Essay question: What message do you think Alice Walker is trying to
convey in the short story 'Nineteen fifty-five'?
In Nineteen fifty-five, a short story written by Alice Walker, there
seems to be a variation of different messages that she is trying to
convey. As an author she relates the story to real life issues as well
as using the character Gracie Mae to highlight the way in which black
people have been exploited by whites.
The story is set over quite a vast timespan, from 1955 to 1977. By
setting the story over this period of time Alice Walker is reminding
us of the interlocking political and racial situations from the Civil
Rights Movement. At the beginning of the 1968 section, Gracie Mae
mentions that 'Malcolm X, King, the president and his brother' had all
died. All of these people were concerned with gaining equality for
black people.
The plot of the story and its characters is closely related to Elvis
Presley's career. Elvis rose to fame in 1955 and died in 1977, exactly
the same as the timespan of the story. Also the character Traynor is
based on Presley, in both the way his career developed and the fact
that as a white man he had the black sound.
The Civil Rights Movement that swept through the Southern states in
the 1950's and 1960's affects the lives of all Americans today. We now
have many laws against discrimination, laws that were created in
response to the movement. We all live in a country that is coming to
acknowledge that discrimination is wrong. This is just one of the many
messages that Alice Walker wants the reader to pick up on and notice.
Gracie Mae is shocked that Traynor and the deacon are in her
neighbourhood. This is because of the racial situation at the time of
...
... middle of paper ...
...d didn't even
know what they was crying for. One day this is going to be a pitiful
country, I thought.' I think this means that she feels pity for them
because they feel emotion but they do not know why they are feeling
it, she also feels that in time the whole of the country will be like
this with everybody's lives. This also shows that the exploitation of
another race's genius will lead to emptiness and lack of fulfilment.
So to answer the question what message do I think Alice Walker is
trying to convey in Nineteen fifty-five is extremely difficult as you
can see she manages to include so many views and points in such a
short piece of text. However some of the main ones are not to live a
lie, racial prejudice and how it is wrong, but finally most important
of all every one no matter what differences race, sex or anything else
should be treated equal.
She then immediately follows up with a way to fix it and demand respect. Shes trying to connect with the audience and shows that she has been in the same place, that she can relate. You can see that she has done her research, she uses plenty of statistics to give you a visual of what she is talking about as well as quoting people from organizations and giving them the appropriate credit. She mentions in 2005 at yale, her alma mater, 15 students sat in the admissions office until they were removed by police. These individuals were demanding changes to the financial aid policy. What those student did actually changed the policy and made it easier for families to afford college without heavy loans. This showed others that activists can make a difference, something she presses on in this
Indeed, no person can live forever because our bodies are mortal. Therefore, everyone should seize the chance given in the few years on earth to accomplish his or her desires. Historically, no human has lived past 130 years, except the narrations in the Bible or other religious books. Accordingly, this demonstrates the limited life that humans have, which is prone to a premature end due to diseases, accidents, and calamities. For this reason, the uncertainty of the human life makes it necessary for the people to live each day as their last on earth so that they can strive to perfect the desires, duties, and responsibilities bestowed on them. Furthermore, the completion of the tasks should not be a routine but rather a passion for creating a better environment for the success of
During the 1970’s, the United States experienced "Watergate," the most famous political scandal in American History. It was a scandal that began with a break in and ended in resignation. On June 17, 1972 five intruders were caught and arrested for illegally entering the rooms of the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington’s Watergate Complex. "The investigation of the break-in lead directly to the reelection campaign of President Richard M. Nixon and unraveled a web of political spying and sabotage, bribery and the illegal use of campaign funds" (Washingtonpost.com). Two-and-a-half-years later along with a number of court hearings led to the 1974 resignation of Richard M. Nixon. Nixon became the first President in U.S. History to resign. During all the political drama the United States brought an end to an unpopular war and made great strides in space exploration.
Society in America during the 1950’s was one that portrayed men and women in very different, but rigid roles. Women were housewives, secretaries, and mothers. Men were providers, war heroes, and businessmen. Television, newspapers and magazines played an important role as well in determining ways men and women should behave. Advertisements for real estate were designed to sell to the “All-American” family. For example; Dad would be the returned home veteran who is now running the company, Mom is an ideal housewife who works a couple days a week for extra vacation cash, little Billy likes baseball and his sister Susie plays with dolls. Houses designed with this type of family in mind would prove very effective in luring away many from the city to live in suburbs like this at a rapid pace. Most jobs in the work place were gender divided. Help-wanted ads placed in newspapers in the 1950’s were very gender biased as well. Some ads with attention getting headlines could have read: “Sales Girl,” and “Brides! Housewives!” Occupations offered to women at this time were very limiting.
	Living is about making choices. The choices people make shape their lives for better or worse. Even the decision not to choose has its effects, often not wanted. But the individual who chooses to make positive choices and to act accordingly is more likely to see his or her life reflect his or her beliefs and desires. Usually the individual who chooses to take action is also willing to face the risks and obstacles that such choices involve.
The fifties was a learning year and the 60's became the time to express everything that they learned. The 60's was a time for new and innovative ways to entertain the people. Since the blacklisting continued in Hollywood, the making or films became very difficult to express. The restrictions, such as the production codes, kept the big corporations to produce films that had no interesting subjects. These films also had to be films that show no signs of communistic values. The film industry was failing to bring in the audience to the theaters. With the TV making a big wave all over, the U.S. the film industry was losing it is money. Then in 1961 something big happened, 20th Century Fox took apart its lot. This act was one that led to a chain reaction. Studios were assuming the role of distributors. This would allow the independent companies to come in and add a new flavor to the silver screen. During this time films changed it's traditional film making ideas. Things started to get graphic, more violent, sexual and more expressive. Movies had found a new look and with the production codes now gone and the blacklisting ending, there was an explosion of ideas that would be presented to the United States.
Freedom has been discussed and debated for a while now and yet no one can completely agree that it exists. Since the Civil, War America has been conditioned to be divided politically. The conflict over the meaning of freedom continues to exist from the civil war, throughout the sixties and in the present. The Civil War was fought over the question of what freedom means in America. The issue was in the open for all to see: slavery. Human slavery was the shameless face of the idea of freedom. The cultural war in the sixties was once more about the question of what freedom is and what it means to Americans. No slaves. Instead, in the sixties and seventies four main issues dominated the struggle for racial equality: opposition to discriminatory immigration controls; the fight against racist attacks; the struggle for equality in the workplace; and, most explosively, the issue of police brutality. For more than two centuries, Americans demanded successive expansions of freedom; progressive freedom. Americans wanted freedom that grants expansions of voting rights, civil rights, education, public health, scientific knowledge and protections from fear.
Throughout the first half of the 19th century, and especially after the War of 1812, America has taken on yet another revolution. In this time period, the country saw a rapid expansion in territory and economics, as well as the extension of democratic politics; the spread of evangelical revivalism; the rise of the nation’s first labor and reform movements; the growth of cities and industrial ways of life; a rise in abolitionism and reduction in the power of slavery; and radical shifts in the roles and status of women.
She remains the same as to what she believes in what is right and doesn’t have any doubt because of other
The 1960’s. A time when many events arose and occurred. One particular movement, which many people referred to as a culture, had the name that most know of as hippies. They rejected mainstream life style and displayed love and peace, they were also known as “Flower Children” (Flower Child). Hippies created anti-war movements in the 1960‘s and maintained these movements for a long stretch in time. For as long as hippies lasted through America’s history, they did not inspire the youth during the hippie generation(1960-1970). Hippies did not embolden youthful people in a positive way. They conducted many experiments that effected the young immensely. Hippies did not galvanize the nation because of their lack of control over drug use, their laziness, and their access to free love.
disappointment. It was a decade classified as the "roaring twenties." Men returning from World War I had to deal with unemployment, wheat farmers and oil companies were striking it rich, new modern conveniences were being thought up, and fashion was a major issue among the rich.
In conclusion, humankind is blessed with life as God created it. One must reflect on their actions throughout life because one will be judged by God in the next life, one must see the importance of gasping liberation, and one must have a loving and open heart when helping the poor. Life should be lived to its fullest because once time is lost, it cannot be regained; life needs to be appreciated.
The 1930s brought a very turbulent time to the United States. As a result of the Stock Market Crash of 1929, the nation was experiencing a severe depression. There were hard class divisions dividing the nation. People were either extremely rich or extremely poor. The middle class simply did not exist (Bondi 97). On March 4, 1933 Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office with the promise of hope and relief for struggling Americans. Roosevelt followed up his promise for help with the New Deal, his plan to combat the depression. The New Deal involved the three R’s: relief, recovery and reform. It included measures concerning banking, securities, industry, and agriculture (Bondi 97).
In the twentieth century, musicians were very open to change. Many new styles and genres were made. In a way, they got rid of all of the rules and created new ones. Composers, trying new things, created ragtime, jazz. Some of the new approaches towards tonality were atonality, polytonality, neotonality and the twelve-tonal methods. Different styles were impressionism, expressionism, neoclassicism, primitivism and minimalism. Composers trying to create completely new sounds produced experimental music, spatial music, and electronic music. Not all composers aimed for completely new things. Some wanted to continue the traditions of old classical composers while also finding ways to make their music relevant in their time. All of these elements together are what characterize the twentieth century and what influences much of our music today.