The Context of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Civil Rights began with the ending of the American Civil war. In September of 1862 President Abraham Lincoln freed all slaves in the United States when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. “This action had little immediate effect, since it was impossible for the Federal government to implement it in those regions where it actually applied--namely the states in rebellion that were not under Federal control.”[1] This proclamation was far from a solution to the unequal treatment of African Americans. There were a set of laws called the Jim Crow laws that prevented African-Americans from having many of the pleasures of freedom. The term “Jim Crow” was coined in the 1830’s by a performer who impresonated a black man who danced and sang “Jump Jim Crow.”[2] Just before the Civil War, the term was synonymous with black, Negro and colored; “and by the end of the century acts of racial discrimination towards blacks were often referred to as Jim Crow laws and practices. Some states actually kept their slaves for another three years, until the 13th Ammendment was added to the United States constitution. Under this ammendment all states, even those still in rebellion, were declared free.[3]
Even though the slaves were freed, there was still prejudice against blacks across the country and largely in the southern states. No black person was given the right to vote, to stand on any jury during trial, to testify against a white man in court, to carry a weapon in public, or to work in any job they wished.[4] These were called the Black Codes and were put into place in 1865. Along with these codes were social injustices that were not set forth by law bu...
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...ghts Timeline: Milestone in the modern civil rights movement.” Infoplease, Information Please, Fact Monster, and the Information Please Almanac; 2000–2004 Pearson Education. http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html (29 Nov. 2004)
[9] http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
[10] http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
[11] “Southern Christian Leadership Conference.” Dr. Marin Luther King Papers Project: Encycolopedia. 2002. http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/about_king/encyclopedia/enc_SCLC.htm (03 Dec. 2004)
[12] “Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).” African American History. About, Inc. 2004. http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/sncc/a/sncc.htm (03 Dec. 2004)
[13] http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/sncc/a/sncc.htm
[14] http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcivilrights.htm
Lawson, Steven F., and Charles M. Payne. Debating the Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1968. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. 140. Print.
Captivatingly, both women act daringly, regardless of the culturally constructed labels as women, products of incest and wickedness. They use their “otherness” as a power mechanism, rather than an excuse to passivity. In conclusion, Elphaba and Antigone challenge conventional roles of gender, as they are strong, courageous figures of rebellion and exemplify a lack of traditional gender normativity.
Angela Davis grew up surrounded by politically opinionated, educated, and successful family members who influenced her ideals and encouraged her development and ambition. Her father attended St Augustine’s College, a historically black school in North Carolina (Davis 20). Her brother, Ben Davis, was a successful football player who was a member of teams such as the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions (Davis 23). Her mother, Sallye Davis, was substantially involved in the civil rights movement and was a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (Davis 42). In addition, her mother joined the Southern Negro Youth Congress which had strong ties to the Communist Party. This involvement greatly influenced Davis as she had many associations with members of the party which later shaped her political views (“Complexity, Activism, Optimism: An Interview with Angela Y. Davis”).
After the emancipation of slaves in 1862, the status of African-Americans in post civil war America up until the beginning of the twentieth century did not go through a great deal of change. Much legislation was passed to help blacks in this period. The Civil Rights act of 1875 prohibited segregation in public facilities and various government amendments gave African-Americans even more guaranteed rights. Even with this government legislation, the newly dubbed 'freedmen' were still discriminated against by most people and, ironically, they were soon to be restricted and segregated once again under government rulings in important court cases of the era.
“American civil rights movement.” Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2013. .
“Gender,” throughout the years has been defined and redefined by societies, and individuals. “Gender roles,” have, and still do contribute to these definitions. Literature contains prime examples of how gender roles were perceived in different time periods, showing readers the views of an author through the characters and their traits. Sophocles’ Antigone is a Greek tragedy, that heavily depicts the gender roles found in ancient Greek society, also providing insight into what would be seen as “normal” and “abnormal” behavior in relation to gender in Greece. In the play, Antigone, a daughter of the late King of Thebes, Oedipus, becomes distraught when she learns that her two brothers have killed each other, and furthermore, that her uncle and newfound king, Creon has forbidden the burial of one of her brothers.
One of the conflicts in Antigone, is the struggle between men and women. Ismene tells Antigone that since birth, women “were not born to contend with men,” (75) displaying women’s obedience and passivity. In the same passage, Ismene says: “we’re underlings, ruled by stronger hands,” (76) a representation of men’s aggressive and “stronger hands” that dominate women and treats them as second-class citizens. The only woman in Thebes who desires to break free from these chains is Antigone, who stands up against Ismene’s passivity urging her to “submit to this,” (77) and defy Creon by burying Polynices. By breaking Creon’s edict, Antigone challenges the traditional gender roles women and men play. In what ways does the theme of gender in Antigone, demonstrate the passion and choices behind Antigone and Ismene’s decisions?
New World Encyclopedia (2009) African-american civil rights movement (1955-1968), Retrieved on March 16, 2012 from
Born in Birmingham Alabama in 1944, on January 26. Davis was brought up right in the heart of the civil rights act. Davis and her mom who was an elementary school teacher, and Davis’ father were an owner of a service station, Along with her brother and sister, originally the Davis family grew up in the projects of Alabama, but knew this was not an appropriate place to raise a family. So the Davis’ packed their bags and moved to a neighborhood also known as “Dynamite Hill”. Davis’ neighborhood received this nickname, because the white supremacists, also known as the “Ku Klux Klan” would randomly bomb the homes of African American families.(“ "Angela Davis." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web.”)
Levy, Peter B., The Civil RIghts Movement, Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut, 1998. Web. 24 June 2015.
The character of Antigone in Sophocles’ play, Antigone, is one of the most controversial tragic characters in classic literature. The war in her city has torn her family apart, caused the death of both her brothers, and created a reason for her to fight against the King, her uncle. Her uncle, Creon, makes a ruling that her brother, Polynices, is not to be buried because he is a traitor, but according to her religion, her brother’s soul will not go to the afterlife until he is buried. In defense of her brother, she buries his body illegally and is subsequently sentenced to death. With her complex patterns of thought, bold actions, and the end she encounters, the character of Antigone causes debate among critics as to whether or not Antigone is in fact a tragic heroine. She can be perceived as a martyred hero, dying for love and religion, or as a fanatic woman who lacks the ability to think rationally. The way in which Antigone’s role is interpreted can further help to interpret Sophocles’ view of women and politics. In taking the view that she is a hero who died for her beliefs, it shows that Sophocles was aiming to prove that women deserve to be treated as equals and as citizens of Greece.
The Greek tale of Antigone is a the story of one woman’s strong will to seek justice and peace for her brother. This bold presence that she radiates spoke volumes to the expectations of women at the time. Her respectable actions of defying the state and even her own uncle, show her loyalty to her father and the gods. Furthermore, Antigone’s proud nature is a symbol of her strong moral compass as an ethical citizen. These strong characteristics shape her as a vigilante who has many admirable qualities. Therefore, Antigone represents the integrity of the independent female conscience over the power of the state.
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Ralph Ellison uses several symbols to emphasize the narrator’s attempt to escape from stereotypes and his theme of racial inequalities in his novel, Invisible Man. In particular, the symbolism of the cast-iron is one that haunts the narrator throughout the book. Ellison’s character discovers a small, cast-iron bank that implies the derogatory stereotypes of a black man in society at the time. From its “wide-mouthed, red-lipped, and very black” features, to its suggestion of a black man entertaining for trivial rewards, this ignites anger in Ellison’s narrator. The cast-iron bank represents the continuous struggle with the power of stereotypes, which is a significant theme throughout the novel.1 The bank plays a significant role in the book by aiding to the author’s message of stereotypes, the narrator’s search for an individual identity, and his languished desire for equality.
Massive protests against racial segregation and discrimination broke out in the southern United States that came to national attention during the middle of the 1950’s. This movement started in centuries-long attempts by African slaves to resist slavery. After the Civil War American slaves were given basic civil rights. However, even though these rights were guaranteed under the Fourteenth Amendment they were not federally enforced. The struggle these African-Americans faced to have their rights ...