Before I ever saw myself, I saw my sister. When I was still too small for mirrors, I saw her as the
Furthermore, Maya Angelou’s poem, ‘Caged Bird,’ there is a heavy usage of imagery to contrast the lives of the free and caged bird. For example, the first stanza includes vivid details about how free and easygoing the free bird’s life is. The text includes, “A free bird leaps/ on the back of the wind/ and floats downstream…” “...and dips his wing/ in the orange sun rays/ and dares to claim the sky.” Evidently, this bird can openly travel through the wonders of the world, such as streams and beautiful skies; there seems to not be a care in the world. However, the reader gets a peek into the life of the caged bird, who has a multitude of challenges and sorrow. These circumstances are first shown in the second stanza, but there is a more intense picture in stanza five, “But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams/ his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream/ his wings are clipped and his feet are tied/ so he opens his throat to sing.” There is an obvious switch in mood that is projected from the author, as the caged bird has lost its dreams and had many obstacles preventing it from breaking
Ballad of Birmingham by Dudley Randall. In Ballad of Birmingham, Dudley Randall illustrates a conflict between a child who wishes to march for civil rights and a mother who wishes only to protect her child. Much of this poem is read as dialogue between a mother and a child, a style which gives it an intimate tone and provides insight to the feelings of the characters. Throughout the poem, the child is eager to go into Birmingham and march for freedom with the people there.
In Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King, King intertwines stories to create a satire that pokes fun at Indian culture compared to European culture. The book attempts to also poke fun at Judeo-Cristian beliefs by examining the creation story. King makes fun of the story of Adam and Eve. He pokes fun at western civilization and government. Although the book made me laugh some of the meanings behind kings writing puzzled me and made me question king's motives. The book is truly a puzzle that can be hard to decipher for most. I found the book to be challenging but entertaining and interesting.
Today, our culture demands us to be perfect, thin, powerful, successful, smart, extraordinary, but when people begin to try achieving them, we start labeling them as narcissists. The problem is that it is impossible for anyone to please everyone. Brown defines narcissism as simply a “fear of never feeling extraordinary enough to be noticed, to be lovable, to belong, or to cultivate a sense of purpose” (22). Before giving out labels, it is wise to practice asking ourselves questions to clear the intentions and reasons of someone’s behavior. For example, teenagers posting pictures of themselves online to gain some attention reveals that the culture has taught them that they are as lovable as the number of likes and comments they get on social media. Negative feedback roots into negative thinking about vulnerability and causes them to shut themselves down and never show their real selves again. Encouraging others to believe that they are perfect as themselves, will plant a positive attitude in them and push them to pursue their goals and visions to fulfill their dream of a happy
Similarly, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, which I first read the summer after I graduated high school, is a tale of oppression that translates into a deeply moving novel chronicling the ups and downs of a black family in the 1930’s and 1940’s. A myriad of historical and social issues are addressed, including race relations in the pre-civil rights south, segregated schools, sexual abuse, patriotism and religion. Autobiographical in nature, this tumultuous story centers around Marguerite Johnson, affectionately called "Maya", and her coast-to-coast life experiences. From the simple, backwards town of Stamps, Arkansas to the high-energy city life of San Francisco and St. Louis, Maya is assaulted by prejudice in almost every nook and cranny of society, until she finally learns to overcome her insecurities and be proud of who she is.
In the poem “Sympathy” the author explains why the caged bird sings, this is said many times through the poem. The caged bird attempts to get out of his cage, he doesn’t stop trying to escape. “I know why the caged bird beats his wing Till it’s blood is red on the cruel bars; For he must fly back to his perch and cling When he fain would
This is the core idea behind Amy Tan’s short story, “Fish Cheeks,” as she outlines the general idea of self-acceptance. The narrator, fourteen year old Tan, declares her love for her minister’s son, Robert, who unlike herself is “as white as Mary in the manger” (Tan 1). This crush is anything but healthy, primarily because Tan is reluctant to reveal her true self to him. This hesitance she portrays is strikingly recognizable in the teenagers of today’s world. Amy Tan 's story,
The faded voices of choir singers are muffled by a roaring explosion. The sounds from the crumbling building spread down the block. Worn-down bricks, knocked out from underneath each another. Shards of colored glass, shot into the air. Chucks of wood and rubbish litter the sidewalk. Thick smoke and fearful screams saturate the air. A mother’s worse nightmare.
Just about everyone has done something that someone else disapproves of. In fact, almost all of us have done something we ourselves have reservations or second thoughts about. Perhaps we’ve stolen something, or told a lie, or gossiped about another person in an especially nasty way. Maybe on occasion we’ve gotten drunk, of high, or driven too fast, or recklessly. Have we ever worn clothes that someone else thought was out of style, offensive, or ugly? Have we belched at the dinner table, or did we ever break pick our nose in public? Maybe we failed to show up for an important class or read a crucial assignment, or permitted our eyes to wonder onto a neighbor’s answers during an exam. Do we like a television program that someone else finds stupid and boring? Didn’t we once date someone our parents and friends didn’t like? Maybe our religious beliefs and practices don’t agree with those of some other members of our society; it could be that they would regard us as too religious or not religious enough. For some people we may be too liberal, too conservative, or too much of a loser. Does someone else consider us too short or tall, too plain of exotic, to thin or heavy, too dark or to light skinned? The number of possible ways that what we believe, or do or are, could be judged negatively by others is infinite.
Maya’s journey throughout the book is one of true strength and empowerment. She fought racism, even when she didn’t understand what it was. Discrimination strengthened her before she had graduated eighth grade. She turned hate into motivation and ambition. The racism and discrimination Maya faced throughout I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, affected her attitude, personality, and overall outlook on life in a positive way.