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Racial discrimination help
Slavery impact on the south
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Journal Entry: Regional American Literature & the South
Regional American Literature seems to deal with specific areas and their culture. Culture has evolved throughout the years. Using the South as an example, its culture was clearly defined before the Civil War. The South was comprised mostly of slaves working hard picking cotton until their fingers bled for no pay, white supremacist slave owners quick to bludgeon at the slightest sign of insurgence and the rest of the populace unsure of which side they belong. Blacks were looked at as possessions, not allowed to learn how to read or write, sleeping in dark, damp shacks dirtier than animal stables, beaten and raped at their owner’s whim. Today, though the South still has an air of contempt that has carried itself through generation after generation of confederate pride, a new generation has a mind of its own believing that life is better lived in harmony. Our grandparents, mothers and fathers may still reference the African-Americans as “niggers,” but the phrase makes the children of the 21st century’s skin crawl. For example, my mother-in-law came for a visit and said, “The Smith’s house was bought by a bunch of niggers. There goes the neighborhood. All of our houses are worthless now.” Her son and I are adamantly against racism. Their attempt to taint their children’s belief system by implanting white supremacist ideals has failed. A new generation is born; a generation which better understands the melting pot that America has always been. Instead of “white pride,” it’s just pride; pride in being an American. I believe this generation, being the so over-exposed to a wealth of media and knowledge, has drastically altered the regional literature of the South and for that matter, the United States as a whole.
And how can adults operating under the “old southern principals” raise their children to value education and become doctors, lawyers and leaders of corporations. Maybe the parents didn’t teach the children this drive for education? Maybe it’s their peer discussions and television programming showing them that there is an abundance of opportunities outside of being a farmer, beer truck driver or a stay-at-home mother right out of high school. Television has been and continues to be a powerful tool in getting the word out to those underprivileged children living in poverty with seemingly no hope for a better life. Television is also assisting
...y captures the South and the aspects that it holds dear and appeals to both people of the North and South alike through accurate and descriptive examples of Southern culture. Dixie embodied the start of the South and some agriculture aspects persist today, yet through industrialization the Southeast has changed from Dixie’s rural land to urban areas of growth. Cultural South continues to shape the current attitudes and values that are exhibited in many residents who are proud of their background and are satisfied with its current ideas and cultures. While the South heralds from traditional values and institutions, Dixie, Southeast, and Cultural South have been blended together to form what we today consider the South.
John Marsh, Ph.D., shares his epiphany, that his sharing the popular belief that higher education was the answer to bringing about economic equality and curing poverty, was in fact wrong; in this short selection, “Why Education Is Not an Economic Panacea”, taken from his book, “Class Dismissed: Why We Cannot Teach or Learn Our Way Out of Inequality”. Marsh had felt that gaining a higher education himself worked to bring him to a level of economic equality, so, it should work the same way for everyone else. His change of heart comes after perhaps stepping down from the pedestal that many, with lots of letters after their name, sit on, or are put upon by others, and witnessing first-hand the dismal rates of graduation of students in the single course he teaches for The Odyssey Program. Serving as good Public Relations for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the program’s purpose was two-fold; it was to provide, at no cost, college level course(s) for low-income adults and look good for the University. In this excerpt, Marsh’s narrow vision seems to have opened up somewhat, however, it does not demonstrate that his visual field widened enough to see that there is much, much more than simply economics or education that is at play in determining where people end up in the spectrum of being considered successful in the United States. (Marsh 914)
Donaldson, Susan V. "Literature." The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures: The South. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2004. Credo Reference.
Education can help Americans receive a well paying job and lead to less low income families. A quality education allows people to feel accomplished and empowered to get a job that could help their family and their financial needs. According to an article by the Global Partnership, education reduces economic inequality and “If each [employee] from poor and rich backgrounds receive the same education, the disparity between poverty would decrease by 39 percent” (“5 Ways Education Can Help End Extreme Poverty”). In an article by William Bennett, states that American companies estimate that currently there are 3 million jobs available. The downside is that the children are poor and lack the education to fulfill those jobs. The government needs to provide more affordable schooling so that young adults can obtain a higher education to earn a higher salary. Currently, The U.S. Census Bureau reported that in 2014 the poverty rate of people twenty-five and older was 12 percent. Figure 1 demonstrates the statistic provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. It clearly displays that Americans who obtain more years of schooling and further their education, display a lower poverty rate. In 2014, those who have obtained no high school diploma show a greater poverty rate in relation to those who do have a bachelor degree. For example, Americans who have no high school diploma have the highest poverty rate at 29 percent. In contrast, Americans who have Bachelor’s degrees or higher, have the lowest poverty rate at 5 percent (“How does level of Education Relate to
According to Brooke Allen in the article, “Our Godless Constitution,” the American constitution is not founded on Christianity principles as most people claim. According to the author, the American constitution was founded on enlightenment principles and God was only a minor player, while Jesus Christ was conspicuously absent. Brooke assertions are that the constitution does not mention God and the omission is too obvious and deliberate. The article says that when Alexander Hamilton was asked about this apparent omission, he stated that the new nation did not need any foreign aid, while in another occasion he simply said they simply forgot.
It’s considered a rarity now days to walk down a major city street and not come across a single person who is fighting to survive poverty. The constant question is why don’t they go get help, or what did they do to become like this? The question that should be asked is how will America fix this? Over the past year, Americans who completed high school earned fifteen point five percent more per hour than that of dropouts (Bernstein, Is Education the Cure to Poverty). According to Jared Bernstein, in his article “Is Education the Cure to Poverty”, he argues that not only do the poor need to receive a higher education, but to also maximize their skill levels to fill in where work is needed (Is Education the Cure to Poverty). Counter to Bernstein’s argument Robert Reich expresses that instead of attempting to achieve a higher education, high school seniors need to find another way into the American middle class. Reich goes on to say “the emerging economy will need platoons of technicians able to install, service, and repair all the high-tech machinery filling up hospitals, offices, and factories” (Reich, Why College Isn’t (and Shouldn’t Have to be) for Everyone). Danielle Paquette, though, offers an alternative view on higher education. Paquette gives view that it doesn’t matter on the person, rather it’s the type of school and amount of time in school that will determine a person’s
Education has always been in existence in one form or another. As each child is born into this world regardless of who or where they are born, life lessons immediately begin. He/she will learn to crawl, walk, and talk by the example and encouragement of others. Although these lessons are basic in the beginning they evolve as the child grows. However, the core learning method of a child does not change. Learning from others, they will watch, listen, and then act for themselves. Thomas Jefferson believed that an education would lead men and women to the ability to be self-governed and become positive contributors to society (Mondale & Patton, 2001). Today, we can see how true this is by the examples of others. Those that are given the opportunity for education are more likely to find jobs and develop skills that not only improve a community, but influence the economic growth of their nation (Ravitch, Cortese, West, Carmichael, Andere, & Munson, 2009, p. 13). On the other hand, if an education is not provided to individuals, they can become a hindrance to that nation’s growth.
A kid growing up in poverty does not have near the same probability of graduating from a university as a wealthy individual does, and each learns to value post high school education accordingly. Do you think most poor hungry kids are going to think about college after seeing flashy drug dealers from their own neighborhoods driving Benzes, wearing designer clothes, loaded with jewelry, and toting matching Rolex watches? They know this kind of life is morally wrong, but do you think they would rather see their families continue to live like rats? Many of these kids have already dropped out of high school to better support their families by working a full time job. So many times funding is not the only problem. Sure, they could probably get financial aid to go to college and make even more money in four to six years, but hungry stomachs and overdue rent payments just can’t wai...
Americans Literature has an immense amount if history with in it. There are many lessons that we have learned from reading and reviewing the history along with Americans Literature. There are many questions asking what is American Ethnic Literature, and this literature centers on the voices that govern out country. These voices work hard be heard, and will continue to struggle to be heard at all.
Colonialism was when Europe took over most of Africa and Asia, and then Post-Colonialism followed. During Post-Colonialism people from Europe began to question the way European literature talked about people of color (Africans, Asians). This lens allows people to see the racism behind what they are reading, that it be intentional or unintentional. It questions poetic ideas like (darkness = evil) and (light = goodness, purity). It all gives you a different perspective on parts of the book to realize what is happening. OMAN tells the story of two friends during the Great Depression who go to a farm to fulfill their wish of owning a farm. Lennie has makes the whole dream harder because he must always watch out to make sure he doesn’t get in trouble. He has already gotten in to trouble in the past, and now he is too in this new farm.
Education is the absolute most essential factor in the development of our nation. In particular, advanced education clears a future and gives chance to understudies that go to college and gives them a shot at a vocation. 50 years prior, college was entirely for the tip top, high class Americans. Presently, it appears that each regular family has no less than one relative go to college. In any case, with the expanding drop out rate today, understudies appear to be less inspired by learning at college and their needs change from their unique objective of graduating. The significance of education today is a developing variable on the grounds that the fate of this nation relies upon the understudies in college today.
“A Tale Intended to be After the Fact…” is how Stephan Crane introduced his harrowing story, “The Open Boat,” but this statement also shows that history influences American Literature. Throughout history, there has been a connection among literary works from different periods. The connection is that History, current events, and social events have influenced American Literature. Authors, their literary works, and the specific writing styles; are affected and influenced by the world around them. Authors have long used experiences they have lived through and/or taken out of history to help shape and express in their works. Writing styles are also affected by the current trends and opinions of the period they represent. By reading American Literature, we have seen the inhumane treatment of slaves, we have seen the destruction caused by wars, and we have seen the devastation of eras such as The Great Depression.
Having an education is also vital to an individual being able to find a career and live a wealthy life. However, not all people receive an equal opportunity when it comes to obtaining an education. One inequality that sociologist have explored with the education system is the difference in education between rural and suburban areas. According to Roscigno, Tomaskovic-Devey, and Crowley (2006), “Students living in inner city and rural areas of the United States exhibit lower educational achievement and a higher likelihood of dropping out of high school than do their suburban counterparts” (para. 1). Causes of these inequalities could be due to their local economy and the availability of resources. (Roscigno et., al 2006). Communities that thrive off a strong economy may have access to better jobs, school systems, and services. Likewise, students that attend the schools in these communities may have access to better public libraries, school resources, and extracurricular activities. As can be seen, communities can take advantage of their wealth by providing more options for increasing individuals learning
Literature is a very powerful tool that is used to make a huge impact on society or in someone’s perspective. Literature comes in different forms and each literature form fits in a certain category or role to help understand the true meaning of it. From playwrights to short stories, each one has moral lesson, a message or a reflection of the author. I have witnessed the power of literature several times. Literature has moved teens to better being; it has motivated unfortunate people to fame, used as an educational process of teaching and most of all, entertainment. Back in the day, plays were on of the most famous forms of entertainment. Without television and radio present, plays served as a substitute to entertain certain groups of people like the royal family or just for the whole public. This was one way of making money by the actors and the authors that wrote the play. Also present during those times were the poem recitals. This is similar to a play but fewer people are present in the stage or sometimes solo performance. Today, Literature is still being used as a form of entertainment and educational intentions. Hollywood made a lot of money by revising the great masterpieces of famous authors such as “Rome and Juliet” by William Shakespeare. Also, they made movies out of hundreds of literary works for educational purposes and better understanding of the literature piece. Each form of literature has its own style. The style determines how it influences the audience to absorb the true meaning and moral of the story or poem. William Shakespeare and Benjamin Franklin were truly persuasive while Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe mixed mystery and adventure to their works. The style touches the readers which really makes a good relationship from the reader to the author’s literary masterpieces.
Growing up they said that education is the key to life. Without an education you won’t make it very far in life, at least that is what adults preaches. According to Capra "America must acknowledge that education is a public necessity and not a luxury for