The Existence of Many Cultures in America
In America, the existence of so many different cultures and religions can inadvertently cause one religion to impose its values upon another religion. In Grace Paley’s “The Loudest Voice”, however, the school system directly imposed Christianity onto Shirley Abramowitz and other non-Christian students in the school. Teachers in the school tried to enforce Christianity onto the non-Christian children whenever and whichever way possible. The major illustration of this attempt of “brainwashing” was the production of a Christmas play performed mostly by Jewish students. This was an obvious attempt by the school to try to force the other students to learn the value and history of the Christian religion.
Even though the Christmas play was directly against her Jewish faith, Shirley did not pay much attention to that fact. She was more concerned about perfecting her role so that everyone watching her would be proud of her. However, Shirley’s mother was very concerned about her daughter’s performance in the play. Shirley’s mother had quickly noticed that the school was trying to encroach upon the non-Christian students with these Christian beliefs. She felt the students were being deceived, and she was very frustrated about the situation. Shirley’s mother stated, “Very funny, Misha. What is becoming of you? If we came to a new country a long time ago to run away from tyrants, and instead we fall into a creeping pogrom, that our children learn a lot of lies, so what’s the joke.” (171) The mother was rather fearful and furious that Shirley was playing a role in a play that would directly be against her own Jewish faith. Shirley’s mother felt that they had come to America so they could practice their own Jewish faith freely, which was something they could do not do back home. Yet, here in the American schools, her daughter and other children were presently being forced to learn about Christianity. Shirley’s mother used the term “creeping pogrom” as a way of referring the American schools to the organized massacres of Jews in czarist Russia. She felt that the children were being massacred of their Jewish faith because they were learning lies against their own Jewish religion. Shirley’s mother was further enraged because the children were young and did not know that they were doing something against their own religion.
Moore does not devote much of his attention to religious ideas. Instead, he examines several different instances of the blending of the sacred and the profane in popular American culture. Moore narrates the direct and indirect effects of the public display of religion for both sacreds and seculars. History, lifestyle, work, education, government, music, sporting events, marketplace, literature, and womanhood influence people. He also brings up how religion can influence racial militancy and terrorism that threaten equality, domestic security, and national identity.
Young Mary headed into the Residential School full of faith and ambition to devote herself to God’s true beliefs. She taught the Native children religion and music in class, which they all seemed to greatly enjoy. Although, it did not make up for all
In the text, “The American Cultural Configuration” the authors express the desire of anthropologists to study their own culture despite the difficulty that one faces attempting to subjectively analyze their own society. Holmes and Holmes (2002), use the adage “not being able to see the forest through the trees” (p. 5) to refer to how hard it is for someone to study something they have largely taken for granted. The Holmes' article focuses predominately on paradoxes within our own culture, many of which we don't notice. In a paradox, two contradicting statements can appear to be true at the same time. This essay looks at two paradoxes commonly found in everyday life: the individual versus the family and religion.
...ely to bring only a puzzled smile to the next” (Miller 1). In the 1950’s the Witch hunt seemed unnatural and silly, but now-a-days, the Red Scare and hunting down communists seems silly and unnecessary. A parallel to the play is when Miller states in his article, “The more I read into the Salem panic, the more it touched off corresponding images of common experiences in the fifties” (Miller 4). It is also stated in the article that “naturally to turn away in fear of being identified with the condemned. As I learned from non-Jewish refugees, however, there was often a despairing pity mixed with ‘Well, they must have done something’” (Miller 4). This frightening time in American history when neighbors turned on neighbors was documented in the book. When Rebecca Nurse is charged and Elizabeth claims that is outrageous, Hale replies, “Women, it is possible” (Miller 64).
Even more so, in the years to come we will have to accommodate those that are either offended by the Christmas celebration or those that feel excluded. In public schools, it used to be acceptable to celebrate the Christmas season with a Nativity theatrical play. The Nativity depicts the story about the birth of Jesus, born in a manger, and the three wise men coming to visit the new king. A plentiful number of school districts have decided against having this genre of theatrical play in their schools. They came to the conclusion that it imposes upon an individual’s religious freedom. It seems, accommodation is better than causing any possible discrimination lawsuits.
... The beliefs that Florence and Gabriel’s mother had about God and the Word of God shaped how she lived her life because she believed that God would bring down the Caucasian-Americans because of their pride. She taught her children that it was not their responsibility to bring down the white man, but rather, God would bring them down from their lofty position. Interestingly enough, Florence recalls how the big house was brought down. Her mother’s beliefs, in at least one instance, were fulfilled; which, in part solidified their belief system. These beliefs that had been passed down through the generations shaped the way that Gabriel was toward Caucasians. He had a deep hatred toward the white man, yet he never did anything to contest the way the African-Americans were treated because of his belief that God was the one who was going to bring the white man to justice.
Slavery, the “Peculiar Institution” of the South, caused suffering among an innumerable number of human beings. Some people could argue that the life of a domestic animal would be better than being a slave; at least animals are incapable of feeling emotions. Suffering countless atrocities, including sexual assault, beatings, and murders, these slaves endured much more than we would think is humanly possible today. Yet, white southern “Christians” committed these atrocities, believing their behaviors were neither wrong nor immoral. Looking back at these atrocities, those who call themselves Christians are appalled. In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself, Harriet A. Jacobs describes the hypocrisy of Southern, Christian slave owners in order to show that slavery and Christianity are not congruent.
As 10-year-old Mason Anderson enters the principal’s office he is unsure of whether his issue will be taken seriously. He is forced to recall the words of his father reminding him that his faith is important and that at all times he must defend his beliefs. “Mason is a very bright, loving, and caring young boy. He loves to spend time with his family and his favorite thing to do is connect with God in different ways. It troubles me to see my son put in such an uncomfortable position. Especially in front of his fellow classmates,” says Peter1. Mason is wondering if Ms. Walker too, will reprimand him for his reading choice during free reading time, “Come in Mason, have a seat.” A few days earlier, Mrs. Cooke, Mason’s fifth-grade teacher reprimanded
in by those who would cloak themselves in, and manipulate with, those beliefs. The play is
The play, set in the 1600’s during the witch hunt that sought to rid villages of presumed followers and bidders of the devil is a parallel story to the situation in the US in the 1950’s: McCarthyism, seeking the riddance of communist ideologists. Miller sets this story more particularly in a village called Salem, where the theocratic power governed by strict puritan rules require the people to be strong believers and forbid them to sin at risk of ending up in hell. However, the audience notices that despite this strong superficial belief in God, faith is not what truly motivates them, but it is rather money and reputation.
The Power of Music, is nearly gold in an oil on canvas form, created by William Sidney Mount in 1847. The painting is very intriguing, the time this was made greatly influences the potency of its message. Being painted in the 1840’s I associate this painting with the idea of very strong racism at the time, and it makes me question why is it that a white man painted this picture of a black man being the main focus of the picture because analyzing it well, it seems as if the emphasis goes on the black man, rather than the white people in what seems to be the foreground. Also, I noticed that the light is focused on the black man while the white men are in a much darker place which makes one question why it is that this painter chose to do this.
The major backlash that our society is creating for individuals that don’t fit the mold of a normal man or women. Transgender individuals are finding it extremely hard to come out to their family member about their true feelings. However, the hardship comes after they confront their family member in revealing who they really are. The whole wide world is targeting transgender for not fitting the correct mold in gender. “Housing and employment discrimination against transgender people are still legal in most places in the United States, and this discrimination was even more common in the past than it is now”(Stryker 435). Society is making it extremely hard for the world to accept transgender into our culture. There are all kinds of antics when
portray the Christians as the good party in the play as at the time it
1. In my lifetime learning culture, I see this term as, the beliefs and customs in a person or society that arises concern for what is regarded to themselves. Throughout the semester, I learned that the daily life for British is way different from the daily life in America. The British love the charge people with the finest water and whenever I am eating out America, I ask for tap water.
Ultimately, I feel that this play is putting to perspective the Christian religious practices; by at the end of the play [the reader] should be able to understand that through forgiveness, a reward is possible. I feel that this play teaches those who follow the Christian faith that they’re people in the world who carry out and do the most outlandish of ideas which may get them caught. Instead of the person being punished for their deed of infraction or as part of punishment, forgive them and you shall be rewarded based on your ability to forgive those who trespass against you (reference to Moses’ Ten Commandments).