As Marguerite’s graduation approaches and passes, she begins to question herself and lose her self-confidence. In the end, though, she does a complete turn around and realizes that both she and her race are capable of more than what other people think. As the graduation comes closer, everyone begins to feel the anxiety and excitement of this special and important moment. This day is not only important to the graduates and parents, but to the community as a whole. The graduates are leaving the familiarity and safety of the schoolhouse and entering the real world in order to pursue careers, trades, and in rare cases, a further education. The parents experience a special moment for their child, signifying their transition from childhood to adulthood. …show more content…
Mr. Donleavy, the speaker at the graduation, enhances these changes. His appearance made him appear as if he thought he was better than everyone else and had somewhere better to be. His speech also affected Marguerite’s attitude. In his speech, he says the white students will receive better books and lab equipment while her school, the black school, was only going to receive better fields. He also only brags about athletes from the school, and nothing else. Both Marguerite and the audience knew what he meant: a black person was only able to thrive in sports and was not capable of excelling in academics. Once Donleavy finished his speech, not only had the audience’s attitude changed, but so had Marguerite’s. After Mr. Donleavy stopped talking, she instantly began to doubt herself and others. In fact, she didn’t even care about her name getting called for her diploma, and once she received it, she didn’t care enough to look out at her family, her biggest supporters. She no longer thought she could be what she once strove to be and began to hate her race and ethnicity as a whole. She began to think her and her classmates couldn’t be what they once aspired to be and realized that because they were black, they were destined to fail. This was especially true for the valedictorian because he was black and a male. She completely
To regard the importance of the bigger picture, he maintains parallel structure and utilizes the repetition of words in the body of the speech. “The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant life” occurs when one seizes the day—when one finds the joys in life by realizing “you are not special”. The pauses and short sentences also adds to the conversational aspect and pace of the commencement piece. To continue, he notes how in this moment of time, every single one of them is dressed “exactly the same” and their diplomas are “exactly the same”. The unification of these prospective seniors further augments the message of settling. McCullogh further critiques the phrases that defy logic. High school students have perceived that “good is no longer good enough, where a B is the new C”. The goal into doing one’s best has been shaped into doing the capabilities of another, in which McCullogh responds metaphorically to only focus on the betterment of the self: “climb [the mountain] so you can see the world, not so the world can see you”. All of these seniors have fallen into the preconceived mindset of superiority, unifying them together but it is their personal capabilities that distinguishes one from another, successes from failures. The support and inspiration he is aiming for is clearly portrayed in proposing to the students to, “[d]ream big. Work hard. Think for yourself”. He inspires them to experience life instead of accomplish
In the next few chapters she discusses how they were brought up to fear white people. The children in her family were always told that black people who resembled white people would live better in the world. Through her childhood she would learn that some of the benefits or being light in skin would be given to her.
...s appealing it is not without consequence. Clare, and those who choose to pass, are not free to embrace their whole identity and will always remain a threat to those they come in contact. Clare exemplified the archetypal character of the tragic mulatto, as she bought tragedy to her own life and all those she came in contact. Clare’s presence forced Irene to contend with feelings of internalized racism, and thus feelings of inferiority. Through diction, tone, and imagery Larsen makes it luminous to readers that "passing" may seem glamorous, however, the sacrifice one makes to do so is not without consequences for themselves and those they care about. Larsen does not allow her readers to perch on the belief that once a member of the dominate group ones life is not without pain and suffering. Every action, even those that seem to make life easier, have consequences.
Different social classes come with different perspectives and challenges, usually the belief is that higher society is much happier than those in the lower rank, but not including race into the education does not give all sides of that story. By evaluating parts in Cane by Jean Toomer, Quicksand and Passing by Nella Larsen, and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston story of class and race is being told. Color and classism have gone hand in hand for many years and evaluating the lives of characters that are considered the lowest of the low and yet made it up the totem pole brings up an important discussion. The conflicting ideas of race and class actually encourage racism and ruin the lives of characters in the black bourgeoisie.
Throughout life we go through many stepping stones, Maya Angelou's autobiographical essay "Graduation", was about more than just moving on to another grade. The unexpected events that occurred during the ceremony enabled her to graduate from the views of a child to the more experienced and sometimes disenchanting views of an adult. Upon reading the story there is an initial feeling of excitement and hope which was quickly tarnished with the abrupt awareness of human prejudices. The author vividly illustrates a rainbow of significant mood changes she undergoes throughout the story.
Morial had several roadblocks in life when it came to the pursuit of education. Her journey started at the Xavier University of Louisiana, there she completed two years of college before transferring to Boston University. During her duration at Boston University, she had the chance to experience something that she could not experience in the South, which was diversity because, in the South, Jim Crow prevented blacks from being in the same establishments like White Americans. In addition, at Boston University they were trying to implement more diversity so the Dean asked Morial to become a hall counselor and room with a white student to promote unity between races. The environment in Boston was a new experience that she wishes could be introduced in the South. Therefore, one summer she tries to take a chance by approaching the initiative of diversity at Universities in New Orleans. After, the ruling by the supreme court on the decision on the Brown vs Board of Education to integrate schools, Morial was encouraged by a young man, whom she will later marry to try and apply to take six credits in a summer session at Tulane University. She was able to register and take classes for a while until she was found to identity has colored she was later
The same consistent, expressive voice introduces Ms. Angelou's effective strategy of comparison and contrast. By comparing what the black schools don't have, such as 'lawn, nor hedges, nor tennis courts, nor climbing ivy,' reveals not only a clear illustration of what luxuries the white schools in the forties had but also how unjust the system was. The adults at the graduation focus on the differences that were previously left unspoken. The black principal's voice fades as he describes "the friendship of kindly people to those less fortunate then themselves" and the white commencement speaker implies that" the white kids would have a chance to become Galileo's.... and our boys would try to be Jesse Owenes..." The author's emotions vary from the first proclamation that "I was the person of the moment" to the agonizing thoughts that it "was awful to be a Negro and have no control over my life" to the moment of epiphany: "we are on top again."
She is a black woman grieving over the lost her mother and seems to try her best to alienate herself from her peers. Dina grew up being an honor student in a neighborhood that wasn’t the best. She got picked on for being smart and was abused by her father. All of these factors caused her to try to get away from the other students that came from good households and are white. Dina does not seem to know who she really is and that can be a big problem for anyone. Instead of exploring her new surroundings, she closes herself off. Going through new experiences, like starting college, can help someone discover who they are. Not having those experiences can be very damaging. While reading this story I was very surprised about how she decided to deal with her first year at an Ivy League University. It was very confusing on why she would alienate herself like she did, but I think that gives a reader an insight into what the main character is going through herself. She is confused and alone. When I was starting to talk to the people I never really talked to before, I started to realize that we had many things in common. If I wouldn’t have put myself in a new situation, I wouldn’t have learned anything. This story shows how it’s vital to try to get outside of your comfort zone and try to understand
Good evening parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and friends. I would like to thank you all for coming to this very special day. I know how proud you must be. As we have grown over the years, there are many stages we all have gone through. From learning our shapes and colors, to getting our first kiss in middle school, or how about explaining to our parents why we skipped school because the principal called home. As we remember these days, things that we've done will be with us forever. But this is only the start of our journey. The day has come where we say goodbye to the big yellow buses, assemblies, assigned seating, and attendance policies. Are you really gonna miss it? For some of us maybe not right away. But eventually we will so for us to be here it is not necessarily an achievement, but a privilege. All of us have been in school over half our lives. To graduate is one more step we've taken in our lives.
Through out life people go through so many hardships. Whether it be good or bad there is always something that comes out of the situation. One of the most exciting but yet scariest events would be graduation. For a lot of people, graduating from high school is a goal. It takes a lot of time and effort to achieve that goal. In the long run, it opens a lot of opportunities for people to succeed. Graduation is the end of high school, and the beginning to life.
This is shown in the song Graduation by Vitamin C. Graduation is about the change of leaving high school and moving on to adulthood. It shows the many questions young people have about leaving school, and uncertainty of the future. At the same time, it shows the constant of friendship that people can rely on, when many other things in their life are changing.
It is not until Celie is an adult that she finally feels content with her life and understands her capacity to be a completely autonomous woman. The concept of racial and gender equality has expanded greatly throughout the twentieth century, both in society and in literature. These changes influence Walker's writing, allowing her to create a novel that chronicles the development of a discriminated black woman. Her main character, Celie, progresses from oppression to self-sufficiency, thereby symbolizing the racial and gender advancements our country has achieved.
For the past 13 years of our education we have been on a journey - a journey full of experiences, challenges and accomplishments. We have made it through elementary, middle and high school. It hasn't always been what we expected and certainly not easy, but as we progressed down the road, we stretched ourselves to reach across barriers and found ourselves in new and expanding roles. We were given the opportunity to explore our interests and discover what really excites us. We have become more independent and complete individuals. Our growth and self-discovery has placed us here tonight.
Graduation was the most important day in my life. I waited for this amazing day for twelve years to reach my dream and move on to college. For most people, graduation is a memorable day. It is hard for me to forget it even after a hundred years. The day I woke up realizing it was my graduation day, I was smiling all day long knowing that I had made my family proud of me. I remember everything about my graduation day: my party, cake, dress, makeup, hair, cap and gown, and the gifts I got from family and friends.
Graduation: the last day that I would unwillingly set foot on the fields of Horizon High School. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest, and tried so hard to keep my feet moving one after the other in order to maintain my perfect stature. After the two hour wait of opening speeches, class songs, and the calling off of the five hundred plus names that were in front of me, it was finally my turn. As my row stood up and we walked towards the stage it had set in at last, this is it, I am done. My high school career ended on that night, but it didn’t close the book that is my life, it only started a new chapter, and with it came a whole slue of uncertainties.