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James baldwin language essay
James baldwin language essay
Language as a social identity
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Language as the Key to Identity and Social Acceptance in Hal Borland’s Novel, When the Legends Die
In the world today, many people are identified by the way they look or act; they are also accepted into society based on this criteria. However, in literature, one cannot be identified or judged on these aspects, these observations must be created solely from the way the character speaks. This shows that James Baldwin was correct in his 1979 essay when he stated that language is a key to identity and social acceptance. This observation can be seen in the novel When the Legends Die by Hal Borland.
When the Legends Die is a novel about a boy, Thomas, growing into a man. There are a variety of characters in this novel and without their different styles of speaking, the reader would not be able to tell them apart. One example of identifying a character by what they say is a man named Blue Elk. Blue Elk was an extremely greedy Ute Indian. He would do anything, including sending other Native Americans to live on reservations, where they were miserable, to make easy money. So, in When the Legends Die when a reader sees a character talking about how much money he made, or who he has conned lately he or she knows that the character is Blue Elk. Another example of recognizing a character by their speaking style is a man named Meo. Meo was a bronco rider when he was younger and now he helps in training Thomas to become a champion rider. Meo also grows beans and loves making chili. He is always talking about the old days before his injury that ended his riding career, and how to make the “perfect” chili. So, once again, it is easy for the reader to recognize who is speaking by what he or she is talking about.
Social acceptance is also a large point made in the novel. Thomas grew up as a Ute Indian and eventually became a bronco rider in rodeos. It is obvious that social acceptance is dependent on language because Thomas much change everything about himself to be accepted by the white riders. He was obligated to speak differently and he could not express his feelings in the way he was brought up. Thomas could not express himself freely because he had grown up singing traditional Ute hymns with his mother to show their feeling, and he was not allowed to do that anymore.
Let us first look at Mr. Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie was a mogul in the steel industry. Carnegie developed a system known as the vertical integration. This method basically cut out the ‘middle man’. Carnegie bought his own iron and coal mines (which were necessities in producing steel) because purchasing these materials from independent companies cost too much and was insufficient for Carnegie’s empire. This hurt his competitors because they still had to pay for raw materials at much higher prices. Unlike Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller integrated his oil business from top to bottom. Rockefeller’s system was considered a ‘horizontal’ integration. This meant that he followed one product through all phases of the production process, i.e. Rockefeller had control over the oil from the moment it was drilled to the moment it was sold to the consu...
Butler, Octavia. “Speech Sounds.” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth McMahan, Susun X Day, and Robert Funk. 8th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice, 2008. 408-417. Print.
From a young age we are taught the saying “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” While this may be helpful for grade school children that are being bullied by their peers, it has some problems as it trivializes the importance that words can have. The words that people choose for themselves, as well as the words that others ascribe to a person, have an unmeasurable importance to how people can understand themselves. These labels can be a significant source of oppression or liberation for many people who identify within them. In Eli Clare’s memoir, Exile and Pride, looks at the importance of words as he explores the labels he’s associated with. He does this through mixing discussion of the histories and modern representation
In conclusion, an author’s writing can tell a lot about himself. The writer will tell the reader something about themselves, either through diction, syntax or by other methods. In Black Boy, Richard writes in a way that allows the reader to learn information about his life. Learning about the author through his/her writing is the best way to learn about them because this way you get to learn what author thinks about the topics that he/she are talking about.
David Foster Wallace, author of the essay “Authority and American Usage*,” praises and advocates for “good” writers who have a strong rhetorical ability, which he defines as “the persuasive use of language to influence the thoughts and actions of an audience” (Wallace 628). To have a strong rhetorical ability, an author needs to be aware of whom their audience is, in order to present their information in a way that will be influential on their audience. Wallace recognizes that an author who applies a strong rhetorical ability will be able to connect with the audience so that they respond “not just to [their] utterance but also to [them]” (Wallace 641). An author needs to take into consideration not just content, syntax and grammatical structure (their “utterance”) but also how their character will be perceived by their audience. A positive tone will make the author seem more pleasant and relatable, whereas a negative tone connotes arrogance and pretentiousness. That is why it is crucial for an author to recognize that an audience will respond to “them” and not just their “utterance,” as an author’s appearance to their readers can also shape how impactful their writing is.
Identity is an important theme in many stories. Especially in the The Outsiders, Eleanor and Park, and“Flowers for Algernon.” In The Outsiders identity is tied heavily to which gang a person belongs to. In the novel, Eleanor and Park, identity is portrayed through gender and race. Also, in the short story, “Flowers for Algernon,” the main character identifies with his level of intelligence. Although, one common trend expressed is how jubilance is felt when the characters are free of how they are told they should identify. I will be analysing identity in these stories is represented through the characters, and how this proves how easily the characters find identify in themselves when they detach how they are to identify by society.
Throughout history, there have been many successful businessmen. One who stands out from the rest is John D. Rockefeller.
Billionaire, tycoon, philanthropist, rich, generous, and oil king of the world all describe John D. Rockefeller. Because of some of his achievements, we put an end to hookworm disease in the Southern United States, have the Univeristy of Chicago, and helped with World War I relief. Rockefeller’s charitable contributions did outweigh most of his ruthless business tactics. His upbringing and early career, his career with Standard Oil and the public outcry, and his philanthropic ways all influenced him in his life. The things that led him to the man we hear about today can be found in his upbringing and early career.
In paragraph three of James Baldwin's 'Stranger in the Village' (1955), he alludes to emotions that are significant, dealing with conflicts that arise in the Swiss village. Of these emotions are two, astonishment and outrage, which represent the relevant feelings of Baldwin, an American black man. These two emotions, for Baldwin's ancestors, create arguments about the 'Negro' and their rights to be considered 'human beings' (Baldwin 131). Baldwin, an American Negro, feels undeniable rage toward the village because of the misconception of his complexion, a misconception that denies Baldwin human credibility and allows him to be perceived as a 'living wonder' (129).
The United States has come to be known as a major world superpower throughout history. One of the main parts of America that has contributed to its renowned strength has been its economy. The United State’s economy has been growing ever since it began. Credit for its strength and progress in development can be attributed to the financial geniuses of their time. John D. Rockefeller became an economical giant during his time when he changed the face of business by developing ground-breaking new strategies to ensure financial success. Rockefeller dramatically changed the business field during The Gilded Age. He did so through the use of his social Darwinistic philosophy of capitalism, inclusion of vertical and horizontal integration, combination of both his business views and religious beliefs, his Standard Oil Company along with specific refinery processes. He founded the Standard Oil Company, one of the first types of businesses during its time. Although this company helped Rockefeller become known for his successful and competitive strategies, he did develop these strategies by himself with the use of his own beliefs and views.
Facts for Life. Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Retrieved November 25, 2015 from http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/FactsForLife.html
Identity is the condition of being oneself regardless of variation in an individual’s surroundings that provides sameness in their distinctive qualities over time. No two individuals are the same, therefore, no two identities are the same. Every aspect of their past, present, and future molds their being into something never seen before. Each identity is extremely intricate and ever changing so truly understanding another’s identity is an astonishingly difficult task. Identity can be described in all of these ways, but language - the system of communication, diction, and connotation of the form in which an individual speaks - is the backbone of identity. Conforming language to the words someone hears around them instead of truly allowing their
Mattel’s strength is in its established brands. Barbie and Hot Wheels have both been around since the 1960’s (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011). These two brands are known around the world and provide for about 65 percent Mattel’s profits (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011).
Identity in James Baldwin’s “Stranger in the Village” and Zora Neale Hurston’s “How it Feels to be Colored Me”
Literature reflects communities because in communities there are people of all nationalities with different values, morals, beliefs and custom cultures. Literature is used to describe how people in communities communicate, live, feel, and see differently. The content in the short story “Shiloh” by Bobbie Ann Mason noted examples of how literature uses langu...